QSR1856/3/5/5-7

Depositions of John Champkins and Thomas Champkins, both labourers of Langford. PC Richard Todd of Biggleswade. Thomas Henshaw, corn chandler of Biggleswade. Martha Walker, wife of Humphrey of Biggleswade and Betsy Wheatly, wife of James of Bigleswade. In the case of George Wilson, John Hinton and Humphrey Walker accused of stealing 4 bushels of peas. The evidence of Martha Walker only to be taken only against Wilson and Hinton as she is the wife of Humphrey Walker.

26 April 1856

From: 1856 To: 1856

John Champkins: a labourer working fro Mr John Gadgin at Langford. On 5 April he had been at work in the barn near the railway bridge at Langford. He dressed and put up in sacks 8 loads of peas. A little before 6pm he locked the barn and took the key to his master and went home. On 6 April he heard the barn had been broken open and immediately went with his master to the barn. They missed 6 bushels of peas. He afterwards saw Todd the policeman take a sample of the peas left in the barn. He then examined the 2 samples which exactly matched. They were a Dun Peas with a few maples. Thomas Champkins: a labourer working fro Mr John Gadgin at Langford. On 6 April he went to his master’s homestead near the railway bridge at Langford and observed the bullocks in the yard were frightened. He suspected something was wrong and went round and examined the premises. He found the barn door lock broken. In the barn he saw a quantity of peas scattered about the floor. He sent word to his master. PC Richard Todd: on 19 April he searched the house of Humphrey Walker at Biggleswade. PC John Furse was with him and called his attention to a sack which stood in the corner of the back kitchen. He examined it and found it nearly full of bushels of peas. He compared them with a sample he had taken from Mr Gadgin’s peas. He could see no difference. After searching the house he looked into the pig sty and in the trough saw some more peas of the same kinds. He afterwards apprehended Walker who said he had bought the peas from Jack Hinton and Bogie Wilson the previous Wednesday. His wife paid Wilson 3 shillings on account for the peas. George Wilson went by the nickname ‘Bogie’. Martha Walker: on 8 April Wilson and Hinton came to their door and her husband went out and spoke to them. The following morning about 6am, before she was up, they came again and Hinton asked for a sack to put the peas in. Her husband then went down and she heard Wilson talk to him. She did not see Wilson or Hinton but knew their voices. She heard her husband say they should have been 3 shillings when he could get it. When she came downstairs she found a quantity of peas, about 4 bushels, in sack in the corner of the room. On 13 April Wilson came again to the house and she gave him 3 shillings. Betsy Wheatly: wife of James Wheatly. About 10am on 13 April she went into Walker’s house and George Wilson was there. She saw Mrs Walker hand him something which clinked like money. Mrs Walker told him that was all she had. Mrs Walker had previously said she was going to pay for the peas and afterwards said she had done so. Thomas Henshaw: a corn chandler at Biggleswade. He had examined the 2 samples produced by PC Todd and had no hesitation in saying they were from the same bulk. Statements of the accused: George Wilson – he knew nothing about it. John Hinton – he had been in bed on the Wednesday morning at 6am and John Chessum brought him some Lucifer’s in his room. He never had any peas. Humphrey Walker – Wilson & Hinton had come to him and asked if he wanted to buy any peas. He told them he had a pig and must buy some barley or something. He asked them how much they had and they said 4 bushels. He said he would pay them its worth and he would pay a little at a time.

item

Walker, Humphrey,
Wilson, George,
Hinton, John,
Champkins, John,
Champkins, Thomas,
Todd, Richard,
Henshaw, Thomas,
Walker, Martha,
Wheatly, Betsy

LANGFORD, BIGGLESWADE, corn chandler, stealing, peas