QSR1846/3/5/8

Depositions and examination - Henry Stanbridge of Clifton, bricklayer, charged with stealing two punders of two carts, value 5s, from Thomas Inskip at Chicksands on 26 April 1846

7 May 1846

From: 1846 To: 1846

William Hann of Shefford, police constable – on Sunday morning 26 April about 1am he was near Mr Gresham’s farm in Chicksands and heard the sound of beating on wood. It was quite dark. He went in the direction of the sound. He walked for nearly ½ hour and heard people talking low. He saw 3 men go found the end of a cart hovel of Mr Gresham’s. Soon after this he heard the sound of hurdles creaking, the sluice in the water rattling and the water rushing out. He went to the sluice and saw the water running and saw three men go along the side of the water away from the sluice. He called John Wittamore the keeper. They went together to the pond, with himself on the south side and Wittamore on the other side in the Park. They found another sluice gate open at the head of another pond. They hid themselves. The prisoner and another man came towards the place where they were. He took hold of Stanbridge and recognised him. He recognised the other man to be Thomas Grey by his voice. Grey had one of the punders now produced in his hand, threw it down and ran away. Stanbridge was at the eel trap close to the sluice, on his knees looking into the trap. He has searched for Grey since but cannot find him. After taking Stanbridge into custody he said to Wittamore that all the water was off the head, all the sluices were up, and there was a fish under the tree. He saw the punder Grey had thrown in Wittamore’s hands. Soon afterwards while he was in custody Stanbridge picked up the other punder from the ground and threw it into the pond before he could stop him. He later saw a quantity of fish outside the water at the higher sluice and several in the eel trap. He saw a 4 ½ lb fish under a tree about a chain away. John Whittamore of Shefford, gamekeeper – he knows Stanbridge. He was with Hann when the prisoners came to the sluice. He saw the other man letting it down and saw he had something under his hand. When Hann arrested Stanbridge he saw the other man throw something down – he pickd it up and it was the larger of the two punders produced. He went for a light and on his return was told by Hann that Stanbridge had thrown it into the pond. He later found it in the pond. He later went round the other sluices and found the smaller punder standing up near the top sluice. None of the sluices were open the night before. James Marriott of Shefford, horsekeeper – he is horsekeeper to Thomas Inskip of Shefford. The two punders produced are his master’s property and belong to carts. The last time he noticed them was on the previous Thursday. On the morning of 26 April he missed them, before he heard they had been found at the Priory. The carts stood under Mr Inskip’s cart hovel about a mile from where they were found. The cart hovel is open and footpath goes past it. The path leads from where Stanbridge lives to Chicksands Ponds. Benjamin Smith of Shefford, labourer – on Saturday 25 April he was going hom from his club and met Stanbridge and Thomas Grey coming from Shefford towards Mr Inskip’s. There was a third man with them. It was about 1/5 mile from Mr Inskip’s. Thomas Grey knocked him down. He got up and then Stanbridge knocked him down. They went on without doing anything else to him. They both seemed very fresh. Henry Stanbridge – he swears he was not under Mr Inskip’s cart hovel and has not been near it in 12 months. He never touched Benjamin Smith. He bit Joseph Devonshire good night. He followed Smith up the street and passed Hann and went up the street towards Ampthill. He sat by the road for a while and went to sleep. He has nothing else to say.

item

Stanbridge, Henry,
Inskip, Thomas,
Hann, William,
Whittamore, John,
Marriott, James,
Smith, Benjamin,
Grey, Thomas,
Gresham

CLIFTON, CHICKSANDS, SHEFFORD, Chicksands Priory, stealing, carts, police constable, gamekeeper, horsekeeper, fish, ponds