QSR1846/3/5/15-16

Depositions - James Kempson and Thomas Hall, charged with stealing 10 faggots, the property of Joseph Montague of Tring (Herts)

9 May 1846

From: 1846 To: 1846

Jabez Lacey of Kensworth (Herts), turner – on Saturday 2 May between 4 and 5pm he was in Deadmondsey Wood in the parish of Whipsnade. There wre several heaps of faggots near him belonging to Joseph Montague of Tring. He saw Kempson and Hall go up to one of the stacjks. Hall took off 3 faggots and laid them on the ground. Kempson picked them up and carried them up the wood. Hall took two more faggots and followed him. He went and told George Martin, who he understood had the care of the faggots, what had happened. Martin came back with him and they met Kempson and hall carrying 5 more faggots. Hall asked him to take the money for them. He refused as Mr Montague had given him no authority to sell them. He and Martin took Mr Montague’s ten faggots back. There were more than 10 faggots where they took them from and he suspected from the make of the others that they belonged to his brother, Moses Lacey. He followed Kempson to his house and asked to look at one. Kempson refused, and when he took one to look at Kempson tore it in pieces. Neither he nor his brother had sold any to either Kempson or Hall. Martin had authority to sell for Mr Montague. George Martin of Great Hampden (Bucks), sawyer – he has the care of the faggots belonging to Mr Joseph Montague in Deadmondsey Weood. On 2 May Lacey came to him and told him that Kempson and Hall were taking Mr Montague’s faggots. They met the prisoners and challenged them. Kempson said they had bought the faggots from Harris Gum and would pay him for them. He allowed them to take the faggots to their cart which was standing in the wood and draw them off. He went to Mr Montague’s faggot stacks and saw that one stack of 10 faggots was gone. He went across the fields into the road and met them. He took the ten faggots away and carried them to Abraham Fleckney’s beer shop at Kensworth and locked them up. They wanted to pay him for them but he refused. Harris Gum of Aston Clinton, labourer – on Monday 4 May when he came back from home to his work in Deadmondsey Wood he found one of his master Joseph Montague’s five faggot stacks was gone. John Martin told him that Kempson and Hall had taken the faggots and that George Martin had them locked up. That evening he saw Kempson who wanted to pay him for the faggots. He would not take the money and told him that he had given Martin authority to sell the faggots while he was gone. On Friday 8th PC Sinfield came to him in the wood and took him to a beer shop at Kensworth where he showed him the faggots. He can swear to 6 of them as being his make. Mr Montague is the only person he has made faggots for in Deadmondsey. He sold 25 faggots to Kempson and Hall on the morning of the 2nd for which they paid him. They did not say anything about wanting any more. He never gave them authority to take any more away. Thomas Sinfield of Eaton Bray, police constable – hearing some faggots had been stolen from Deadmondsey Wood he went there on 8 May. He found George Martin who told him that Kempson and Hall had taken 10 faggots belonging to Mr Montague, and that he had taken the faggots from them and locked them up at Abraham Fleckney’s beer shop at Kensworth. He took Harris Gum (Mr Montague’s man) to Kensworth. Gum swore the faggots belonged to Mr Montague.

item

Kempson, James,
Hall, Thomas,
Lacey, Jabez,
Montague, Joseph,
Martin, George,
Gum, Harris,
Lacey, Moses,
Fleckney, Abraham

WHIPSNADE, KENSWORTH, Tring, Great Hampden, Aston Clinton, Whipsnade Deadmansey Wood, stealing, wood, turner, sawyer, beer houses