QSR1857/3/5/2b

Depositions of Daniel Brown, Peter Machin, gamekeeper, James Parrott, marine stores dealer, George Stevens, a smith, George Worsley, labourer and Police Sergeant George Smith. All of Luton. In the case of Jeremiah Warren accused of stealing six fold stakes and a quantity of raspberry sticks.

20 April 1857

From: 1857 To: 1857

Daniel Brown: son of Thomas Brown, a farmer of Luton. His father bought a quantity of wood from John Shaw Leigh from the park at Luton Hoo. The wood had since been cut into fagots and hurdles. Some was for fold stakes and some for raspberry sticks. On 16 April he saw the prisoner coming away from the park with a bundle of raspberry sticks on his shoulder. When he saw the prisoner he was about 10 yards from the corner of the park opposite the lane leading to the windmill. It was near the place where his father’s wood was lying. The stick produced he believed to be his fathers property. Peter Machin: a gamekeeper to Mr Leigh and he lived at the lodge nearest to Luton. On 16 April he was in his garden and saw the prisoner pass towards the bridge. About 5 minutes later he saw the prisoner pull some fold sticks through a hole in the park wall and put them on his shoulders. The hole was about 150 yards from his garden. He went into the road and said to Warren that he was “robbing poor old Thomas Brown” and the prisoner replied he had picked up the sticks on the road. He told Warren that was untrue at which Warrant threw the sticks from his shoulder. He said he must take Warren to the police and went into his house to put on his coat, when he came out Warren had gone. He followed him and found him lying down under a hedge with the sticks on the other side. He took possession of the wood and took it to the lodge. He went to the place where he had seen Warren take the stick and found the mortar in the wall broken. He gave the stakes to Sergeant Smith. James Parrott: a marine stores dealer in Luton and keeper of the public house on Park Road. On 16 April the prisoner came to his house and brought a bundle of sticks which he asked him to buy. He told the prisoner he did not want them and the prisoner said he would take 6 pence for them. George Stevens came in and the prisoner sold them to him for 4 pence and 2 pints of beer. George Stevens: a smith at Luton. On 16 April he was at Parrott’s house and bought some sticks from the prisoner for 4d and 2 pints of beer. On 18 April he gave the sticks up to Police Sergeant Smith. George Worsley: a labourer employed by Thomas Brown. He had faggoted and tied up a quantity of fold stakes and raspberry sticks about a fortnight ago. They were in Luton Park between the lodge and the bridge. He found a bundle missing near the corner of the wall and on the other side of the bridge. He missed part of a bundle of fold stakes near a hole in the park wall by the lodge. George Smith: the prisoner was in custody on another charge and was charged with stealing the fold stakes and raspberry sticks. The prisoner denied the charge and said he had found some by the side of the road near the park wall. Statement of the accused: Peter Machin did not see him come through the wall. He picked them up at the side of the road. Machin was a false man for saying so and he would swear to anything.

item

Warren, Jeremiah,
Machin, Peter,
Brown, Daniel,
Parrott, James,
Stevens, George,
Worsley, George,
Smith, George,
Leigh, John Shaw

LUTON, stealing, agricultural implements, gamekeeper, farmer, smith, marine stores dealer, Luton Hoo