QSR1847/1/5/27

Depositions and examinations - John Chesham

6 January 1847

From: 1847 To: 1847

Samuel Cocking of Biggleswade, market gardener - on 21 December he had a waggon standing under a hovel in his farm yard at Biggleswade. One of his men missed the brass caps off the wheels of the waggon. He sent round to all the people in the town who bought old metal but they had not seen any such things. He gave information to the police officer who found the caps and they appear to be the ones he lost. He could not replace them for less than 30 shillings. James Monk of Biggleswade, ironmonger - about a fortnight ago Chesham came into his shop and brought some old brass which he offered to sell. He bought the brass caps for 4d a pound. He paid Chesham 11d or a shilling. William Beaumont Francis of Biggleswade, police constable - yesterday (5 January from infrormation he received from Mr Cocking he went and enquired about the town and found the 4 caps in Mr Monk’s shop. He took them to the public house where Chesham was in custody on another charge and asked him if they were the caps from Mr Cocking’s waggon. Chesham said they were. He asked how Chesham got them off - he said he found a winch in the waggon and took them off with that. John Chesham - he took them off with a winch which he found in the waggon. He took them home and broke them with a hammer, then took them to Mr Monk’s and sold them. Charles Nash of Biggleswade, surveyor of the highways for the parish - he received information from the police that a piece of copper had been taken from a cart in the hovel belonging to the surveyors of highways. He went and checked the cart and found the copper missing. He believes the piece of copper brought to him by William Beaumont Francis the policeman was part of the copper which had been in the cart. It would cost about £2 to replace. William Beaumont Francis of Biggleswade, police constable - on 4 January Mr Powers the ironmonger at Biggleswade sent for him and said that Chesham had offered him some copper for sale. He suspected Chesham had stolen the copper and took him into custody. Chesham said he got the copper from Squires’s water cart. He went and looked at the cart and compared the piece of copper with the cart and found it exactly fitted with the piece of solder left on the cart. He asked Chesham what he had done with the iron, the stay belonging to the pipe, which was missing from the cart. Chesham said he would find it under the hovel. He found it there under some straw. John Chesham - he has nothing to say except he took it off the cart.

item

Chesham, John,
Cocking, Samuel,
Monk, James,
Francis, William Beaumont,
Nash, Charles

BIGGLESWADE, stealing, market gardener, ironmonger, police constable, waggon, surveyor of highways