QSR1858/1/5/2-3

Depositions of John Cooper, labourer of Billington, Thomas Swales, police constable of Stanbridge, Richard Kempson, straw plait dealer of Eaton Bray, William Clough, inspector of police of Leighton Buzzard, John Hill, whiting manufacturer of Dunstable and William Kingham, labourer of Dunstable. In the case of James Turner and Charles Gregory accused of stealing a hundred weight of coal.

24 November 1857

From: 1857 To: 1858

John Cooper: a labourer employed by Henry Woodman, a farmer at Stanbridge. He lived at Billington. On the evening of 10 November he was returning from work and saw the 2 prisoners coming along the road with a load of coals, which he knew to come from his master’s house. The carts containing the coal stopped and one of the men rolled off a large piece of coal. When they had gone off, he examined the piece of coal. He informed his master of what he had seen and was told to go back to the coal and watch. He did so and the 2 prisoners returned with their carts and one of the men picked up the piece of coal and placed it on one of the carts. He informed his master of what he had seen and was told to go after the prisoners and tell them to return the coal for they would be prosecuted. He overtook the prisoners and told them. They made no response initially and then said it was a piece they had bought off a man on the road. The prisoners returned with him to his masters and as they were going along, Gregory got out of the cart and went to Turner and told him to say that he had seen the coal on the side of the road and thought he could pick it up. Turner made no reply. On arriving at his masters, his master asked why they had been brought back and he replied on account of the coal. His master told him to fetch the piece of coal from the cart and as he was going to do so, Gregory took the coal and lay it on Mr Woodman’s premises where it lay until the police came next morning. PC Thomas Swales: on 13 November he received information from Mr Woodman that a piece of coal had been stolen from a cart on the preceding Tuesday. He went to Mr Woodman’s and took possession of the coal. He took a sample if the coal and compared it to that in Mr Woodman’s shed. It was the same kind of coal. Richard Kempson: on 10 November Charles Gregory came to his door and asked him to buy a hundred weight of cheap coal. Gregory said he had bought it for a woman who no longer wanted it and he could have it for 13 pence. He refused to take it and then Gregory offered it for a shilling. Kempson agreed to take it and went out into the road and Turner was there. They had 2 carts of coal and Gregory took 2 pieces of coal from a cart. He did not weigh it but laid it down in Kempson’s yard. The men left with the carts towards Billington. He did not notice the name on the carts. There seemed about a ton or so of coal on each cart. Inspector William Clough: he apprehended the prisoners at Dunstable. On being told the charge, Turner said that the piece of coal belonged to them and they had bought it from a man they had met on the road. Gregory said the same. John Hall: he kept 2 horses and carts. On 31 October, Henry Lockhart, a coal dealer at Dunstable engaged with him for the carriage of 6 tons of coals from his yard to Mr Woodham’s at Stanbridge. On the same day he instructed the prisoners, who were in his employment, to go to Lockhart’s yard and take 2 loads of coal to Mr Woodham. They had no orders to take any of the coal. He did not see the prisoners again until Wednesday. He found fault with them having been gone so long and getting home so late. William Kingham: on 9 November he assisted the prisoners in loading 2 carts with coal from a truck in his master’s yard. They said they were taking it to a farmer at Stanbridge. The following day he helped the prisoners load the carts again to go to the same place. He saw them in the yard again in the afternoon and heard them ask for money for the toll. Statements of the accused: James Tucker – he gave a shilling for the piece of coal out of his own pocket and he had worked hard for. It was nearly dark and he did not know the man from whom he bought it. Charles Gregory – the coal sold to Kempson was the coal Turner bought.

item

Gregory, Charles,
Turner, James,
Cooper, John,
Swales, Thomas,
Kempson, Richard,
Clough, William,
Hill, John,
Kingham, William

DUNSTABLE, BILLINGTON, STANBRIDGE, EATON BRAY, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, whiting manufacturer, straw plait manufacturer