QSR1858/1/5/8c

Depositions of Henry Osborn, farmer of Milton Bryan and Sergeant John Thorogood of Toddington. In the case of Thomas King accused of stealing a bushel of barley.

31 December 1857

From: 1857 To: 1858

Henry Osborn: the prisoner had been threshing barley belonging to his father, Thomas Hawley Osborn, a farmer in the parish of Toddington, at his premises in Milton, for the past 3 weeks. He did not suspect the prisoner. On 31 December Sergeant Thorogood showed him samples of barley in an undressed state. He could not say that any barley had been missed but the barley showed to him appeared the same as his father’s. The value of a bushel of barley, in the state shown to him, would be 4 shillings. Sergeant John Thorogood: on 30 December he searched the prisoner’s barn and found a pail full of barley handing on a nail in the barn. Asked how he came by it, the prisoner said he had bought it from his uncle Osborn. He locked the prisoner up on another charge and returned to the barn to search further. He found more at the top of the privy, on top of the rabbit hutch and in an iron kettle. He took a sample from each lot. He went to the barn of the last witness where the prisoner worked and found some barley in sacks. The barley matched with the samples. He charged the prisoner who replied it had not come from where he worked but from his Uncle. Statement of the accused: he had bought the barley from Mr John Osborn, Warmark Farm in Toddington. He did not recollect when he had bought it home.

item

King, Thomas,
Osborn, Henry,
Thorogood, John,
Osborn, John

TODDINGTON, stealing, barley