QSR1847/3/5/5

Depositions and examination - Thomas Tomkins charged with stealing one bushel of white carrots (value 2s) from Thomas Pickering of Harrold, farmer

20 April 1847

From: 1847 To: 1847

George Valentine of Harrold, labourer – he is employed by Mr Pickering of Harrold. On Sunday 18 April a little before 11am he was in his master’s farm yard. He saw Tomkins going in a direction from the barn (Santon barn) towards Nunn Wood. He followed and lost sight of him at the wood. A few minutes later he saw Tomkins going from the Wood towards Santon barn. He suspected Tomkins was going to do something, concealed himself and watched. He saw Tomkins go through the rick yard, then lost sight of him. A few minutes later Tomkins together with Henry Tomkins and two others whose names he does not know, came from Mr Goff’s field towards a hovel on the premises at Santon barn, where there were several bushels of white carrots in a heap. He saw Henry Tomkins and another man leave with a large basket. They went into Mr Goff’s field. Just before he reached the hovel Thomas Tomkins and the other man came out. Tomkins had a bag full of something that looked like carrots on his back. He missed about 1½ to 2 bushels of carrots from the heap. He watched the men go in the direction of Bozeat and followed them. He called out to them to take back what they had got. They never spoke but continued in the direction of Bozeat. In the evening he told his master what he had seen. Last night he saw about ½ bushel of the same sort of carrots in the possession of Mr Green the policeman, which he believes are his master’s property. He knows no carrots like them in this part of the country. He later found one carrot in the field which Tomkins had walked over. William Green, one of the rural police constables, stationed at Sharnbrook – he went with Mr Pickering and Goerge Valentine to Bozeat (Northants). He apprehended Tomkins who was at work digging on an allotment ground he said he occupied. He tried the ground with his stick near to where Tomkins was digging and found a quantity of carrots concealed under the soil. He sent for Mr Pickering, who identified them as his. When he and Tomkins were coming from Bozeat to Harrold Tomkins said “well, we had no door to break open. It was open”. He asked who “we” meant. Tomkins said Valentine might find that out. Thomas Pickering of Harrold, farmer – on Sunday evening George Valentine told him about the missing carrots. He had about 4 cart loads in the hovel. They were white carrots and he knows of no one nearer than Turvey who grows the same sort. Yesterday he went with PC Green to Bozeat and identified the carrots concealed at the allotment to be his. Thomas Tomkins of Bozeat (Northants) – he has nothing to say.

item

Tomkins, Thomas,
Tomkins, Henry,
Pickering, Thomas,
Green, William,
Valentine, George

HARROLD, Bozeat, SHARNBROOK, Harrold Nunn Wood, stealing, carrots, farmer, farm labourer, police constable