QSR1847/3/5/27

Depositions and examination - William Fleckney charged with stealing a quantity of beech wood from Thomas Langton, Daniel Langton and Walter Langton

24 May 1847

From: 1847 To: 1847

Thomas Miles of Flamstead (Herts), woodman – he is a foreman employed by Messrs Langton who are timber merchants in London and who have purchased the fall of timber in Luton Park from Charles Thomas Warde Esq. None of the woodmen are allowed to sell any wood exceeding 2 feet in length. If the pieces are under 2 feet in length and they do not charge for the crop cutting they are allowed to have them. The wood which is to be split up for sale he marks with red chalk to show it is Messrs Langton’s property. He had marked the piece now produced with red chalk and can swear it is Messrs Langton’s property. On 15 April he went to Thomas and William Hunt who were sawing the wood and they had no chips. There was a quantity of wood lying round the pit which belonged to Messrs Langton. He ordered Bent and Hale, 2 of the woodmen, to go and split it up. They were to split all the wood marked with an H. He left that afternoon and did not come back until 23 April. John Bent of Harpenden (Herts), woodman – on 16 April Fleckney had 2 loads of wood away from the Park. They were cleft pieces of beech. Thomas and William Hunt who were sawing there handed it over the palings to him. It was some of the wood Miles had ordered himself and Hale to split up. It was marked with an H, which means it belonged to Messrs Langton and was not the woodman’s perquisites. Joseph Hale of Harpenden (Herts), woodman – he was at work in Luton Park with John Bent and confirms Bent’s evidence. John Bent of Harpenden (Herts), woodman [second deposition] – on 17 April he was working for Messrs Langton in Luton Park. Thomas and William Hunt were at work sawing close by him. Fleckney came to the Hunts and they told him to roll some pieces of wood down to the palings while they cut out the piece they were working on. Fleckney did so then fetched his cart. The Hunts lifted the wood over the palings to him and he put it into his cart. They were round pieces of beech. He then saw Fleckney bring back the round pieces of wood in the cart. Zachariah Aires was with Fleckney. Joseph Hale [2nd deposition] – confirms Bent’s evidence. He had seen the Hunts saw the pieces of wood in two before Fleckney. They were 5 feet long before they were sawn in two. Zachariah Aires of Luton, bailiff – he is bailiff to Charles Thomas Warde, the owner of Luton park. Mr Warde told him that Messrs Langton had purchased all the timber trees which were marked. The woodmen were employed to fell them. On 17 April he saw a cart standing by the side of the Park palings and some men appeared to be lifting wood over the palings, but he was not near enough to see who they were. A man drew the cart along a side road. He followed it and found the man was Fleckney. He stopped Fleckney and found 4 pieces of round beech in the cart. He made Fleckney turn the cart round and take it back to the Park. He saw a heap of split beech wood lying in the lane under a hedge. Fleckney said the Hunts had given it to him. There were 33 pieces in the heap. The round pieces in the cart measures 2 feet 6 inches long. They were then left near the pit until 2 May. On 3 May they were missing, having been stolen again. Fleckney admitted he had the wood from the pit and said the Hunts had given it to him.

item

Fleckney, William,
Langton, Thomas,
Langton, Daniel,
Langton, Walter,
Miles, Thomas,
Hunt, Thomas,
Hunt, William,
Warde, Charles Thomas,
Bent, John,
Hale, Joseph,
Aires, Zachariah

LUTON, Flamstead, stealing, wood, beech, woodman, timber merchant, bailiff