QSR1848/4/5/20-21

Depositions and examinations - Jeremiah Biley and Frederick Brandom charged with stealing 4 bushels of potatoes (value 12s) belonging to John Bushell at Heath and Reach on 5 October

6 October 1848

From: 1848 To: 1848

Matthew Ridgway of Leighton Buzzard - he is foreman to Mr Bushell who has a farm at Heath and Reach. On the farm are several pits of potatoes. They had not been disturbed when he saw them yesterday morning between 10 and 11am. About 1am this morning he was called up by PC Clay. He went with Clay to Brandom’s barn in Leighton Buzzard and saw about 4 bushels of potatoes there which were quite wet as if just dug. There was wet straw mixed with them such as covered the pits of potatoes on the farm. The potatoes found are of exactly the same description as some of those on the farm - they are called Farmer’s Glory. He went to the pits that morning about 8am and found one had been opened and about 4 bushels of potatoes were gone. That pit contained Farmer’s Glory. William Clay, police constable stationed at Heath and Reach - he was on duty last night and from information he had received on Monday morning he went to Mr Bushell’s potato pits at about 11pm. He saw one of the pits had been opened and by the light of his lantern could trace the footmarks of two persons for about 200 yards across the field and a lane leading towards the prisoner’s house. He then lost the track. He later went to Leighton Buzzard and called Matthew Ridgway up. PC Edwards went with him. He asked Ridgway if he had taken any potatoes out of the pits that day. Ridgway said he had not. He and Edwards then went to Brandom’s house and found about 4 bushels of potatoes in his barn. Edwards called Brandom up. He asked Brandom where his shoes were. He examined the shoes and found they were wet and dirty. They were of the same size and pattern as the footmarks he had seen in the potato field and the soil matched the soil in the field. He asked Brandom if he had any potatoes in the house. Brandom said he only had a few in the cupboard. He found about a pottle or more of kidney potatoes. Brandom said he picked them up at Mr Partridge’s on Wednesday. He asked if Brandom had any potatoes in the barn. Brandom said he had not. He went upstairs and found 2 sacks, wet and with the same sand and stuff as on the potatoes. He asked Brandom if the barn was his. Brandom said it was. He asked if he knew anything about the potatoes. Brandom said he did not. He said he would take the man and woman who were in his house. Brandom said he must not for they were innocent. He said there was another man. Brandom later said it was Biley who was with him but asked him not to say he had told him. Brandom kept them at the door for 10 minutes before he let them in. Brandom came down quite dressed, with his stocking feet quite wet, and in a perspiration. William Edwards, police constable stationed at Leighton Buzzard - he was with PC Clay at Brandom’s house and confirms Clay’s evidence. When Clay was gone Brandom said to him it was Biley’s barn, not his. Biley lives next door. The two houses stand by themselves. Brandom said the onions in the barn were his, and later said it was his barn. About 1.30am he went to Biley’s house. Biley let him in directly and was not dressed. He asked Biley for his boots. Biley showed him a dry pair upstairs and later showed him another paid which were wet, covered with sand and grass as if just come from ground such as that where the potatoes were. He took Biley into custody. He also took Brandom’s boots. He has patterned Biley’s boots with the footmarks round the potato pit and to the road. He also compared Brandom’s boots. Both pairs corresponded with the marks. They patterned the boots at the pit and 200 yards towards the prisoners‘ houses. Their houses are 3/4 mile further. Frederick Brandom - has nothing to say. Jeremiah Biley - has nothing to say.

item

Biley, Jeremiah,
Brandom, Frederick,
Bushell, John,
Ridgway, Matthew,
Clay, William,
Edwards, William

HEATH & REACH, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, stealing, potatoes, foreman, farmers, police constables