QSR1848/2/5/3-4

Depositions - Thomas Hall and William Hall charged with stealing a quantity of wood belonging to James Colquhoun

16 March 1848

From: 1848 To: 1848

Thomas Jackson of Whipsnade – he is employed by Mr James Colhuhoun at Deadmansey Wood. There is a large stack of tree roots there. On Saturday 5 February at about 5.15pm he saw Thomas and William Hall go to the stack. He was then lying in a ditch a short distance from the stack to watch. William Hall got onto the stack and threw some roots down. They each tied up a bundle of roots with string and took them away. He went after them and met them about 200 yards from the stack. He spoke to them and took the roots from Thomas Hall’s shoulders. William Hall laid his down. They begged him to forgive them and wanted to carry the roots back. He took the roots to his house and locked them up. The next morning he marked them and put them in Mr Challis’s chaise house. John Thorogood of Eaton Bray, police constable – on 15 March he apprehended Thomas and William Hall at Kensworth (Herts). The wood was given to him by Jackson. He told them the charge against them. Thomas Hall said very well, and they both came quietly with him. As they were going along the road Thomas Hall said “they will not hang us or transport us for taking 3 pennyworth of roots”.

item

Hall, Thomas,
Hall, William,
Colquhoun, James,
Thorogood, John,
Jackson, Thomas,
Challis

WHIPSNADE, EATON BRAY, WHIPSNADE, stealing, wood, Whipsnade Deadmansey Wood, police constable