QSR1848/3/5/32

Depositions and examination - Charles Peacock, charged with stealing 4 bushels of barley at Potton belonging to William Hill

5 April 1848

From: 1848 To: 1848

William Hills of Tetworth (Hunts), farmer - on Saturday 18 March having thrashed a quantity of barley he ordered it to be dressed up and saw it put into sacks. There were 16 sacks of head barley and 5 sacks of tail. On the Tuesday morning he heard his barn door had been broken open. He went to the barn and found 2 four bushel sacks of head barley and 2 bushels more from another sack had been stolen, and also another sack with tail barley. From information he obtained he helped the policeman to search Peacock’s house at Potton. He has examined a sample of the barley produced and is confident it is part of the barley that was stolen. Robert Darby of Tetworth - he is a policeman acting for the county of Bedford - yesterday (4 April) he heard Mr HIll had lost a quantity of barley. From information he received he searched the Peacock’s house at Potton. In the barn he found a sack containing about 2 1/2 bushels of barley. Mr Hill identified a sample as being exactly like the barley he lost. William Carter of Potton, labourer - on Sunday evening 26 March he was at Peacock’s house and asked him if he knew where he could get half a quarter of barley. Peacock said he thought he could get some from Mr Payne’s. The next Monday morning he went there again to ask if Peacock had got the barley. Peacock said it had not yet come in and he could have it if he went back in the afternoon. In the evening he returned and Peacock gave him the half quarter. Peacock said he bought it from Mr Payne. The next Thursday he shot about half the barley into another sack and gave it to Samuel Chamberlayne, Mr Smith’s man to be taken to the mill to be ground. He had no other barley but that he bought from Peacock. William Hill [further examination] - on Tuesday 4 April from information he had received he went to Mr Smith’s mill at Potton and asked to look at 2 bushels of barley he had received from William Carter. He felt confident it was part of the barley stolen from his barn. Charles Smith of Potton, miller - is man Chamberlayne brought about 2 bushels of barley to his mill on March 30 to be ground. He carried from the cart into the mill. On Tuesday morning 3 April Mr Hills came and asked to see that barley. He showed it to him and gave him a sample. The rest is still in his possession. Charles Peacock - the barley he sold to William Carter he bought from his sister a long time ago. It had been standing in his barn. On the Monday morning he sold the barley to Carter he went to Mr Payne’s to buy some and bought half a quarter. Two bushels were sent to the mill to be ground and 2 bushels came home to his house.

item

Peacock, Charles,
Hills, William,
Darby, Robert,
Carter, William,
Smith, Charles,
Chamberlayne, Samuel

POTTON, Tetworth, stealing, barley, farmer, policeman, miller, threshing