QSR1838/3/5/6

Depositions and examination - Joseph Prentice charged wtih stealing a sack from James Hedding.

28 April 1838

From: 1838 To: 1838

James Hedding of Roxton, farmer – yesterday afternoon (27 April) he went into his field where his men were at work sowing barley. About 2pm he saw a quantity of barley in a heap on one of the lands near the headland. He asked why the barley was exposed. William Jarvis, his foreman, told him that while the men had gone to dinner someone had emptied it out of the sack and taken the sack. Jarvis said that when he was going to dinner he met a man who had asked him for some tokens, and he had not doubt that was the man who had the sack. Jarvis gave him a description of the man. Today he was in Bedford and saw a man in the High Street who exactly answered the description his foreman gave. He has no doubt he will be able to obtain further evidence which he can produce next Tuesday. Henry Pheasey of Wilden, farmer – about 3pm yesterday he saw a man in Wilden with an empty sack under his arm. The man was exactly the height of the person present, and he had the same dress in every particular – dark velvet breeches, leather leggings, high shoes, and a sort of dark spotted waistcoat with light coloured sleeves, with a round hat called a wide awake hat. Yesterday the man had a very long dark beard, as if he had not been shaved for 3 weeks. From the prisoner’s appearance he has no doubt he is the same person he saw with the sack. Joseph Prentice – “I never saw no sack. I came from Stony Stratford yesterday between 9 and 10 o’clock. I have nothing else to say. I never see no sack or no such thing. I was at work at Road near Northampton last about five days ago. I worked for Mr Brown on the rail road. I came to Bedford on my road home which is Hertfordshire. I have got a ticket in my pocket which I will show.” William Coombs, chief constable of Borough of Bedford – he received information yesterday from Mr Hedding about the loss of a sack. Today he met Mr Hedding in the High Street. While they were talking Mr Hedding saw the person and identified him from the description. He followed Prentice and asked what his name was. He said Roberts or Roberson. He asked him John or William, and he refused to answer. Mr Pheasey said he was sure he was the man he saw yesterday at Wilden. He took him into custody. 1 May 1838 -------------- Thomas Holding, aged about 8 years, son of James Holding of Roxton, labourer – about 1pm on Friday when Mr Church’s men went home to dinner he was keeping the crows off a field for Mr Wilderson in Roxton. He saw the prisoner cross his field and go into Mr Hedding’s field. Prentice shot the barley into the field and ran away with the sack. There was a hedge between the fields. It was not high, it was a little quick. The sack lay on top of a hill in the field and he could see it very plainly. After he took the sack Prentice ran down the footpath by the side of the ditch, came into his field and went towards Roxton. He is sure it is the same man. He told his father that night what he had seen. William Jarvis of Roxton, labourer – he is foreman to Mr Hedding. On Friday he was sowing barley. At about 1pm as he was going to dinner he met the prisoner who asked him to give him some tobacco. He said he did not have any. He met Prentice on the High Road just as he was coming out of the field. He had left 3 or 4 sacks in the field containing different seeds. When he returned to the field after dinner he missed one of the sacks that held the barley. The barley was shot on the ground. He saw Thomas Holding in the adjoining field when he went to dinner. Prentice was wearing the same dress he has now when he spoke to him in the road. James Prentice - "I have nothing to say only that I was at Stony Stratford between 9 and 10 o'clock".

item

Prentice, Joseph,
Hedding, James,
Pheasey, Henry,
Coombs, William,
Jarvis, William,
Holding, Thomas,
Holding, James

ROXTON, WILDEN, BEDFORD, Roade, stealing, farmer, Chief Constable, farm labourer, barley, foreman, railway worker