QSR1838/3/5/11

Depositions and examination - Henry Bleney charged with stealing a dungfork

7 May 1838

From: 1838 To: 1838

Joseph Austin of Houghton Regis, farmer - he manages a farm at Houghton Regis for the executors of Mr William Eames. Henry Bleney was at work on the farm and was employed turning dung. Bleney left about 13 April. Soon afterwards he was informed a dung fork was missing. A week last Saturday he heard Bleney had been offering a dung fork for sale and had sold it to Thomas Procter. He had a man, Joseph Bransom, who had just had a new handle put on the fork. Bransom went to Procter’s house and identified the fork. Joseph Bransom - towards the end of April he went to Thomas Procter’s house and found the dung fork there. He knows it by the handle. It was a fork he used to use, and he had the handle put to it. He knows it by the mark on the handle. Martha Procter - about a fortnight ago last Thursday Henry Bleney came to her husband’s house with the dungfork. Bleney said he had found it up Ma’ams Lane and had carried it to Mrs Gutteridge’s and had left it there 2 days after he found it. He said he then took it to Master French’s and to Mr Scroggs, and neither had owned it. He had tried to sell it to her neighbour, Grizzle, who did not want it. She agreed to give him sixpence for it - she gave 4 pence and washed a shirt for him. She heard no more of it until Bransom came. She gave the fork to Bransom. Henry Bleney - he went to Dunstable on Easter Monday. As he was coming back he picked up the dung fork in Ma’ams Lane. He took it to Mr Scroggs and to Mrs Gutteridge’s foreman . They said it was notheirs. The foreman said he had asked Mr French and it was not his. He then tok it to Mr Brandreths’ who said it was not theirs. He then sold it to Mrs Procter for 6d, and gave her 2d back for washing his shirt.

item

Bleney, Henry,
Austin, Joseph,
Bransom, Joseph,
Procter, Martha,
Procter, Thomas,
Eames, William,
Scroggs,
Gutteridge,
Brandreth,
French

HOUGHTON REGIS, DUNSTABLE, stealing, agricultural implements