QSR1838/3/5/19

Depositions - Ambrose Barwick

31 May 1838

From: 1838 To: 1838

Eleanor Hunt of Eaton Socon – Samuel Hunt is her son and is nearly 10 years old. He brought the hammer to her house and said he had found it. [The bag with the coals was shown to her] The bag is hers and Samuel had it the day the coals were taken to get some wool in. Samuel Hunt – about a month ago, the day he saw Mr Squire, Ambrose Barwick met him with the hammer in his hand near the ford and asked whether he would have some coal for the hammer. He said yes if he liked. Barwick said to him “come on up the lane and I will give them to you”. He went with Barwick, who filled the bag with coals and gave it to him. There were other coals in the cart. About 5 minutes later Mr Squire came down and asked what was in the back. He told Mr Squire. He asked Barwick if they were his father’s coals and Barwick said they were. Barwick had seen the hammer in the morning and offered him 6d for it to be paid on Monday which he refused. Barwick then said he was going to St Neots for some coals. He told Mr Squire he had given Barwick a hammer for the coals. Mr Squire rode up the road after Barwick. Mr Squire then came back and took away the coals. James Corbett of Melchbourne – he is a carpenter working with Lord St John. On 28 April he sent Barwick down to Messrs Rix and Daniels at St Neots for some [coals]. He asked Barwick to bring 15 or 16cwt. He was not at home when Barwick came but his wife was. The coals were put down against the gate and he found them there when he came home. He asked her for the bill. She said it was on the shelf over the fireplace. He went and took it down and found it was for 15cwt. He did not weigh them and began to use the coals. About 3 weeks after he received the coals he was told Barwick’s boy Ambrose had sold some of the coals for a hammer. He mentioned to Mr Campion, the steward of Lord St John what he had heard and at first Campion thought they were Lord St.John’s, but it later appeared they were his. The coals are worth about 8d. Frederick Atkinson of St Neots (Hunts) – he is clerk at Messrs Rix and Diniels the merchants at St Neots. Ambrose Barwick came to their yard on 28 April for some coals for James Corbell. The ticket produced is in his writing and is what he sent with the coals. The quantity was as much as Barwick’s cart could hold. 60lbs weight of the best Blyth coals would be about 8d or more. John Burden Squire of Cross Hall, Eaton Socon, farmer – on Saturday 28 April he was going down to St Neots and saw Samuel Hunt with a bag of coals. The boy Hunt told him he had picked the coals up by the side of the road. He told Hunt he insisted on knowing how he came by them. Hunt told him he had got the coals from a boy for a hammer. He road after the cart, which he had seen going past his house. Ambrose Barwick was driving the cart. He asked Barwick if he had got a hammer. Barwick gave it to him and said he had got it for some coals from a boy, and that the coals were his fatehr’s.

item

Barwick, Ambrose,
Hunt, Samuel,
Hunt, Eleanor,
Corbett, James,
Atkinson, Frederick,
Squire, John Burden,
Campion,
Lord St John

EATON SOCON, MELCHBOURNE, St Neots, Eaton Socon Cross Hall, stealing, tools, coal, carpenter, clerk, coal merchant, carts