QSR1837/3/5/4-5

Depositions and examination - Joseph Easton and William Merrill charged with stealing a truss of hay and a truss of straw from William Jebbs

20 April 1837

From: 1837 To: 1837

Sarah Keep of St Paul Bedford, singlewoman – she is housekeeper of Mr John Webb of Mill Street. Their house is opposite the back gates of the Red Lion yard. Yesterday afternoon (19 April) she was standing at her door and saw Easton come down the yard. He looked up and down the street. He crossed over to Merrill’s house which is the 3rd house beyond Mr Webb’s. She saw Easton talking to Merrill at his door. They pointed up the Red Lion yard. Merrill then went down the Red Lion yard and returned with a truss of hay which he took into his house by the back way. In a minute or two he returned without the truss of hay and went into his house by the front door. Easton came out of Merrill’s house just after Merrill went up the yard, and met him in the middle of Mill Street as he was returning with the hay. They passed each other without speaking. William Merry, son of Clarke Barber Merry of St Paul Bedford, bookseller – he lives in a house in the Red Lion Yard. Yesterday morning he went into one of the stables and asked Easton to lend him a sponge, which he did. Easton then said “Bill, I have got a piece of hay and straw if you would like to buy it – it’s what the waggoner left last night. He answered that he would see about it. Easton said they were over at Merrill’s house and he should have them for half a crown. He has never purchased anything from Easton. William Eakins of St Paul Bedford, ostler – he is head ostler to William Jebbs of the Red Lion public house. Last Tuesday a wagon came into his master’s yard and stayed there until about 10am yesterday. The waggoner left behind him about 2 armfuls of hay which he took possession of for his master. He gave part of it to the horses yesterday and the rest this morning. He never told either of the prisoners to take any hay or straw from his master’s premises. William Jebbs of St Paul, landlord of the Red Lion Inn – he employs both the prisoners, Easton as ostler and Merrill occasionally as chaff cutter. Last night he went to Easton who was in his house at his supper and asked him what Merrill had been doing and what hay he had carried off his premises. Easton repeatedly denied that Merrill had taken any. He told Easton he knew better. Easton then said Merrill had purchased a little hay from a waggoner who had been in his yard. He asked his ostler if the waggoner had left any hay and found that a loose armful or two had been left which his head ostler had taken possession of. He went to Merrill’s house and asked what he had been doing. Merrill said he had been cutting two trusses of hay into chaff for the cow. Merrill denied taking any hay off his premised. He told Merrill he had proof he had had some and that he was seen to take it into his back gates. Mrs Merrill then came forward and they both said he must mean the piece of hay which Uncle beckoned him to fetch. He asked them who Uncle was. They said it was a man who used their house and always went by the name of Uncle. They described the man to him and from the description he recognised it to be Easton. He asked to look at the hay. Merrill took him into an unfinished building at the back of his house and he saw a truss of hay on the right of the door, with two coolers in front of it. On removing the hay he also saw a truss of straw. They appeared to be complete trusses as originally made up. He has a great quantity of hay and straw on his premises and would not miss a couple of trusses. Merrill said he knew nothing about the straw, that his is a public yard and he did not know who brought things into it. Merrill said the straw had been lying there for about 3 weeks but he did not know who it belonged to. Mrs Merrill said it was brought there in the middle of last week but she did not know how. John Treadwell of St Paul Bedford, harness maker – he works at Mr Barnes’ in Mill Street. Mr Barnes’ house is the corner of the Red Lion yard. One day last week – he thinks Thursday or Friday – he was standing at the door and saw Easton come out of the Red Lion yard with a truss of straw, take it over the street and lay it down by Mr Brandom’s corner, the opposite side of the street leading to Merrill’s back premises. After looking up and down the street and about him for a short time Easton carried the straw into Merrill’s yard and laid it just inside the gates. He went to the back of the house, then came back and carried the straw further into the yard. While Easton was in the back yard Mrs Merrill was standing at the front door of her house. About 10 minutes later Easton returned without the straw. Joseph Easton – “I have nothing to say particular” William Merrill – Easton came to him in a hurry while he was eating his dinner and said he must fetch some hay which was lying in the Red Lion yard. Easton said he had bought it from a waggoner.

item

Easton, Joseph,
Merrill, William,
Jebbs, William,
Keep, Sarah,
Treadwell, John,
Eakins, William,
Webb, John,
Merry, William,
Merry, Clarke Barber

BEDFORD, Bedford St.Paul, Bedford Mill Street, stealing, hay, straw, harness maker, ostler, Bedford Red Lion, bookseller, waggoner, innkeeper