QSR1836/1/5/29

Depositions and examination - James Smith charged with stealing 1/2 cwt of hay (value 1s 6d) belonging to Charles James Metcalfe the younger at Cardington on 1 December 1835

19 December 1835

From: 1835 To: 1836

Jonas Darrington of Roxton, labourer – he is the under horsekeepr to Mr Charles James Metcalfe Junior. James Smith is the head horsekeeper. He remembers Smith going with a wagon load of wheat from his master’s farm at Roxton to Cardington Mill on the morning of Tuesday 1st December. Smith took a bundle of hay belonging to his master with him, maybe half a truss. He tied the bundle up and either Smith or himself put it in the tail of the waggon on the ladder. He saw Smith drive the team away with the hay in it. Smith returned sometime in the afternoon. He did not go to the waggon after its return and he does not know whether any hay was on it then or not. Smith takes hay with him when he goes out with a team to feed the horses. He has not heard Smith say anything about the hay he took with him when he went to Cardington Mill. Charles James Metcalfe the younger of Roxton – James Smith was in his service as head horsekeeper on Tuesday 1 December. Neither Smith nor any of his servants have his permission to dispose of the hay sent with his teams to feed the horses on a journey. Thomas White of Cardington, miller – on 1st Dec Smith came to his mill with a journey of wheat from Mr Metcalfe Junior. As he was coming down the lane from the mill to the road he saw Mr Metcalfe’s waggon stop with a gardener’s cart. Smith and the man with the gardener’s cart were transferring hay which lay in the waggon ladder behind, into the gardener’s cart. The dropped the hay in 2 or 3 places as they did so. The cart then drove on to Bedford and the waggon to the mill. They did not take all the hay from the waggon. He came on to Bedford and passed the cart on the road. On the cart was the name of Thomas Balls, Girtford. He saw a quantity of hay in the cart. He thinks there was a truss transferred. [Smith then interposed and said “there was nothing like a truss – there was not more than 8 lbs”] He did not speak to Smith about the hay. James Smith – he never gave a bit of hay away in his life. Some man coming along the road with a gardener’s cart asked if he might have a bit of hay to feed his horse on the road and took a little bit, maybe as much as 8lbs. He gave the man leave to take it. He did not give it with his own hands or help to move it. The man gave him nothing for the hay and he never asked him for anything. He does not know the man’s name, but he knows him – he is a labourer man and lives at Girtford.

item

Smith, James,
Metcalfe, Charles James,
Darrington, Jonas,
White, Thomas,
Balls, Thomas

CARDINGTON, ROXTON, Girtford, Cardington Mill, stealing, hay, miller, horsekeeper, Cardington Mill, waggon, carts