QSR1863/4/5/13

Depositions of Thomas Richardson, publican of Odell. Edward Wildman, carpenter of Thurleigh. John Knight, carter of Odell. Isaac Webb, woodman of Harrold. Thomas Simmonds, superintendent of police of Sharnbrook. In the case of John Savage accused of stealing 8 sapling oak trees, the value of £1 13s.

6 October 1863

From: 1863 To: 1863

Thomas Richardson: keeper of the Mad Dog public house at Odell. Sometime in the Summer there was public auction in Odell Wood and he bought 8 sapling oak trees, numbered lot 144. He paid 33 shillings. He left them in the wood until it was convenient for him to fetch them out. He saw them several times. On going to look for them one day he found them gone. He enquired of Mr Sanders, the steward, if he had any information about it. He saw him 2 or 3 times and on one occasion it was said the matter should be put in the hands of the police. He heard about some wood at Thurleigh so went there and found his wood on the premises of Edward Wildman, a carpenter and beer house keeper. Some of the trees had been sawn and some were lying in the saw pit. He saw the lot number 144 and his own private mark. Wildman said he had bought the trees. He took Wildman back to Odell with him and Wildman showed him where he had the trees from in Odell Wood. Wildman went to his house with him and left him there 3 or 4 hours. He had gone to bed when he was called up by John Savage. He let Savage into the house. Savage said he had made a mistake in the wood as he had wood to draw for a man at Bedford and had got tickets to sell wood for someone. Savage said he had taken the wood by mistake and he wished to make it right. He paid him £1 13s 0d for the wood and £1 2s 0d for expenses. He had been out for 2 days with his own horse and cart. Savage brought him the money the next morning. He had not instructed the police constable to prosecute. Edward Wildman: on 18 July he went to Odell and bought 8 trees from John Savage the prisoner. He did not see any number when he bought them but later saw the 144 mark. He was to pay Savage for carting it to Thurleigh and he paid him 11 shillings. Savage did not say how he came by the timber. He took Mr Richardson to the spot where the timber he had bought had been lying and he told him he had bought the wood from Savage. He went with Mr Richardson from Thurleigh to Odell, meeting Savage between his house and the windmill. Richardson told Savage he had the wrong trees and Savage said he had the ticket for them at home. Savage had been lodging with him for a fortnight whilst carting gravel from Bletsoe to Thurleigh. He had seen several lots lying about the wood. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Savage, John,
Richardson, Thomas,
Wildman, Edward,
Knight, John,
Webb, Isaac,
Simmonds, Thomas

HARROLD, ODELL, THURLEIGH, SHARNBROOK, stealing, trees, carpenters, publicans, woodman, Odell Mad Dog