QSR1864/1/5/6

Depositions of John Mead, carrier of Barton. Simeon Mead, carrier of Barton. George Smith, police sergeant of Luton. Thomas Briden, labourer of Luton. Richard Lambert, police constable of Luton. In the case of William Adams accused of stealing 2 deal boards, the value of 10 shillings.

26 October 1863

From: 1864 To: 1864

John Mead: on Wednesday 14 October he had been at Luton and had 3 deal boards from Henry Thorn’s timber yard for John Mullins at Barton. He left them at the Crown & Anchor until the next day. He had put them on the wagon that his son was to drive. They left the Crown & Anchor together; he driving a horse and cart and his son the wagon. Something happened to the wagon and it was left on the road with its load. The next day as soon as it was light they went to fetch it. 2 deal boards had gone. He took the wagon to the police station and left it there. On the night of 22 October he saw the 2 deal boards at the station. They were worth 10 shillings. Simeon Mead: he was at Luton with his father in Luton on Thursday 15 October and loaded some deal boards on a wagon at the Crown & Anchor. He left for Barton at the same time as his father did. His father went on first. His wagon broke down about ¾ of a mile from the Crown & Anchor and he left the wagon by the side of the road. He last saw the wagon about 11pm. The boards were all safe. The next morning he went back to the wagon with his father. They found the 2 deal boards gone. The middle board was left. The 2 boards produced corresponded with the middle board that was left. Sergeant George Smith: he went in search of the deal boards. On 19 October he found them hid in the dunghill in a field in the prisoner’s occupation on the Old Bedford Road. He marked them and left them there until 22 October when he then found them gone. He went to the prisoner’s barn and found the prisoner and the 2 boards there. The prisoner said his boy brought the boards down the previous day. He charged him and the prisoner replied he that all he knew about them was that on the Sunday he had been down his field getting turnips for dinner and he saw them laying covered up in his dunghill. Adams said they had laid there until the previous day when he told his boy to bring them home. He brought them home and put them where they were found. He said he had not been to the Bedford Road on the night the boards were lost. Smith had seen Adams that night a little before midnight coming towards the Crown & Anchor from the direction in which the boards were lost. Thomas Briden: foreman to Messrs Henry Brown & Sons of Luton, timber merchants. He had been in the timber yard for upwards of 30 years. He gave the 3 boards produced to Mead for John Mullins of Barton and helped to put them on Mead’s cart. PC Richard Lambert: he produced a deal board he received from Mead on 16 October. Statement of the accused: he was not guilty of stealing them.

item

Adams, William,
Mead, Simeon,
Smith, George,
Briden, Thomas,
Lambert, Richard

Barton, LUTON, Luton Old Bedford Road, stealing, wood, carrier, timber merchant