QSR1864/1/5/12

Depositions of James Baines, gardener of Beeston. Thomas Vincent, police constable of Sandy. Daniel Geary, police constable of Biggleswade. Henry Hards Jebbett, superintendent of police of Biggleswade. In the case of William Hill and Samuel Francis accused of stealing 3 1/2 bushels of onion seed and William Wagstaffe accused of receiving the said seed.

28 October 1863

From: 1864 To: 1864

James Baines: on the afternoon of Sunday 18 October he left about 4 ½ bushels of onion seed in his loft. On the Tuesday morning he found 3 ½ bushels gone. It was worth at least £10. He gave notice to the police. PC Thomas Vincent: he apprehended William Wagstaffe and told him he was charged with receiving stolen onion seed. Wagstaffe said he knew nothing about the seed. He took Wagstaffe to Biggleswade. He locked up the barn containing the seed and Wagstaffe brought the key away. He went to fetch the seed away the next day and measured almost 3 bushels of it. PC Daniel Geary: a little after midnight on Thursday night he was on duty at Beeston. The 2 boys Hill and Francis were given into his custody. Mr Baines was present. Their mothers had been persuading them to tell the truth and after their mothers had gone. Francis said he had been asked a great many times by Wagstaffe to get some seed and he had given them a sack to fetch some seed. He and Hill had fetched the seed from Mr Baines and taken it to Wagstaffe. Wagstaffe received the seed at his house and put it into this barn. The next morning he saw Wagstaffe empty it onto a sheet in the onion loft. There was about 3 bushels and he emptied it on to about a bushel of his own and mixed it together. On Saturday Geary was present at the police station when Hill and Francis were remanded by Mr Foster and Colonel Lindsell. Hill said that Wagstaffe had said if he got him a sack of seed he would give him a £5 note for it. Henry Hards Jebbett: he apprehended Hill & Francis at Beeston. From what the prisoners told him he instructed PC Vincent to apprehended William Wagstaffe. Wagstaffe was brought to the Biggleswade lock-up. Wagstaffe said Hill and Francis had brought him the onion seed in a sack and Francis had carried it up to the loft. It was measured at almost 3 bushels. Statements of the accused: William Hill – he had nothing to say except he had taken it. Samuel Francis – Wagstaffe had asked him if he knew where there was seed and he told Wagstaffe he had heard Hill say that his master had some. Wagstaffe asked him to ask Hill to get some. They went and got it on the Monday night and took it to Wagstaffe’s house. Wagstaffe was up the loft the next morning mixing it. He was not given anything but had been told he would get £5. William Wagstaffe – he had not asked them to get the seed. Francis had asked him to lend him a sack and he did so. He did not ask what he was going to do with it. Francis brought the seed to him the next night and asked him for some money for it. He refused and said Francis had yet to pay him the 5 shillings he owed him and some money he owed him for beer. He took the seed and told Francis that when he paid him the money he could come and get the seed.

item

Hill, William,
Wagstaffe, William,
Francis, Samuel,
Baines, James,
Vincent, Thomas,
Geary, Daniel,
Jebbett, Henry Hards

Beeston, SANDY, BIGGLESWADE, stealing, onion seed, gardener