QSR1836/4/5/14

Depositions and examination - John Summerfield charged with stealing a scythe from John Cambers

12 August 1836

From: 1836 To: 1836

John Cambers of Cople, labourer – last Wednesday night 3 August when he left work he left his scythe in Mr Purser’s field in the parish of Cople. When he went about 4am on Thursday morning the scythe was gone. About 7.30am he saw his scythe in Willington Dean Brook. When he found his scythe was gone in consequence of some suspicion he had he went into Thirty Leys Spinney to watch for Summerfield. He saw him coming along the brook a little way from where he found his scythe. Summerfield had nothing in his hands. He went out of the spinney across the field and met Summerfield who asked where he was going. He said he did not go and asked where he was going. Summerfield said he was not hardly sure but thought he was going down into the farm. Summerfield then went on about 2 furlongs up the Dean and he stayed where he was. Summerfield stopped for nearly ¾ hour against the top of the Dean and he lay down to watch him. Summerfield then went away. It was after that that he found the scythe. He and his brother went after Summerfield and caught him about a mile on the other side of Tempsford. His brother accused Summerfield of taking the scythe which he denied. His brother said Summerfield had got the knoll wedge in his pocket. Summerfield said he had not. They made him come back with them. When they got about a mile on this side of Moggerhanger Summerfield told them all about it – where he had it and where he laid it. He said “I fetched it away over night and laid it in Mrs Street’s barley over the corner just through the gate. I took your scythe up when you were mowing and as I was coming along I tipped over another and kicked it out. As soon as I saw you come over the spinney I shoved it in the brook”. Summerfield asked them to let him go back, but he said Summerfield must go and put it all right and put the knoll wedge where he took it from. They went back to where the men were reaping. Thomas Minney said to Summerfield “what a rogue you must be to take a poor fellow’s scythe like him – you have got the knoll wedge” and asked him to give it to him. Summerfield then took the knoll wedge out of his pocket and gave it to him [Cambers]. He is sure it was his knoll wedge, which was missing from the scythe when he found it in the ditch. He knows the knoll wedge because he knocked a piece off the corner some time before. John Summerfield – “this young man and his brother told me a score of times if I would go back and put it together I might go about my business”.

item

Summerfield, John,
Cambers, John

COPLE, WILLINGTON, Moggerhanger, stealing, agricultural implements, farm labourer