QSR1865/4/5/13

Depositions of John Poole, bricklayer of Steventon. Thomas Cope, publican and shoemaker of Keysoe. George Mardlin, police constable of Turvey. In the case of William Mash accused of fraudently taking and converting a mare to his own use whilst being a bailee.

14 October 1865

From: 1865 To: 1865

John Poole: he knew William Mash and was with him at Barnet Fair the previous month. He bought a pony there for £6 10s. He saw the prisoner on 14 September when he came to his house and asked to take the pony to show to a lady. Mash pulled a letter from his pocket and said it was from the lady. Mash said he would take the pony the next day and they should meet at the Bell at Bedford on Saturday. Mash said he would bring the pony or the money. Mash said he would bring £10. He did not give Mash the authority to do as he liked with the pony. Mash led the pony away and Poole went to the Bell to meet Mash on the Saturday. He waited from 2pm until between 5pm and 6pm. Mash did not come. He looked for the pony in the stable and did not see it there. He went to Mash’s house to enquire of him but did not find him. He went to the Bell the following Saturday and stayed 2 hours. He did not see Mash. His pony was not in the stable. He next saw the pony the following Tuesday at Keysoe at Mr Cope’s. Mash was not present. He took the pony away. Mash came to him the next day and asked if he was will to settle the matter. He asked Mash if he was willing to pay expenses and Mash agreed he was. [cross examination] he had dealings with Mash before and had previously bought a pony off him. The lady was mentioned at Barnet Fair and Mash said he had seen a pony which was just want was wanted. Mash asked him to buy the pony for him and he told Mash he had bought a pony for himself and he did not want another. He had £3 and Mash went to borrow the rest of the money. Mash may have been there when it was put in the railway carriage. He went with Mash to his cart on 14 September but did not tell him “do the best you can”. He asked for Mash at the Bell and the landlady said Mash had not been there. He went to Mash’s house on the Tuesday after the second Saturday. PC Mardlin went with him. Mrs Mash said her husband had gone to Luton. He knew John Foster and he had met him at Clapham. Foster did not say to him that he better have taken £4. He did not say he had gone to Barnet to buy a pony for himself and had met Mash there. He had purchased a pony himself when Mash pointed out a pony and said that if he also bought that pony he could pull them in two quid a piece. He did not say to Foster that he had seen the letter and had not promised at the fair to take the pony to the Ship at Bedford. Thomas Cope: he was publican and shoemaker at Keysoe. He knew Marsh well and in September he exchanged his pony for him. He gave him £3 and his pony. He had the pony fetched away as a stolen pony. Mr Poole and the policeman fetched it. He had bought the pony on 16 September. [cross examination] He went with Mash to the Bell on the evening of 16 September. He did not see Poole there. It was a little after 4pm and again about 6pm. He did not know anything against Mash. PC George Mardlin: he went with the prosecutor to Keysoe and fetched the pony away. Thomas Cope [recalled]: on 16 September he went to the Bell and Mash asked the boy in the yard if Poole was there. The boy said he did not know. They went into the house and had a pint of beer. He did not engage with anyone. They went in a second time at 6pm. They dealt for the pony after 6pm and Mash enquired for Poole and was told he had gone home. Mash asked him for £4 and they would have dealt at once if he had paid the £4. Mash said Mr Poole had paid for the pony for him. Witnesses for the accused – John Reeve: he lived in Bedford and recalled going with Mash to Poole’s house when he took the pony away. His trap was in the yard when Mr Poole took the pony, untied it from the gate and Mash took it to his trap. Poole said to Mash “you have got the pony” not “you must do the best you can with it” and “I’ll see you on Saturday I have bought it for you”. Rebecca Mash: she was the daughter of William Mash. She remembered being at home when Poole and the policeman came to her father’s house. She did not show them to her mother’s room. She stood on the stairs. She heard Poole ask her mother for £6 10s. John Foster: Poole was passing him at Clapham. He said “I thought it would have been better if he taken the money or the [?] woman was ill”. Poole said he had visited her and taken the £4. Poole said he would not have bought the pony at Barnet Fair if Mash had not told him he could sell the pony but Mash had told him he was sure it would suit the lady and would clear them 2 quid a piece. Poole said he bought the pony for Mash to clear the money and Poole said he did not care a button of the could get his money back. Poole said he would have taken his money if he had seen it but he did not see it.

item

Mash, William,
Poole, John,
Cope, Thomas,
Mardlin, George,
Foster, John,
Reeve, John,
Mash, Rebecca

Steventon, KEYSOE, fraud, horse, stealing, bricklayer, shoemaker, publican, TURVEY, Bedford Bell, fairs and markets, Barnet