QSR1866/3/5/1

Depositions of William Whiting, carpenter of Heath & Reach. Thomas Backhouse, labourer of Heath & Reach. John King, labourer of Heath & Reach. William Adams, labourer of Great Brickhill. John King, shoemaker of Great Brickhill. John Horne, police constable of Heath & Reach. Edward Trotter, farm bailiff of Stockgrove. In the case of Joseph Cook accused of mailiciously and feloniously damaging 30 spruce and scotch ornamental fir trees.

10 April 1866

From: 1866 To: 1866

William Whiting: on the evening of 25 February, between 8pm and 9pm, he was returning home through Colonel Hanmer's Park at Heath & Reach. It was a moonlit night and he did not see any broken trees. Thomas Backhouse: on the afternoon of 25 February he was in the company of Joseph Cook. Joseph Osborn, John King and others. They were at the Red Lion public house in Brickhill. He left about 10pm with King, Osborn and the prisoner. They followed the road in the direction of Colonel Hanmer’s Park. When they got to the third stile at Mr Belgrove’s property, Osborn and the prisoner each took a hurdle and broke it. He went on with King into Colonel Hanmer’s Park and along the path where some trees have since been damaged. It was moonlight and they saw no broke trees. The next afternoon the prisoner came to his work and he asked the prisoner what time he got home. The prisoner replied “rather late” and that he had Osborn had broken some tress. The prisoner said the police were about and if they came he was to say he knew nothing about it. He had been to Colonel Hanmer’s park and there were a great number of Fir trees damaged. He would say between 30 and 40 trees. The trees were along the path he had passed along on the night of the 25 February and it was this path the prisoner would go along to his house from Brickhill. Soon after he had left the Red Lion on the night in question, he had seen a man talking to William Bright. Osborn asked Bright if his brother, Benjamin, had gone to bed. [cross examination] he had not broken any hurdles or gone off the footpath. He left the prisoner about 100 yards from where the trees were damaged. He could not say the prisoner went that way home. He did not know who had broken the trees and had no seen and trees broken. John King: labourer of Heath and Reach. On the evening of Sunday 25 February he was at the Red Lion with Backhouse, Osborn and the prisoner. Backhouse came out first about 10pm and he and the prisoner together. When he, Osborne, the prisoner and Backhouse got to the third stile the prisoner and Osborn picked up a hurdle and broke it. Backhouse and he went on and the prisoner and Osborn began to break the fence. He had seen the place in Colonel Hanmer’s Park where the trees were damaged. It was the path he had Backhouse went on that night. He saw no trees broken. He got home about 10.30pm. If the prisoner had gone home from where he had left him he would have passed along where the trees where damaged. It was the prisoners nearest way home. William Adams: he was a labourer at Great Brickhill. On 25 February he saw the prisoner, Cook, at the Red Lion. Osborn, King and Backhouse were there. They all left together about 10.15pm. Backhouse started out of the tap first. John King: a shoemaker of Great Brickhill. On 25 February he saw 4 men going towards Cuff Lane about 10pm. One of the 4 men spoke to a person by the name of Bright, who he was talking to at the time. The man asked if Benjamin Osborne was gone to bed. PC John Horne: he was stationed at Heath and Reach. On 4 April he took the prisoner into custody on his discharge from Aylesbury gaol. He did not tell the prisoner the charge but that there was a warrant for him. The prisoner said “Its all right [?] handcuff me with both hands and leave me out to swing.” As soon as the train left the station the prisoner said “I suppose Osborn had gone to America”. He had not mentioned Osborn by name or told him the charge. The prisoner said that he had suffered enough for Osborne and he would suffer no more. Cook said that Osborn asked him to help break the trees and when he had told Osborn he would not, Osborn told him to hold his clothes. When Osborn had finished breaking the trees Cook said he went home. Horne produced the tips of 3 trees and pieces showing how they were broken. Osborn absconded about the 2 March from heath and he had seen nothing of him since. Cook began the conversation in the train. Whoever passed along the path must have seen the trees broken. Edward Trotter: he was bailiff to Colonel Hanmer and lived at Stockgrove. On Monday 26 February between 6am and 7am, he was called to damage caused within the park. He went to the spot where some firs were damaged and found 8 Spruce trees damaged in the first plantation and 1 larch. He saw 20 upwards of Scots Firs (ornamental) all damaged in the same way. The whole of the damaged trees were growing in Colonel Hanmer’s Park adjoining the dwelling house there. The trees were damaged and broken in the tops and would never me ornamental trees again. The trees had been damaged by someone getting up the trunks. He saw marks where people had got up. Some tops were completely severed and 2 were lying across the path. He had to move them out of the way before he could pass. Where the damaged had been done to the trees was inside the County of Bedford. He saw some fence broken by the side of the park about 50 yards from the broken trees. The broken trees extended along the park for about 300 yards. He valued the damage at about £9. Statement of the accused: he had not touched the trees not had he broken one. He had nothing else to say.

item

Cook, Joseph,
Whiting, William,
Backhouse, Thomas,
King, John,
Adams, William,
Horne, John,
Trotter, Edward,
Hanmer, Henry,
Osborn

HEATH & REACH, Great Brickhill, Stockgrove, fir, spruce, trees, vandalism, carpenter, shoemaker, farm bailiff