QSR1867/1/5/2

Depositions of PC John Tatman of Wootton. Mary Beard, wife of William, labourer of Kempston. Samuel Redman, labourer of Wootton. Joseph Joyce, farmer of Kempston. In the case of Jesse Beard accused of stealing a bushel of potatoes.

17 November 1866

From: 1866 To: 1867

PC John Tatman: on 16 November he went to the prisoner’s house at Kempston West End. He found a bushel of potatoes upstairs. He went to the prisoner at his work and told him he had come about something which had been stolen. He asked the prisoner if he had any thoughts on what had been stolen. The prisoner said “no”. He told the prisoner he suspected him of stealing some potatoes. The prisoner said he had bought some from one of his brothers. He went to the prisoner’s brother’s wife and then returned to the prisoner. He told the prisoner that his brother’s wife had said that he had not had the potatoes from them. He took the prisoner into custody. He took a sample of potatoes from the prisoner’s house and a sample from the heap of Mr Joyce at Wootton Wood End. [continued] the prisoner said he had the potatoes from his brother’s house a week ago the previous Tuesday. It had been at night and there was no one home but his brother’s wife when he took them. She had taken the prisoner to the barn and the potatoes had been ready measured into a bag. She gave them to the prisoner and he took them home. The prisoner said he had used some since. [cross examination] there was no bed in the room where he found the potatoes. There was a bit more than a bushel of potatoes and they were scarcely covered. He believed the prisoner’s father to have ground nearby but the prisoner said the potatoes came from his brother. The prisoner’s wife said she would fetch a sample down and she did so. The prisoner never mentioned his father. Mary Beard: wife of William Beard, who lived at Kempston. She gave half a peck of kidney shaped white potatoes to Jesse Beard at Harvest. She had not sold him any potatoes since. Her husband had grown white and red potatoes last year. She believed Jesse lived more than a mile from her and his father lived near her. He aunt had an acre of allotment and she had a bit of it. Her husband’s father grew all sorts of potatoes. She thought the prisoner had potatoes from his father. Samuel Redman: lived at Wootton Wood End and was in the service of Mr Joseph Joyce. When he went to unlock Joyce’s barn door at Kempston about 5am he was unable to turn the key. He pulled the lock and it came open. He had locked the door just after 6pm the night before. He found a whet stone and wrench at the window and it was about 2 inches open. The lock was broken. He saw foot marks in the chaff towards the potatoes. Joseph Joyce: the prisoner had worked for him for some months up to 10 November. The prisoner and his brother had stacked some potatoes in the barn. There had been red potatoes, regents and shaws. On 15 November he went to the barn and his man showed him the lock. He saw about a bushel of potatoes had been taken. The potatoes he missed were red not kidneys. The prisoner’s friend had grounds near his. He got his seed from Mr. Lamb at Kemspton. The prisoner’s friend had grown a different type of potato. The prisoner was brought to him and they talked about the theft. The prisoner said he had nothing to do with the potatoes but would rather pay for the lock and potatoes to settle it.

item

Beard, Jesse,
Beard, Mary,
Beard, William,
Redman, Samuel,
Tatman, John,
Joyce, Joseph

KEMPSTON, Wootton Woodend, WOOTTON, stealing, farmer, potatoes