QSR1833/4/5/15

Depositions of William Hines, labourer of Clophill. Thomas Thorogood, beer shop keeper of Clophill. William Pack, constable of Clophill. John Cage, labourer of Clophill. In the case of James Martling accused of stealing a wheelbarrow.

28 September 1833

From: 1833 To: 1833

William Hines: on Thursday evening he was at Deadmans Cross in the company of James Martling and John Odell. His brother in law was also there. Odell was drunk and laid in the road. He did not like to leave Odell so went into the White Horse at Deadman’s Cross which was kept by Thomas Sims and told him John Odell lay very drunk in the road and he did not know how to get Odell home. Sims said there was a wheelbarrow in the back yard and that he would lend it to him. He said he would take care of it and Sims said he would look to him for the return of it. When he went back into the road James Martling was there and he and some other men assisted in getting Odell into the wheelbarrow. James Martling assisted in the wheeling. Odell being tiresome they wheeling him for about a mile and a half before leaving him on the side of the road. He told Martling that the barrow had been lent and that he was to return it to Sims. When he got to his bit of the road which was on the Church Hill in Clophill he turned the barrow near some turnips, parted from Martling and then went home. On Friday morning he did not check the barrow was there and he was employed by Mr James Horn of the Compasses at the Barley Cart and it was dusk when he left work. As he was coming up the town he heard the wheelbarrow had gone and that James Martling had sent for it, had sold it and was put in the cage. Thomas Thorogood: he kept a beer shop in Clophill and John Cage, James Martling and others came to his house. He heard Martling say he had a wheelbarrow for sale and John Cage said he would buy it if it had been gone by honestly. Martling sent James Roe, the boy, for it. Martling told Roe to go up by the church field and it lay near the path. The boy brought it back and Cage looked at it. Martling said it had been given to him. He saw cage pay Martling 5 shillings and Cage left the house leaving the barrow in his charge. Martling soon went away. John Cage came back for the barrow and he told Cage he better not have it as he heard James Martling had not come by it honestly. He had heard this from parties at his house during Martling and Cage’s absence. Constable William Pack came and fetched the barrow away. Martling had not been drunk. William Pack: her daughter in law came to her and told her she was wanted by John Cage as someone had stolen a wheelbarrow. Cage told him he had been buying a wheelbarrow off Martling which he then heard was stolen. He took James Martling into custody. Martling said nothing about the business. As soon as he had secured Martling he went to Thorogood and took away the wheelbarrow. Statement of the accused: he declined to give a statement. John Cage: he was at Thomas Thorogood’s beer shop and James Martling said he had a wheelbarrow to sell. Martling said he would fetch it and Robert Carrington, who was present, said his boy would go for it. Martling said he would give him a pint of beer if he would fetch it. James Roe, the little boy, went for the barrow and brought it to Thomas Thorogood’s yard. Her looked at it and asked if it was come by honestly. Martling said it had been given to him. He paid 5 shillings for it and left it in the care of Thorogood. He went home and returned about an hour and half later. He was going to take the barrow away but Thorogood said he had better not and he understood it was stolen. He then went to the house of James Martling and asked him for his money and Martling said he would not give it to him. He told him he would charge the constable with him. He went to Pack, the constable and they went to Martling’s house. Pack took Martling away. Martling was quite sober.

item

Martling, James,
Hines, William,
Thorogood, Thomas,
Pack, William,
Cage, John,
Roe, John,
Carrington, Robert

CLOPHILL, beer shop keeper, stealing, wheelbarrow, Deadman's Cross, drunkenness