QSR1833/4/5/17-19

Depositions of William Boughton of Ampthill. James Whittamore, tasker of Ampthill. Charles Goode, constable of Ampthill. William Smith, blacksmith of Ampthill. Mary King of Ampthill. In the case of George Page, Joseph Page and James King accused of stealing a quantity of wheat.

28 September 1833

From: 1833 To: 1833

William Boughton: he was informed by James Whittamore that his barn had been broken open and a quantity of wheat in the chaff had been taken away. From information received and from his own suspicions he had cause to apply to the magistrate for a search warrant against the 3 men now in custody. Having obtained a warrant and delivered it to the constable a quantity of wheat was shown to him which had been found in the house of Widow King of Ampthill. He took a sample of the wheat from his barn to compare it with and he believed the wheat to correspond with that in the bad found in Widow King’s house. James Whittamore: he was a tasker to William Broughton and have been employed by him during the past fortnight in threshing wheat. He left the barn about 6pm and locked the door of the barn. He went home to Maulden. About 5.30am the next morning he found the back door to the barn broken open and about 2 bushels of wheat in the chaff missing from a heap of about 10 bushels. He left the barn and went to his master at Ampthill where he lived and informed him of the state he had found the barn in. Charles Goode: Mr Broughton engaged him to proceed with a search warrant to the houses of George Page, Joseph Page and James King, to search for wheat in the chaff. At the house of Widow King, the mother of James King, and with whom he lives, he found 2 bags and a box of wheat in the chaff. Mr Broughton compared the wheat from his barn with the bags of wheat and the box and he believed the wheat to be from the barn. William Smith: he was a blacksmith working for Thomas Abbis [?] of Ampthill. About 9pm he was in Woburn Street Ampthill and met George Page, Joseph page and James King. George Page had a bag on his head and Joseph Page was running before George. James King was with George Page and had something in his smock frock. They were walking together. He spoke to them and asked “you have got it” They replied it was a fine night. Smith put his hand in the bag and thought it to contain corn. He told them if anything was lost then he would tell. When he returned to his master he told him who he had met and that he thought the bag had contained corn. His master, he was informed, told Goode what he had said. Mary King: she filled the bags and the box with wheat she and her daughter had gleaned the previous morning. Statements of the accused: George Page – he had been with James King in Woburn Street, Ampthill the previous night and he had a bag on his shoulder which was full of potatoes. He gave it to James King at the bottom of his yard and then left and went home. Joseph Page – he had not been in the company of his brother George and James King the previous night. James King – he went with George Page to dig a bushel of potatoes. Page dug them and he picked them up and put them in a bag. Page gave them to him at the bottom of the yard near his mothers house.

item

Page, George,
Page, Joseph,
King, James,
Boughton, William,
Whittamore, James,
Goode, Charles,
Smith, William,
King, Mary

AMPTHILL, blacksmith, stealing, wheat, Ampthill Woburn Street