QSR1898/2/5/2

The Examinations of Henry Veasey of Aspley Guise, Beds, Surgeon; James Shotbolt of Aspley Guise, Groom and Gardener; Walter James Champkin, Aspley Guise Rural Postman and Thomas Daniel Holmes, Surgeon in practice of Woburn Sands. Depositions of Witnesses called by Accused. Bertram Timms, Son of Defendant; Frederick Pilgrim of Ridgmont, Wheelwright; Joseph Timms. Son of Defendant. In the case of Joseph Harpur Timms of Aspley Guise, Coach Builder who did unlawfully assault and beat Henry Veasey of Aspley Guise in the County of Bedford Surgeon.

18th February 1898

From: 1898 To: 1898

The said Henry Veasey sworn saith I live at Aspley Guise Beds and am a Surgeon. I am in my 80th year. My house and premises adjoin those of the Defendant. There is a piece of unenclosed land in front of the Defendants property over which I [considered] I have a right of way and for some little time past there has been a difference of opinion between us upon the subject. On Thursday the 27th January last between 4 & 5 o’clock pm I went to the gate which leads from my property on to the piece of land in dispute. I opened the gate and found a hole dug close to the gate with a post loose in it. I lifted the post up saying “This has no business here and I put the post on one side. The Defendant was then standing a short distance from me ramming in another post. He instantly sprang forward swinging his rammer round and hit me with it across the back of the hand near the wrist – my right hand. It was a severe blow – my hand was severely bruised, the skin was broken and bleeding. My hand still shows the bruise… I called my man James Shotbolt. He came and I showed him my wrist saying “I wish you to see what this man has done”. The Defendant said he wished he had done something worse. I cannot remember the words - Then he said if I touched anything on his property he would break every B----- Bone in my skin. The Defendant then told his son who was standing near to fetch a pail of water to throw over the B----- B------. The Defendant had then picked up the shovel. James Champkin came up the road. I asked him to notice what was going on and I showed him my hand and said to him “See what that man had done” The Defendant then said to me “You B---- B-----get off the ground or I’ll swill you” I believe the son had then returned. I still feel the effects of the blow and for some days could not hold a pen or instrument. The rammer was 41/2 ft. long and 3 inches x 2 thick. [Cross Examined] I wrote a letter to the parish Council of Aspley the same day but previously complaining that he was enclosing the piece of land. There was the iron gate close to the post – the post was set in the centre of the gate – half my right of way was obstructed. I claim a right to a carriage or cart way. About 4ft 6in was left. He hit me intentionally. There were two of his sons there at the time. His apprentice might have been there too. I never threw a bucket at the Defendant through his window. I am quite sure that the blow was not given while my hand was on the post. [Cross Examined] The Defendant did not express any sorrows. The said James Shotbolt sworn saith I am groom and gardener to Dr Veasey and I live at Aspley Guise. On the 27th January I was called by Dr Veasey. I went to the gate leading out of the garden on the piece of waste land. I found Timms there. The doctor showed me his hand and said see how this man has hit me. Timms said “I wish I had hit the B---- a good deal harder” Dr Veasey’s hand was bleeding and bruised very much. Timms laid the rammer down and picked up the shovel and said to Veasey “You rotten old B---- I’ll bash your B---- Brains out and your B--- man too” He flourished the shovel as he said this. Then he told his son to fetch a pail of water saying he would drown the B. Soon after Champkins came up the road. The doctor showed him his hand. Timm’s son fetched a pail of water and set it down by his Father. [Cross Examined] The Doctor never told me to pull a post up. Timms did not tell me not to touch the post I told Timms if he touched me I should slip into him. The post was still partly in the hole when I came up. Both of Timms boys and the apprentice were there. The said Walter James Champkin sworn saith I am the Aspley Guise, Rural Postman and I live at Aspley Guise. On the 27th January between 4 and 5 I was passing Dr. Veasey premises. Dr Veasey beckoned me and I went to him. Timms were there. Dr. Veasey showed me his hand. It had a large bruise and blood on it. He said “that man did that” pointing at Timms with that” pointing to a rammer which lay there. Dr. Veasey then put out his hand towards a post which was loose in a hole. Timms came towards him and said “you touch that I’ll hit you again” Timms’ son then came with a pail of water and put it down by his father. Timms said “I’ll swill the old B if he comes here again. He called out to Dr. Veasey “go in you old Devil” Once a man twice a child” I then left and went on my beat. The said Thomas Daniel Holmes sworn saith I am a Surgeon in practice at Woburn Sands. On the 28th January I examined Dr. Veasey’s right hand. There was a bruise on it about 2 inches long by an inch wide, extending from the base of the thumb towards the wrist. The skin was abraided and there was some swelling and stiffness and pain on being touched. If caused by a blow it must have been one of some considerable strength. [Cross Examined] It might have been caused by pressure between the rammer and the post. Statement of Accused: - “I did not hit him” Depositions of Witnesses called by the Accused This Deponent Bertram Timms on his Oath saith as follows: - I live at Aspley Guise and am the Son of the Defendant. On the 27th January I was helping my Father to put the post up. I saw Dr. Veasey come. My father had a rammer in his hand at the time. Dr. Veasey put his hand through the gate and pushed the post down. Father told him not to do it. He pushed it down again. Then opened his gate and come our side. He came and pushed me in the chest and broke one of the tenons off the rails which I was holding. There he called his man Shotbolt and said to him “There is the post pull it down” Father said “Don’t you touch it or you will be wrong” Shotbolt said “If you touch me I will slip into you in a minute” my Father then had a shovel in his hand putting dirt in the hole. My Father never struck Dr. Veasey with the rammer. He never threatened him with the shovel. [Cross Examined] My Brother was not there at the beginning. My father put the post up with the rammer when Dr. Veasey pushed the post down the first time. I went on with my work. I did not watch my Father the whole time. I know my father did not hit him because if he had I should have turned around and looked. My Brother fetched a pail of water to chuck [on] Dr. Veasey. My Father said to him “Joe go and fetch a bucket of water I’ll swill him with it” I thought Dr. Veasey deserved a pail of water for interfering with my Father. I did not hear my Father threaten Dr. Veasey. He did not use any bad language towards him. I heard Dr. Veasey say to Shotbolt “See what this man has done” but I did not see him show him his hand. When Dr. Veasey said that, he showed Shotbolt the post. He was referring to the post. I did not see his hand was hurt. His hand was not bleeding. I must have seen it if it had been. I looked to see. I looked at his hands up to the time he went back to his own property. His hand was not bleeding when he went away. I will not swear to it. I mean I won’t own that I saw them bleeding I won’t swear that Dr. Veasey did not show his hands to Shotbolt. I was watching them I saw Champkins come. Dr. Veasey showed him the post and said “I claim a right of way and 4 feet besides” I do not know whether Dr. Veasey showed Champkin’s his hand. I was close to them and was watching what was going on and could hear what was said. Dr. Veasey said to Champkins “That man did that with that” pointing to the rammer. I did not know what he meant. I don’t know which hand he pointed with. He pointed with his hand. Dr. Veasey did not put his hand out towards the post after Champkin’s came. Father did not say “If you touch that I will hit you again” When the pail was brought my Father did not say “I’ll swill the B if he comes again”. He did say to him “Once a man twice a child” My Father did not raise a shovel over Shotbolts head, he did not raise the shovel at all, he kept on working all the time. The Frederick Pilgrim sworn saith I live at Ridgmont and am a Wheelwright. On the 27th January I was working with Timms when he was putting these posts in. I saw Dr. Veasey come up. He put his hand through the gate and pushed the post down. Timms went and pushed it up again with the rammer. I cannot say whether the Doctors hand was on the post or not when he pushed it up. The Doctor then opened the gate and came through and pushed the post down again. Then he pushed Timms son out into the road he gave him two pushes. I did not see anyone hit Dr. Veasey. When Shotbolt came Veasey said to him “That is the post” and Timms said “You must not touch that or you will be wrong” Shotbolt said “If you touch me I shall be in to you in a minute” Then Champkins came. The Doctor showed him the post and said “That’s the post” and then he showed him his hand. I could not hear what he said about his hand. Timms never threatened the Doctor with a shovel. He told the Doctor to go home and chain “Ugly” up and come and act as a gentleman. Timms told the boy to set the water down and if he touched the post again he would swill him with it. I never saw any blows struck at all. [Cross Examined] I heard Dr. Veasey tell Shotbolt that he had been hit on the hand – on the right hand. He held his right hand out and showed him. He told Champkins too that he had been hit on the hand, he showed him his hand. He told Champkins that the Master had struck him. I watched after Veasey came. A can swear that Timms never struck Veasey purposely. I can swear he never struck him but he might have caught his hand pushing up the post. I could not see whether his hand was injured when Champkins came Dr. Veasey put his hand towards the post and said this is the post Timms did not say “If you touch that I’ll strike you again”. Timms sent for the water to throw on Veasey if he touched the post again. I heard Timms say to Veasey “Once a man twice a child” I heard Timms say when the water came “I’ll swill the old sod” The Said Joseph Timms saith I live at Aspley Guise and am Son of Defendant. When I arrived on the scene Mr Veasey was entering the gate into his premises. Champkins came up and Mr Veasey showed him the post and said “I claim a right of way and four feet besides”. My Father sent me for a bucket of dirty water and I did so and set it down by him. Nothing was said about the water afterwards. Dr Veasey once threw a brick at me. [Cross Examined] [That] was three or four years ago. Father said he wanted the water to chuck over Veasey.

18 pages

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Veasey, Henry,
Shotbolt, James,
Champkin, Walter James,
Holmes, Thomas Daniel,
Timms, Bertram,
Pilgrim, Frederick,
Joseph Timms,
Timms, Joseph Harpur

ASPLEY GUISE, WOBURN SANDS, RIDGMONT, surgeon, groom, gardener, postman, wheelwright, coach builder, assault