QSR1834/1/5/14-15

Depositions of John Brown, yeoman of Eynesbury. Joseph Tatman, labourer of Great Barford. John Bone, labourer of Tempsford. In the case of John Hull and John Jarvis accused of carrying away boards from the side of the River Ouse.

14 November 1833

From: 1833 To: 1834

John Brown: on 9 November he was at Tempsford. He was employed by Sir Thomas Gery Cullum, Baron and Richard Franklyn Esq, proprietors of the Ouse Navigation, to repair the banks and waterworks of the navigation. On 9 November he saw the bank extending from Tempsford Bridge toward the staunch and the planks and the board which supported it were them safely fixed in the earth. Some of them had since been taken away. Joseph Tatman and John Bone showed him the boards which Joseph Tatman had found. The boards were the property of J.G.Cullum and R Franklyn. The value of the boards was about a shilling each. Joseph Tatman: on 11 November he was at work for the owners of the Ouse Navigation. He was sent by his masters on an errand near Tempsford Bridge. He saw some persons carrying away some planks or boards by the side of the river. He followed them to Tempsford bridge were they left the planks and went away. On the bridge he was John Bone and asked him who the men were. He went over the meadow and looked under the arch where he found the boards and the other 2 pieces of wood and another plank in a ditch and in a field nearby. They also found 5 planks. The planks and boards belonged to the river bank and he had frequently seen them there before. They were used to support the bank against the river. He and Charles Harris for the board and sowed them to John Brown and John Bone. John Bone: on 11 November he was at work on the road at Tempsford Bridge. He saw John Hull and John Jarvis come out of Martin Gurges meadow each with a wooden plank or board. They went over the road and the rails of the bridge into the opposite field with the boards in their hands and afterwards came back into the road and went towards Chawson without any boards. Joseph Tatman came to him and asked who the men were and then he got over the rails where Hull and Jarvis had and looked about a little. Tatman put some boards on the bridge. The boards were shown on 12 November to John Brown. Statements of the accused: John Hull – he did not pull the wood out of the river and never saw anyone pull it down. The bit of wood he had was a bit of the plank. John Jarvis: he never went off the road that morning with any wood.

item

Hull, John,
Jarvis, John,
Brown, John,
Tatman, Joseph,
Cullum, Thomas Gery,
Franklyn, Richard,
Harris, Charles

Eynesbury, TEMPSFORD, Great Barford, stealing, wood, yeoman, River Ouse, Ouse Navigation Limited