QSR1834/1/5/19

Depositions of John Lines, farmer of Shillington. George Lines, farmer of Shilligton. William Notingham, labourer of Shillington. Fanny Ferin Line, wife of John Lines the elder, farmer of Shillington. In the case of Thomas Carter accused of stealing 2 bushels of undressed barley and 1 and a half pecks of barley meal.

25 November 1833

From: 1833 To: 1834

John Lines the elder: he was a farmer living at Chibley in the parish of Shillington. On Friday evening he was called up by William Notingham who called out “master there is someone in the barley barn”. He got up and went downstairs. He took his gun and went with his son George and Notingham into the garden and from then into the adjoining field and then into Mr Thompson’s field, where he saw a man with a sack on his back. He said to his son to take the man. George called “Stop” on which the man threw down the sack with barley in it and the bag containing barley meal. The man endeavoured to run away upon which he fired his gun. The man fell down and called out “O’pray master”. By his voice he knew it to be Thomas Carter. The barley meal was in the granary, the lock which he believed had been picked. The prisoner had been working for him for nearly 2 years. The prisoner had threshed for him but not in the barn. George Lines: on Friday night he was called by his father and one getting up found his father and William Notingham in the house. Notingham said here was someone in the barley barn. He charged his gun and gave it to his father. He went with Notingham and his father to the bottom of the garden where he saw a man coming from the yard with a sack upon his back. The man went along into the field adjoining the garden and they followed him. When they came to the stile going out of the field his father told him to take the man. He ran towards the prisoner and shouted stop. The man threw down the sack and gave a jump. The prisoner pointed osm4hitn at his like a gun and then ran away. His father fired the gun. The man staggered and fell. He heard the man cry out “pray master”. He followed him and they ran into a plantation at the corner of Mr Thompson’s field. He came so near the man at the hedge that he stuck him with a stick and when the prisoner got out of the hedge he uttered a foul expressing and threw the lantern at him. William Notingham: he was a farming labourer and lived in the parish of Shillington. He was employed by John Lines the elder upon his farm called Chibley. On the evening of Friday he was ordered by is master to watch his premises. He placed himself in a rick in the lower yard from whence he saw a light in the lower barley barn. He ran back to his master and called him up. His master got up and came down into the house. Master George did likewise get up and charged his gun. They all went into the garden and stood at the garden gate. He saw a man come by with a sack upon his back. The man had come from the barley barn. It was moonlight but it was rather dull. From the bulk of the sack it appeared to contain about a bushel and a half. He accompanied his master and his son in pursuit of the man. He could see no one until he got over the stile into Mr Thompson’s field where he saw a man with sack upon his back about 2 poles from his masters. His master desired him and Master George to take the man upon which the man threw down the sack. His master fired the gun and the man said “O pray Master”. The man fell down and then got up again and ran away. He took the sack contained the barley from Mr Thompson’s field into his masters house. Fanny Ferin Lines: on the night of 2 November William Notingham called at the window of her bedroom upon which she got up and opened the window. Notingham told her there was somebody in the barley barn with a light. She woke up Mr Lines and her son George. Her husband and son went out and remained out for about half an hour. Upon her husband coming back he sat down and told her Thomas Carter was the man. She asked if he really though so and he replied that he was sure.

item

Carter, Thomas,
Lines, John,
Lines, George,
Lines, Fanny Ferin,
Notingham, William,
Thompson

Chibley, SHILLINGTON, farmers, stealing, barley