QSR1834/4/5/3

Deposition of Charles James Fox, victualler of Eaton Socon. William Barker, labourer of Eaton Socon. Henry Wilson, labourer of Eaton Socon. Thomas Barnes Ekins, tailor of Eaton Socon. Job Shelton, drover of Edenham, Lincolnshire. William Far, labourer of Eaton Socon. In the case of William Schouler, otherwise Schooler, accused of felony.

1834

From: 1834 To: 1834

Charles James Fox: he kept the White Horse at Eaton Socon and house the Rockingham Leeds Coach for 2 stages. Mr Thomas Barnes Ekins, a tailor living at Eaton brought him a parcel on the Tuesday for London and paid him 2 pence for booking. He took it to his bar and a few minutes before 11am he delivered to his horse keeper William Barker to give to the guard of the Rockingham coach which left about 1.30am. Just before 1am his ostler Henry Wilson called and told him the parcel was taken away and he order pursuit to be made after the prisoner, who he had reason to suspect. He sent to Mr Ekins in the morning as soon as he was able to be got up. He recently had a sad accident. When Ekins came he told him the parcel had gone and Ekins said there was money in it, a £5 note, 2 sovereigns, 10 shillings and a 6 pence. Ekins said he had the number of the note at home. The conversation took place before the parcel was recovered. His ostler, Wilson, brought him the parcel and the prisoner about 2pm and the prisoner had some money tied in a handkerchief. He sent to Ekins and Ekins came bringing with him the number of the bank note. The number matched that on the note in the handkerchief. The note was a £5 Cambridge note and the handkerchief also contained 2 sovereigns and some halfpence. The stable where Barker was employed do not form any part of the dwelling house. William Barker: he was a horse keeper with Mr Fox and looked after the Rockingham Coach horses. His master gave him a parcel for the Rockingham and he laid it on a truss of hay in the stable until he had undone the down horses and harnesses the up horses. He missed the parcel. He went after the prisoner who had been lying in the stable near the truss of hay. The Lincoln night coach went down at night about 11.30pm. From something he heard he believed the prisoner had gone by it and he had stolen the parcel. He sent Henry Wilson to his master to tell him. Henry Wilson: William Barker called him out of bed and he went to his master’s bedroom, where his master was ill in bed after a fall. His master ordered him to go to the guard of the Lincoln mail and use his name. His master said he should go after the prisoner; to go to Peterborough, bringing back the prisoner and the parcel. He found the prisoner at the Ship and the landlord called him down. He charged the constable with the prisoner and the constable took him to a private room. They found on him no wrapper only the money. The prisoner said the money was his own. He heard the constable asked the prisoner what he had done with his sheep and the prisoner replied he had sold them all. The constable said eh thought he had seen the prisoner the previous night at Eaton and the prisoner replied he was mistaken. The handkerchief was taken from the prisoner and in the corner they found a hole and the money. The prisoner was unwilling to part with it and said it was his own. Thomas Barnes Ekins: he sent a parcel by the Rockingham coach on Tuesday night from Mr Charles James Fox’s. It was directed for Joseph Humphelby and he paid for the booking. The next morning he was told the parcel was lost. He produced the number of the note which he had enclosed in the parcel. Statement of the accused: he is innocent and his name is William Schooler. Job Shelton: he was a drover and on 25 August he was at Brampton Hut with his sheep. William Schooler was there and went to bed that night. Scholer had driven for him, from Eaton, twice before. Schooler passed him on the road to Brampton Hut and he was on the high flyer coach. When he got to Eaton, Schooler came to him and he told Schooler that he was fresh and to mind he stayed sober and he would employ him the next morning. Schooler said he would be sober the next morning and would come. He put up at Mr Fox’s. William Farr: on the night the parcel was taken William Schooler gave him a penny to buy half a pint of beer and to lift him [?] up on the coach. The coach was the heavy Lincoln which went through Peterborough. Schooler went by that coach.

item

Schouler, William,
Schooler, William,
Fox, Charles James,
Barker, William,
Wilson, Henry,
Ekins, Thomas Barnes,
Shelton, Job,
Far, William

EATON SOCON, Eaton Socon White Horse, stealing, money, horse drawn coaches, victualler, tailor, Lincolnshire