QSR1831/3/5/12

Depositions of Lawrence Atterbury, wheelwright of Haynes. Henry Franklin, gamekeeper of Haynes. Charles Goode of Ampthill. William Brittain, constable of Clophill. Samuel Harrowdine. In the case of William Northwood [and Charles Northwood] accused of 9 bushels of flour and 3 sacks.

28 May 1831

From: 1831 To: 1831

Lawrence Atterbury: he was at the mill on the night of Thursday 26 May and left the flour there safe. The next morning his man informed him that the mill had been broken open. He immediately went to the mill and found the mill doors broken open and the lock broken all to pieces. He found some of his property gone. He searched the fields round and when he got to the bottom towards Plummers Lane he went through the gate and found a place where flour had been put down in Mr Eames field. Henry Franklin: he was going round the field in his situation as gamekeeper to Lord Cartwright. He saw in Mr Cockrell’s the tracks of a horse. He traced the same up the gap to the side of Oxley’s Woods and just there saw some flour. He then went down to King’s new field, now sown with oats, and saw marks of flour again. He traced the marks into the high road and into Limbersey Lane and then through a gate into Mr French’s farm house and up the side of his barley field. He followed it in the direction of Maulden church. There were the footmarks on 2 men on either side of the horse. He patterned the shoes of William Northwood and the shoes appear to match the impressions left. Mr Harrowdine then fetched his mare out of the stable and it was covered in flour. He measured the horse’s foot and the impression of the footmarks agreed with those in several fields leading in the direction of the house of the prisoners. Charles Goode: he was in the company of the last witness and patterned the shows of the prisoner. They found them to correspond with the prints on the ground in 6 or 7 places in the direction alluded to. William Brittain: constable of Clophill. He searched the house of the prisoner by virtue of a search warrant. He found in a cupboard, in a room adjoining the bakehouse, some pieces of sack that had flour in. They appeared to be cut from new sacks. Samuel Harrowdine: the pieces of the sacks had black horse hair on them. His mare, which was taken from his field, was black and was found in Limbersey Lane covered in flour. Statement of the accused: they deny the charge.

item

Northwood, William,
Northwood, Charles,
Atterbury, Lawrence,
Franklin, Henry,
Goode, Charles,
Brittain, William,
Harrowdine, Samuel

HAYNES, CLOPHILL, MAULDEN, stealing, flour, sack, gamekeeper