QSR1838/1/5/14-15

Depositions of James Millard, yeoman of Meppershall. William Millard, labourer of Meppershall. Joseph Carter, yeoman of Meppershall. In the case of William Allen and Thomas Bygrave accused of stealing 3 bushels of apples.

5 December 1837

From: 1837 To: 1838

James Millard: he rented from Mr Haworth a loft over his farm stable. On Friday 1 December he had safe in the loft a quantity of apples and among them some Kitchen Reinetts and some Russett Pippins. He locked up the loft when he went away. On Sunday night all was all right as far as he could tell from the outside. On Monday morning he heard of something being wrong and went down to the loft. He found the thatch had been pulled off part of the roof making a hole big enough to let a man in. The apples were trodden about as if by a man’s feet. He perceived some of the Reinetts and some of the Pippins were gone. He believed about 3 bushels. He observed some of them were littered on the ground below and across Pestell’s close and he traced them within 5 or 6 poles of William Allen’s house. He went to get a search warrant and set his son William to watch. When he returned with the warrant he went to the prisoner’s Allen’s house with Joseph Carter the constable. Carter went upstairs and brought down 13 apples which he knew to be his. He went with his son James down the spinney called Lincoln’s Spinney, about 25 poles from Allen’s house, and found about 2 bushels of apples buried in 2 holes in the ground and covered over with leaves. They were his apples and there we no others like it in the parish. William Millard: he stood and watched Allen’s house whilst his father went for a search warrant. He saw Allen go down to Lincoln’s Spinney with a sack full of something on his shoulders. It seemed to be apples. He went back and told his father. Joseph Carter: on Monday morning he searched the house of William Allen and found in it 13 apples between the thatch in the roof. Soon after the search he saw Allen come out of Lincoln’s Spinney with a spade in his hand. He apprehended Allen and told him it was for the apples. Allen made no answer. As they were going along Allen said eh would not go alone and there was another named Thomas Bygrave. He afterwards apprehended Bygrave. As he was taking them to the magistrate they came by the footpath which lead from the loft to Allen’s house. As they went by the gap Bygrave looked at it and said that was the gap that they went through. Statements of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Allen, William,
Bygrave, Thomas,
Millard, James,
Millard, William,
Carter, Joseph,
Haworth

MEPPERSHALL, yeoman, apples, stealing