Not much to do in those days!! Astwood, Wright, Cooke, Payne, Horton

[flateric999]

Well, it gave me a giggle. Happened upon this, Its an insight into village life in the 1800-'s if nothing else!!

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=004-q_5-15&cid=-1#-1

[no title or date]  QSR/31/1830/322
Contents:
Recognizances: Jn. Ambrose Walker, journeyman of Mr. Jos. Coleman, High St., Bedford, grocer & cheesemonger; prosecute Thos. Wright and Jesse Horton, Astwood, Bucks., labrs. for theft of 14 cheeses.
[no title or date]  QSR/31/1830/333
Contents:
Recognizances: Geo. Allen, porter to Mr. Jos. Coleman, High Street, St. Paul Bedford, grocer & cheesemonger, Jn. Taylor, Astwood, Bucks., Thos. Cooke, same, constable, Robt. Payne, same, gamekeeper; give evidence as in 332.
[no title or date]  QSR/31/1830/479
Contents:
Examinations and depositions: Inf. of Geo. Allen, Bedford St. Paul, porter of Jos. Coleman, High St., Bedford St. Paul, grocer and cheesemonger: Went to Gt. Linford Wharfe, Bucks. and collected 2 hogsheads of sugar and fifty four cheeses. Found cheeses missing betw. Astwood and Stagsden, there being only eighteen left in the wagon. Going back towards Astwood found seven cheeses lying in the road but they could find no more. Wright said that the only person he knew who had been down the road was his brother Thos. and fetched his brother and Jesse Horton. They helped search for the missing cheeses and were later joined by Robt. Payne. One of the four suggested that they should look behind the hedges by the roadside and very soon afterwards eight cheeses were found on one side of the road and seven on the other. They searched further but could not find any more. He offered them a shilling for a drink which they refused by said if his master liked to give them something the next day, they would be glad of it. The whole 54 cheeses were Leicester cheeses and weighed from 10 to 14 lbs. each. The cheeses were marked and he saw the wharfinger write the usual ticket for them which he later delivered to Mr. John Ambrose Walton, Mr. Coleman's journeyman, on his return to Bedford. Inf. of Jn. Amb. Walton, Bedford St. Paul, grocer and cheesemonger; journeyman of Jos. Coleman. Purchased for Mr. Coleman at Leicester "a quantity of Cheese being the whole of a Dairy - They were small plain common Cheeses all of the same kind and quality - they were uncoloured - I bought some from another dairy at Leicester which were coloured - I should know them from any other dairies from their small size and appearance. I have been in the habit of buying large quantities of Cheese and observing the difference". Ordered them to be delivered to Deacon's Wharf, Leicester, to be landed at Linford. "It is usual for the Wharfinger to put the Initial letter of the Surname of the purchaser upon any Cheese when delivered for Carriage and some other mark to distinguish the dairy if the cheeses are from more than one - The first mark is generally a cross - If more than one dairy each other dairy is usually marked progressively with figures - " When Allen returned about midnight and told him the waggon had been robbed, he examined the cheeses that remained and checked them with the Linford Wharf paper. Rest of the deposition 521.

[flateric999]

[no title or date]  QSR/31/1830/521
Contents:
Continuation of deposition 479.
Examinations and depositions: The next morning he went with Allen to Astwood to make further inquiries about the fourteen missing cheeses. Searched several houses and interviewed Thos. Wright who seemed rather confused "I had been to Mr. Pettit's with Jesse Horton to fetch a Sheep we bought the night before..... we crossed the Road and went down that close with the sheep because we had no cloth on it and would not be called Crow Butcher's". He denied seeing the waggon. Walton and the constable then saw Jesse Horton and his account was similar to that of Wright, they had been to "Mr. Pettit's to fetch a rotten sheep we bought the night before - we went down the Closes because we would not come through the Town as we had no Cloth on it and would not be called old Savage of Cranfield". He denied seeing the cheese. Walton and the constable again saw Wright who again denied all knowledge of the cheese until Walton wrote a notice of a £2 2s. reward and said to the constable "This is a public offer go and stick it on the post".
Wright then "I know where the cheeses are - let them force the money and I'll find them". He refused to give information without the money. Walton then went in search of Horton. Horton again denied all knowledge of the cheese "Damn the Waggon and the Cheese I wish they had been at Hell before they came here, and Damn you what business had you to search my house this Morning, where's your authority". "After some persuasion and threats he walked with us to the public house". Acting on further information the constable and John Taylor again searched Horton's house and an hour later came back with six cheeses in a wheelbarrow. The constable later brought eight cheeses from Thos. Wright's premises. Walton identified all the cheeses as belonging to his master. Wright then said "On crossing the Road we kicked against some Cheeses and I carried eight of them home in my Smock and the Sheep on my Shoulder" - Somebody in the Room said "That was a pretty good weight to carry home". - then someone in the Room said "I don't believe he carried them all". He said he did - Jesse Horton then said "I carried six and they gave me a sweat".
[no title or date]  QSR/31/1830/520
Contents:
Examinations and depositions: Inf. of Robert Payne, Astwood, gamekeeper; was in the public house when the constable came in with Thos. Wright. Mr. Walton offered a reward to anyone finding the cheeses "He wrote a paper and read it aloud in the Room and gave it to Mr. Cooke to stick upon the sign post". He heard Wright say "I know where the cheeses are - I can produce them - if they produce the reward.....they are down at home".
Exam. of Thos. Wright and Jesse Horton; "decline saying anything". See 479.
[no title or date]  QSR/31/1830/524
Contents:
Examinations and depositions: Inf. of John Taylor, Astwood, Bucks.; left to watch the houses of Wright and Horton. Horton's mother showed him where six cheeses were buried in the garden. He also dug out eight cheeses in Wright's garden.
Inf. of Thomas Cooke, Astwood, constable; left Taylor on watch while he went for his dinner. Wright later said he buried the cheese because he thought there would be a reward offered.
[no title or date]  QSR/31/1830/979
Contents:
Indictments and Presentments: Indictments: Thos. Wright, Jesse Horton, Stagsden; theft of 140 lbs. of cheese from Jos. Coleman.

Just need to identify the miscreants in my tree!!

[johnP-bedford]

According to Beds Archives Gaol database Thomas Wright was aged 22 & Jesse Horton was aged 35; both were from Marston. They were committed on 28/10/1830 for stealing cheese, the trial was at Epiphany 1831, they got 6 month hard labour & privately whipped.

So in 1830/31 Thomas Wright was 22 years he'd be born 1808-ish. So was he the one baptised at Astwood on 5 July 1807, son of Charles Wright & Ann Bason, married Naomi Woods in 1832 at Stagsden, they had 9 children between 1832 & 1856 & he died aged 57 in 1864 at Bedford Infirmary but was buried at Stagsden
 

[johnP-bedford]

Beds Archives also has the following :-

Award notice in the case of Thomas Wright and Jesse Horton, dated 4 January 1831

2 Guineas reward offered for the stolen or lost 14 chesses from a waggon within a mile of Astwood on Tuesday 26 October between the hours of 6pm and 7pm.  A reward is offered for information leading to the conviction of  the offender or offenders.

[flateric999]

Hi John, yes that is him. It actually took seconds to find I already had him on my records!!! I hadn't looked up the goal records so thanks for that. I had it in my mind I had read john, his brother mentioned too but can't find that bit now!

Mike.

[johnP-bedford]

Mike, The A2A text mentions  "Wright said that the only person he knew who had been down the road was his brother Thos. and fetched his brother and Jesse Horton"  However there is no mention of the name of this first brother. From the family group we know Thomas did have a brother John baptised in 1797, the other siblings were all female.

Jessy/Jesse/Jessie Horton was baptised 28 Feb 1796 son of Thomas & Alice Horton. He married Mary Tap on 26/5/1822 at Olney, & died aged 76 buried at Astwood on 16/10/1872. 

[flateric999]

The A2A text mentions  "Wright said that the only person he knew who had been down the road was his brother Thos. and fetched his brother and Jesse Horton"  However there is no mention of the name of this first brother. From the family group we know Thomas did have a brother John baptised in 1797, the other siblings were all female.

I am sure it is John (1797) as you say the other siblings where female, there is however a possible third brother, Abraham born in 1790.

I must have added the name when I read it through!! I wonder what the repercussions where? It appears John dropped his brother well and truly "in it" and they might well have got away with it otherwise. As he got hard labour and whipped I wonder if Thomas had any malice towards his brother as a result?

It may be he had no idea the two men had taken and buried the cheese, and was intending only to help!

Mike

[flateric999]

The third brother, Abraham, was christened in 1790 to Charles and Ann in Astwood. https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/JQH8-BMQ

In 1841 he is living in Kingsbury in Middlesex with his wife Mary. In 1851 he is still their and married  but appears widowed in the 1861 cencus. This also confirms place of birth as Astwood, so it appears to be the same person.

They only have one child, Mary.

After this, i cant find much more but there will be a death some time after 1861 i am summizing, he is after all 71!!

Now we could guess that it may have been he who directed the cheese man to Thomas. Certainly if their was a rift afterwards settling in Middlesex would be one way of dealing with it!! The rest of the family groups appear to remain local.

Mike

[johnP-bedford]

Despite what family search has the Astwood PR does not have the baptism; however there is an entry dated 9 Aug 1790 for Abraham, son of Charles & Ann ...N , labourer which could well be him as that's the only Charles & Ann baptising children there in that timescale.

I've found Abraham & wife Mary on 1841 & 1851 plus Abraham widower in 1861 living in Kingsbury, Middx which is in Hendon RD. There is a death index in Hendon RD in June 1855 of Mary Wright and one for Abraham Wright in Hendon RD in Sept 1867 age 77, plus his burial at either Kingsbury St.Andrew or Holy Innocents on 9 Aug 1867 age 77 where his abode was Roe Green. 

Wife Mary Wright similarly buried Kingsbury Holy Innocents/St Andrew on 15 June 1855 aged 64