Transcribed by Veanne Treasure - 27 March 2012

Calendar of Prisoners Michaelmas Adjourned Session, held at the City of Wells, on Monday, the 21st day of October, 1839. No. 28. Mary Ann TREASURE..From Shepton. Age 17. Read - N. Write -N. Trade Labourer..Single. By Whom Committed. H. Dawe Esq.. Date of Warrant Sep. 30. From what Division Shepton Mallet. Offence charged with. Stealing six pecks of Apples, from the garden of James MARCH, having been before convicted summarily of like offence.
Document number (30)

The Deposition of George ALLEN ????? Tythingman of Pylle in the County of Somerset taken on oath before me Hill DAWE Esquire one of Her Majesty?s Justices of the peace in and for the said County this thirteenth day of September 1839.

Who deposeth as follows ?
James MARCH and Sydney BIGGING brought the Prisoner Mary Ann TREASURE to my house yesterday morning/Sunday the twenty ninth of September/about 2 o?clock ? and gave her unto my custody on a charge of stealing apples. I was present at the Petty Sessions of her Majesty?s Justices of the Peace for the Division of Shepton Mallet held at the Argyle Room in Shepton Mallet on Wednesday last and the Prisoner was then and there convicted of stealing apples of a Mr GRIFFIN of Pilton. The smock frock with apples in and Two Bags and Hat also with apples in them now produced were delivered to me by James MARCH. The Magistrate who convicted the Prisoner were John WICKHAM and John ???? CONEY Esquire.

Signed by George ALLEN

Taken and sworn the day and )
year first above written before )
me in the presence of the Prisoner )

Signed by Hill DAWE

Document number (31)

The Deposition of Sydney BIGGING of Pylle in the County of Somerset ? labourer ? taken on oath before me Hill DAWE Esquire one of Her Majesty?s Justices of the peace in and for the said County this thirtieth day of September 1839.

Who saith as follows ?
I went to Shepton Mallet on Saturday on my return about one o?clock in the night as I was passing the Prosecutor?s Garden I heard a noise in the apple trees in the garden and heard a man?s voice talking. It was moonlight and I could see two persons in the tree and one person under the tree. They appeared to be men in the tree and a woman under it. I was tall enough to look over the hedge. I immediately got over the hedge and I saw the three persons running away as fast as they could. They were a man, a boy and a woman. I followed across one field and kept the woman and man in sight and I came up to the woman as she was getting over the hedge ? and caught hold of her ? on getting through hedge to her I found it was the Prisoner (Mary Ann TREASURE) she had the blue petticoat now produced tied at one end in her hand. I told her she must go with me ? she said she would not. I had some conversation with her. She said she had met two men who told her the garden was theirs and asked her to go in and help them pick the apples. I took Mary Ann TREASURE to James MARCH?s house and gave her into custody.

The mark of Sydney BIGGING

Taken and sworn the day and )
year first above written before )
me in the presence of the Prisoner )

Signed by Hill DAWE


Document number (32)

The Deposition of James MARCH of the Parish of Pylle in the County of Somerset ? labourer ? taken on oath before me Hill DAWE Esquire one of Her Majesty?s Justices of the peace in and for the said County this thirtieth day of September 1839.

Who deposeth as follows ?
I live at Pylle in the said County of Somerset and occupy a house and small garden there. There are several apple trees in my garden. On Saturday the twenty eighth of September instant I went into my garden and saw that nothing was gone from it. About one o?clock on Saturday night I was alarmed by hearing some one call my name. After a time I go up and went down stairs and I found the witness Sydney BIGGING outside the door with the Prisoner Mary Ann TREASURE. Sydney BIGGING told me he had caught the Prisoner in my garden where I found the Carter?s? smock frock now produced with the apples in it as they now are. I then found the bag now produced full of apples as it now is ? afterwards I found Hat and open Bag with apples in them. On looking at the trees on the following morning I missed a great quantity of apples from them and the trees were torn. The apples I found in the smock frock two Bags and Hat are the same sort as those grown in my garden . The quantity of apples which I miss from my garden are about the same quantity as those found. The value of the apples stolen is about six shillings.

The mark of James MARCH

Taken and sworn the day and )
year first above written before )
me in the presence of the Prisoner )

Signed by H. DAWE