Somerset Heritage Centre Archives Documents
Depositions and Witness Statements for trial
28th March 1848 - Wells, Somerset, England
Transcribed by Veanne Treasure ? 22 April 2012
(Edward TREASURE b. 1825 d. 1886)


Document No. 54

8th February 1840
Frome

Depositions against Edward TREASURE for stealing Sweed Turnips from Stephen STEED.

Committed for next Wells Quarter Session.

Recog???ances ?40 each.

Alexander GERRARD to prosecute

William FILER )
James NICHOLLS )
William HOLDWAY ) to give evidence
Thomas BURGE )
Edward MILBORNE )


Document No. 189

The Prisoner, Edward TREASURE, upon being asked if he wished to say anything in answer to the Charge, Voluntarily Says, as follows ?

I know nothing at all about it. I never ??? the Boots that they swore to the Tracks until Saturday Morning.

Signed Edward TREASURE

Taken before me

Signed John George MOGG


Document No. 190

Alexander GERRARD being sworn upon his oath saith as follows ?

I am servant to Messrs Stephen and Edward STEEDS of Norton Down Farm. They are partners. Some Sweeds were missing from their premises on Saturday morning last the 5th instant. Neither of my masters were at home at the time it was discovered that the Pit was broken into.

Signed Alexander GERRARD

Taken and sworn before me

Signed John George MOGG

Document No. 191

Thomas BURGE, being Sworn upon his Oath saith as follows ?

I am Constable of the Parish of Chilcompton. This Morning, Tuesday the 8th February, the Boots now produced were taken off the Prisoner?s feet and I compared them with some Tracks in the Yard leading to the Turnip Pit and they perfectly agreed. I believe the Prisoner?s boots made those tracks.

Signed Thomas BURGE

Taken and sworn before me

Signed John George MOGG

Document No. 192

William HOLDWAY being sworn upon his oath saith as follows ?

I am in the employ of Mr Stephen STEEDS and his Brothers. In consequence of information derived from the witness NICHOLLS I went yesterday (Monday the 7th February) to the Prisoner?s (Edward TREASURE) residence at Stoke Lane about five miles from Norton Down, and searched a Dung Mixer close to the back door and found some pieces of Sweed Turnips freshly cut covered over more than two feet deep. The Prisoner lives as a Single Man with his (Mother Elizabeth ? crossed through) Father and Mother. His Mother was at home, but not the Prisoner or his Father. I then went on to Evercreech and apprehended the Prisoner at the Bell Inn and told him that it was for stealing Sweeds on Friday night from Norton Down. He said he was at home Friday evening and did not go out until Monday morning. I brought him then to Norton Down and in the course of the evening I looked at his boots. This morning the Prisoner was requested to take off his Boots by the Constable Thomas BURGE, which he did, and I and BURGE compared the same with tracks of a Man?s Foot which were then visible near to the Turnip Pit, and they are exactly the same. I saw the same Tracks closer to the Pit on Sunday Morning last.

Signed William HOLDWAY

Taken and sworn before me

Signed John George MOGG

Document No. 193

James NICHOLLS being sworn upon his oath saith as follows ?

I live at Holcombe and am a Hay ward of that Parish. On last Saturday morning (the fifth of February) I met the Prisoner Edward TREASURE and another Man coming down Holcombe Hill towards Edford and Stoke Lane. They had several donkeys with them all loaded. TREASURE said to me ?Good Morning, Sir? and I replied ?Good Morning, Gentlemen ? you are loaded be??? this morning.? One of them replied ?Yes we be.? It was about two miles and a half from Norton Down Farm to the place where I met the Prisoner, and it was in the direct road to Stoke Lane, where the Prisoner TREASURE lives. I knew his Person well before, but not exactly his name. TREASURE was close to me when I passed him in Holcombe Hill. The Prisoner Edward TREASURE keeps several Donkeys and carries Coal. Since I have told Mr STEEDS what I saw, the Prisoner, whilst in custody, has threatened to cut my throat, and swore he would beat my brains out. The Prisoner has now said that his Father keeps two Donkeys. He lives with his Father.

The Mark of James NICHOLLS

Taken and Sworn before me

Signed John George MOGG

Document No. 194

Somerset to Wit ? Depositions against Edward TREASURE for stealing turnips from a Pit taken upon oath this Eighth day of February 1848.

William FILER being sworn upon his oath saith as follows ?

I am a workman in the employ of Messrs Stephen STEEDS and brothers at Norton Down Farm in the Parishes of Midsomer Norton and Chilcompton in the County of Somerset. My Masters have got a large Pit of Sweed Turnips in a Plot of Ground in the said Parish of Midsomer Norton about fifty yards from their Farm House and Premises at Norton Down aforesaid. I took some Sweeds out of this Pit about five o?clock in the Evening of Friday last, the fourth of February instant for my Masters? cattle and then covered the Pit over with Straw and Reed as before. About half past Seven o?clock the next Morning (Saturday the fifth of February) I went to this Pit for Sweeds. I found that the Pit had been opened, and about two yards and a half in length and a bout a yard in width of the space of the Pit had been partially cleared of the largest of the Turnips containing altogether about three Sacks and worth at least about seven shillings and six pence. They had been stolen. I observed the marks of a Man?s Feet, and also, apparently, those of a Bag close to the Pit. I told my fellow workmen what I had seen and in a few minutes I saw a Donkey standing in the Road close to my Master?s premises with a Bag of Sweed Turnips on his back. I saw the Tracks of two Donkeys about fifty yards from the Pit, on my Master?s Premises, one of which was shod and the other not. The Donkey I saw in the Road and which is now owned by Jane EMERY, a married Sister of the Prisoner, and who lives at Stoke Lane, has no shoes on. I also saw the same Tracks of a Man?s foot from the Pit to a track leading into the Road from my Master?s Premises.

The Mark of William FILER

Taken and Sworn before )
me a Justice of the Peace )
in and for the County of ) Signed John George MOGG
Somerset )


Document No. 195

Edward MILBORNE being sworn upon his Oath saith as follows ?

I was placed as Guard over the Prisoner Edward TREASURE. In the course of last Monday night whilst sitting up with the Prisoner at Norton Down Farm I asked the Prisoner to show me his Boots, which he did. I looked at them and said that appears like the Tracks that were out in the Yard. He said ?Do you think it is.? I replied ?Yes, I do think so.? He then said he would give me a Sovereign if I would do away with the Tracks. He also said he had got a new Pair of Kerseymere Breeches and Leggings and he would give me them too ? and if I would get him another pair of Boots he would give me those he then wore. I was with the Prisoner this Morning at Crabbs Beer House near Norton Down and the Prisoner asked some Man whom he knew and called Joe, to change Boots which I objected to. Last night the Prisoner by means of a Poker and by stamping his feet and scraping them against the Grate endeavoured to get some Nails out of his Boots. This morning the Prisoner with a Piece of Hoop Iron took out two Nails from one of his Boots, and drove in one of them in another place in his Boot. He was handcuffed to me all the time.

Signed Edward MILBORNE

Taken and sworn before me

Signed John George MOGG


Document No. 334

These are to Certify that at the General Quarter Session of the Peace of our Lady the Queen holden at Bridgwater in and for the County of Somerset, on Monday the twenty ninth day of June in the adjournment to Monday the sixth day of July following at the City of Wells in and for the said County, and then there holden Edward TREASURE late of the Parish of Evercreech in the said County, labourer was in due form of Law indicted, tried and convicted For that he the said Edward TREASURE ( with two others) on the fourteenth day of April in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and forty with force and arms at the Parish aforesaid, in the County aforesaid, a certain Building of one John WEST, Clerk, there situate feloniously did break and enter, the said Building then and there being within the Curtilage of the Dwelling house of the said John WEST there and there being part thereof according to the provisions of the Statute in such case made and provided and that the said Edward TREASURE (with the said two others) one handkerchief of the value of six pence of the goods and chattels of the value of twelve pence and one looking glass of the value of six pence of the goods and chattels of George DUPE in the same building then and there being found then and there in the same Building feloniously did steal take and carry away against the form of the Statute in that case made and provided an against the Queen?s Peace.

And the said Edward TREASURE was thereupon ordered and adjudged by the Court to be transported beyond the Seas for Ten years.

Given under my hand this sixteenth day of March in the year of our Lord 1848.

Signed Edwin LOVELL
Clerk of the Peace for the said County of Somerset