Theft of Potatoes at St Albans
From the Herts Advertiser, 9th September 1873
BOROUGH PETTY SESSIONS
Wednesday, September 17th
Before E. S. Wiles, Esq. (in the chair), and T. Kinder, Esq.
CHARGE OF STEALING POTATOES.
James Stratton and Joseph Stratton were charged with stealing two bushels of potatoes, value 6s 6d, the property of Mr. James Peppercorn, in the parish of St Peter, on the 12th September.
Mr. Annesley appeared for Joseph Stratton.
Police-constable Weeds deposed: I was on night-duty on Thursday, the 11th September. About a quarter past one o’clock on Friday morning, the 12th Sept., I was looking over the wall near the Cricketers public house, into Mr. Reynolds’ meadow, when I saw some person at the bottom of the meadow. I got over the fence and saw a person making for the direction of the Jolly Sailor public-house. I went along the side of the fence, and when I got about fifty yards I could see there were two persons; one was walking behind the other in a line. I went towards the pond, and the two men went to the other side of it. They had not apparently seen me at that time. I could see that each of them had a bag laden with something on his back. I went towards them, intending to meet them, and I went up to within ten yards of them, when they dropped the bags and ran away. I called out to them, and ran away. I called out to them, and ran after them. I caught the prisoner James Stratton. I called out after the other prisoner, "You’ve no call to run, Stratton, I know you." The man who ran away was Joseph Stratton, a son of James Stratton. It was a moonlight night, and I saw him distinctly. I brought the prisoner, James Stratton, after a good deal of struggling and resistance, to the police-station. I called up a man in Snatchup-alley named Waller to assist me in taking charge of the two bags, and with his assistance they were conveyed to the police-station. The two sacks contain about two and a half bushels of potatoes, of a value of 2s 6d a bushel. Between five and six o’clock the same morning I and Police-constable Quint, of the County Constabulary, in company with Mr. Peppercorn’s foreman, Francis Wood, went to the potatoe [sic] field …I traced the footmarks of two persons from the potatoe field and across another ploughed field, towards the railway footbridge, and into the meadow where the prisoners were found. – About half-past seven o’clock on Sunday morning, the 14th Sept., I went to the prisoner Joseph Stratton’s house, at Stone-cross …
Police-constable Quint (Herts Constabulary) said …
Francis Wood said: I am foreman to Mr. James Peppercorn, and reside at the farm, in St Peters parish. My master has a field of potatoes near Sandpit-lane. On the 11th September I was engaged in ploughing up the potatoes, and left them on the land in rows for the night. …
The following list of convictions against the prisoners was read:–
James Stratton – 1842 poaching; 1844, stealing turnips; 1845, ditto; 1847, stealing wood; 1847, assault; 1848, poaching; 1849, poaching; 1850, stealing turnips; 1851, poaching; 1853, night poaching; 1856, felony (3 years penal servitude); 1861, stealing turnips; 1862, stealing turnips and felony (5 years penal servitude); 1868, drunk and riotous and wilful damage; 1869, stealing turnips and damage; 1870, vagrancy, damage, vagrancy and stealing turnips.
Joseph Stratton – 1850, stealing turnips; 1852, stealing wood; 1853, game trespass; 1855 stealing cherries; 1855, stealing turnips; 1856, stealing turnip tops; 1857, game trespass; 1858, using a gun; 1858, using a snare; 1859, using a snare; 1860, stealing turnips; 1861, poaching; 1862, poaching; 1863, poaching; 1864, poaching; 1870, poaching for fish; 1872, poaching for fish; 1865, Bedford Assizes (5 years penal servitude).
The Bench committed both prisoners for trial at the Quarter Sessions
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For details of the Quarter Session case, which repeated the prosecution evidence see STRATTON & other poachers, St Albans area, 19th century
The case Stealing Turnip Tops in St Peters, St Albans in 1864 also involved the Strattons
If you can add to the information given above tell me.