QSR1834/4/5/8

Deposition of William Fletcher, horse keeper of Eaton Socon. Martha Wright, spinster of Eaton Socon. Elizabeth Matthews of Eaton Socon. George Jarvis, servant of Henry Decimus Walker of Eaton Socon. In the case of Joseph James accused of stealing 8 live fowls.

20 September 1834

From: 1834 To: 1834

William Fletcher: on Thursday morning about 1.45am he and William Barker were standing in the street waiting for the Rockingham coach, The heard the noise and went to Mr Walker’s premises and there heard the fluttering of fowls. It was moonlight. They got on a brick wall and looked into the yard and saw a man in the yard. They hoolloed and the man ran away. The man got over the brick wall that separated Mr Walker’s yard from Joseph James’s house. He believed the man to be Joseph James. He saw the man go into Joseph James’s house. The man opened the door himself and went in. They got over the wall and went to the place they had seen the man, and there found a basket with 8 fowls in it. William Barker took it to the White Horse yard. George Jarvis fetched the basket and fowls away the same evening. Martha Wright: she lived nearly opposite Joseph James in Eaton Socon. On Wednesday last she saw a basket like the one now produced on Joseph James’s premises. It had a name on it but she took no particular notice of it. There were no fowls in it. Elizabeth Matthews: she lived next door to Joseph James. She had seen Joseph James’s children in the yard with a basket like the one produced. Statement of the accused: nothing to say but he was innocent of the crime and all others. George Jarvis: he was servant to Mr Walker of the Cock Inn, Eaton Socon and looked after his fowls. On the night of Wednesday 17 September he locked up the hen house with the fowls in it. On Thursday morning he went to feed the pigs and fowls and missed 8 fowls. On Thursday morning he went to the White Horse yard and was given 8 fowls in a basket which he had in his possession since. Joseph James lived close to Mr Walker’s premises. They were separated by a brick wall. The fowls were worth at least 5 shillings.

item

James, Joseph,
Fletcher, William,
Wright, Martha,
Matthews, Elizabeth,
Jarvis, George,
Walker, Henry Decimus

EATON SOCON, horsekeeper, servants, stealing, fowl, Eaton Socon Cock, Eaton Socon White Horse