QSR1827/298-301

Evidence of William Kempson of Shillington, husbandman, Paul Limbey Poulter of Shillington, shoemaker, Thomas Kempson, constable of Maulden, John East, John Read and James Kempson of Shillington, husbandman, in the case against Thomas Hine of Maulden, labourer charged on suspicion of stealing pigeons.

26 March 1827

From: 1827 To: 1827

William Kempson says "on Thursday morning last I saw my dovehouse safe, locked-up with three locks. It is well stocked with pigeons & between ten & eleven in the morning. In that night, when I was in bed, or rather about a quarter past five on Friday morning I received information of my Dove house having been broken open. I got up about a quarter before six and I went to the dove house, where I found all the locks broken. I procured two new padlocks, and locked up the dove house. In consequence of what I heard, about eleven o'clock on Friday morning I set out with Paul Limbey Poulter, and we went in search to different places; and at length at the Compasses ale house at Clophill, we received information which made us go to the Badger ale house in Maulden parish and in going to that house I met the constable of Maulden having Thomas Hine the prisoner in custody. In the house I saw three hampers and some hempen bags and about a hundred and twenty pigeons - six of them were dead - the others were alive. Some of them were in the bags and some in the hampers, no one was then in the house except the landlord and strangers. We put tickets round some of the pigeons necks and some round the legs and let them fly they flew round and round a while and some went one way and some another. The Badger ale house is about five miles from Shillington. I then went to Clophill, and the magistrate there committed Thomas Hine to the custody of the constable. I went home and reached my house between 8 & 9 o'clock in the evening. Next morning I saw a great number of pigeons abut my dove house, about twenty with tickets round their necks. I think we had tied on about three dozen tickets on pigeons at the Badger, and on the road to Gravenhurst I picked up this ticket in the sheepyard about 20 poles off the dovehouse on Saturday morning. I cannot swear that I saw it put on a pigeon but I know that John Read put his name on some of the tickets, and the name of John Read is on this. The last of the ticketed pigeons were turned out at Upper Gravenhurst, about a mile and 3/4 from my dove house they were all common dove house pigeons." Paul Limbey Poulter says "On Friday last in consequence of what I had heard, I went to Mr Kempson's at Shitlington, and accompanied him to various places, and at length in our road to the Dog & Badger at Maulden we met Thos Hine in custody going to the justices. We went into the Badger and there found a great number of pigeons - we took them - and I and others put tickets on their necks. I signed about ten with my name Paul L Poulter. I saw some of the pigeons which I had thus ticketed let fly. When I got back to Shitlington I waited till morning Saturday and then I went into the Dove house - there I found these tickets and bits of paper. I found these two in nest holes; one of them I can swear to having marked with my name: the others are like what were put round the pigeons necks and I found them on the floor of the dove house." Thomas Kempson says "On Thursday evening the 22nd of March I was at the Flying Horse at Clophill with John East while we were there, Thomas Hine came in and drank some brandy & water. He went out, and another man came in, and drank with him. They staid about a quarter of an hour, talking together, and then they went away. Thomas Hine said he was going home. I went out soon after him and I saw that he did not go the way to his home. I went back into the Flying Horse John and East and I followed after them, and after looking out at various places at length on our road back from Ampthill we met three men - Thomas Hine was one of them. I spoke to them, thrice and could hardly get an answer. They were all loaded heavily with something. I heard something that seemed alive make a noise of rustling in one of the bags, that Northwood had. They passed us, we pursued them. It was about 2 in the morning and I said to Northwood what have you got here. I endeavoured to collar him, but got hold of the bag instead of his coat. He run away. Another of them threw 2 bags off his shoulder & run away - I believe his name is Pateman. The third man was Thomas Hine: my companion East seized him. He had a bag over his shoulder full of something and he had on a smock frock, within which were many live and dead pigeons. We secured him - he undid his frock, and the live pigeons flew away. Hine said I will not sir a peg. We took him to the Dog & Badger and got there about 1/4 past two there I left Hine in charge of East. We took there 5 bags from Northwood, Hines and the man who I believe they call Pateman." John East says he accompanied Thomas Kempson. John Read gives more details about the ticketing and letting fly of the pigeons at various locations. James Kempson says "on Saturday morning last about nine o'clock I picked up this bag, about a foot distant from my brother's dove house, that had been broken open. On comparing this bag with line[?] in the possession of the constable Thomas Kempson I think they seem to be strung in the same way, with the same kind of cord, and the same quality of hempen cloth."

item

Kempson, William,
Kempson, James,
Kempson, Thomas,
Read, John,
East, John,
Pateman,
Hine, Thomas,
Northwood,
Poulter, Paul Limby

theft, pigeons, SHILLINGTON, Maulden Dog & Badger, Clophill Flying Horse, Clophill Compasses