QSR1840/3/5/2-3/a

Deposition of Jonas Bunker of Tilsworth - William Pitkin and James Brandom charged with stealing 2 lambs from Sarah Bunker

13 April 1840

From: 1840 To: 1840

He lives with his mother Sarah Bunker. The previous morning he went in search of the skins of 2 lambs which had been stolen from the fold on Saturday night. In a hole dug in Stanbridge field he found one skin with the entrails of a lamb and with only three feet - the fourth had been cut off. About 3 yards away he found the skin and entrails another lamb and an odd foot. The skin found in the 2nd hole fits with the carcass produced by his brother. That morning he and his brothers took the skin found in the 2nd hole to the close where the flock was - the ewe whose lamb had been stolen came up to it, smelled it and followed it some distance. He has no doubt the ewe knew the smell of her lamb - when a lamb dies and they want to put another to that ewe they fasten the skin of the dead lamb to the live one and the ewe takes to it as her own. In the tent where the prisoners were he found some bones and part of the head of a lamb. The stake now produced is his mother's and was used to fasten the rick yard gate which adjoins West Mead.

item

Pitkin, William,
Brandon, James,
Bunker, Jonas,
Bunker, Sarah

stealing animals, sheep, TILSWORTH, STANBRIDGE