QSR1851/3/5/29

Depositions Joseph Clare, labourer of Egginton, Thomas Leach, labourer of Egginton, James Tims, labourer of Stanbridge and William Clough, police constable of Hockcliffe. In the case of Thomas Lathall accused of stealing 4 live fowls

14 June 1851

From: 1851 To: 1851

Joseph Clare: a foreman in the employ of Mr Smith a famer of Little Woolstone. Clare lived in Egginton and attended to Mr Smith's farm there. He had previously missed some of his fowls but on 2 June he missed several and one in particular a dark brown one of a particular breed. A cock of the same kind was also missing. He did not count the fowls o going to bed at night. His wife normally looked after them but she had been ill and so the fowls neglected. The prisoner was in Mr Smith's employ when the fowls were missed and generally arrive dearly in the morning. The accused had previously asked to buy some of the fowls but Clare had refused him. Thomas Leech came to him and he told Leech he had lost some fowls. Leech had bought a white fowl and Clare identified it as one of those he missed. Thomas Leech: he had known the prisoner about 5 weeks. Lathall came to the brickyard where Leech was working in Egginton, and showed him a white fowl and asked him to buy it. Leech gave him 15 pence and Lathall left it in his hovel and went away. James Tims: about 3 weeks previous Lathall came to his house, with a dark brown fowl and asked him to buy it. He bought it for 14 pence. He sold the fowl on to a woman called Inns at Stanbridge. William Clough: a police sergeant of Hockcliffe. From information received he went with Clare to Leech's house, where Clare identified a white fowl as his own. Clough also produced 2 fowls he had received from a woman called Thorn at Egginton. On searching for the accused, he was found to have absconded. Lathall surrendered himself on 13 June.Statment of the accused: he had 'had' them and was very sorry for it. He said he would not do so again.

item

Clare, Joseph,
Lathall, Thomas,
Leach, Thomas,
Tims, James,
Clough, William

Egginton, STANBRIDGE, Hockcliffe, Little Woolstone, stealing, fowls