Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1842/1/5/49/a
  • Title
    Depositions - Jesse Sinfield charged with stealing a sheep from Joseph Freeman
  • Date free text
    27 December 1841
  • Production date
    From: 1841 To: 1842
  • Scope and Content
    Joseph Abel of Houghton Regis, constable - last Friday Joseph Short came to his house and told him Mr Cook had lost a sheep. He went to Mr Cook, who said that Mr Freeman had some sheep feeding on his turnips. Cook told Freeman, who said there were 40 sheep but they had killed 2, leaving 38. Cook went and counted them and there were only 37. He spoke again to Joseph Short who said Jesse Sinfield had asked him to go along with him. Short said he could tell him where Sinfield killed it, and said that Sinfield hid the skin in a ditch in a spinney. He went to the place with Armstrong and Short and Armstrong pulled out the skin. They took Sinfield into custody. Michael Cook - Mr Freeman had some sheep feeding on turnips. There should have been 38. On Friday Abel came to him and asked if he had lost a sheep. He said the sheep belonged to Freeman. He checked them and there were only 37. The shepherd was there and counted them also. George Armstrong - he met Joseph Abel who asked him to go with him to look for the skin. Short said he would not go with Abel, but would go with him [Armstrong]. They went to a field called Nucketts. Short said the skin was in a corner against some trees. Just before he got to the place he picked up a piece of woollen skin, apparently the tail of a sheep. He looked into the ditch and pulled out the skin. Richard Fleckney - he is shepherd to Mr Michael Cook. He had the care of Mr Freeman's sheep. There were 38 sheep in the field when he counted them last Sunday week. Last Friday Mr Cook came to the field and asked if he had lost any. They both counted them and there were only 37. He later saw the skin which had been found. It is Mr Freeman's property - he marked it with his own hand.
  • Level of description
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