QSR1852/3/5/10/a

Depositions of Edward Fowler, farmer of Shitlington, Jane Fowler, wife of Edward, Benjamin Cowland, labourer of Shitlington and James Waller, beer retailer of Shitlington. In the case of Joseph Hyde accused of breaking & entering and stealing 13 hens eggs.

5 May 1852

From: 1852 To: 1852

Edward Fowler: a farmer of Shitlington. On 30 April he left his house about 5 o'clock in the afternoon and returned about 10 o'clock at night. He went out with his wife and nobody was left in the house. On returning and opening the front door he found 2 inner doors open. He went into the parlour and found the window partly open and a pane of glass broken. The window stool and curtains were very black as if smeared with soot. There was also blood upon the door posts. He did not miss anything downstairs or upstairs. He sent for a neighbour and a policeman and on examining the place more minutely they found a print on the stool as if someone had sat down on it in corded trousers. On leaving the house he knew there had been a score of eggs placed on the kitchen shelf. The accused was employed by him. Jane Fowler: wife of Edward. She left the house with her husband about 5 o’clock. On returning they found 2 inner doors open which she knew to have been shut. The window was partly open and a pane of glass broken. It looked like someone had entered the window wearing sooty clothes. She went upstairs to check if anything was missing on coming back down and going to the kitchen she notice 13 hens eggs had gone from the dresser. On the kitchen door there were signs of soot and blood. She also noticed soot marks on the window stool, as if someone had sat down in corded trousers. Benjamin Cowland: a labourer who knew he accused. On the evening of 30 April he was near Mr Fowler farm at Shillington. He saw someone in sooty clothes at the back of the building s there. He was looking around. There was a man by the name of Weston there cutting trees. He looked at the man in sooty clothes and had a good mind to tell the neighbours. He saw him go into the rick yard at the back of the prosecutor’s house. It was light and he was about 70 yards from him. James Waller: a retail beer seller of Shitlington. On 30 April, about 10 past 9, the accused came and asked for some beer. He noticed he was very black with soot. He said he had been sowing for Mr Francis and was going to sow soot for Mr Fowler the next day. The prisoner put his hand in his shirt and pulled out a hen’s egg and gave it to Waller. He pulled out some shells and yokes (all broken) from the same place, and threw them on the grate. He continued to pull out eggs, both sound ones and broken ones. Waller asked where he had them from and Hyde replied Mr King’s spinney. The prisoner slept in his barn that night and he wished the door left so he could get up early to sow soot. The prisoner did not leave until 8 or 9 the next morning. The prisoner wore blucken shoes and corded trousers.

item

Hide, Joseph,
Fowler, Edward,
Cowland, Benjamin,
Waller, James

Shitlington, SHILLINGTON, breaking & entering, stealing, eggs, beer retailer