Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1852/3/5/34/a
  • Title
    Depositions of Rowald Gadsden, farmer of Whipsnade, Rowald Gadsden, on behalf of Hannah Matthews, a minor, George Wesley, a minor, William Franklin, police constable of Houghton Regis, John Mead, labourer of Whipsnade and Cornelius Sharpe, police constable of Dunstable. In the case of William Impey accused of stealing a tame duck
  • Date free text
    21 June 1852
  • Production date
    From: 1852 To: 1852
  • Scope and Content
    Hannah Matthews: on 7 June she was near Mr Gadsden's house at Whipsnade and she saw someone sitting on a stile. He sat there about 10 minutes and then he went down by the side of the hedge and enticed a duck up to the stile. He threw it some food. He caught the duck against the stile. He put the duck in his frock. It was a white duck. She told Mr Gadsden. Henry Perkins: he was in Mr Gadsden's house on 7 June and was there when Hannah Matthews came in and told Mr Gadsden. He went in pursuit of the man and traced him across the fields as far as Whipsnade Hall. He had a round smock by his side with something in it. When the man saw him, he began to run and after 6 or 8 yards, he threw down the frock. Perkins returned with the frock and found a duck and gosling in it. He met Constable Franklin on the way and went with him to Mr Gadsden. He was not near enough to say the prisoner was the man. George Wesley: lived at Eaton Bray. About 2 months previous he had sold Henry Hawkins a smock frock and William Impey had been with him. The next day he had seen William Impey in the frock. William Franklin: on 7 June he met Henry Perkins and they went together to Mr Gadsden. Perkins gave him the frock and the duck which he marked. John Mead: worked for Mr Gadsden and was in the habit of feeding the poultry. He knew the duck produced to be that of Mr Gadsden. In May they had lost 2 ducks and on 28 May he marked the remainder and the duck produced has that mark. Cornelius Sharpe: on 3 June he was taking the prisoner to Luton. He said he they only had a suspicion of him in that job and that he had not been near Mr Gadsden’s house. He said James and him had been over the hill about 8 o’clock in the morning for the purpose of digging stones. They had sat under a hedge of the plantation as you go to Whipsnade and smoked pipes. He was certain where he was those 2 and a half hours.
  • Level of description
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