QSR1842/4/5/44-45

Depositions and examinations - William Capp and Thomas Clare

7 October 1842

From: 1842 To: 1842

Sarah Smith, wife of John Smith of Woburn, labourer - they live at Birchmoor Green in Woburn. They had 5 rabbits in hutches in a barn belonging to their cottage. The rabbits were safe on Wednesday evening. Yesterday morning her husband told her the thatch was taken off the barn and some of the rabbits gone - she went into the barn and missed 2 rabbits, one from a hutch by itself and one from a hutch in which there had been 3 rabbits. She found her clogs in the hutch. They were in the barn the night before. Some of the thatch had been taken off the top of the barn in the night - a ladder was set towards the hole in the inside as if someone had gone out that way. She saw the two rabbits which were stolen at Elizabeth Anderson's yesterday. They were dead. About a fortnight ago she asked Clare to kill a rabbit for her in the barn. A few days after that he came into the barn and looked at the rabbits. John Smith of Birchmoor Green, labourer - he saw the rabbits safe at 10pm on Wednesday when he locked the barn up. Yesterday about 5.15am he saw the thatch had been broken and missed two rabbits. The two rabbits produced are the same. They were tame rabbits and had always been kept in hutches in the barn. The large one is a doe rabbit worth 2s. The small one is a buck rabbit worth 9d. The barn adjoins his cottage but he can't go from the cottage to the barn without going into the public street. William Brewer of Woburn, stone sawyer - yesterday morning between 6 and 7am William Capp came to him as he was pulling out the stalls for the fair. Capp said he had 2 dead rabbits and wanted first 2s, then 18d for them. He refused. Thomas Clare was a few yards off. Clare did not say anything. During the morning he heard of John Smith's rabbits being stolen. Soon after that he saw Capp and Clare come down the town together. He asked Capp if he had sold the rabbits - Capp said not. He waid he would buy them. Capp said they would fetch them. Capp and Clare went together down the town. He followed a few minutes later. He saw Clare sitting on the stile of Corbishley's Field. Capp was lying on the grass close by. Capp took the rabbits out of his pocket and put them into a handkerchief of his. He gave Capp 2 shillings. He later took the rabbits to Elizabeth Anderson's. James Wild, police constable no.26 - he was informed that John Smith's barn had been entered and two rabbits stolen. From information he obtained he took the two prisoners into custody. He searched Clare and found 2s on him. Clare refused to tell him where he got the money. Capp was searched but no money was found on him. Clare is a constant associate of Capp's. He is seldom in work. William Capp - he was going down the fields yesterday morning between 8 and 9am to look for a droving job. Clare was with him.He saw the two rabbits lying in a ditch. He does not know if Clare saw them too - he did not say anything to Clare. He then went and asked Brewer if he would buy them. Clare went with him. He talked with Brown about it. He thought there was only one rabbit. Brewer said he wouldn't buy a rabbit but he would buy it if it was a hare. He met Brewer later - Clare was before him then - and Brewer asked if they were sold. He and Clare fetched the rabbits adn sold tehm to Brewer for 2s. Brewer told him "don't say anything about it. Keep it dark." He gave Clare one shilling and kept on himself. He thought it no harm to take them out of the ditch. He thought someone had taken them and left them, or perhaps they were laid for a trap. He did not know until later than Smith's rabbits had been stolen. Thomas Clare - William Brewer did not ask him anything about the rabbits. Brewer asked Capp. He and Capp did go down the town. He sat on Corbishiley's Stile and Capp went into the field. He came back and laid down. Brewer came over the stile and then he went and laid down near them. Capp took something out of his pocket, but he did not notice what. It was put into a handkerchief and Brewer gave Capp something, he does not know what. Brewer went away and he and Capp went up the town together. Capp did not give him any money, of tell him what Brewer had given it for. He did not say anything to Capp about it. On Wednesday he was at Aspley and had 5 shillings of his harvest money left. He spent 1s 6d at Aspley and lent 1s 6d to a young woman from Cranfield. The 2s the policeman took from him was the rest. He does not recollect the policeman asking where he had the money from . If he had he would have told him. He saw Capp speak to Brewer in the Market Place at breadfast time, but does not know what about.

item

Capp, William,
Clare, Thomas,
Smith, Sarah,
Smith, John,
Anderson, Elizabeth,
Brewer, William,
Wild, James

WOBURN, Birchmoor, stealing animals, rabbits, stoneworker, fairs and markets