QSR1853/4/5/2/b

Depositions of Thomas Hawley, farmer of Renhold, Thomas Hawley the younger, farmer of Renhold, John Claxton, ironmonger of St Neots, William Beach, police sergeant of Great Barford and Joseph Minney, dealer of Colmworth. In the case of Jacob Hart accused of stealing 5 pound weight of horse hair.

22 July 1853

From: 1853 To: 1853

Thomas Hawley: a farmer living at Renhold. On the morning of 19 July he saw 8 horses belonging to him, in a close in Renhold. There was a nag and the others were cart horses. On seeing them again at 5 o’clock the next morning, he found the hair had been cut off 4 of the horse’s manes and off 2 of the horse’s tails. The dock of the tail of one of the horses had been cut, and there was blood present. Thomas Hawley the younger: about 5 o’clock on the morning of 20 July he noticed the hair had been cut off the tails of 2 of his fathers horses and the hair had been cut of the manes of 4 horses. The dock of the tail of one of the horses had been cut in 3 or 4 places. The horses which had their tails cut were both dark brown cart horses with jet black tails, and one had a small bunch of grey hair. John Claxton: the prisoner brought some horse hair to his shop on 20 July. He told the prisoner to put it on the scale and on weighing it; there was 5 and a quarter pounds. He gave the prisoner 2 shillings and 7 pence for it. Sergeant Beach came in later that day and after receiving some information, Beach returned with the prisoner. The prisoner denied being at the shop earlier that day. Beach took the prisoner and the hair away. William Beach: on 20 July he received some information from Mr Claxton at St Neots and went to a beer house. He found the prisoner sitting in the tap room and asked him where he had come from that morning. He replied Barnet and he had come by train. Beach asked him by which train he had come; the first or second and the prisoner said he did not know but thought it the second. Beach asked him the fare and he was told 4 shillings. Beach notice Hart’s shoes were dirty and the questioned whether Hart had been on a train. Hart told him he had walked from Finchley to Barnet that morning. He took the prisoner into custody on the suspicion of cutting hair off horse hair. Hart denied the charge. On searching his pockets Beach found some pieces of horse hair, a razor , a pair of scissors, a cloak knofe and a piece of cord. He took the prisoner to Mr Claxton’s shop where Claxton identified him as the man from which he had bought horse hair that morning. When he took the prisoner into custody, Beach notice marks of blood on Hart’s waistcoat. Joseph Minney: a dealer of Colmworth and he lived under the same roof as the prisoner. He saw the prisoner come home on the morning of the 20 July with something under his coat.

item

Hart, Jacob,
Hawley, Thomas,
Claxton, John,
Beach, William,
Minney, Joseph

RENHOLD, Great Barford, St Neots, COLMWORTH, stealing, horses, farmer, ironmonger, dealer