Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1870/1/5/4-5
  • Title
    Depositions and examinations – Michael French of Podington, labourer, and Thomas Thompson of Rushden (Northants), shoemaker, charged with stealing 9 domestic fowls value 18s from Jonathan Austin
  • Date free text
    23 November 1869
  • Production date
    From: 1869 To: 1870
  • Scope and Content
    Jonathan Austin of Podington, farmer – the prisoners do not generally work for him but on Monday 15 November Michael French had been working at a threshing machine on his premises. On the morning of Wednesday 17th he missed some poultry, half-bred “Bramahs” [Brahmas] and found that some of the boards of the poultry house had been broken of to allow a man to get in. He informed the police. From information given to him by the Rushden police constable he accompanied the PC Humphrey to Rushden where he was shown 9 dead fowls of the same kind. He believes they were all his. Two heads which were found in his poultry house both fit with the bodies of the fowls produced. The fowls were each worth more that 2s each. Daniel Partridge of Podington, labourer – he works for Mr Austin and attends to the poultry. On Tuesday night he locked up the poultry house. The next morning about 6.30am he saw the poultry house had been broken into and found the body of a fowl lying on the ground with its head off. There were also two heads belonging to other fowls. He fetched his master. On Saturday he saw 9 dead fowls at PC Humphrey’s, all of which he knew to be his master’s property. Charles Humphrey of Rushden, police constable – he was on duty in Rushden at about 5.30pm on 17th November and from information he received he went up the Wimmington Road. He saw a bag lying in a ditch by the road side, partly covered with bushes. He found it contained fowls. He secreted himself in the hedge near the bag until about 8 to 8.30pm when the two prisoners came. French got down in the ditch and gave the bag to Thompson. He took them into custody on a charge of stealing the fowls. He took them to the Wellingborough lock-up. The bag contained 9 fowls. Michael French – nothing to say. Thomas Thompson – nothing to say.
  • Reference
  • Level of description
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