QSR1853/4/5/24,25

Depositions of John Randall, miller of Flitton, Edward Scott, police constable of Westoning, William Hillyard, police constable of Ampthill, Thomas Summerfield, labourer of Wilshamstead, Elizabeth Randall, wife of John, Sarah Thompson, wife of William and Elizabeth Summerfield, wife of Thomas. In the case of Francis Chapman & John Deacon accused of stealing 7 live fowls.

13 October 1853

From: 1853 To: 1853

John Randall: A miller residing at Greenfield mill in the parish of Flitton. On the morning of 9 October he discovered his hen house had been broken open and 6 or 7 fowls had been taken away. In the company of Constable Scott he traced the feathers of the fowls from the hen house to the house of a man called Odell. The house was searched and nothing found. The next day he accompanied the constable to the house of Thomas Summerfield and saw his wife. They asked for the things which Francis Chapman and John Deacon had brought to her the day before, She went upstairs and produced a bundle which contained 4 calico sheets, a petticoat, a habit shirt and some prices of calico. He believed them to be his property as he knew the house of William Thompson had been broken into and Mrs Thompson was his washerwoman. Elizabeth Randall: wife of John. Sarah Thompson was their washerwoman. She had sent 4 shirts and bed linen to her the previous week. She was shown the retrieved property and identified the items as her husband’s. Sarah Thompson: was employed as a washerwoman by Mrs Randall. She had been sent 4 shirts and some Dimity bed furnishing as the previous week to wash. She swore to those produced as being the same items. On 8 October, the items were safe in her premises but the next morning she found the door open and the strings by which the articles were hung up, had been cut. The prisoners were labouring men and lived nearby at Greenfield. Edward Scott: with the prosecutor he traced the fowl feathers to a house of a man called Odell at Maulden. He searched the property but found nothing. The following morning, he went to the house of Thomas Summerfield in Wilshamstead, near Cotton End. He had reason to suspect Summerfield had received the fowls. He was also advised that some linen had been stolen belonging to the prosecutor. At Summerfield’s house he asked Summerfield’s wife to supply the items that her brother (Francis Chapman) and John Deacon had brought the previous day. She pointed out a bundle which contained 4 shirts, Dimity bed furniture. He detained Thomas Summerfield on the suspicion of receiving stolen goods and took him to a magistrate who bound him over. He also apprehended Francis Chapman, who said he knew nothing of the charge, saying he had been in Pulloxhill all day. He later changed this and said he had been in Cotton End to change his shirt. One of the shirts was bloody and there were a few small feathers on the linen. William Hillyard: he joined Constable Scott to trace the fowl feathers from the hen house to Odell’s house in Maulden. The house was searched and nothing found. In addition to feathers, 2 sets of footmarks were found. He went with Scott to Greenfield and then back to Maulden, where he traced the feather and footmarks on to Haynes West End. It became dark and he lost the trail. The following day he apprehended Deacon in Flitwick and told him of the charge. He denied the charge but said he had gone with Chapman to Summerfield’s at Cotton End on the Sunday. He removed Deacons shoe and counted 31 nails in it. He had observed the same number of nails in the footmarks left at the back of Thompson’s house and the hen house. Thomas Summerfield: lived at Cotton End in the parish of Wilshamstead. He knew the prisoner well as Chapman was his wife’s brother. Early on Sunday 9 October, the prisoners came and left a bundle at his house as they we travelling by railway. He did not know what the bundle contained. Elizabeth Summerfield: on 9 October she saw both prisoners at her house and they left saying they were going by rail. They brought a bundle which they left when they went. Next day she took it upstairs and opened it. She knew it not been be her brothers. Soon afterwards Constable Scott came and asked for the bundle, which he took away. She had not seen her brother since 29 September. When she saw the bundle she thought it was his dirty things to wash, as she washed for him when he worked in Cotton End. A dirty shirt had been left with the bundle. She had a clean shirt of his at her house and she supposed he had changed there. Statement of the accused: Francis Chapman: he did not tell PC Scott had been about Pulloxhill all day and he denied the charge. John Deacon: he had taken nothing. Nobody was in the house when they went in and the door was open. Chapman had his dirty things and laid them down. He denied the charge of taking linen and owls.

item

Randall, John,
Randall, Elizabeth,
Scott, Edward,
Hillyard, William,
Summerfield, Thomas,
Summerfield, Elizabeth,
Thompson, Sarah,
Thompson, William

stealing, fowls, FLITTON, WESTONING, AMPTHILL, WILSHAMSTEAD, miller