QSR1880/3/5/10

Depositions of Samuel Bransome, of Stanbridge, Joseph Brickhill, labourer of Billington, and William Brickhill, labourer of Billington. In the case of William Griffin accused of stealing 4 chickens

8 June 1880

From: 1880 To: 1880

Joseph Brickhill: resided at Billington and kept fowls. On 5 June he had 19 chickens but on 6 June he missed 3. On the 7 June he missed another. They were part of a brood. The prisoner lived next door to him and their barns adjoin. He noticed his hen walking up and down outside his neighbour’s barn and making a great deal of noise. His neighbour’s barn was locked, so he waited until his neighbour came home and asked if he had seen his chickens. The prisoner said he had not and Brickhill called the police. Afterwards, on the instruction of the policeman, he watched the barn whilst the policeman went to fetch the prisoner from his work. Whilst he was watching he saw the prisoner’s wife go to the barn. He was concealed in his own barn but could see his chicken through the crack in the barn. He ran round and the prisoner wife thanked him for fetching policeman. She would not let him in the barn. She turned the chickens out of the box. The policeman arrived with the prisoner and took possession of the chickens. William Brickhill: lived with his brother, Joseph, in Billington. On 7 June Griffin asked him whether his brother had found his chickens. He told him he thought not. After dinner he asked where his brother was and whether he had found the chickens. He told hi he did not know. Griffin said he thought the cat had them. Samuel Bransome: a police constable at Stanbridge. He went to Joseph Billington barn and could hear chickens in the adjoining barn. He enquired of the prisoner, who was not home. At his request the prisoner’s wife took him to see the chickens in the barn. There were 5 in a tied down hamper. He asked her if there were more and she replied no, but he could hear more chickens in a box. He said nothing but went to fetch the prisoner from his work in the field. He asked the prisoner of the chickens and said there were 5 in the barn, but no more. They went to the barn together. When they arrived the chickens were running about the barn. He took the prisoner into custody but he claimed he knew nothing of the chickens. Statement of the accused – William Griffin: his barn door was always hung on a chain so hens and chickens could get inside. The Brickhill chickens had been in many times before and he had turned them out. His hampers were not piled up but as he had thrown them in. He knew nothing of the box. He had not seen it for a fortnight.

item

Griffin, William,
Bransome, Samuel,
Brickhill, Joseph,
Brickhill, William

BILLINGTON, STANBRIDGE, stealing, chickens