Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1871/4/5/2/a
  • Title
    Depositions and examination - John Stringer of Maulden, charged with stealing 4 live tame rabbits from Samuel Swain [The accused's brother William Stringer was also taken into custody but apparently not charged]
  • Date free text
    10 August 1871
  • Production date
    From: 1871 To: 1871
  • Scope and Content
    Samuel Swain of Flitwick, labourer – he keeps tame rabbits in a barn on his premises. On 28 July a doe and 3 young ones were all safe in a hutch. At 5am the next morning they were missing. The gate of his yard was off the hooks. He had locked the gate overnight. He informed the police. On 30 July he saw a doe rabbit (a sandy one) dead at the police station which he identified as his. The skin produced belongs to that rabbit. The value of the rabbits was 3s. Thomas Smart of Houghton Conquest, grocer – on 29th July he bought 2 rabbits of the prisoners and saw 2 other rabbit in their possession. One was a sandy doe in the basket with a black and white rabbit he bought. He believes the skin produced to be that of the sandy doe rabbit. Amos Glenister, police constable stationed at Clophill – on 29 July he had the 2 prisoners in custody on a charge of stealing 2 rabbits from Mr Brooks. William Stringer said “if you let me go home I will tell you where the 2 other rabbits are” and said at the same time “you will find the two rabbits in a plantation between Ampthill and Maulden”. He went with PC Osborn to the plantation and found 2 rabbit in the basket produced. One was a sandy doe and the other a white and brown. He produces the skin of the sandy doe rabbit. William Hillyard, police sergeant stationed at Ampthill – on 30 July both prisoners were in custody at the police station. John Stringer said “had I not have been drunk I should not have gone and stole those rabbits. It is no use to deny it for I had 2 from Mr Brooks’s”. He showed the prisoners the skin of the sandy doe rabbit. William Stringer said “that’s the one my brother John put in a basket and hid in the spinney”. John Stringer said “this is right I put them both there the sandy one I had from Swain’s”. John Stringer – he [Swain] said there were 3 young one and an old doe, but ther was only the old one.
  • Level of description
    item
Hierarchy browser