QSR1872/3/5/2-3

Depositions and examination - Richard Sinfield and Thomas Giles, both of Woburn, labourers. Richard Sinfield charged with stealing 35lbs of wool value 70s from his master Zachariah Phillips. Thomas Giles charged with receiving the wool knowing it to have been stolen.

27 May 1872

From: 1872 To: 1872

Zachariah Phillips of Woburn, farmer – Sinfield has been in his employ as shepherd and cowman. Last Thursday he was informed Sinfield was in custody for stealing wool. For the last 3 weeks Sinfield has been shearing his sheep. Sinfield was then to take the wool up into his wool loft. The sheep were of the Oxfordshire Down breed (teggs). He knows of no other sheep of that description in the immediate neighbourhood. His shepherd has no right to any part of the wool as his perquisite. He believes his wool to be worth 2s a pound. The wool produced is very similar to his wool – he believes the samples to be the same. [Cross-examination] He has not missed any wool. He should not like to swear that the wool produced is Oxfordshire Down wool but he believes it is. He has not sold any wool this year and gets the value from hearsay and the papers. George Edmunds, police constable stationed at Potsgrove – from information he received on 20 May about 11pm he went with PC William Whinnett to the house of Samuel Elmer of Woburn Sands, a fellmonger, and called him up. He asked Elmer if he had bought any wool within the last week from Thomas Giles. Elmer hesitated and seemed confused. He told Elmer he knew he had bought wool and what he paid for it. Elmer said he remembered, but it could not be in the last week and might have been the week before. Elmer said he had sold the wool at Leighton the previous Tuesday. He said Elmer could not have sold it then as he did not have it until Wednesday night, and that he must give it up. Elmer said he must have sold it the previous Saturday at Newport. Elmer produced a pocket book and showed him an entry for the sale fo 35lbs of wool on Saturday. With PC Whinnett he went to the house of Thomas Giles at Woburn Sands and called him up. He asked Giles if he had sold any wool to Samuel Elmer lately. Giles said he had not sold any to him for a long time, since he kept sheep of his own. Giles was taken into custody and charged with receiving 35lbs of wool from Richard Sinfield which was the property of Mr Phillips. Giles said he knew nothing about it. Elmer came into the room and said “you know Tom I bought the wool of you and gave you 42 s for it. They took Giles to the Police Station and went to Richard Sinfield’s house and called him up. Sinfield was apprehended and charged with stealing 35lbs of wool on 15 May. Sinfield said “I think you are wrong there”. On Wednesday 22 May as he was taking Giles to Aspley Guise he said “There’s another one you ought to have here as well as us, the one who told you about this. It must be old Jack as nobody else knew anything about it”. Giles admitted selling the wool to Elmer and said old Jack helped weigh it and stole a sovereign of the money out of his pocket. [Cross-examination] He declines to say from where he received the information. Old Jack is John Creamer. He had conversation with Creamer before taking Sinfield and Giles into custody. Phillips did not tell him to take Sinfield into custody – he said “if he has got into trouble that is his look out”. He has known Creamer to be in trouble before on several occasions. William Whinnett, police constable stationed at Woburn – [repeats evidence given by PC Edmunds] On Wednesday he was on duty at the Police Station. Sinfield said to him “I know I have done wrong. I had a little wool of my own which I skim off the top of the water where I wash sheep and I took a little of my master’s and Giles fetched it away last Tuesday night. He brought a sack to put it in. It was between 9 and 10 o’clock. He gave me 13 shillings for it two or three days after”. He then let Giles out into the yard. Giles said “there’s another b--- in this mess you want”. Giles said Jack Creamer picked his pocket of a sovereign. Giles admitted having the wool and selling it to Elmer. [Cross-examination] He saw old Jack about 11pm down the Newport Road at the Birchmoor Arms Public House. Creamer was not drunk and said he wanted to speak to him. Creamer and PC Edmunds went out. He was them again 2 minutes after he first spoke to Elmer. He had no information from anyone except Old Jack. He did not tell Sinfield it would be better if he would confess. John Creamer of Woburn, labourer – on Tuesday evening (14 May) he saw Giles, who he was then living with. Giles said “I have got a journey to go”. Giles left about 8.30pm and he followed him to Sinfield’s house without Giles knowing. Giles went in at the back door. Giles came out about 10 minutes later with a bag full of something and went in the direction of Aspley Wood. He went home. About half an hour later Giles came in with a full bag which he set beside the bed. The next morning he was with Giles and his son at Mr Orlebar’s Lodge. When they were having their beaver [break for food and drink] Elmer came by. Giles went ot him and when he came back said he had got a shilling. In the evening he and Giles went to Cox’s beer house at Aspley. Elmer came by and they followed him to Woburn Sands where Giles went to Elmer’s house. He stopped outside. When they got home he helped Giles to weigh the sack. It weighed 40lbs. He looked in the bag. It had wool in it. Elmer came a few minutes later and he helped Elmer weigh the sack. Giles told him to take it to Elmer’s cart. Elmer told Giles to meet him in half an hour at the Swan Inn, Mr Claridges. He went to the Swan at Woburn Sands with Giles. In about an hour Elmer came into the Swan. He heard Elmer tell Giles what he would give him and saw the money paid. [Cross-examination] He thought there was something up when he followed Giles. He may have been convicted 3 times. He has been in Gaol twice. He did not steal a sovereign from Giles. He left Giles’ house when Giles charged him with it the following Saturday. On the following Monday he told PC Whinnett of this. He never spoke to Sinfield about anything. There were others at the Swan Inn in the tap room besides himself and Giles. Edward Cook of Newport Pagnell (Bucks), fellmonger – a week last Saturday Elmer came to him at Newport Pagnell about 12pm and offered him some wool. He bought 2 or 3 bags from him, with fleeces and locks (locks are clippings which are cut off and washed). He gave him 1s 9d a lb for the fleece wool and 7½d for the locks. There were 74lbs of fleece wool. He paid £1 for the locks. He paid Elmer a check for £7 10s altogether. Some of the wool appeared to be skin wool, clipped from the skin. Some of the fleeces were sandy and some a different colour. He gave a fleece to the Superintendent of Police. He could not swear positively to any of the fleeces. They were all mixed together. [Cross-examination] He cannot say how many fleeces he bought. He thinks the fleece he gave to the Superintendent was one he bought from Elmer but can’t swear. He put what he bought from Elmer with other fleeces. William Shepherd, superintendent of police for Woburn Division – on 21st May prisoner Elmer called at the Police Station. Elmer said he made a mistake the previous night and gave the wrong bag to the policeman. Elmer gave him the bag produced and said it was the bag the wool was in that he had from Giles. Elmer said “they won’t do anything to me for buying it will they as I gave the full value”. He said he should think not. Elmer said Giles spoke to him about the wool 2 or 3 weeks before. There was 40lbs with the bag but only 35lbs at Newport without the bag. He asked Elmer if he took any other wool. Elmer said he took another 2 bags and gave Giles 42s for the wool he had from him. The same day he [Shepherd] went to Cook’s house at Newport. Cook looked out the wool now produced, and the small sample came from Mr Phillips. [Cross examination] He directed all the prisoners to be taken into custody. He knew where they got the information from and knew Creamer was a suspected character. He did not know Creamer had been convicted. Richard Sinfield - he does not want to say anything. Thomas Giles - he never stole it nor bought it. He took it from Sinfield and sold it to Sam Elmer. Samuel Elmer - he is not guilty of receiving the wool knowing it to be stolen. He knows he bought it. He thought it worth about 16d or 17d a lb. [Annotated "The prisoner Samuel Elmer was discharged"]

item

Sinfield, Richard,
Giles, Thomas,
Phillips, Zachariah,
Edmunds, George,
Whinnett, William,
Creamer, John,
Cook, Edward,
Shepherd, William,
Elmer, Samuel

WOBURN, POTSGROVE, Newport Pagnell, WOBURN SANDS, ASPLEY GUISE, stealing, wool, receiving stolen goods, shepherd, cowman, sheep, farmer, police constable, police superintendent, fellmonger, Woburn Birchmoor Arms, Woburn Sands Swan Hotel, beer houses