QSR1875/1/5/9

Depositions and examination - Rowland Shorley charged with stealing 5 ducks from Sellis Ayres at Great Barford on 19 December

26 December 1874

From: 1874 To: 1875

Josiah Mayes of Great Barford, labourer – he lives with his father Samuel Mayes and works for Sellis Ayres of Great Barford. He looks after the horses. He shut up the ducks at night. He shut up 7 on 18th December. They were all brown. Two had white round their necks. He missed 5 of them next morning. The 3 ducks produced are three of the ones he missed. Shorley has worked for Mr Ayres. He was working for him at harvest. Samuel Mayes of Great Barford, labourer – he also works for Mr Ayres. On the morning of 20th he missed 5 ducks. The 3 produced are 3 of the missing ones. He went to the duck house with Sgt Smith. Snow was on the ground. He noticed some foot marks in the snow. He did not notice any near the duck house. He traced some from about 40 yards from the duck house toward Renhold. The farm is about a mile from Renhold. The marks came to about 150 yards from where Shorley lives. He had been that way the night before just before dusk. The foot traces were not make then. He went with Sgt Smith to Shorley’s premises at 2 o’clock on 20th. He found the ducks produced. They were in the straw stack about 10 yards from Shorley’s house, about 20 yards from the road. There had been a piece of straw pulled up and the bag containing the ducks put in and the straw pushed in again. Shorley has been at the farm once since last harvest. He saw Shorley on the morning of the 21st. Shorley came to the farm with his father. The father asked if he thought if they went to Mr Ayres, that Mr Ayres would take money for the ducks. He said he did not think Mr Ayres would. The father and son do not live together. The stack was about the same distance from [Saughter’s?] as it was from Shorley’s. The straw belonged to him. George Smith, sergeant of police of Great Barford – he went to mr Ayre’s farm and saw some footmarks of 2 men some little distance from the duck house. He traced them across the fields to Renhold, part of the way upon a footpath. He came on the road to Renhold about 150 yards from the prisoner’s house. He saw some straw had been removed from a stack and pulled out a bag containing 2 ducks and a drake. Person going to the stack from the road must cross in front of the window of the house. He went in search of Shorley and apprehended him on Monday 21st. Shorley said he left Colesden because he did not want to be locked up that night, his wife’s mother was very ill and he thought it would put her out. Rowland Shorley – “I have nothing to say, only I know nothing of them”.

item

Shorley, Rowland,
Ayres, Sellis,
Mayes, Josiah,
Mayes, Samuel,
Smith, George

Great Barford, stealing animals, ducks, police sergeant