QSR1885/2/5/2-3a

Depositions of George Warner, landscape gardener of Aylestowe, William James Middlebrook, landscape gardener of Grantham and Adelaide Bartram wife of James. In the case of Henry Mackness & John Seamark accused stealing 6 live ducks and 8 live fowls.

7 March 1885

From: 1885 To: 1885

Adelaide Bartram: wife of James living at Pools Farm near Clapham Park. She had a poultry run for ducks and fowls. She locked the in on 28 May and the following morning for the door open and the lock and staple on the floor. She found a hen dead. She missed 6 ducks and 3 sitting hens. George Warner: a landscape gardener of Aylestowe in Lancashire and in the employment of Messrs Barnard. He was employed in the laying out of a new park in Bedford. He knew the prisoner and was offered ‘feathered’ stuff by John Seamark. Seamark said he had the birds from a relation. Warner agreed to take them but should they turn out to be stolen, he would tell all he knew. Warner fetched them from a cesspool close by. He took the birds in a bag to his lodgings in Cavendish Street and on opening the bag found 8 fowls and 6 ducks. He took them to Leicester the same day. It was the Saturday before Whit Sunday. He returned to Bedford on the following Tuesday. He saw Seamark the next day and was asked if he like the ducks. He asked Seamark where he had got them from and he was told from the open in Clapham Park. This made Warner suspicious but he did not advise the police. The cesspool was a catch pit for the top water and it was not closed. James Middlebrook: he was employed by Messrs Barnard of Borrowash in the laying out of Bedford Park. He had been in their service for 4 years. The 2 prisoners were employed by him. Warner came to him on the Saturday before Whitsun and at Warner’s lodging in Cavendish Street, he showed him some ducks. Middlebrook took 4 away. On returning to work he asked the prisoners how they had come by the ducks and fowls and Mackness told him he had fetched them but did not say where from. The same week Mackness asked for his wages and left. Seamark stayed with him until nearly Christmas. Statements of the accused: nothing.

5 pages

item

Mackness, Henry,
Seamark, John,
Warner, George,
Middlebrook, William James,
Mardlin, George,
Bartram, Adelaide

CLAPHAM, Aylestowe, Leicester, Bedford Park, stealing, ducks, fowls, landscape gardener