QSR1854/3/5/25-26

Depositions of Hannah Roberts, wife of Thomas a cattle dealer of Chalgrave, Esther Bromley of Chalgrave, David Hart, labourer of Wingfield, William Chase, labourer of Hockcliffe and William Clough, police sergeant of Hockcliffe. In the case of Joseph Harvey & Joseph King accused of stealing 2 live ducks.

16 June 1854

From: 1854 To: 1854

Hannah Roberts: wife of Thomas Roberts who lived in the parish of Chalgrave and was a cattle dealer. They kept ducks for sale. On 15 June about noon she saw them all safe at the back of the premises. In the afternoon of the same day he was informed by a neighbour that 2 men were after her ducks. She counted the ducks and found 2 missing. The ducks produced she recognized as her husbands property and knew them by their colour. Esther Bromley: on 15 June between 3 and 4pm she saw 2 men on the bank of the brook at the back of Mr Roberts’s premises. The men looked to be in search of something and remained there about 10 minutes. They then ran from the brook towards Mr Janes’s field and got over the hedge and into the adjoining field. She called to them and saw they both had something white in their hands. She was about 100 yards from them. One of the men looked round but they did not stop. She lost sight of them. The 2 men were the prisoners. She had seen Mr Roberts ducks swimming in the brook before. Daniel Hart: the previous afternoon between 4 and 5pm he went in pursuit of the 2 men, who he had been informed had stolen some ducks, over several fields towards Houghton. He saw 2 men running in the field and one of them had a bundle under his arm. He ran after them and came up to them on the High Road. The 2 men were the prisoners. When he got up to them he missed the bundle he had seen in their possession. He asked them to go back with him but they refused and he walked on beside them. Mr Roberts and another man shortly overtook them and the prisoners were asked to go back, which they did. On the same afternoon he went over the same ground with the police sergeant and William Chase. He saw Chase pick up a bundle with 2 ducks in it, near the gate where the prisoners went out onto the road. William Chase: he worked for Mr Janes, a farmer in Chalgrave. The previous day about 6.30pm he went with Hart and the police sergeant over some of his master’s fields, which had been pointed out by Hart. Near a gate, leading to the Dunstable Road, he found 2 ducks. 1 was alive and 1 dead. They were tied in a handkerchief. He gave them into Clough’s possession. Sergeant William Clough: he went to Thomas Roberts house in Hockcliffe and saw the 2 prisoners. He afterwards went with Hart and Chase over several of Mr Janes’s fields. They searched near a gate leading onto the Dunstable Road and Chase found a bundle containing 2 ducks. He showed the ducks to Mrs Roberts, who identified them as her husband’s property. He took the prisoners into custody and told them the charge. They both said they knew nothing about it. Statements of the accused: Joseph Harvey – “I never see no ducks yesterday. I was not against the barn. I never was there and had no bundle”. Joseph King – had nothing to say about the ducks and had not seen a bundle.

item

Harvey, Joseph,
King, Joseph,
Roberts, Hannah,
Roberts, Thomas,
Bromley, Esther,
Hart, Daniel,
Chase, William,
Clough, William,
Janes

Hockcliffe, CHALGRAVE, stealing, duck, cattle dealer