QSR1855/1/5/5

Depositions of Simeon Brown, yeoman of Dunton, James Smith, labourer of Dunton, William Sharp, labourer of Hitchin, Joseph Whiting, fellmonger of Hitchin and Edwin Blunden, superintendent of police of Biggleswade. In the case of John Rawlings, labourer of Dunton, accused of stealing 13 sheepskins.

25 October 1854

From: 1854 To: 1855

Simeon Brown: occupier of a farm at Dunton. On 13 October he had 13 or 14 sheepskins hanging on a beam in one of his barn. He counted them that day and on 21 October he missed them from the barn. From what he had heard he was induced to go to Hitchin to Mr Whitings. Whiting produced skins of 9 sheep, 7 of which were lambs which had never been shorn. They were marked with a brand bearing his initials SB. One was a ewe skin which had died shortly after it had been shorn and before being freshly branded but had been marked on its thigh. Another ewe skin had been branded like the lambs. He had no doubt that they were his skins. He knew the prisoner who was an Edworth man, which was about half a mile from Dunton. James Smith: a shepherd to Mr Brown. He had seen the skins hanging on the beam on 18 October. He missed them on 20 October. He examined the ewe skins shown to him and identified one by the way the skin had been cut at the head and the other bore his masters brand. He had skinned them both. He had no doubt they were his master’s skins. William Sharp: he worked for Mr Whiting of Hitchin as a labourer. On 18 or 19 October the prisoner came to his master’s yard with a load of sheepskins on his back. He asked if his master was up and was told no. The prisoner laid them down in the yard and said he was going to town and would call again. He returned in about an hour and spoke with his master and then to one of the men who took the skins down the yard. He recognised the prisoner as that man and he had been dressed the same. His trousers were torn at the knees and tied with strings. Joseph Whiting: a fellmonger of Hitchin and bought sheepskins for the purpose of trade. On 18 or 19 October he went to his yard and found the prisoner standing there with a lot of sheepskins. The prisoner offered them for sale and he bought them for about 12 shillings. The skins remained in his custody until Mr Brown saw them on the following Monday. 2 of them were taken away by Mr Blunden and the other 7 remained at his yard. He recognised the prisoner as the same man. Edwin Blunden: he apprehended the prisoner and took away 2 of the skins from Mr Whitings. Statement of the accused: he did have the skins. There had been 11 of them and he had 8 shillings for them.

item

Rawlings, John,
Brown, Simeon,
Smith, James,
Sharp, William,
Whiting, Joseph,
Blunden, Edward

DUNTON, stealing, sheepskin, yeoman, fellmonger, Hitchin, BIGGLESWADE, EDWORTH, shepherd