QSR1855/1/5/8

Depositions of John Green, victualler of Hockcliffe and William Clough, police sergeant of Hockcliffe, Thomas Worsley, police constable of Leighton Buzzard, John Jones, butcher of Hockcliffe and Robert Twinham, butcher of Leighton Buzzard. In the case of James Stone, labourer of Heath and Reach, accused of stealing 2 sheep.

14 November 1854

From: 1854 To: 1855

John Green: a victualler and keeper of the White Hart at Hockcliffe. He held some lands in the township of Heath & Reach near Shenley Hill. On 28 October he had 14 sheep grazing in the land and saw them all safe at 3pm. He did not visit again until 1 November when he missed 2 sheep. He found some blood near a ditch and in the ditch he found 2 sheep skins, head, entrails and feet. He could tell they were the skins of his sheep by the marks. He took them away to Hockcliffe and informed the police. He later took the neck bones from the heads and gave them to Sergeant Clough. He afterwards saw Clough take the feet off the skins. He valued the sheep at £3 16s 0d. William Clough: in consequence of information received on 1 November he went the following morning to the prisoner’s house at Leighton with PC Worsley. He searched and found bones in a cupboard in the downstairs room. They appeared recently boiled and there was fresh meat upon them. There were more bones on the fire, partly burnt. He also found the smock frock in the same room and its lower sleeves had been recently washed and there were spots of blood on its front. He also found a sack of which the lower part had been washed and was wet. There was a large stain of blood on the sack. Soon after he saw the prisoner and asked him to account for the bones. The prisoner said he knew nothing about them and did not know they were there. Clough later received neck bones from the prosecutor and 2 feet which he took off the skins. He charged the prisoner who responded “very well very well”. PC Thomas Worsley: on 2 November he searched the prisoner’s house with Sergeant Clough. They found a sack and a smock. He returned to search further and found a quantity of bones in a cupboard with other rubbish. The bones appeared to have been freshly boiled and had some fresh meat upon them. He pulled some bones from the fire and they immediately dropped to pieces. The leg bone was found at the back of the prisoner’s house, covered in rubbish. He knew the field where the sheep were killed and it was a mile and a quarter from the prisoner’s house. He could go to the field without passing along the road or by any dwellings. John Lines: a butcher of the parish of Chalgrave. He compared the neck bones produced with the others and believed them to be from the same animal. The joints fitted and knife marks corresponded. The bulk of the bones did not correspond to any joints of meat cut by butchers but were whole bones of an animal carcass. He examined the smock and sack and had no doubts that the marks upon them to be blood. Robert Twinham: a butcher of Leighton. He examined the sack and smock and had no doubt the marks were blood. The whole bones were mutton bones and did not belong to any joints as cut by butchers. He examined the leg and foot bones and believed them to be of the same animal. He examined the neck bones and again believed them to exactly correspond and be part of the same animal. He observed upon them knife cuts and corresponding cuts on the other bone. Statement of the accused: “There is no blood on my sack or on my smock. The child did his job on the smock. I have nothing further to say”.

item

Stone, James,
Green, John,
Clough, William,
Worsley, Thomas,
Jones, John,
Twinham, Robert

SOULDROP, stealing animals, sheep, butchers, victuallers, Hockliffe White Hart