Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1855/3/5/16,37a/b
  • Title
    Depositions of George Rayner, curate of Totternhoe, Thomas Hinds, police constable of Whipsnade, James Costin, dealer in fish of Dunstable, George Impey, butcher of Dunstable and John Cliff, police constable of Eaton Bray. In the case of John Cook accused of stealing 10 live tame rabbits.
  • Date free text
    18 June 1855
  • Production date
    From: 1855 To: 1855
  • Scope and Content
    George Rayner: a curate of Totternhoe. On 5 May he had 10 tame rabbits at the back of his premises. He shut them up about 8pm but missed them the following morning. A rabbit had been shown to him by PC Cliff which he identified as his property by its colour and marks. PC Thomas Hinds: on 6 May between 1 and 2am, he saw the 2 men going in the direction of Totternhoe. One of them was the prisoner, Cook. James Costin: a dealer in fish of Dunstable. On 6 May he was up between 5 and 6 am and looked out of the window and saw the prisoner Clarke. Clarke pulled something out of his pocket and asked if he would buy anything in this way. Cook was standing in Church Lane on the opposite side of the way. He did not see them go away. He was in the habit of buying rabbits. George Impey: a butcher of Dunstable. On 6 May he had been sweeping his front door when 2 men came and asked him to buy 2 rabbits. He believed the prisoner Cook to be one of them. He bought a black rabbit off him. He was dressed in a smock frock. The other rabbit he bought from the other man. The skin produced he believed to be the skin of the rabbit he bought from the prisoner Cook. He had sold the rabbit to a Tebworth man and went with the PC to retrieve the skin. John Cliff: he suspected John Cook to be one of the men who took the rabbits from Mr Rayner. Cook absconded from home on Sunday 6 May and did not return until last Friday. He took him into custody on the Saturday and charged him. Cook said that if it had not been for the drink it would not have happened. He had known the prisoner for a long time and he usually dressed in a long smock frock. Statement of the accused – John Cook: nothing to say.
  • Reference
  • Level of description
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