QSR1855/3/5/17a,18

Depositions of John Ivory, dealer in sheep of Luton, John Philips, labourer of Luton, Joseph Mann, labourer of Luton, James Gibbs, straw plait dealer of Luton and Samuel Pope, superintendent of police of Luton. In the case of Jeremiah Allen and Robert Wiseman, accused of stealing 1 live sheep.

14 May 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

John Ivory: a dealer in sheep. About Michaelmas he lost a sheep from his flock. He had since seen it in Mrs Butlin’s field with her flock. He looked at the sheep and could not see Mrs Butlin’s name on it like all the rest had. He knew the sheep by her having lost half her bag and by her mouth and some redding on her loins. All his sheep were marked that way and had no name on them. When he lost his sheep the prisoner Jeremiah Allen was Mrs Butlins shepherd. Her flock of sheep was often in the field adjoining his. She belived Robert Wiseman to be Mr Davis’s shepherd. He asked Allen and Wiseman severeal times if they had seen his sheep and they both said they had not. John Philips: foreman to Mr Robert Sworder. He had seen ewe in Mrs Butlin’s flock which he believed to be the property of John Ivory. He had seen the sheep once before Ivory lost it. It had redding on the loins and had lost one side of the bag. He had never a name on John Ivory’s sheep. He was with John Ivory when he saw the sheep in Mrs Butlin’s flock. Jeremiah Allen had charge of the flock. Joseph Mann: foreman to Mrs Butlin. Allen was her shepherd and had been so for more than 12 months. Allen had charge of the flock up to the day Ivory’s sheep was found. Ivory’s sheep was in the flock and the sheep was now in his charge. He took possession of it at Superintendent Pope’s request. All Mrs Butlin’s sheep were marked with her name. There was no name on the sheep in question. Mrs Butlin’s sheep had been marked just before Harvest and some marks had now worn but there were still remains. James Gibbs: a straw plait dealer living at Battlesden Green in Stopsley. Sometime before Michaelmas Fair, Robert Wiseman came to him. He had a few sheep and Wiseman asked if he was going to take them to the fair. Wiseman said he had one in his flock and he hoped Gibbs would take it with him to the fair. He asked Wiseman where the sheep was and Wiseman said he believed it was Ivory’s. He saw Allen afterwards who asked if he had taken it and Gibbs said he had not and wanted nothing to do with it. He met Wiseman at the fair who said it did not matter he had to come for it as he had sold it. Wiseman said he had it from Ivory’s flock. Allen later told him he had one more sheep in his flock than the number. Superintendent Samuel Pope: he apprehended Wiseman and told him the charge. Wiseman said he had not stolen the sheep and did not know what Allen had done. He remembered Ivory asking him if he had seen a sheep. Statements of the accused: Jeremiah Allen: nothing to say Robert Wiseman: nothing to say.

item

Wiseman, Robert,
Allen, Jeremiah,
Ivory, John,
Philips, John,
Gibbs, James,
Pope, Samuel,
Butlin

LUTON, BATTLESDEN, stealing, sheep, sheep dealer, straw plait dealer, michaelmas, fairs and markets, shepherd, foreman