- ReferenceQSR1855/3/5/37b,49
- TitleDepositions of Edmund Rollings, publican of Totternhoe, Mary Ann Rollings. Samuel Dyer, labourer of Edlesborough, Buckinghamshire, Henry Gray, beer retailer of Edlesborough, Charles Thorne, baker of Edlesborough, Elizabeth Hawkins, wife of David Hawkins, farmer of Edlesborough and John Clift, police constable of Eaton Bray. In the case of John Cook accused of stealing a ham and Stephen Janes accused of received the said ham.
- Date free text16 April 1855
- Production dateFrom: 1855 To: 1855
- Scope and ContentEdmund Rollings: keeper of a pub at Totternhoe. On Monday 9 April he let home about 1pm. When he left there were 5 hams hanging in the kitchen. He saw them safe a short time before he left. On his return on 10 April he found one of the hams had gone. He had since seen a piece of ham which he knew to be part of the ham he had missed. He knew it by the manner in which the string was sown through the knuckle. Mary Ann Rollings: about 2.30pm John Cook came into the house and called for some beer. She served him and he left the about 4pm. There were 2 other persons in the house whilst he was there. Cook was the only person in the kitchen except for her and her servant who occasionally went in and out, so Cook was left alone in the kitchen. When Cook left the house he had his back towards her and a dark blue handkerchief in his hand. He might have had a bundle with him when he left which she might not have seen because his back was towards her. He had a smock frock on. About half an hour after Cook had gone she missed a ham from the kitchen. She knew the pieces of ham produced to be part of the ham missed. She knew it by the manner in which the string was sewn. She had tied them herself. Samuel Dyer: about 4.30 he saw John Cook who appeared to be coming from Totternhoe towards Edlesborough. Cook had a bundle under his arm and it was tied in a blue handkerchief. He thought it big enough to hold a ham. Elizabeth Hawkins: she had been in her kitchen at Eddlesborough between 4 and 5pm and saw a man coming across from the direction of Totternhoe. His appearance was like the prisoner Cook. He got over some a paling and into Mr Grays Orchard and towards the house. He had a bundle under his arm. It was tied in a dark blue handkerchief. It appeared about the size of a ham. Henry Gray: keeper of a beer shop in Eddlesborough. He came home about 6pm and found John Cook at his house. He did not notice if Cook had anything with him. Stephen Janes came in afterwards. Janes left by the front door about 8pm and he went out at the same time to put up the shutters. Cook was left in the tap room and had been detained on suspicion of stealing. The party who had accused Cook had gone out. The parlour window looked into the front garden and there was room between the parlour and the tap room. There was no communication between the middle room and the parlour without going out the back way, as the door was locked and the key had been lost. Cook left the house with a constable. Charles Thorne: in consequence of information he received he went to Gray’s beer shop to ascertain if Cook was there and on finding him he returned and gave the information to Mr Rollings. When he returned he placed his man at the end of the house and waited at the other end. He was near the front parlour window. Between 7.30 and 8pm someone opened the parlour window and the shutters were pushed back. A bundle was put out of the window. Janes came out of the front door and took the bundle and lay it in the middle of the garden. Janes returned to the house and stopped a few minutes. On coming out again Janes stepped into the garden and took the bundle and went towards his home. Thorne fell in with him and asked if Cook had been taken. Janes replied what Cook? They walked together for some distance and as Thorne asked him if he had the ham. Thorne said he should give the ham to him and took the ham from under Janes arm. It was wrapped in a blue handkerchief. They walked back to Grays together. When they got there he untied the handkerchief to find it contained part of a ham. He gave the ham to PC Clift. He had not seen who opened the parlour window but he knew Cook was detained in the tap room. PC John Clift: he received Cook and Janes into custody. Cook made no answer to the charge and Janes said he had been at Grays beer shop and on leaving he had stopped by the parlour window to take water. Someone had opened the window from inside and handed the bundle and said “here old neighbour if you are going home take this”. Charles Thorne afterwards gave the piece of ham and handkerchief to him. Statements of the accused: nothing to say.
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