QSR1855/4/5/11

Depositions of Thomas Brightman, farmer of Little Staughton, John Crow, engine driver of Eaton Socon and William Snell, police constable of Keysoe. In the case of John Horner, labourer of Blunham, accused of stealing a doubled barrelled gun.

11 September 1855

From: 1855 To: 1855

Thomas Brightman: on 3 December 1853 he used his double barrelled gun on his farm and afterwards placed it in the brewhouse, an outbuilding about 20 yards from the dwelling house. The prisoner was living in a cottage neat the premises within 200 yards of the house. On 5 December he made enquiries for the gun and it was not found. He did not see the gun again until it was brought to him by John Crow, of Eaton Socon, on 28 August 1855. Crow was in his employment and managed a portable steam engine. He knew the gun by a flaw near the end of the left hand barrel and from marks on it. His initials had been filed out. The letters ‘dge’ remained on one of the barells from the name “Piper, maker, Cambridge”. The gun was worth £7. John Crow: on 26 August he was at a public house in Eaton Socon and met Horner. Horner said he had a gun to sell and would take £5 for it. Horner said it had cost £12. The following day he told Mr Brightman that he knew a man with a gun for sale. Mr Brightman told him to go and look at the gun and if he believed it to be his, to take it to him. He went to Horner’s and saw his wife. She brought the gun to him in a bag and gave it to him to look at. He knew by the marks that it was Mr Brightman’s. He told Mrs Horner he would take the gun as it was Mr Brightman’s. PC William Snell: he received a gun from Mr Brightman with directions to apprehend the prisoner and to enquire how he came by the gun. He took the prisoner into custody and the prisoner said he had bought the gun off a man on the York Road. The prisoner said he had given the man his old gun and £2 for it. The prisoner was remanded. Statement of the accused: nothing to say.

item

Horner, John,
Brightman, Thomas,
Crow, John,
Snell, William

KEYSOE, BLUNHAM, Little Staughton, EATON SOCON, stealing, guns, farmer, engine driver