QSR1856/3/5/16-17

Depositions of Isaac Hare, labourer of Clophill, PC Thomas Worsley of Clophill, Samuel Manton of Clophill, Ann Jiggles, single woman of Marston Moretaine and James Bates, superintendent of police at Ampthill. In the case of Solomon Smith & James Jiggles accused of stealing a ram.

15 May 1856

From: 1856 To: 1856

Isaac Hare: shepherd to the prosecutor John Dann Squires. On the evening of 5 May his master’s sheep and lambs were all right. The next morning he missed one of the lambs. It was a ram. He knew both prisoners by sight and they had been working for Mr Low in a field near to where he was in the habit of folding the sheep. The value of the ram lamb was a sovereign. PC Thomas Worsley: on 6 May he received information from the prosecutor and went in search of the lamb in a barn belonging to Mr Low, in a field where the 2 prisoners were employed. As soon as he got to the barn he saw some blood on the straw and a small piece of meat he knew to be mutton or lamb. There were signs of a slaughter. Beneath the straw he found 5 joints of lamb tied in a handkerchief. He remained concealed in the barn for several hours until 7pm and then went outside. The prisoners came to the barn and went in. Smith came out with a kettle and Jiggles started to light a fire. He spoke to them about the business and both said they worked there and were going to cook their supper and sleep there. They said they had slept in the barn for 2 nights with Mr Low’s permission. He charged them and they both said they had not known the meat was there. Asked what they were going to cook they did not answer. The kettle appeared to have mutton fat in it. Samuel Manton was with him at the time and found a hoe in the barn with blood on it. On 8 May he searched a turf fire burning close to the barn and found some ribs of lamb. The same day he returned with Superintendent Bates and found another turf fire and the skin of a lamb. The prisoners were working in the field. Samuel Manton: on 7 May he accompanied PC Worsley to the barn. He saw the PC find 5 joints of lamb under some straw, tied up in a handkerchief. He searched the barn and found a hoe stained with blood. The prisoners said it belonged to them. He watched the prisoner in the field burning turf. He was present when the prisoners returned to the barn and commenced making the fire. He was present when Worlsey found bones in the turf fire near the barn. Ann Jiggles: 12 years of age and daughter of one of the prisoners. On 5 May her father left home about 6am to go to work at Clophill. He had dinner with him wrapped in a handkerchief. Superintendent James Bates: on 8 May he went with Manton and Worsley to the field where the prisoners were burning turf. They showed him the spot they had seen the prisoners working and there the found a lamb skin and entrails. Statement of the accused: Solomon Smith – he would say on oath that he had not taken anything from the gentleman’s farm and knew nothing of it. He could not say who had put the meat in the barn and whether it was to get them in trouble with the police. James Jiggles – he knew nothing of how it came to be there. They worked until 10pm, as long as they could see and were up as soon as they could set on the morning. He did not sleep on the straw and had lain down as soon as he got in the barn.

item

Smith, Solomon,
Jiggles, James,
Jiggles, Ann,
Squire, John Danns,
Hare, Isaac,
Worsley, Thomas,
Manton, Samuel,
Bates, James

CLOPHILL, MARSTON MORETAINE, stealing animals, sheep, farmer