QSR1857/1/5/6-7

Depositions of Charles Perkins and Thomas Housden, both gamekeepers of Sandy. In the case of Charles Leonard and Henry Gilbert accused of unlawfully entering a close of land by night for the purposes of taking and destroying game. Leonard being armed with a gun and Gilbert with a bludgeon. Therein assaulting and offering violence to Charles Perkins, the gamekeeper.

19 November 1856

From: 1856 To: 1857

Charles Perkins: a gamekeeper to Francis Pym esq. On 13 November about 3am he was out watching with Thomas Housden and saw 2 men go into a wood belonging to Mr Pym in the parish of Sandy. Soon afterwards they heard a gun go off in the same part of the wood. He saw Leonard and Gilbert come out of the wood. Leonard had a gun and Gilbert a stick as big as a large walking stick. They walked about 30 yards up the side of the wood and he rose from the ground to go after them. They saw him and turned around and ran. He ran after them. Leonard stopped and stood with his gun pointed towards Perkins. Leonard said he would spill his blood or his own before he was taken or meddled with. Perkins replied that he knew Leonard and ran off after Gilbert. Gilbert heard him running after him and stopped. Gilbert said he would not leave his mate and would stick with him to the last. Gilbert and Perkins went back towards Leonard and as they were doing so Perkins slipped his hand into Gilbert’s pocket and felt a warm pheasant in there. Housden came up. Leonard held his gun to his shoulder as if he was going to strike Perkins with it and said he would lose every drop of his blood before he would be taken. Perkins said if they weren’t to give him the pheasant he would have some of the tail feathers. Gilbert partly pulled the pheasant from his pocket and pulled off some of the tail feathers and gave them to Perkins. He did not shake hands with Leonard when he first came up to him but he did on parting. Thomas Housden: he was acting as an assistant to Perkins and was with him when they heard the gun fired. When the men came out of the woods he was on the other side of it watching to see if they came out that side. As soon as he heard Perkins holler he ran to the corner as he had been told to and saw Perkins with the men in the middle of the field. He ran across to them. Perkins told him the men were Harry Gilbert and Charlie Leonard. Perkins said they would have the pheasant and Leonard turned and held up his gun and said he would lose his blood before losing the pheasant. Leonard told Gilbert to stick to him and Gilbert said he would. The prisoners swore they would not part with the bird but gave them some feathers and then went. He shook hands with them on parting. Statement of the accused: Charles Leonard - When Perkins came up to him he said knew them both and Leonard asked if he supposed to take them. Perkins said he did not wish to take them and they shook hands. Perkins said come on to Housden and told him he had old Charlie and Harry Gilbert. They all shook hands. Perkins said that he would have the bird and he replied that if he had the bird he would have him as well. Perkins had a great stick and held it up as if to strike him and so he held up his gun and told him he would not have it. He told Perkins that if he hit him with the stick he would hit him and he did not want any bother. He told Perkins he had caught them and that was plenty. Perkins told him to give him some tail feathers which they did. They shook hands and went away. Henry Gilbert – nothing to say except they shook hands on parting.

item

Leonard, Charles,
Gilbert, Henry,
Perkins, Charles,
Housden, Thomas,
Pym, Francis

SANDY, gamekeepers, poaching, assault