QSR1847/1/5/20

Depositions and examination - John Mitchell charged with stealing a woollen horse rug belonging to William Drake Rayment at Battlesden on 22 December 1846

28 December 1846

From: 1846 To: 1847

William Drake Rayment of Bedford - on Tuesday 22 December he was at Battlesden. He was driving a horse and chaise cart. He had a man named Samuel Lamb with him. He had sent lamb into a house and he put a cloth on the horse. He stood still 3 or 4 minutes, standing by the horse. He then led the horse on about 100 yards. When he stopped he missed the cloth. He had not met anyone nor seen anyone near him. It was in a lane near to some stocks where he put the cloth on. He led his horse along the lane towards the Woburn Road. He believes the cloth produced by Mr Young to be his, but he cannot swear to it. He left information at the house of PC Clough. Samuel Lamb - last Tuesday he was with Mr Rayment at Battlesden. He left Rayment with the horse adn cart while he went into a house. He saw Rayment put a cloth on the horse. When he came out he saw the cloth was not on the horse. He got into the cart and went down the lane to the place where he saw Rayment put it on but could not find it. He turned back again and saw Mitchell standing against the door of a house near to the one he had been into. As he was going down the lane to look for the rug he had seen Mitchell go round the corner of a barn and go into it. When he did not see the rug on the road it struck him that Mitchell looked bulky under his frock as he went round the barn. He asked Mitchell if he had found a horse rug. Mitchell said he had not seen anything of the kind. He made further inquiries but could not find the rug. He believes the rug produced is the one. He is sure it was Mitchell he spoke to. John Treadwell, collar and harness maker at Bedford - he knows the horse rug now produced. He works for Samuel Barnes of Bedford. He cut it and bound it and gave it to Lamb when he came to buy one for Mr Rayment. He has no doubt it is that rug. He sold it for 15s. William Clough, police constable stationed at Hockliffe - he went to Mitchell’s house and asked his wife about the horse rug. She said she knew nothing about it. He then went to Mitchell who who was at work in a barn across a field from the lane where his house is. He told Mitchell he wanted him about a horse rug lost that afternoon. Mitchell said he had not got it and knew nothing about it. He told Mitchell he would take him into custody. He went with Mitchell towards his house and Mitchell said he had picked up a rug that afternoon 200 or 300 yards from where he saw a gentlemant’s gig stand. When they got to the house Mitchell went upstairs and brought down the rug. The barn round which Lamb saw Mitchell go is in Mitchell’s occupation. There is a high bank and a hedge between the lane and the cottages which partly hides the sight of them from the lane. Mitchell’s cottage is one of these and is next but one to the one where Lamb called. John Mitchell - he picked the rug up in the lane about 150 yards from his house or from any horse or cart. He took it home into his barn under his arm. The gentleman asked him if he had seen anybody with a horse rug and he told him no. He kept the horse rug and if they had had it cried and offered a reward he would have given it up.

item

Mitchell, John,
Rayment, William Drake,
Lamb, Samuel,
Treadwell, John,
Clough, William

BATTLESDEN, BEDFORD, HOCKLIFFE, stealing, horses, carts, harness maker, police constable