QSR1857/4/5/10b

Depositions of William Hart, labourer of Kempston, Henry Ison Jebbett, Superintendent of Police of Bedford and William Haynes, dealer of Wootton. In the case of James Jeffs accused of stealing 6 live fowls.

3 October 1857

From: 1857 To: 1857

William Hart: in the service of Mrs Emery at Kempston Hardwick in July and August. At the start of August she had some thoroughbred fowls. She had no others of the same kind. He last saw them safe 9 weeks previous in Mrs Emery’s orchard. They were missed last Sunday. Last Tuesday he saw some of the fowls at Wootton at Mr Haynes house. He went there on account of something he had heard. He identified them as Mrs Emery’s fowls. Superintendent Henry Ison Jebbett: he was deputy chief constable. On 29 September he went to the house of William Haynes. Haynes’s father showed him the fowls. They corresponded with the description of those lost by Mrs Emery. He took possession of them and showed them to John Emery, who identified them as his mothers. William Haynes: a dealer living in Wootton. He recognizes the fowls as those he had bought from the prisoner some weeks ago. He gave 4 shillings and sixpence for them and some others. Statement of the accused: he had set the hens on eggs in the first week of June. He had the eggs from Mrs Benson. He had half a score and put with other they made 13. They were half bred black Spanish. He had a cock and 2 hens of Spanish fowls himself the previous Summer. His brother, the baker, his wife, father, mother and 2 men at work, Joseph Wheeler and Perry, the stationmaster all saw the fowls. Mr Edmund Jeffs was at his house in July and saw them. They were not old enough to run away. 9 eggs hatched and 3 died. Fred Hall saw them in the middle of July.

item

Jeffs, James,
Hart, William,
Jebbett, Henry Ison,
Haynes, William,
Emery, Elizabeth,
Wheeler, Joseph,
Hall, Fred,
Jeffs, Edmund

KEMPSTON, WOOTTON, Kempston Hardwick, stealing, fowls, dealer