QSR1847/2/5/3/a

Depositions and examinations - James Thoroughgood charged with stealing 6 live fowls from William Drewett

19 March 1847

From: 1847 To: 1847

Elizabeth Walker – she is servant to Mr William Drewett of Luton. On Monday 8 March the fowls were all right and in their property place over the pig sty. There were 6 of them. Between 9 and 10pm James Thorogood and a man named Fensom came for a sack of flour. She lighted Fensom to the loft and Thorogood stayed in the yard and carried out the sack of flour. Thorogood worked for Mr Drewett for some time and knows where the fowls are kept. PC Millard showed her some fowls, 2 of which she can swear belong to Mr Drewett – one is a very peculiar colour, one is the mother and the other is the chicken. On Tuesday morning she saw some feathers lying about and about 11am she began to look for the fowls and could not find them. John Millard of Luton, police constable – on Tuesday 9 march he received information that William Drewett had lost some fowls. From information he received he searched a rick belonging to William Townrow on Winsdon Hills in Luton. Under the thatch he found 29 fowls. Twelve of them were unpicked and the rest picked. The place where he found them was so high no one could reach it without a ladder or standing on some other person’s shoulders. He took them to the Cage, and showed them to Elizabeth Walker who identified 2 of them as her master’s property. On Monday 15 March he apprehended Thorogood at Bedford. Thorogood was told it was for stealing 29 fowls from Mr Drewett, Mr Brown and Mr Adams. Thorogood said he could prove where he was that night, and later said “what is it whether I like to go to London to buy fish and come down to Luton and sell them”. When he asked Thorogood where he was on the previous Monday night Thorogood said he was on the road from London, that he had started there on Sunday afternoon, bought some fish, came back on Tuesday morning, and took them to Luton and sold them. Thorogood said he supposed Drewett suspected him because he was there and helped a man to fetch a sack of flour away. Arktavious Walter Wooding Godfrey of Luton, labourer – on Wednesday 10 March about 9pm James Thorogood told him he had 4 fowls hidden, 2 of them picked and 2 not, and asked him to go with him, fetch them and cook them. Thorogood said they were in Mr Townrow’s hayrick on Winsdon Hills under the thatch. Thorogood said there must be two because one must stand on the other’s shoulders. He saw Thorogood again on Saturday morning, and he said that Allen and Betts knew where they were and it was no good to go for he dare say they had been and fetched them. William Wilds of Luton, labourer – last Saturday afternoon he was with Jonathan Munn opposite Mr Waller’s shop in Luton. Thorogood was standing opposite Pigotts. Munn had mentioned to him that he knew a young man who had got some fowls. Munn beckoned Thorogood over and asked if he could have some that night. Thorogood said he could and arranged to meet him at the Shoulder of Mutton at 7pm. Thorogood said if they wanted any he would fetch them. He asked Thorogood how many there were – he said 12 or 13 picked, and it would be best to have the picked ones as if they found any feathers they would be done. Thorogood said they had been there a day or two and wanted moving or they would be good for nothing. He saw Thorogood again between 11 and 12 at night at the Traveller’s Rest and said “what a liar you are Winny”. Thorogood said “it is a stale game there is no [haste?] now”. Jonathan Munn of Luton, labourer – on Friday 12 March he went into the Old English Gentleman public house in Luton. Thorogood lay on a form asleep. Thorogood woke up and asked him if he knew anyone who wanted any fowls. He said no. Thorogood said he had about 12 or 14 picked. He asked if they were all right. Throrogood said they were all square enough, nobody had found them. The fowls had laid there 3 or 4 nights. On 13 March he was going down the street at Luton with William Wilds and saw Thorogood talking to Godfrey opposite Pigotts. Thorogood asked if they had a mind to have some of them. He said it was a pity for them to lay there and spoil, so he could bring half a dozen and they would have a look at them. He said he would be at the Shoulder of Mutton at 7pm. He did not go there till past 8 and saw no more of Thorogood that night. Charles Maffey of Luton, police constable – on Sunday 14 March he went to William Townrow’s clover rick on Winsdon Hills with PC Millard. They took the fowls produced from under the thatch. 17 of the fowls are picked and the rest unpicked. On Tuesday 9 March he heard that Mr Drewett had lost some fowls. He went to Drewett’s yard and saw a quantity of feathers near where the hens roosted. He could see where someone had got over the wall into the Meeting House yard. He saw some dirt on the wall and a footmark where someone had been standing on the curb of the dunghill near the roost.

item

Thoroughgood, James,
Walker, Elizabeth,
Drewett, William,
Millard, John,
Godfrey, Arktavious Walter Wooding,
Townrow, William,
Wilds, William,
Munn, Jonathan,
Maffey, Charles

LUTON, stealing animals, fowls, domestic servant, flour, police constable, Luton Travellers Rest, Luton Shoulder of Mutton, Luton Old English Gentleman