QSR1847/3/5/15/c

Depositions and examination - John Dean charged with stealing a blue roan mare (value £30) from Joseph Stevens at Eggington on 31 July 1846.

1 May 1847

From: 1846 To: 1847

Joseph Stevens of Landbeach (Cambs), farmer – on 31 July he was called by his man about 4am and found the mare missing from his yard. He found a rail had been removed through which she had been taken at the back part of the premises. He could not trace her footsteps but heard of her on the road at Cambridge. He lost trace of her at St Neots and saw her again on 5 August in the possession of Mr Bates at Ampthill. He saw two men at his house at Land Beach the day before he lost the mare and had some conversation with them regarding her. One of the men was William Brown who he prosecuted for the offence and who was sentenced to transportation last October. The other man was John Dean. He did not particularly observe his hands. Both of the men came to the door from the house where they were drinking some beer. They asked him if there were any open commons about. They had a hackney saddle with them. He told his man in their hearing to keep the horses in the yard. He has no doubt that Dean was one of the men. John Batchelor of Eggington, farmer – on Monday 27 July 1846 he saw Dean and William Brown at Leighton Buzzard. Dean promised to show him a horse at his house in Eggington on the Wednesday. Dean and Brown came on the Friday, 31 July, and brought him 2 mares. Dean said the horses were costing him a good deal of money for keep and he did not have full employment for them. Dean recommended the blue roan mare but said he could have which he liked. Dean asked £30 for the blue roan mare. He gave him £11 and a pony for her. On Monday 3 August he heard the mare had been stolen. Mr Bates took him away. He understood the mare to be one Dean had been working on the railroad. Dean said he had used her for 11 months. She seemed very much jaded and went very stiff. He had known Dean nearly all his life. James Bates of Ampthill, superintendent of police – he heard 2 mares had been stolen from Land Beach, made inquiries, and on 3 August found one of them in the possession of Mr Batchelar at Eggington. Mr Stevens identified her as his property.

item

Dean, John,
Stevens, Joseph,
Batchelor, John,
Brown, William,
Bates, James

EGGINGTON, AMPTHILL, Landbeach, horse theft, horses, farmer, police superintendent