QSR1847/3/5/39-40/b

Depositions and examinations - John Dearman and John Inns charged with stealing one duck (value 2s) belonging to John Adams at Tilsworth on 3 June 1847

4 June 1847

From: 1847 To: 1847

William King - he lives at Hockliffe and works for John Adams. He has care of the poultry. About 5am on Thursday 3 June he saw one duck was out. He went to look and missed the other. The door was shut and there was no hole through which the ducks could have got out. The missing duck was white with a brown head. He believes the head produced by Jonas Bunker is the head of the missing duck and the body produced by PC Clough belongs to the same duck. He knows it by the feathers being pecked off and the skin being clear between the legs and the wings across the back, and also by the vent being bloody – it always laid eggs bloody. William Clough, police constable stationed at Hockliffe – on Thurday 3 June he heard John Inwards had lost some fowls. He traced some feathers to a wheat field and found some duck’s feathers and some fowl’s feathers, wings and legs. He traced the feathers to the next field where the prisoners were at work. He saw that both prisoners had feathers and down sticking to their clothes and white down about their heads. There was fresh blood on Inns frock with white down sticking to it, and fresh blood on Dearman’s clothes. He saw Dearman’s coat and waistcoat lying near the hedge, and under them he found the body of the duck now produced. He took both the prisoners into custody. Adams’ farm yard and Inwards’ farm yard are near together. Jonas Bunker, parish constable of Tilsworth – he was with PC Clough and tracked the feathers and down with him. Some of the feathers were duck feathers. He found the heads and legs and wings of two fowls and also the head of a duck. He saw the marks of fresh blood, feathers and down on both the prisoners. John Dearman – he was not there. He never did such a thing in his life. It is very wrong to say there was fresh blood or feathers on his clothes. He went to a public house on Wednesday evening and went home at 11pm John Inns – there was no down on his frock. He was not there. He did not steal the duck. He did not say he was in bed by 10pm.

item

Dearman, John,
Inns, John,
Adams, John,
King, William,
Clough, William,
Bunker, Jonas,
Inwards, John

HOCKLIFFE, TILSWORTH, stealing animals, ducks, fowls, farmer, police constable, parish constable