Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1858/4/5/1
  • Title
    Depositions of Charles Armiger Golding, farmer of Biddenham, James Johnson, shepherd of Biddenham, William Bedlow, police constable of Eaton Socon, John Burton, fellmonger of St Neots, Thomas Cross, labourer of Bedford, Samuel Chetham, fellmonger of Bedford, Ann Chetham, wife of Samuel, William Bench, police sergeant of Great Barford and James Pooles, beerhouse keeper of Bedford. In the case of Henry Barratt accused of stealing a sheep.
  • Date free text
    29 July 1858
  • Production date
    From: 1858 To: 1858
  • Scope and Content
    Charles Arminger Golding: he and his brother William Golding were joint proprietors of a farm at Biddenham. They had a flock of sheep. On 17 July the sheep were right. On 19 July one was missing. The policeman brought him the skin of a sheep 2 or 3 days ago and he swore to it being the sheep he had lost. The brand fitted exactly. He was not familiar with any farmer in the area using a similar brand. James Johnson: he was a shepherd in the employment of Messrs Golding. He recollected the morning of the 17 July that the sheep were all right. On the 19 July a sheep was missing. The policemen brought a skin which he was certain to be the skin of the sheep which was missing. He knew it by the brand. William Bedlam: having received information regarding the stolen sheep he went on the 25 July to Mr Faireys[?] at St Neots. In the yard he was a man by the name of John Burton who was in Fairey’s employment. He asked Burton if he had a sheepskin branded in the centre of the back with the letter G. He was given a skin which he showed to Mr Golding and his shepherd. John Burton: a servant of Mr Fairey. From orders he received he looked through the sheepskins and found one marked with a G on the centre of its back. He gave it to Mr Bedlow. Mr Chetham’s man had brought over a number of skins and that was one of them. His master was a fellmonger and he bought off a number of people. He had not known the name of Mr Chetham’s man. Thomas Cross: he took a load of skins to Fairey’s. There were 26 lambskins and 57 pelts. He delivered them to Mr Fairey’s yard and John Burton helped to empty them. Samuel Chetham: he was away from home and when he returned he found a strange skin in the shed. The prisoner called and he paid him a shilling for the skin. He sent Thomas Cross to St Neots with that and other skins. He had not noticed a mark on the skin. The sheep had been slaughtered by a butcher or a butcher’s man. Many of the skins may have been marked with a G. Ann Chetham: wife of Samuel. On the afternoon of 21 July the prisoner brought a skin to her husband’s yard. She said to him that he was quite a stranger and the prisoner asked if Mr Chetham was home. She told him to leave the skin as he husband would be home in the evening. Her little boy took the skin to the shed. The prisoner said it was not his skin and he was selling it for someone else. The prisoner had come in a cart. He threw the skin out of it and did not get out of it. The skin was kept separate until her husband returned. William Bench: on 26 July he arrested the prisoner at Kempston and told him the charge. The prisoner said he had taken the sheepskin to Mr Chetham and it had been a small half bred skin. The prisoner said he had bought it from Pooles, keeper of the beer shop in Guy Friars Walk and had given 10 pence for it. The prisoner said he had slaughtered the sheep for Pooles and took the skin off. He asked the prisoner if he noticed a branding and he replied there was no brand on the skin he had taken off. The prisoner said he had taken the skin to Mr Chetham and left it with Mrs Chetham. The prisoner said he had the money on the Friday as he had been to the Country Court and was hard up. James Pooles: the prisoner had killed a sheep for him on 14 July. It had been a half bred. The prisoner had killed no other sheep for him. There had been a mark of JW on the skin of the sheep. He sold the skin of the sheep to the prisoner for 10 pence. The skin produced was a different one. The sheep had been bought from Mr Bokenson [?] of Kempston the same day it was killed.
  • Reference
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