QSR1847/3/5/42

Depositions and examination - George Russell of Salford charged wtih stealing one lamb (value £1 10s) belonging to Benjamin Dawkes of Stoke Goldington (Bucks) at Holcut on 10 June 1847

18 June 1847

From: 1847 To: 1847

James Clarke of Holcot, labourer – he works for William Readman of Holcot, a farmer. Mr Benjamin Dawkes of Stoke Goldington has some sheep and lambs on Mr Readman’s farm which he attends to. On Thrusday 10 June he missed one lamb about 7pm. Russell was in Mr Readman’s employ about 3 weeks earlier. He remembers Russell saying to him “if I was out of work I would soon have a sheep or lamb”. On Friday 11 June he was with PC Kitchener when they found the missing lamb in a ditch in the next field. I t had been struck by the side of the wind pipe. The flank part was gone. The head, part of the legs and the shoulders were left. He knows it to be the same lamb. It had Dawkes mark on it. John Howlett of Holcot, labourer – he is employed by Mr Readman. Russell left Readman’s employ about a month ago. The day he left Russell said to him “Good bye, I shan’t see you no more perhaps a long while. I’ll soon do something to get transported if I don’t get any work”. He saw Russell on the farm the day before the lamb was missed. On that morning a lamb was found stabbed on the farm at about 5am. Russell was in the adjacent field to where the lamb was stabbed when he saw him. There is a gate between the fields. He called to Russell but Russell turned his head away and did not answer. John Kitchener, police constable – on Friday he helped to search for the lamb. He found it in a ditch in the adjoining field to where it was last seen. It was as described by Clarke. Clarke identified it by Dawkes’ mark. He took Russell into custody. Russell’s small clothes appeared to have been lately smeared with blood, as if blood had been spurted on it and then smeared with something. He asked Russell to account for the blood. Russell said it was done killing a jackdaw the night before. Russell said he killed it between his knees and cut the head off. As they were going towards Woburn from Aspley after he had been remanded by a magistrate they passed some people working in a hay field. Russell said “I had better come and seek for a job at haywork than have had anything to do with that lamb”. Henry Ison Jebbett, deputy chief constable, rural police – he brought Russell there from Bedford. On the road near Woburn 2 women met them and spoke to Russell. One said “Be very careful and don’t get your mother in a mess”. Russell said “I don’t intend doing that. I shall clear her”. Russell has since said to him that his mother knew nothing about it and he told her he had bought the meat he took home. He asked what meat Russell meant. Russell said it was part of the lamb which belonged to the gentleman that passed them in a gig – that was Mr Dawkes. Russell also said he had stuck one lamb in the throat the same as killing a pig, but he could not kill it. He thinks Russell was speaking of the day before. Russell also said he stuck the lamb he killed through the windpipe. Russell repeated that his mother knew nothing about it, and said his reason for killing the lamb was that he had only one day’s work that week. George Russell – he killed the lamb. He told his mother he bought it and skinned the part he took home.

item

Russell, George,
Dawkes, Benjamin,
Clarke, James,
Howlett, John,
Kitchener, John,
Jebbett, Henry Ison,
Readman, William

HOLCOT, SALFORD, Stoke Goldington, stealing animals, sheep, farmer, farm labourer, police constable, Deputy Chief Constable, transportation