QSR1847/3/5/44-46/a

Depositions and examination - Frederick Hidson, George Hancocks and John Jones, charged with stealing 1/2 lb of butter and 1/2 lb of currants, value 6d, from Henry Bird at Chalgrave on 18 June 1847

28 June 1847

From: 1847 To: 1847

Henry Bird of Hockliffe in the parish of Chalgrave – about 3.30pm on June 18th he left his shop with ½ lb of butter and ½ lb currants lying on the counter. Bother were in paper. When he came back no more than 2 minutes later they were gone. He went out and saw the 3 prisoners going up the hill towards Little Brickhill. He went after them. They all denied being in the grocer’s shop. Hidson had a handkerchief with a quart measure in it. He took it from him and in the measure found ½ lb of butter, which has the same marks as the other butter in his shop. He did not find any currants on them. He took them all back to his house and about 4 minutes later the policeman came and took them into custody. His daughter Elizabeth went for the policeman without waiting for his orders. He put his parish handcuffs on all the prisoners and gave the quart pot with the butter in it to Clough. Hancocks told him after he brought them back to the shop that they had been in and taken the butter and currants. William Clough, police constable stationed at Hockliffe – he was sent for to Bird’s shop and found the 3 prisoners handcuffed together. Bird gave them into his custody. He asked the prisoners if they wished to account for being in possession of the butter. One f them said “we went into the shop to beg and not being able to get anything we took the butter and currants”. Frederick Hidson, George Hancox and John Jones – nothing to say.

item

Hidson, Frederick,
Hancocks, George,
Jones, John,
Bird, Henry,
Clough, William

CHALGRAVE, HOCKLIFFE, stealing, butter, currants, , grocers, police constables, vagrancy