QSR1848/2/5/15

Depositions and examination - George Sear the younger charged with stealing 4 drakes and 2 guinea fowls (value 10s) from Edward Heighington at Woburn on 1 April 1848

3 April 1848

From: 1848 To: 1848

Joseph Burridge of Woburn, labourer – he is employed as horsekeeper to Edward Heighington who is a druggist and corndealer at Woburn. Heighington has a small farm yard near to his private dwellinghouse in which there are ducks and fowls. Part of his work is to feed and attend to them. He locked them all in the henhouse as usual on Friday night (31 March). There were 50 fowls, 9 ducks and 5 guinea fowls. The next morning he found the henhouse broken open and 4 drakes and 2 guinea fowls gone. There is a hole cut in the door at the bottom for the fowls to go in and out that is large enough for a boy to get through. The door appeared to have been forced open from the inside and the lock was broken. He later found 2 of the drakes hidden under the henhouse, which stands about 1 foot from the ground on 4 pillars. The drakes were dead. He also found a neckerchief near the henhouse. He later found something tied up in one of the corners, which he did not open. He took it with the drakes to Heighington’s house and put them on the dresser in the kitchen. He believes the neckerchief produced by Wilde is the one he found near the henhouse. In the afternoon he went with PC Wild to the farmyard and they patterned some footmarks with some shoes, which corresponded. Emma Hardon, singlewoman – she is in the service of Mr Heighington as cook. About 6am on Saturday 1 April she saw 2 dead ducks and a neckerchief lying on the dresser. She noticed something tied up in one of the corners – she untied it and found 4½ d in copper. She tied it up again and left it on the dresses. It was the neckerchief now produced by Wilde. James Wild, police constable stationed at Woburn – from information received he apprehended Sear. Sear admitted he had lost a neckerchief. He asked Sear if there was anything in it – Sear said there was a small amount of money. He showed him the neckerchief and Sear said it was his. The pattern was exactly the same as that on the neckerchief Sear was wearing, and the two put together form a square piece. He took Sear’s shoes and compared them with some footmarks leading to the henhouse. They corresponded. George Sear of Woburn, shoemaker – he is the father of the prisoner, who lives with him. His son came home between 11 and 12 on Friday night, having gone out between 8 and 9. His son stayed about ¾ hour then went out again. He does not know what time he came home. He was in bed. They sleep in the same room. William Ralph Young of Woburn, superintendent of police – he produces the neckerchief taken from Sear’s neck on Saturday, which is part of the same square as the other. He helped PC Wild compare the shoes and has no doubt that one particular footmark near the fowl house was made by the left shoe. George Sear – denies the charge and will not ask or answer any questions.

item

Sear, George,
Heighington, Edward,
Burridge, Joseph,
Haydon, Emma,
Wild, James,
Sear, George,
Young, William Ralph

WOBURN, stealing animals, ducks, poultry, horsekeeper, corn dealer, druggist