QSR1860/3/5/11-14

Depositions of John Dover, farmer of Toddington. Thomas Smith of Toddington. Mary Ann Buckingham and Phoebe Buckingham, single women of Toddington. Benjamin George, police constable at Toddington. In the case of Benjamin Buckingham, John Buckingam, John Clarke and Edward Clarke accused of stealing 4 live fowls.

15 June 1860

From: 1860 To: 1860

John Dover: his farm was at Redhills. The prisoner Edward Clark was in his employment on the farm. On the evening of 1 June he was on his way from home to the village. Clarke ought to have left about the same time. About 9.45pm the same night, Thomas Smith of Toddington brought 4 fowls to him. They were dead but warm. One of the fowls he knew to be his property and believed the others to be. They were worth 6 shillings. Thomas Smith: he was employed by Mr Cooper’s Estate as a game watcher. About 10pm on 1 June he was watching some snares near a footpath leading from Redhills to Toddington. He saw 4 boys coming towards him. They were the 4 prisoners. He heard a voice say “We’ve got ‘em and we’ll keep ‘em”. He jumped over the stile and stopped and searched them. He found either 1 or 2 fowls on John Buckingham and a fowl on Benjamin Buckingham. They did not attempt to run away until after he had searched them. After they were gone he picked up a fourth fowl. The 3 fowls he had taken from them were from under their smocks. The fowls were dead but warm. He took them to the Griffin Inn at Toddington and saw Mr Dover there. Dover said they were his fowls. The next day he hit upon John Clark and the 2 Buckinghams. John Clarke asked him what he had done with ‘Nipper’. Edward Clarke went by the name of ‘Nipper’. John Clarke said ‘Nipper’ had one fowl but had dropped it in the wheat. Mary Ann Buckingham: daughter of James Buckingham and sister to Benjamin Buckingham. She had been there when Edward Clarke came and asked if her brother Ben was at home. She told him no and he said he had seen the policeman that morning and had told him that he knew nothing about it for he was not there and had not seen either of the others that night or since. Phoebe Buckingham: daughter of James Buckingham and sister to Benjamin. She was 12 years old. She had been near the rifle field and it was getting dark. He saw Benjamin, John Clark and John Buckingham going down Hoggs Lane together near the rifle field. PC Benjamin George: on the night of 1 June he was shown 4 fowls by Thomas Smith. On 6 June he apprehended the prisoner Edward Clarke, who said he knew nothing of the theft of the fowls. Clarke said he had not seen the other prisoners that night or since. On 7 June he apprehended John Clarke and charged him with the same. John Clarke said he knew nothing about it and had not gone to Redhills that night. John Clarke said he had been with John and Benjamin Clarke near the rifle field in Hog Lane and then saw them again near Bush’s field. As they went up Bush’s field they met Thomas Smith who stopped them. On 8 June he apprehended John and Benjamin Buckingham and charged them with the same robbery. Both Buckingham’s admitted being at Redhills in the company of the 2 other prisoners on the night of the robbery. They said Edward Clarke persuaded them to go. John Buckingham said Edward Clarke met him as he was going him from work in Hog Lane and Clarkes had asked him to go to Redhills as he knew where there were some fowls with the master and mistress not at home. Clarke said he would let the dog loose to catch the fowls. They all went to the farm together and left John Clarke near the farm to watch. Edward Clarke let the dog loose and caught a fowl which he gave to Benjamin Buckingham and told him to kill it. Edward Clarke then caught 2 more and gave them to John Buckingham. Edward Clarke then had a fowl himself. As soon as the dog had been released John Clarke ran away and they met him again on the bridleway and went into Bush’s field together, where they met Smith. The Clarke ran away and Edward dropped a fowl. Benjamin Buckingham was present whilst John Buckingham told him all of this. Red Hills farm was a mile from Toddington. Rifle field was in Hog Lane about a mile and a half from Red Hills farm. Statement of the accused: Benjamin Buckingham – he did not wish to say anything. John Buckingham - he did not wish to say anything. John Clarke – he had not run away. He never went changed the pace he was going at. He never stopped at Mr Dover’s Farm. He kept on straight down the road and went through the white gate and went up the road to the bridleway and as he was going down there they came up. Edward Clarke – he had not let the dog loose and the dog had not caught the fowls. John Buckingham never saw him. He asked him to go back and when they met up on the road. John Buckingham said he’d seen the master going in the Griffin yard with the mistress in a gig.

item

Buckingham, Benjamin,
Buckingham, John,
Dover, John,
Smith, Thomas,
Buckingham, Mary Ann,
Buckingham, Phoebe,
George, Benjamin,
Clarke, John,
Clarke, Edward

TODDINGTON, farmer, stealing, fowl