QSR1837/3/5/7

Depositions and examination - George Sale

1 May 1837

From: 1837 To: 1837

John Bland of Langford, labourer – about 5.30am on Sunday 30 April he was coming to his work at Mr Grant’s farm in Langford and found a lamb lying dead in the footway. When he reached the farm he called Mr Grant up. Mr Grant asked him to fetch the lamb which he did. Mr Grant asked him to take it to the wheat hovel and send for Mr Waldock. His master said the lamb was not his property but belonged to either Mr Waldock or Mr Brown. When Mr Waldock was shown the lamb he said it was his property. Henry Waldock of Langford – about 6am on Sunday morning his servant called him and informed him Bland had found a dead lamp. He got up, went into the close and found a lamb was lost. The mother of the lamb was bleating about the close. He went up to Mr Grant’s far. Bland showed him to the wheat house where he saw the lamb which he recognised as his property. Mr Grant went with him to the place where it was found. He saw fresh blood. He then went on to the path to the cart hovel belonging to his farm where they saw a quantity of blood and wool. He then sent for William Edwards of Langford to ask if he though it was possible for him to find it out. He told Edwards to go round to the different public houses and see if anyone from Langford had been drinking in the neighbourhood. He dressed the lamb and on examination found 5 or 6 wounds, apparently made with a blunt knife. The lamb appeared to have been dead at least 12 hours. Hse saw the same foot marks against the cart hovel that he saw I the footpath where the lamb was found. William Edwards of Langford – he was sent for to Mr Waldock’s house. When he got there Mr Waldock told him a lamb had been killed in the night and asked if he could find out who had done it. He found footsteps on the path to Astwick like those in the path where the lamb was found and near the hovel. He went to Mr Craft’s public house in Astwick and learnt that the last people that left his house for Langford were George Sale, his father John Sale and his cousin Charles Sale. He then went to Mr Waldock’s and told him what he had learned, then to John Sale’s house in Langford. He asked John Sale what time he came home last night. John Sale said just after dusk. He asked if John Sale had seen anyone about, and he said he had not. He asked who came home with him – he said Charles Sale, and that George Sale was with them when they left Mr Craft’s but stopped at Astwick talking to someone and did not get home until the middle of the night or until nearly morning as he had fallen down in thatch very drunk. He went to George Sale with an excuse to see whether his clothes were bloody or not. He found George Sale very much alarmed with blood on his leggings and shoes. He told Sale he must detain him on suspicion of felony. Sale first said he came home with his father and Charles Sale, and then that he went with them as far as Mr Brown’s field where he stopped to ease himself. He took Sale’s shoes and leggings, searched his pocket and took a knife from him. He had previously sent for a constable. They took Sale to his house and took his trousers. He found the trousers, garters, shoes and knife stained with blood. The knife and trousers had wool on them. He later patterned the shoes with the foot marks by the hovel and they corresponded. He charged the constable to keep Sale. That morning he went to Mr Waldock’s and compared the shoes and the footmarks in the presence of Henry Waldock and George Frederick Stocker of Baldock (Herts) and found they corresponded. William Craft, publican of Askwick – George, John and Charles Sale were at his house on Saturday evening and left between 7 and 8pm They had had plenty of beer but were not drunk. He did not see blood on any of them. They left his house the back way and went in the direction of Astwick. William Street, constable of Langford – on Sunday 30 April he was sent for by William Edwards to come to the Boot public house. When he arrived Edwards desired him to take George Sale into custody. He waited at the Boot a little time, then went with George Sale to his house. While he was there Sale wanted to pull off his trousers. He objected to it and told him to wait until Edwards came back again, which he did. He examined the trousers and saw blood on them. He also saw blood and wool on a knife taken from Sale and blood on gaiters belonging to Sale. George Sale – he left Craft’s house about 7.30 on Saturday evening with his father, his cousin, George Cooper and Joe Cooper of Stotfold. They came together as afar as Fordham’s Mill. He stood talking with George Cooper about 5 or 6 minutes. He said he must go on or he would not catch his father. He walked and ran as fast as he could until he got over Mr Waldock’s ground and saw his father just on the hill going out of Mr Kingsley’s field into Mr Brown’s. When he got to Mr Brown’s field he stopped to do a job for himself. He walked home as fast as he could and had some supper. After supper he went out of doors. He heard the Henlow clock strike nine.

item

Sale, George,
Waldock, Henry,
Bland, John,
Edwards, William,
Sale, John,
Sale, Charles,
Craft, William,
Stocker, George Frederick,
Street, William

LANGFORD, ASTWICK, HENLOW, Baldock, stealing, stealing animals, sheep, Public House, drunkenness, constable, Langford Boot, clocks