QSR1863/1/5/16-17

Depositions of James Hillsden, woodman of Knotting. Thomas Simmonds, superintendent of police of Sharnbrook. In the case of Edward Neale, a tramp and William Clarke, a tramp accused of breaking and entering a dwelling house and therein stealing a knife, 3 handkerchiefs, a coat, a razor, a pair of gloves and money to the sum of 11 pence half penny.

30 December 1862

From: 1862 To: 1863

James Hillsden: on the morning of Sunday 21 December, he and his wife left their home at Fox Cottages, Knotting to go to Oakley. The house was locked. They met the 2 prisoners on the road about 2 miles from Knotting. They returned home about 8pm. They found that the kitchen window had been broken and someone had been through the house. They missed a coat, a razor, a pocket knife, 3 pocket handkerchiefs, a pair of worsted gloves, a pocket books, a book of household prayers and 10 ½ in copper. There was blood on a shirt and the staircase as if from a bleeding hand. He had since seen the razor, knife and handkerchiefs and he identified them as his property. The coat produced by Superintendent Simmonds was his. He was present when Superintendent Simmonds searched the 2 prisoners at Market Harborough. They were the 2 persons they had passed on the road on the way to Oakley. Superintendent Simmonds: he was informed by Hillsden of the house being broken open. He made inquiries and went to Market Harborough. Hillsden went with him. At a public house in Market Harborough he found the 2 prisoners in bed together. He asked each of them which were their clothes. They pointed them our and in the pockets of Neale’s coat he found the razor and cotton pocket handkerchief. In Clarke’s pocket he found the silk handkerchief and the pocket knife. Hillsden was with him and identified the articles as those he had lost. He directed the prisoners to dress themselves and took them into custody. The following day he found the coat in a shop at Harborough where it had been sold for 3s 6d. He knew the coat from the description he had been given by Hillsden. He later passed the shop with the prisoners and called the shopkeeper and asked if they were the men who had sold him the coat. The shopkeeper stated they were and they had come together and he had bought the coat from the tallest one. He examined Neale’s hand and found skin cut from one of his fingers. Statement of the accused: Edward Neale - they found the things on the road between Sharnbrook and Wellingborough. William Clark – he had nothing to say but “what he had said”.

item

Hillsden, James,
Simmonds, Thomas,
Neale, Edward,
Clarke, William

KNOTTING, Market Harborough, woodman, breaking & entering, handkerchief, gloves, knife