QSR1863/2/5/2-4

Depositions of William Langley, farm bailiff of Tingrith. Thomas Bunker, shepherd of Milton Bryan. George Sear, Edmund Sear, labourers of Eversholt. John Carr, labourer of Tingrith. James Gurney, labourer of Eversholt. Henry Brinklow, labourer of Tingrith. Samuel Musgrove, police constable stationed at Tingrith. William Ralph Young, superintendent of police at Woburn. In the case of John Gurney, John Fairey and Joseph Short accused of stealing a lamb.

20 March 1863

From: 1863 To: 1863

William Langley: a farm bailiff to Misses Trevors. He knew the shepherd had 43 lambs in a close called the Little Braid at Tingrith. He was informed on Saturday 7 March that one of the lambs was missing. The lambs were the property of Misses Trevors. He saw a dead lamb at the policeman’s at Eversholt on Sunday. It had the value of about 12 shillings. There was a small hovel in Little Braid for the shelter of the cattle. The prisoner, Short, had worked for him for 7 years and he never had reason to suspect his honesty. Thomas Bunker: he was a shepherd employed by Misses Trevors at Tingrith. On 6 March there were 43 lambs in Little Braid Close. The next morning he counted the lambs and there was a lamb missing. There were 22 ewes and each had 2 lambs except for one. He informed Mr Langley of the missing lamb. He knew the lamb which was missed and on the following Sunday saw the dead lamb at the police constables house. He knew it to be the lamb he had missed. It appeared to have been killed by wringing its neck and there was a hole in its neck made by a small knife. It was a half bred lamb. The prisoner, Short, helped with the lambs. George Sear: he lived with his parents at Wits End, Eversholt. There were 4 houses together and 2 of them were empty. John Gurney lived with his brother, James, in one of the houses. There was a pile of fagots by the side of the road at the end of the houses. Part of the fagots belonged to his father and part to James Gurney. On 7 March he saw a bird fly out of the pile and went to the spot expecting to find a bird’s nest. On moving the fagots he found a dead lamb. He told his father. Edmund Sear: On Friday 6 March a lamb was found in a stack of wood at the end of his premises. His son, George, pointed it out to him. It was concealed in the stack. He delivered the lamb to PC Musgrove. John Carr: he lived near Toddington Lane Hand Post in Tingrith. On 6 March he was at Brinkler’s public house until nearly 11pm. The 3 prisoners were also there. They all left together and came up towards Toddington Lane Hand Post. Fairey played a concertina there and they all jumped about for a quarter of an hour. They all went away except he and the 3 prisoners, Thomas Armsden and Mrs Brinklow, who had come to fetch her son, the prisoner Short, home. He went in and left them there having first given Short and Fairey a light for their pipes. James Gurney: he was a general dealer ay Wills End Eversholt. One of the prisoners, John Gurney, was his brother and lived with him. On Tuesday 10 March he went with Superintendent Young and searched his stable. In the loft he saw a smock and found it to be the one his brother had on the 6 March. Henry Brinklow: he lived with his parents at Tingrith. PC Musgrove came to their house. The prisoner, Joseph Short, was his half brother. The policeman asked him for his trousers. He went into the kitchen and fetched them. His brother wore them on the night of the party at Brinkler’s public house. He remembered there being a party there because it was shoe club. His brother and he slept in the same bed. He remembered it being nearly 12 midnight when his brother went to bed on the Friday night and he did not go out after his mother had tucked him up. You could not get to the bedroom without going through the bedroom in which his father and mother slept. His brother assisted in cutting the lambs for Mr Langley. He had worn the same trousers when cutting the lambs. PC Samuel Musgrove: on 7 March he received from Edmund Sear, the carcase of a lamb. He showed it to Bunker who identified it as one of Miss Trevors lambs. On 12 March he thoroughly searched the close called Little Braid and in a hovel he found a knife. On the same day he went to Short’s house and received from his brother a pair of trousers marked with blood. On 9 March he took John Gurney into custody and told him the charge. Gurney replied “very well. I expect we shall be done now”. He had apprehended the prisoner’s brother the previous day. On 10 March he apprehended Fairey. On 11 March he apprehended Short who said he knew nothing about the charge. He noticed a spot of blood on Fairey’s jacket which he had partly rubbed out. William Ralph Young: on 10 March he searched a stable in the occupation of John Gurney at Wits End and found a slop messed with blood. The slop was stored away at the back of the loft behind some wood. The prisoners had been in since custody since they were remanded on 12 March. Gurney and Fairey expressed a wish to make a statement to him. Gurney made a statement which Young wrote down which Gurney signed after a slight alteration [full statement detailed] Young did the same with Fairey. [full statement detailed]. Short was not present when the statements were made. Gurney and Fairey made their statements separately. Statement of the accused: John Gurney – he had nothing to say John Fairey – nothing to say Joseph Short – he was innocent and knew nothing about it.

item

Gurney, John,
Fairey, John,
Short, Joseph,
Langley, William,
Bunker, Thomas,
Sear, Edmund,
Sear, George,
Carr, John,
Gurney, James,
Brinklow, Henry,
Musgrove, Samuel,
Young, William Ralph,
Brinkler

TINGRITH, MILTON BRYAN, EVERSHOLT, WOBURN, farm bailiff, shepherd, stealing animals, lamb