Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    QSR1837/1/5/14-15
  • Title
    Depositions and examinations - John Fletcher and James Scrivener charged with sheep stealing
  • Date free text
    17 November 1836
  • Production date
    From: 1836 To: 1837
  • Scope and Content
    Francis Cooke of Sundon – yesterday evening about 7pm he went with the constable of Sundon Thomas Holman to search Ann Scrivener’s house for some rabbits and fowls which had been stolen from his premises. He did not find his property. Over the fire was a tin boiler. He looked inside and found ribs and a breast of mutton which had not long been in the pot. Thomas Holman took the meat out. Both Scrivener and Fletcher were present. He was accompanied in his search by Francis Davis and Charles Tompson of Sundon. Francis Davis of Streatley – he accompanied Francis Cooke and Thomas Holman to execute a search warrant at the house of Ann Scrivener yesterday evening. He saw the ribs and breast of mutton found inside the tin boiler. Fletcher, John Scrivener and Ann Scrivener were in the room. He asked when they got the mutton. Fletcher said he found it on the road coming from Dunstable yesterday morning. He sent his shepherd John Brightman to elet the sheep out of the fold and he brought home the skin of a Southdown sheep at about 8 o’clock. The skin is his property. The bits of mutton corresponded with the bits of flesh and fat attached to the skin. It is a ewe. He tracked the footsteps of 2 persons from his fold to about 100 yards in the middle of the field where he found entrails, a head and part of the feet of a sheep, and then to the top gate which leads to Sundon. On Tuesday morning he had 30 sheep on his land where the fold was. He heard Ann Scrivener say she was in bed when the mutton was brought in. Fletcher contradicted her and then she said she was wrong. The mutton produced is the mutton they took out of the pot. Charles Tompson of Sundon – he accompanied Francis Cooke and Francis Davis to search the house of Ann Scrivener and John fletcher at Sundon. James Scrivener asked if he would like to go upstairs. He asked what was in the pot on the fire. Fletcher said there was some mutton in it. The pot was taken off the fire and the mutton taken out. Ann Scrivener said she was in bed when it was brought in. John Fletcher said she could not have been in bed as it was only brought in that afternoon. Ann Scrivener then said she believed it was. He then rode off to Streatley as fast as possible to secure the skin which was at Mr Davis’s. He later saw the mutton patterned by George Cooke and has no doubt it belonged to the skin. John Brightman of Streatley, labourer – on Tuesday evening he put 30 sheep into Mr Davis’ fold at Streatley. On Wednesday morning he went to the fold to let the sheep out. He began to set the fold. As he was putting up the 3 hurdle he found the stake loose – it had been taken out. He counted the sheep and found only 29. He then set the fold, turned the sheep into the new fold and did the gap up. Near the middle of the field he saw the skin of a sheep lying on the ground. It had his master’s brand F D on it. The skin was quite fresh and the entrails were laying inside. He took the skin home to his master. George Cooke of Harlington, butcher – las night he saw an apron containing 7 pieces of partly boiled mutton at Mr Davis’s. They had only been in the water a very little time. Francis Davis brought in a sheep skin and spread it open. He took the pieces of mutton and patterned them to the skin. They fit the places where flesh and fat had been left in the skin. He is a butcher and has no hesitation in saying that the skin had not been taken off by a man who understood his trade. James Scrivener – on Tuesday he went to Hitchin. He left about 7am and Scrivener went with him. They got to Hitchin (about 10 miles away) at about 12pm. They went into 3 beer shops as they went along. He paid for a quart of beer and he thinks Fletcher for a pint at Olney’s beer shop at Hexton. The next beer shop they went into was the Horse & Jockey at Hitchin. He paid for a quart there. The other beer shop was in Hitchin, where he had a pint by himself. Fletcher was not with him there. They did not sell anything at Hitchin. They set off home again about 2.30pm. They went to Hitchin to try to buy some fresh herrings to sell again. He had 2s when they set off out of which he paid for the beer. They did not have any beer or anything to eat coming home. They came home by Lilley and Luton. He went to Luton to seen a kinsman of his at Luton, a labouring man. They left there at 7pm . They got home about 8pm both together. He had a bit of bread and went to bed. He does not know whether Fletcher went to bed – he sleeps upstairs and Fletcher downstairs. Yesterday he got up between 5 and 6am. He and Fletcher got some wood out of a hedge and took it home. They boiled the kettle and had breakfast. They both went to Dunstable to try to buy some fresh herrings. He had 1s 2d in his pocket. They did not buy anything. They stayed at Dunstable until 2.30pm. A man he does not know gave them a pot of beer as they had helped him to unload a wagon. They set off together and had a pot of beer at Houghton. They left there about 3.30 and Fletcher saw some mutton in a ditch between Houghton and Chalton. They were walking in the road and Fletcher went to one side to do a job for himself. As Fletcher was doing up his breeches he saw the mutton lying. Fletcher picked it up and carried it off in his frock. They went into a beer shop at Chalton but did not have anything. He only went in to call a man named James Waller out and ask if he would stand any beer. Waller gave them a pot. There were many people in the house. Fletcher had the mutton in his frock all the time. Randall the beer shop keeper asked him what he had got. Randall said it was a bit of mutton he had found. They got home about 6pm. The boiler was not on the fire. His mother and his sister (who is Fletcher’s wife) did not say anything. He and Fletcher are not very good friends. The mutton was in a ditch. John Fletcher – he got up about 6am on Tuesday. He plaited until breakfast time. About 8am he and Scrivener set off to Hitchin. He did not have a drop fo beer all day nor a bit of victuals. They did not stop all the way to Hitchin. He went there to see his sister and Scrivener went with him. Her name is Sarah Chalkley. She lives at Gosmore. They had a little tea and victuals. They set off home again between 3 and 4. They came home by Lilly Hoo and Streatley. Neither of them had any money. He knows he did not have any and Scrivener did not spend any. It may have been 5 when they got to Streatley. They got home a little before 6. He had a bit of bread and potatoes for supper. Scrivener went up stairs to bed and he went to bed downstairs. He did not go out again that night. Next morning he called Scrivener. He did not go out except to wash his face, then he plaited until breakfast. After that they both went to Dunstable. He went to buy his boy a pair of shoes. He does not know what Scrivener went for. He bought the shoes for 1s. he had part of 3 pints of beer at Dunstable – ½ pint at he Nags Head and 1 ½ pints at the Anchor. He paid for it, and he and Scrivener drank it between them. They came home through Houghton. They had a pint at a beer shop there and he paid for it with his last 2d. it was then nearly 5pm. They went home along the road. As he was going along he picked up the mutton between Chalton and Sundon. It lay quite open just beside the road. He did not know what it was when he picked it up. He did not know it was mutton till he got home. Scrivener was close to him when he picked itup. They did not go to any more beer shops after that but went straight home. They did not call at anybody’s house. They met John Sanders but only said “goodnight”. They got home about 6pm. He picked up the mutton on the right hand side of the road. It was the ribs.
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