QSR1837/1/5/20-22

Depositions and examinations - Reuben Cox, James Major and Richard Hack

12 December 1836

From: 1836 To: 1837

Mary Martindale, wife of Henry Martindale of Westoning, Bedfordshire, farmer - on Saturday evening all 15 of their fowls were safe. She saw them all go to roost in the hovel. Yesterday morning between 8 and 9am she went into the hovel and saw some feathers lying about. She missed 10 of the fowls – 6 old hens and 4 young fowls. She heard nothing of them until last night when they were called up by Charles Smith and another man who asked if they had lost any fowls. They were told that Mr Handscomb of Aspley had taken some from some men which he suspected were stolen. He went to Aspley this morning to see them at Mr Handscomb’s. There were 4 of the old hens and 4 young fowls, which she is certain are her husband’s property. Two of the young fowls are dead. They are worth at least 18d a piece. William Hanscomb of Aspley Guise, nurseryman – yesterday morning he saw Richard Hack lurking about the lane by the side of his nursery ground. Thinking he was a suspicious character he asked his neighbour Joseph Turney if he knew him. Turney said he did not but thought he was a companion of some men who were at Rush’s Beer House with some fowls for sale. He directed Turney to go and try to buy them. Hack went to Rush’s directly after Turney. He also went. When he got to the yard of Rush’s house he saw Turney and the two prisoners Cox and Major standing together with 3 fowls. Turney was just buying them for 1s 6d. Two of the fowls got away. He thinks Hack was holding the bag and the other two helped to catch them. All 3 prisoners took part in dealing with Turney. One of the hens now produced is one he saw Turney buy. He and Turney did all this for the purpose of detecting the men. A few minutes later he went back to Rush’s to ask about the men and found they were gone, and that they had 5 fowls which Rush had detained for their reckoning. He agreed to give Rush 3s 6d for them which was the amount the men had left unpaid. Rush said he only knew Major. The 5 fowls were the 3 old hens and the 2 dead young fowls now produced. They were dead when he bought them. He then went in pursuit of the prisoners and with assistance took them into custody at Crawley. Cox and Major claimed to have bought the fowls. Hack did not say anything and appeared quite drunk. None of them would give their names or say where they bought the fowls. Joseph Turney of Aspley Guise – he saw Cox and Major at Rush’s beer house and heard they had some fowls. They came out of the house and whistled and called out to Hack, who he had seen loitering near Mr Handsomb’s plantation. Hack came running up. Cox had a bag in his hands. He asked if he had some fowls. Cox said he had and offered to sell them to him. All 3 prisoners were together. They bargained a little and he examined the fowls. They were the hen with a tassel now produced and the 2 live young fowls now produced. He bought them for 18d. Two of them got away. Cox gave the bag to Hack and Cox and Major helped to catch them. He gave the money to Cox. Both Major and Hack took part in the deal, and all 3 left together. Cox claimed they had bought the fowls. William Marriott of Aspley Guise, labourer – he is night watchman at Aspley. About 4.30am yesterday he saw the 3 prisoners coming into Aspley from the direction of Crawley. Cox had a bag at his back containing something. They enquired for a man named Thomas Perry. He told them Perry lived on Aspley Heath. They went on in that direction. He walked with them until they were off his beat. He pushed himself against the bag to try to make out what was in it. What was in the bag was as big as 10 or a dozen fowls. Thomas Perry deals in fowls. Reuben Cox – they were coming home from Westoning towards Wood End and met two men. They stood talking together and the men said they had got some fowls and asked them to buy them. They said they hadn’t much money. They agreed 8s and bought the fowls. He, Major and Hack made up the money between them. There were 8 live fowls and 2 dead. They asked the men where they got the fowls but they would not tell them. He did not know their names. About 10 minutes later the men went away. H, Hack and Major decided to take them to Thomas Perry at Aspley, but Perry would not buy them. They then took them to Aspley and sold them. Turney bought 3, Rush at the beer shop bought 2 or 4. He can’t say who had the others. H did not take particular account of how much they made for them all. James Major – all he has to say is that he, Cox and Hack gave 8s for the fowls as Cox says. He does not know either of the men they bought the fowls from. Richard Hack – he has no more to say than Cox and Major have said. They were out all night. When they bought the fowls they did not know which way in particular they were going.

item

Cox, Reuben,
Major, James,
Hack, Richard,
Martindale, Henry,
Martindale, Mary,
Handscomb, William,
Smith, Charles,
Turney, Joseph,
Marriott, William,
Perry, Thomas

WESTONING, stealing, stealing animals, fowls, farmer, nurseryman, beer houses