QSR1863/3/5/1

Depositions of William Platt, farmer of Ridgmont. Joseph Horn, shepherd of Ridgmont. Benjamin George, police sergeant stationed at Toddington. In case of James Cook, butcher of Toddington, accused of stealing 3 teg sheep.

17 April 1863

From: 1863 To: 1863

William Platt: a farmer living at Bickerings Park Farm, Ridgmont. On 8 April he heard that some sheep had been stolen. He had not missed them but the following morning he ascertained he had missed 3 sheep. They were Teg sheep. He went to Toddington the same day and was shown 3 Teg sheep by the police. They were his sheep. Together they were valued at £7. Joseph Horn: shepherd to the prosecutor. On the morning of 9 April he missed 3 Teg sheep from one of his master’s fields in Lidlington. He missed 2 sheep from one pen and one from another pen. They had all been safe the previous day. On Thursday afternoon he was shown 3 Teg sheep at Toddington by the police. They were his master’s sheep. He knew them by their markings. Sergeant Benjamin Green: on 6 April he observed a cart at Toddington which, for reasons of his own, he followed. It turned up the prisoner’s yard at Toddington. The prisoner was a butcher and had a slaughter house up the yard. After the cart turned up the yard he went up the adjoining yard and saw the cart near the slaughter house. He heard cries in an undertone and a noise as if something heavy was lifted out of the cart. He went into the prisoner’s yard. He heard footsteps, it was the prisoner Cook. He asked him if there was anyone in the yard or if a horse and cart had been in the yard and Cook replied no to the questions. He left the yard and sent a man to watch the premises. He then went up the prisoner’s yard again and saw a horse and cart near the slaughter house, with the hind part of the cart near the slaughter house. A man ran away from the cart and went over the fence at the top of the yard. He followed him but the man got away in the dark. He then went to the prisoner’s premises and found sheep in the slaughter house. One of the sheep lay in a blood hole and had its legs tied. They were all alive. He examined the cart and saw fresh sheep dirt. On Thursday he showed the sheep to the prosecutor and the shepherd and they identified them. He found a basket of butcher’s tools in the yard. The prisoner said the tools were not his and he did not know the sheep were in his slaughter house. He took the prisoner into custody. Statement of the accused: on 6 April he was home at 3pm and then went to his fathers at Tebworth to kill a bullock. He got back between 7 and 8pm. His mother in law and a young woman were there when he got home. He stopped at home a while and then went to the Red Lion and had a pint of beer. He stopped until 10pm and brought some beer home for his wife’s supper. He sat and had a crust of bread. He said he needed to go to the privy and his wife said she had no wood for the fire. He said he would not go to the top of the yard as it was such a dark night. On coming back he saw PC George stood there and asked if there was a horse and cart in the yard or any sheep. He said there was nothing except a dog there. He went back inside and told his wife. She wanted him to go and check so he went to the bottom of the yard and he found a horse and cart there. John Smith was there with a candle and lantern and PC George. There was a basket there with tools in it and he was asked if it was his. He replied no as his basket had his name on it. He said he had no tools there to kill with as he didn’t kill at home. His knives were at his father’s in Tebworth. George pulled open the barn door and there were 3 sheep there. He said they were not his and he did not know who had brought them. He helped George catch one and take it down the yard. They met the hostler at the Bell and he helped George take the sheep away. He went home and told his wife someone had brought a horse and cart up the yard and run away and left them. He went back up the yard and John Smith was there with a candle and lantern. He read the name John Spacey, Milton Bryan from the horse and cart. It was his opinion they had meant to kill the sheep and take them away or they would not have left the horse there. George came back and caught the 2 other sheep and took away to the Bell at Toddington. He went with them. George called him to one side and asked if he knew anything about them. He said no but was taken into custody. He said plenty knew about his place as well as he. A fortnight previous John Clarke had asked him if he could kill at his shop and he replied he could when the place was furnished. Clarke said he often made a few shillings killing things but had no place to kill.

item

Cook, James,
Platt, William,
Horn, Joseph,
George, Benjamin,
Spacey, John

TODDINGTON, RIDGMONT, farmer, shepherd, butcher, stealing animals, sheep, Toddington Bell