QSR1863/3/5/4,5

Depositions of William Platt, farmer of Ridgmont. Joseph Horn, shepherd of Ridgmont. Thomas Waters, labourer of Ridgmont. James Spacey, dealer of Milton Bryan. Eliza Spacey, single woman of Milton Bryan. Thomas Banwell, dealer of Milton Bryan. Ann Gurney, wife of James, labourer of Eversholt. James Webb, shepherd of Steppingley. John Cook, farmer of Steppingley. Benjamin Makeham, wheelwright of Steppingley. John Deacon of labourer of Lidlington. Benjamin George, police sergeant stationed at Toddington. Charles Horley, town crier of Toddington. William Ralph Young, superintendent of the police at Woburn. In case of Joseph Martin and John Clarke accused of stealing 3 teg sheep.

27 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. Thomas Waters: a farm servant in the employment of Mr Platt. On Easter Monday he had been in a field in Lidlington where Joseph Horn was counting the sheep. He heard him say they were all right. He remained in the field until 6pm and not of the sheep were removed whilst he was there. James Spacey: he was a dealer in wood and coal and other articles. He kept a horse and cart. He knew the prisoner John Clarke. On Saturday 4 April he saw Clarke at the Nags Head public house in Toddington. Clarke asked him to lend him the pony and cart as he had bought some pigs and wanted to fetch them home from Ridgmont. He told Clarke he could have it if he returned it in good time He left word at home that Clarke was to come for the horse and cart at 10am. The cart was still there at 12.30pm but had gone when he returned home at 6pm. The cart had his name upon it. The following day he saw the horse and cart at Milton with Sergeant George. Eliza Spacey: she lived with her mother at Milton Bryan. James Spacey was her brother as was living with them on 6 April. On the afternoon of that day, Clarke came to the house for her brother’s horse and cart. She had expected him. Clarke took the horse from the stable and harnessed it to the cart and went away to fetch some pigs. It was about 3pm. Thomas Banwell: he was a general dealer and knew Clarke well. He had been in his garden on the afternoon of 6 April which was near the end of Milton and on the way to Eversholt. He saw Clarke go by in Spacey’s horse and cart. There was a man walking a few yards before the cart. It was the prisoner Martin. On 8 April he went to Barnet and as he stood in the street Martin came up to him and said “Hullo Tom had there been a bit of bother down your way”. He replied there had and “you are in it”. They went to a public house together and talked about the sheep job during which Martin said it had not been him but his brother. He told Martin that whether it was him or not it had been him walking before the cart with Clarke and the report was they had clapped their hands on him in the yard. Martin said it was a lie and asked if he had seen Cook’s father. He said he had and Martin said he wanted to see him and he told Martin where to find him. Martin said they were all in the mess together. Martin said Cook was a b----- fool as he was to have met them but he had not. During the conversation Marti said that there had been sheep in the yard. Ann Gurney: she and her husband, James lived between Milton Bryan and Steppingley. On Easter Monday, 6 April, she saw James Spacey’s cart and horse pass the house going in the direction of Steppingley. There were 2 men in the cart. One was John Clarke and the other was pitted with small pox. James Webb: a shepherd employed by Mr Furze at Steppingley. On Easter Monday, between 5 and 6pm he was at the French Horn in Steppingley. He saw a cart with a white horse and it was standing in the yard of the public house. It was the same as he had since been shown. He went into the tap room and there were 2 men sitting together and drinking. He observed that the tall one was pitted with small pox. He conversed with them for some time. The men left about 6pm in the horse and cart. They left in the direction of Steppingley kiln. Whilst speaking to the men in the public house the men had said they were from Hemel Hempstead and were going to Hitchin. John Cook: a farmer at Steppingley. On 6 April he saw 2 men in the French Horn public house. They were having bread and cheese and drinking form the same mug. One was pitted with small pox. Horse and cart was in the yard. About 6.30pm the same day he saw the men pass him as he stood in the road. They were going towards Steppingley kiln, which would lead them to Millbrook Road and from there to Lidlington Road. It was about a mile and a half from where the sheep were stolen. Benjamin Makeham: he had been with John Cook when they had seen the men pass by his house in a horse and cart. John Deacon: he lived near the Turnpike Gate in Lidlington. His garden was about 150 yards from the field from which the sheep were stolen. He noticed a white horse and cart come towards him. It stopped and turned by the green and went back in the direction of Ampthill. There were 2 men with it. One got out of the cart and went to the ditch and back several times. This was 15 to 20 yards from the field where the sheep were stolen. Sergeant Benjamin Green: on 6 April he observed a horse and cart come along the road from the direction of Cranford bridge. He followed it and saw it turn up the yard of James Cook After the cart turned up the yard he went up the Bell yard which adjoined the premises and saw the cart near the slaughter house. He heard conversation and a noise as if something heavy was lifted out of the cart. He came down the Bell yard towards the street and saw a man come out of Cook’s yard and run across to the Red Lion beer shop. From the man’s size and gait he believed it to be the prisoner Clarke, who he knew well. He went to Cook’s yard and met with him. At the top of the Cooks yard he saw a man run away from the horse and cart. He pursued him but he got lost in the dark. He returned to the yard and took possession of the horse a cart. It was a white horse. There was fresh sheep dung in the cart. In Cook’s slaughter house he found 3 sheep. The sheep were identified by the prosecutor. On 7 April he gave up the horse and cart to James Spacey at Milton. The cart had since been freshly painted. He found a basket of butcher’s tools by the slaughter house that night. Both prisoners belonged to Toddington and both absconded on the night and he had not found them. Charles Horley: the town crier in Toddington. On 6 April he was in the Red Lion beer house at Toddington. He was there from 8pm to 10pm and afterwards slept there. About 9.50pm the prisoner Clarke came in and asked for some beer. Clarkes asked if Jim Cook had been in there. Clarke was in the house about 3 minutes. He saw Jim Cook there the same evening but he had left by the time Clarke came in. William Ralph Young: Superintendent of Police of the Woburn division. He apprehended Joseph Martin at 10 Orchard Street, Balls Pond, London on the night of 20 April. He told Martin the charge was of sheep stealing and forgery. Martin made no reply. On 22 April he received Clarke into custody at Deptford and charged him with sheep stealing. Clarke did not reply. He asked Clarke if he had seen Martin lately and he replied he had not seen him since Monday afternoon when he had given him the horse and cart between Milton and Eversholt. Statement of the accused: Joseph Martin – he had to say that Mr Young had sworn false in saying he had made no reply to the charge. Banwell said falsely that the policeman put his hand on his shoulder and he was not guilty of stealing the 3 sheep. John Clarke – he was not guilty

item

Platt, William,
Horn, Joseph,
Waters, Thomas,
Spacey, James,
Spacey, Eliza,
Banwell, Thomas,
Gurney, Ann,
Gurney, James,
Webb, James,
Cook, John,
Makeham, Benjamin,
Deacon, John,
George, Benjamin,
Horley, Charles,
Young, William Ralph,
Martin, Joseph,
Clarke, John

RIDGMONT, MILTON BRYAN, STEPPINGLEY, EVERSHOLT, LIDLINGTON, WOBURN, TODDINGTON, farmer, shepherd, wheelwright, Town Crier, dealer, stealing animals, sheep, Toddington Red Lion, Toddington Bell