QSR1864/3/5/1a

Depositions of Richard Thompson, labourer of Eversholt. William Whinnett, police constable stationed at Woburn. John Olden, police constable stationed at Ridgmont. Sarah Sinfield, widow of Eversholt. Samuel Musgrove, police constable stationed at Eversholt. In the case of Richard Whitbread accused of stealing a live duck.

8 April 1864

From: 1864 To: 1864

Richard Thompson: he was 15 year of age and worked for Mr James Pike, a farmer at Eversholt. He lived with his mother and father. About 11am on 1 April he saw the prisoner, George Whitbread and Thomas Whitbread, whom he knew well, lying in a ditch in one of his masters fields. They were about 20 yards from the rick yard. He went on and about a quarter of an hour later saw the 3 men in the rick yard. Richard Whitbread ran across the yard with a white duck under his jacket. The ducks head was sticking out. The other 2 men were driving some other ducks towards the barn door. Richard Whitbread saw him and ran away, the other 2 following him. He sent for his mistress and told her what he had seen. He followed the prisoner but lost sight of him. He counted his master’s duck s and did not miss any. He thought the prisoner had put down the duck when he had seen him. The ducks were of a fancy breed and valued at 4 shillings each. PC William Whinett: on 1 April he apprehended George Whitbread in a wood in Eversholt. He told him he was charged with stealing a duck to which the prisoner replied he knew about the duck and they had not been up to Mr Pike’s today. Thomas Whitbread said his brother, Dick, told him and George to drive the ducks under the shed so he might catch them there. Neither Richard to George were present when this was said. PC John Olden: on 1 April he assisted in apprehending the prisoners in a wood ay Eversholt. When the men saw him, and 2 other policemen, they ran away. He found a stick in Mr Pick’s rick yard and showed it to the prisoner Thomas Whitbread and asked what he knew of it. Thomas said it was Dick’s stick which he had put under the rick with a bag and he had borrowed it from Mr Sinfield at Bury End. Thomas said Dick had caught the duck and told him and George to drive the others in the cart shed for him to catch some more. Richard was present and heard what his brother said. PC Samuel Musgrove: he apprehended Richard Whitbread at a wood in Eversholt and told him the charge. Whitbread replied he knew nothing about it and if he had not been ‘got’ today he had intended to be off. Richard said “what is a fellow to do the b____ farmers will not set us to work and we must get hold of something”. Whitbread later said his father had wanted him to give himself up that morning about a gun and if he had, he would not have got into this mess. Statement of the accused: he could say that he never handled the duck and as for the witness losing sight of him, he “never seed him or I him”. When they were laying in the ditch they were 40 yards from the rick yard.

item

Whitbread, Richard,
Thompson, Richard,
Whinnett, William,
Olden, John,
Sinfield, Sarah,
Musgrove, Samuel,
Whitbread, George,
Pike, James,
Whitbread, Thomas

EVERSHOLT, RIDGMONT, WOBURN, stealing, duck