QSR1864/3/5/3a

Depositions of William Henry Cripps, farmer of Caddington. Samuel Ruffett, shepherd of Caddington. William Brimley, police constable of Houghton Regis. Benjamin George, sergeant of police of Toddington. In the case of Thomas Marlow accused of stealing 2 sheep, the value of £4 4s 0d.

2 May 1864

From: 1864 To: 1864

William Cripps: a farmer who lived with his father at Chaul End in Caddington. On Sunday 10 April he went down to some sheep belonging to his father, William Cripps, in a field called Six Corners in Caddington. The field was near the road leading from Luton to Dunstable. He missed one down leg and one half bred teg sheep. He had counted them the previous evening. He traced them out of his father’s field, across another and into the Dunstable Road. They tracked the marked of 2 men and 2 sheep. He advised the police. The following Sunday he went with Ruffett to Toddington and saw 2 sheep there in the custody of PC Brimley. He knew them to be his father’s property. Samuel Ruffett: he was the shepherd of Mr Crisp of Chaul End. On Sunday 10 April he went to some sheep in Six Corners Field. He missed 2 of them. He had counted them the previous evening. One of them was a half bred and the other a down leg. On 17 April he went with the young master to Toddington and there saw some sheep. He identified 2 to be the property of his master. Sergeant Smith marked them on the forehead in his presence. He helped to bring them to Luton. He had brought up the half-bred by hand. They had 136 sheep altogether and 129 were tegs. The other sheep would always be first to feed. PC William Brimley: about 5am on 17 April he went with Superintendent Pope to Toddington. He was left on the premises of Thomas Marlow in charge of some sheep. On the afternoon of that day Mr Cripps and his shepherd came over and he showed them the 7 sheep he had charge of. They identified 2 of the sheep as theirs. He marked the sheep. Sergeant Benjamin George: on Tuesday 19 April he had the prisoner in custody on some other charges. He charged the prisoner with stealing 2 sheep from Mr Cripps. The prisoner said he had taken them but had not had any besides those of Partridge and Cripps. The prisoner asked if he had seen 3 sheep in one of the buildings and said tat 2 of those sheep were Cripps. The premises where he had seen them was a building adjoining a stable on the prisoners premises. Statement of the accused: not guilty.

item

Marlow, Thomas,
Cripps, William Henry,
Ruffett, Samuel,
George, Benjamin,
Brimley, William

CADDINGTON, shepherd, stealing animals, sheep