QSR1864/3/5/5

Depositions of William Moore, farmer of Luton. Samuel Fensom, cowman of New Mill End near Luton. George Smith, police sergeant of Luton. Samuel Pope, superintendent of police of Luton. In the case of John Marlow accused of stealing 2 sheep, the value of £5.

2 May 1864

From: 1864 To: 1864

William Moore: a farmer living at Kew Inn Farm at Luton. He had some land on the side of the road leading from Luton to Harpenden. He had some half bred tegs there on 11 March. He counted them that morning. His shepherd called him to the sheep on the morning of Wednesday 16 March and he found 5 of them to be gone. He drew 30 of them on the previous Monday and had sent them to the wash brook. On 16 March, 35 sheep had gone. On 17 April he received information and went to a beerhouse at Dropshort. He saw some sheep there and there were some tegs amongst them. He knew 2 of them to be his. He went back on 18 April, taking Fensom, his shepherd, with him. He picked out the 2 he had identified and 2 others which were of the same class. They were worth £5. Sergeant Smith took 4 away from Toddington. Samuel Fensom: cowman to Mr Ames and lived at New Mill End near Luton. In March he was shepherd to Mr Moore. On 16 March they missed 5 sheep. He last saw them all right on 12 March. On Monday 18 April he went with Mr Moore to Dropshort near Toddington and saw several sheep there. He knew one to be Mr Moore’s. There was part of Moore’s branding still on it. The other sheep much resembled that of Mr Moore and he believed it to be one of a lot that Moore had bought from Mr Nott of Harpenden. “I should know that sheep out of 5 thousand”. Sergeant George Smith: on Monday 18 April he was at Toddington when Mr Moore and his shepherd were there. They picked out some sheep from a lot a Marlow’s at Dropshort. They picked out 4 and identified 2 as theirs. He took the 4 sheep to Luton. They did not positively identify the other 2. Superintendent Samuel Pope: on 18 April he met Mr Moore and his shepherd at Toddington where they selected 4 sheep from John Marlow’s flock at Dropshort. They spoke positively of 2 of them and said the other 2 resembled those they had lost. He told the prisoner he would take him into custody unless he could account for his possession of the sheep. The prisoner replied they were his own property and he had bred them. The prisoner was asked if they were all his own property and not his fathers, to which he replied his father had nothing to do with them. Statement of the accused: “I leave it to my solicitor as the 4 sheep are mine.”

item

Marlow, John,
Moore, William,
Fensom, Samuel,
Smith, George,
Pope, Samuel,
Ames

LUTON, New Mill End, stealing animals, sheep, farmer, cowman, TODDINGTON, Toddington Dropshort