QSR1836/3/5/5

Depositions - Peter Kay of Potton, charged with stealing 2 sheep from James Porter

27 April 1836

From: 1836 To: 1836

Michael Athey Vawser, drover - he received 166 sheep on the road from St Ives to take with his drove to London on April 12th. He had 51 more. He put them all safe that evening into a close of Mr Walduck's at Tetworth. The next morning he bought three more which he added to the others before counting them. When he counted there were only 218 instead of 220. He looked over them and found that one of the Porters and one of the Moss's were missing. He has seen the skins which were found at Potton and is certain they belonged to the missing sheep. John Edwards of Potton, constable - from information he received he searched a butcher's shop in the Shambles in Potton market which is occupied by Peter Kay, butcher. In the roof over the butcher's shop he found two sheep skins which appeared to have been killed within a few days. Zachariah Farley, drover - he is a drover employed by Mr Farrow of West Walton in Norfolk. On Monday morning 11 April he met his master's drove of sheep near St Ives. He took charged of them and penned them. There were 129 altogether. Some belonged to Mr Porter and some to Mr moss. He went forward to Broadwater with some beasts and on Wednesday about 1 o'clock he returned to Biggleswade to meet the sheep. He found 2 sheep were missing, one a tup sheep the property of James Porter of West Walton, the other a wether sheep the property of Mr James Moss of Walsoken. Both were marked with their owners' marks. He is certain the skins now produced are those of the sheep lost from Mr Farrow's drove. Edward medlock of Potton, carrier - on Thursday night he took up 2 sheep for Peter Kay, who had been to him that morning to borrow a [??] to take up some things to London. He said he wanted the longest he had as it was to take up a calf and some other things. He lent him the longest he had. About 10pm he went with Kay to a shop in the Shambles at Potton and in the shop where the sheepskins were found there were two carcasses of mutton hanging up which he packed up and took to London. Kay did not direct them as he said he had no pen and ink, but told him to take them to a man named Coney in Newgate Market. He could not find such a person there and gave them to a salesman named Ward who sold them for about £4, which he paid to Kay.

item

Kay, Peter,
Vawser, Michael Athey,
Edwards, John,
Farley, Zachariah,
Porter, James,
Moss, James,
Medlock, Edward

POTTON, Potton Shambles, West Walton, Walsoken, Norfolk, London Newgate, stealing animals, sheep, drover, constable, butchers, carriers, markets