QSR1894/1/5/1/a

Depositions of Benjamin Robert Jefferies, Alfred Tatman, John Cutler, Thomas Clark, John Brown, Collis Browning, Job Hull, Thomas Brown, William Sharman, William Purser, John Edward Down and Henry Quenby. In the case of George Robinson, accused of stealing 9 sheep.

25 November 1893

From: 1893 To: 1894

Benjamin Robert Jefferies: a farmer of Great Barford. On Wednesday 8th November he had 109 sheep in his field. He employs a shepherd called Alfred Tatman. It was part of the shepherds’ duty to count his sheep every day. On Thursday 9th November at about 12 pm he went into the field where Tatman was feeding the sheep. He gave Tatman instructions and left the field. About dinnertime that day, Tatman came to his house and made a statement. Police constable Woods came to see him that evening and he gave the police constable instructions. On Friday 10th November, police constables Lunnis and Woods came to see him and produced a letter. In consequence he went to a meadow in St. Neots with Tatman and saw 4 lambs which looked exactly like his. On Saturday 11th November in the morning he went to Mr. Job Hull’s farm in Wyboston with Tatman and saw 5 lambs which he was sure were his. He then went to St. Neots to see the 4 lambs and saw that they were branded with a ‘J’ in a circle. He went to superintendent Quenby at Bedford and in consequence bought the 9 lambs from St. Neots and Wyboston. Alfred Tatman: shepherd employed by Benjamin Robert Jefferies of Great Barford. On Wednesday 8th November he counted the lambs in the field at Great Barford. It was his duty to count the sheep every morning. On that morning he counted 109 sheep in the field. On Thursday 9th November he went to another field named ‘Doctor’s field’ at 10.30 am where some ewes are kept. This morning he found 19 or 20 lambs in the field as well. There were some gaps in the hedge where the lambs could get through. Jefferies came to him and in consequence he counted the lambs in the field and found 79 instead of 109. At dinnertime he made a report to Jefferies and afterwards went to police constable Woods. He recounted the lambs in ‘Doctor’s field’ and found 21 lambs. On the morning of the Friday 10th November he counted the lambs in ‘Doctor’s field’ and the first field and found the numbers the same as on Thursday, meaning 9 lambs were missing. He saw Jefferies and went a field in St. Neots where he saw 4 lambs. They were black faced Oxford lambs. On Saturday 11th November he went to Joe Hull’s farm in Wyboston with Jefferies and police constable Lunnis. He saw 5 lambs in a pen and he knew that they belonged to Jefferies. He recognized the lambs by their clipping and where sulphur had been administered during clagging. He then went to the field in St. Neots and recognized the lambs by their brand and by their clipping. The brand was a ‘J’ with a ring around it. On the morning of the 13th November he fetched the 9 lambs and brought them to Jefferies farm. John Cutler: a wheelwright of Great Barford. He knew the prisoner. On Thursday 9th November he was riding a bicycle around 7 am. He passed the prisoner by Roxton. The prisoner was heading towards St. Neots which some sheep and lambs. He said good morning to the prisoner but couldn’t say whether he answered. He did not see anyone else at that time and believed the man to be George Robinson. Thomas Clark: a yard man employed by Mr. Brown, auctioneer of St. Neots. It was his duty to receive stock consigned to Brown for sale. On the morning of Thursday 9th November he met the prisoner at the corner of New Street, St. Neots at about 8.40am. The man had 9 lambs with him. He asked the prisoner if he was going to the sale yard and the prisoner replied that he was going to the first sale yard on the right hand side. He asked the prisoner who the lambs belonged to, and the prisoner replied that they belonged to Mr. Finche’s of Girtford and that he wanted them sold in a 5 and a 4. He went with the prisoner to the sale yard where he picked the 4 best of the 9 lambs. The prisoner gave a note to Mr. Brown and then asked him for directions to the station and about the trains. He gave the prisoner information on the trains. The prisoner said that he wanted the money from the sale of the lambs as soon as possible as his master was in difficulties. Around 4pm the prisoner came to the office in the sale yard and he followed the prisoner in. Mr. Browning, the clerk, as in the office. He introduced the prisoner to Browning then left the prisoner in the office. John Brown: auctioneer of St. Neots. His sale yard is in New Street, St. Neots. On Thursday 9th November he was at his sale yard. Around 9am the prisoner handed him a note. Acting upon instructions in the letter he sold 9 lambs – a 5 and 4, the latter being divided into 2 lots of 2. He believed the prisoner was the man who handed him the note. He signed the cheque for the sale of the lambs which was given to the prisoner. He usually gave Mr. Browning, his clerk, blank cheques to be filled in on sale days. Collis Browning: clerk employed by Mr. Browning, auctioneer of St. Neots. On the afternoon of Thursday 9th November, the prisoner came to the office with Mr. Clark, the yardman. Clark introduced the prisoner as the man who had brought Mr. Finche’s lambs. He made out the sale account and also a cheque which he handed to the prisoner. Before he wrote the account he asked the prisoner if he was Mr. Finche’s man and the prisoner replied that he was. He then asked the prisoner where Mr. Finch lived and the prisoner replied that he lived in Girtford. He could not recall a Mr. Finch of Girtford. Job Hull: farmer of Wyboston. On Thursday 9th November he attended Mr. Brown’s stock sale. He bought 5 black faced Oxford lambs. He had the lambs driven back to Wyboston. The lambs were in his possession until Monday 13th November. Thomas Brown: a butcher of St. Neots. On Thursday 9th November he attended Mr. Brown’s auction yard at St. Neots and bought 4 black faced Oxford lambs in 2 lots. The lambs were put in his meadow near St. Neots bridge. They were there until Monday 13th November. William Sharman: a butcher of Eynesbury. He kept a tall in Bedford market on Saturdays. He had known the prisoner, George Robinson of Great Barford for 6 or 7 years. On the evening of Saturday 11th November the prisoner came to his stall at Bedford Market. The prisoner asked for 2 legs of pork and 1 of mutton. He sold the prisoner the pork and mutton, which the prisoner paid for which a cheque. He did not notice that the cheque was not endorsed. He then drove the prisoner to Great Barford. William Purser: a labourer of Willington. Up until Saturday 4th November he worked for the reverend of Willington. On Sunday 5th November the prisoner started in the reverend’s service as a groom. On Wednesday 8th November the prisoner asked him if he would cover his work on Thursday 9th November as the prisoner wanted to pack up his goods for shifting from Great Barford to the reverend’s cottage at Willington. He agreed to do the prisoner’s work. The prisoner did not come to work at all on the Thursday but did come to work on the Friday. John Edward Down: police constable stationed at Sandy. Girtford is in the parish of Sandy and he did not know of any persons of the name of Finch or Hull at Girtford. Henry Quenby: superintendent of police of Bedford. On Friday 10th November he received information from Jefferies of the loss of some lambs. On Saturday 11th and Monday 13th November he had conversations with Jefferies on the matter. On 15th November he obtained a warrant for the arrest of the prisoner. On Saturday 18th November at about 9pm he arrested the prisoner in Bedford. He took the prisoner to the police station. The prisoner said that he did not steal any sheep, and that he had met two men named Finch and Hull of Girtford with the sheep as he was going to work. The prisoner explained that Finch told him to take the sheep the St. Neots to sell them. The prisoner was searched in the police station where an envelope and a bill were found. George Robinson: Nothing to Say

item

Jefferies, Benjamin Robert,
Tatman, Alfred,
Cutler, John,
Clark, Thomas,
Brown, John,
Browning, Collis,
Hull, Job,
Brown, Thomas,
Sharman, William,
Purser, William,
Down, John Edward,
Quenby, Henry,
Robinson, George

stealing, sheep, Girtford, Great Barford, St Neots, SANDY, Eynesbury, BEDFORD, farmer, auctioneer, labourer, butcher, police constable, superintendent of police, Bedford Market Place, shepherd