QSR1836/4/5/10-11

Depositions and examinations - William Carter and William Willmore, charged wtih stealing 2 turkeys from Charles Higgins

5 August 1836

From: 1836 To: 1836

John Dennis of St Cuthbert, Bedford, labourer – he works for Mr Charles Higgins at his farm in the parish of St Cuthbert. Last Wednesday night he fastened up 13 turkeys in a building near the house. There was a cock, a hen and a brood of 11 young ones. Yesterday morning he went with Mr George Higgins to let the turkeys out and saw the 2 old ones were missing. The door of the building where they were does not lock but was fastened by a hasp. He is sure the turkeys produced are his master’s. He was in the habit of seeing them constantly as he worked on the farm. Charles Manton of St Paul, Bedford, shoemaker – as he was going to town yesterday morning he saw Carter who said he and Wilmot [sic] had gone and got 2 turkeys from Mr Higgins’ farm. Carter said he would be obliged if he would go and fetch them from his house so he could hide them somewhere. Carter said Mr Coombs would soon be after him. They were both standing by Mr Palmer’s the curriers in Mill Lane at the time. They saw Coombs against Mr Burnham’s the druggist. Carter went towards St Cuthbert’s and told him to go to Mrs Babbington and tell her daughter Sophia to go and fetch the turkeys from his shop. He told Carter he would not go and would have nothing to do with it. Carter said if he would go he should have part of the money they made. He still refused. Carter asked him again to go to Sophia Babbington and ask her to take the turkeys from his shop and carry them down the Goldington Road. He did so, but she would not go. She said she knew of this overnight. Her mother said her daughter should have nothing to do with it. He left them and went home. He came out again in about ½ hour and met Mrs Babbington and her daughter Sophia against Mr Ward’s, the Ship public house in St Cuthberts. He asked them were they had been . They said they had been up the Goldington Road to William Carter, who was sitting aside of the road waiting for him. He walked up to Mr Higgins’ stile which leads into Pecks Close, and there saw Mr Coombs who was going into Mr Higgins’ yard. He walked a little further over Pecks Close and saw William Wilmore. Wilmore denied having anything to do with the stolen turkeys. He told Wilmore “Carter says you’re to take the bag and turkeys to him up the Goldington Road” and said if he did not Mr Coombs would soon be after him. William went towards William Carter’s shop in Newnham Street. He followed Wilmore and saw him go into Carter’s shop and return with a bag which appeared to have something in it. He watched Wilmore and saw him go up the Goldington Road with the bag. There were some pieces of leather tied to the head of the bag and hanging down outside and he carried a shoemaker’s last in his hand. Sophia Babbington was walking behind him. He joined Carter in the Goldington Road and he saw them go up to a muck heap in Mr Barnard’s close. They took 2 turkeys out of the bag and placed them in the dung heap and covered them over with dung. They were a cock and hen turkey with dark feathers, nearly black. He was about 20 yards from them and could see distinctly. After they hid the turkeys they came towards where he was standing. Carter asked him to take the turkeys over the bridge to James Harvey who would buy them. He said he would have nothing to do with them. Shortly after this he saw Coombs and told him all about it. Before this Carter asked him to go to Mrs Babbington and tell her to give him some breakfast for him. He went and Mrs Babbington said she would take him some herself. She was to take it to him in the Goldington Road. Carter lodges at Mrs Babbington’s but works at a shop about 50 or 60 yards further up the street. He went with Coombs and Wildman to show them where the turkeys were. As they were going down the Goldington Road they met Mr Charles Higgins. When he got into Mr Barnard’s close he saw George Higgins and showed him where the turkeys were. George Higgins of St Paul, Bedford, yeoman – yesterday morning about 5am he went up to his father’s farm in the parish of St Cuthbert and found one cock and one hen turkey missing. He asked Edward Wildman if he knew anything about them. Wildman requested him to let it rest a short time and he would make enquiries. About 9am Wildman sent for him and from information received from Wildman he and his father went up the Goldington Road. There they saw Wilmore sitting at the side of the road. He left his father talking to Wilmore while he went across Mr Barnard’s close to see if he could meet with Carter who he suspected was nearby. While he was in the field Charles Manton called him and offered to show him where the turkeys were. Manton moved some long dung off a dung heap and pulled out the turkeys. He knew they were those missing from his father’s farm, which he had been in the habit of seeing 6 or 7 times a day. On the Wednesday evening between 9 and 10pm he examined the front and side gates and found them fastened. There is another gate leading into Newnham field but he did not examine it. Charles Higgins of St Paul, Bedford, innkeeper – he has a farm in the parish of St Cuthbert. On Thursday morning his son informed him that 2 turkeys had been taken away in the night. The building where the turkeys were is a small brick building within about 6 or 7 yards fronting the dwelling house and is enclosed all round by a wooden pale fence about 3 or 4 feet high. The building is within the curtilage of the dwelling house and occupied therewith. The value of the turkeys is about 12s. William Coombs, chief constable of Bedford – from information he received yesterday morning he went into a field adjoining Charles Higgins’ homestall in the parish of St Cuthbert. While he was there Charles Manton called to him and from a statement made by Manton he was induced to go with him into the Goldington Road. As they were going down the road they met Charles Higgins with Wilmore. Mr Higgins gave Wilmore into his custody. He gave Wilmore into the custody of Mr Higgins’ shepherd and returned with Mr Higgins towards Mr Barnard’s close to search for the other prisoner. Manton was with them. Near a clump of trees by the side of the road some men of Mr Higgins’ called out “here’s a man laying”. He went and found it was Carter. They followed Manton and saw him take out the turkeys from the dung hill and give them to George Higgins, who laid them down. He then took possession of them. From information he received he went to Mrs Babbington and asked her daughter Sophia for the bag in which the turkeys had been put. She refused to give it to him but when he threatened to take her into custody she produced it. This morning he went to give the prisoners their breakfast. While doing this Carter said to Wilmore “I heard our coach go by this morning”. He said that some transports had gone away. Both the prisoners answered that they knew there were. There were several persons round the cage at this time. Someone among them called out “seven years will not be long Bill”. Carter said he thought he would get more than 7 years. Edward Wildman of St Cuthbert, Bedford, labourer – he works for Mr Charles Higgins. He examined the gates on the Thursday morning between 4 and 5am and they were all fastened. One gate is fastened by a hasp and does not lock. The other gates were all locked. He means the gates of the poultry yard adjoining the house and inclosed all round by buildings and a pale fence. Elizabeth Wildman, wife of Edward Wildman – on Wednesday evening between 10 and 11pm she was watching some onions she has growing on a piece of ground behind Mr Higgins’ farm. She was walking along the field and met the two prisoners, Carter and Wilmore, who were walking in a direction away from the farm. She did not speak to them nor see anything in their hands. The place where she met them is about 120 yards from Mr Higgins’ farm. Mr Higgins’ labourers had been drinking in the field and were still there. The prisoners joined them. The prisoners declined to say anything in their defence.

item

Carter, William,
Willmore, William,
Higgins, Charles,
Dennis, John,
Manton, Charles,
Higgins, George,
Coombs, William,
Wildman, Edward,
Wildman, Elizabeth,
Babbington, Sophia,
Harvey, James,
Palmer,
Burnham,
Ward

BEDFORD, Bedford St.Cuthbert, Bedford St.Paul, Bedford Mill Lane, Bedford Goldington Road, Bedford Newnham Street, stealing animals, turkeys, shoemaker, innkeeper, Chief Constable, farm labourer, currier, druggist, shepherd, agricultural buildings