QSR1865/3/5/13-14

Depositions of Thomas Giles, labourer of Aspley Heath. William Yates, butcher of Bow Brickhill. John Giles, labourer of Aspley Guise. John Collins, labourer of Wavendon. Oliver Withers, police constable of Chesham, Buckinghamshire. In the case of Riley Beldom and William Fletcher accused of stealing a mare.

28 April 1865

From: 1865 To: 1865

Thomas Giles: the prisoner, Riley Beldom was a gipsy and travelled about the country. The other prisoner, William Fletcher was related to Beldom by marriage. On 23 March, the day of the Woburn Fair, he had a black mare which he wanted to dispose of and he took it to the Fair. He saw Beldom there with a dark chestnut mare. He thought this mare might suit him and spoke to Beldom. He told Beldom he had a mare to part with. Beldom said that “if you have my mare and make a deal you can have her money and all till it suits you”. They began dealing together and Beldom was to take his mare and he was to take Beldom’s and pay £7 besides. It was agreed between them that the £7 was to be paid in a month. He delivered up his black mare to Beldom and received the chestnut mare from him. He saw Beldom afterwards at the fair and Beldom told him he had sold the mare he had exchanged for 29 shillings. The next morning Beldom came to his house and said something about shoes. He recommended him to a shoemaker at Woburn and them Beldom he might see him at Leighton Fair on 11 April and perhaps pay part of the £7 if he could. Beldom told him to bring his shoes if he came to Leighton Fair. He did not go to Leighton Fair. He was prevented from doing so by the need to meet 2 gentlemen on business elsewhere. The day after the fair, 12 April, he met Beldom and Beldom asked him how he liked the mare. He told Beldom she was a crib biter. He mentioned to Beldom he had only taken a pound since he had bought the mare. He took Beldom home and gave him some dinner and they then went together to Woburn Sands. He sent his boy there with a horse and cart and harnessed the mare he had from Beldom to another cart and loaded the cart with Fullers Earth from the heath. He met his boy at Woburn Sands and shifted the horses. His own horse drew one of the carts to the station and returned to Woburn Sands for the other cart. He and Beldom went to the Swan and took some beer together. Nothing was said about the mare or the money. He missed the prisoner from the Swan. He went in the direction of his house and met Beldom on the road. Beldom was on the mare. He asked Beldom what he was doing with the mare and Beldom said “I heard a bad character of you”. He caught hold of the halter and turned the mare. They went side by side to Giles House and Giles told Beldom he could find his money before he went away. Beldom put his heels to the mare and galloped away as fast as he could in the direction of Bow Brickhill. When it became dark and he could track him no longer, he returned home. He was with the prisoner for some time at the Swan. On 13 April he got a warrant against the prisoner. The time he was to pay for the £7 for the mare was not up until 23 April. On 25 April he was in Chesham and met Superintendent Young who had both of the prisoners in custody. He saw the chestnut mare in the possession of Superintendent Young. It was the mare he had received from Beldom. [cross examination] the prisoner said he had sold the black mare and it was fit for working. There had been no agreement that he was to pay for the mare in 2 parts. He had said he would pay part at Leighton if he could. He had exchanged a horse with Bolton and paid him. He had exchanged a horse with Renshaw and paid him. Beldom had not told him he could have the horse back. They had been at the Swan about 2 hours. William Yates: he was a butcher residing at Bow Brickhill. He had been at Woburn Fair on 23 March and he saw Riley Beldom, who he knew well, and Thomas Giles together. The prisoner had a dark brown chestnut mare and the prosecutor a black mare. They were dealing and Beldom asked him to be present at the deal. They went to the Greyhound Inn at Woburn and the prosecutor and Beldom agreed to change mares and the prosecutor should pay £7 to boot. The £7 was to be paid a month to the day, and before at Leighton Fair if Giles could get it. Beldom took the black mare and he received the chestnut mare on behalf of the prosecutor. He took her to the black horse at Woburn. He saw Beldom later and was told he had sold the prosecutor’s black mare. John Giles: he lived with his father, the prosecutor, at Aspley Guise. The day after the Leighton Fair on 13 April Beldom came to his father’s house. Between 6pm and 7pm he returned home from work and saw the prisoner come out of the stable on his father’s premises. Beldom was leading out the dark chestnut mare. Beldom asked where his father was and Giles replied he did not know. He saw no more of Beldom. Beldom had not mentioned money. John Collins: he was employed by the prosecutor as a labourer. He recalled seeing Beldom the day after Leighton Fair on Aspley Heath. Beldom asked after the master and what the horses were doing. Beldom and his master went to the master’s house at 2pm and took dinner. After dinner he loaded 2 of his master’s carts at the pits on the heath. His master and Beldom took one of the carts to Woburn Sands. The same afternoon he was in the loft on his master premises and saw the prisoner go to the stable where the chestnut mare was. He went and stood at the stable door. Beldom handled the mare and said it was a crib biter not worth as much as £2. Beldom said he mare was not yet paid for and as the master had not paid he would take the mare home. Beldom did so. He did not oppose this as he thought it was all right. He saw Beldom go to William Draper’s in the Heath and Beldom tied the mare to the rails. He afterwards saw his master and Beldom. He heard his master say to Beldom to come to the house and he could have his money. Beldom struck the mare and with his heels and galloped off as fast as he could in the direction of Bow Brickhill. One of the prosecutor’s sons tried to stop the mare and the prosecutor went after it. PC Oliver Withers: he was Police Constable no.37 of the Buckinghamshire Constabulary and was stationed at Chesham. On 21 April he went to a beer house at Chesham called Funnells beer house. He saw a mare standing tied to the rails in front of the house. He examined it and whilst doing so, the prisoner Fletcher, came out of the house and said it was his mare. Fletcher said he had bought it at Beaconsfield Fair [which was on 13 February]. When asked who from, the prisoner repeated several times that it was his mare. He told the prisoner it was stolen and the prisoner defied him to touch it. He took the prisoner into custody and when he locked him up, the prisoner threatened to bring action against him. He then went and apprehended the other prisoner, Beldom on the High Street, Chesham. On being told the charge Beldom said he had not stolen a mare. The mare was shown to the prosecutor, who identified it as the one stolen form him.

item

Beldom, Riley,
Fletcher, William,
Giles, Thomas,
Yates, William,
Giles, John,
Collins, John,
Withers, Oliver,
Young, Samuel

ASPLEY HEATH, LEIGHTON BUZZARD, WOBURN SANDS, WOBURN, Bow Brickhill, Wavendon, Chesham, butcher, stealing animals, horse, Woburn Swan, fullers earth, fairs and markets