QSR1866/3/5/3-5

Depositions of Henry Smith, farmer of Husborne Crawley. Elijah King, innkeeper of 24 Surrey Street, Croydon, Surrey. John Lynn, police constable no. 215W of the Metropolitan Police. Job Lewis, police constable stationed at Hammersmith. Thomas Allum, carman of 10 Starch Green, Victoria Road, Hammersmith. William Ralph Young, superintendent of police for the division of Woburn. William Whinnett, police constable stationed at Woburn. In the case of Charles Brazier, Alfred Brazier and George Roberts accused of receiving a horse and mare knowing them to be stolen.

4 May 1866

From: 1866 To: 1866

Henry Smith: a farmer of Husborne Crawley. On the night of 28 February he had a brown mare in foal and a bay cob horse in his farm yard. He missed them the next morning. He saw the bay cob at the Dog and Bull public house at Croydon on Saturday 21 April and identified it as one of his horses. He now had the mare and the horse in his possession. He saw the mare at Ellisborough and identified it. He valued the mare and cob at £16 each. Elijah King had shown him the cob at his house. Elijah King: he lived at 24 Surrey Street in Croydon. He was keeper of the Dog and Bull public house. On the evening of 16 April the prisoner, George Roberts, came to his house in a horse and cart with an elderly gentleman. A bay cob was harnessed in the cart and it was taken out and put in the stable. The prisoner asked for a room for a horse and asked if he could put his horse up. At first the prisoner said he did not want a bed but then said he did. A few minutes later he was given into the custody of the police for stealing the horse. The policeman took him away. He kept possession of the horse for about a week until it was delivered up to a PC. He had previously shown the horse to the prosecutor and Superintendent Young. PC John Lynn: on 16 April he apprehended the prisoner George Roberts (otherwise Brown) in Surrey Street, Croydon on a charge of horse stealing. Whilst conveying the prisoner to the station he asked where Roberts had the horse from. At first Roberts said he didn’t know and then said that the old man had borrowed it from somewhere but he had driven it down for the benefit of the old man’s health. He afterwards inspected the cart which bore the name of “Alfred Brazier, Chapel Street, Hammersmith” upon it. On 17 April he went to Hammersmith and saw Alfred Brazier and asked if he knew a man by the man of Brown. Brazier replied no but he knew a man by the name of Roberts and the old man too. Brazier said he had lent the man a horse and cart on 15 April and the son had come with him. Alfred Brazier said it was a brown cob but he did not know if it was a horse or mare. Brazier said he had bought the horse in the Caledonian Market and had given £12 for it but did not know who he had bought it from but would know the man again if he saw him. Brazier showed him a receipt for the horse. On 19 April he went to Hammersmith again and received the receipt from Brazier’s wife and delivered the receipt up to Superintendent Young. He took the brown cob into his possession and it was conveyed by him to the Railway Station to o to Woburn on 23 April. PC Job Lewis: he knew the prisoner, Charles Brazier, who lived there and drove a brick cart. He had heard of the robbery and on 13 April he stopped the prisoner in Hammersmith with a horse and cart. He told the prisoner he wanted to talk to him about an in foal mare which he had sold to Allum of Starch Green. He asked Brazier who he had bought it off. The prisoner said he had bought it at the Princess Victoria public house in Starch Green 5 or 6 weeks before but he did not know who he had bought it off. The prisoner said he paid £7 for it and was able to produce a receipt. He took possession of the receipt and gave it to Superintendent Young. Brazier said he had sold the mare for £6 to Allum at Starch Green. He later charged Charles Brazier with receiving the in foal mare knowing it to be stolen. Thomas Allum: a carman and he knew Charles Brazier well. On 3 March Brazier came to his house saying he had a mare to sell. Brazier said it was at the Victoria public house. He had seen the mare and tried it the previous day. He knew the mare had been there for a week. He bought the mare for £6 and paid £4 on account and £2 a fortnight later. He was given a receipt which he had given up to Superintendent Young. The mare later shown to him was the mare had had purchased from Charles Brazier. Superintendent William Ralph Young: he had been engaged in the investigation and the tracing of the horses. On 12 April he found a brown mare in foal in Ellisborough which the prosecutor identified and which was shown to the witness Allum. On 21 April he found a bay cob horse at the Dog and Bull at Croydon which the prosecutor identified as his. He also received 3 receipts from Lynn, Lewis and Allum. He took Alfred Brazier into custody on 21 April. Alfred Brazier said he had bought the cob from a man on the Caledonian Market on 5 March. He took Charles Brazier into custody on 23 April. Charles Brazier said he had bought the horse from a stranger on a Sunday. He took Roberts into custody on 21 April. The receipt from Lynn and Lewis were written in the same hand and with the same coloured ink. The torn edges of the 2 receipts compared to make one sheet of paper which had been torn in half. PC William Whinnett: on 23 April he was on duty at the police station at Woburn. Alfred Brazier, Charles Brazier and George Roberts were in separate cells. Alfred Brazier called out to the others that he would say he did not know them stolen horses and if he stuck to that they would not get him. Statements of the accused: Charles Brazier – he did not know it was stolen and had bought it with the intention of starting for himself. He could not raise the money to get a cart and was obliged to sell it. Alfred Brazier – he was innocent of buying the horse knowing it to be stolen. George Roberts - “this here man lent the horse to my father on the Sunday evening”. He had not been the one who was with his father. He was with his father on Monday 16 April and drove him to Surrey.

item

Brazier, Charles,
Brazier, Alfred,
Roberts, George,
Brown, George,
Smith, Henry,
King, Elijah,
Lynn, John,
Lewis, Job,
Allum, Thomas,
Young, William Ralph,
Whinnett, William

WOBURN, HUSBORNE CRAWLEY, Hammersmith, Croydon, stealing animals, horses, farmer, innkeeper, carman, Metropolitan Police