QSR1867/3/5/4

Depositions of Charles Heckford, farmer of Hockcliffe. Henry Quenby, police constable of Hockcliffe. In the case of James Gates accused of stealing 2 live fowls, the value of 5s 6d.

26 April 1867

From: 1867 To: 1867

Charles Heckford: he lived with his father, John Heckford, the prosecutor. His father kept fowls on the farm there and he looked after them. The fowls were all safe on 24 April at 5pm when he fed them. He missed them at 6.30pm and informed the police. The 2 fowls produced were his father’s property and he could swear to them both. The next morning he found the head of a fowl under the manger where the fowls were kept. It was the head of a fowl he missed. The value of the fowls was 5s 6d. He saw the prisoner on his father’s premises between 5pm and 6pm on the 24 April. The prisoner had been stood against the barn talking to 2 men. PC Henry Quenby: about 7pm on the 24 April he received information of the loss of a fowl from Heckford. He suspected the prisoner, who lived at Wingfield. He went to the house of Hannah Osborn at Tebworth and there found the prisoner. He told the prisoner he wanted to look at some fowls he had bee offering for sale. The prisoner replied he had not seen any fowls and so Quenby said he would search Osborn’s house. The prisoner said he had 2 fowls which he had bought from a man going to Leighton Market for 3s 6d. He took the prisoner into custody and charged him. The prisoner replied he had bought the fowls and could prove who he had bought them off. He took the prisoner to the police station and on the road the prisoner said he had bought the fowls from a man going to Dunstable market. Statement of the accused: he did not wish to say anything.

item

Gates, Charles,
Quenby, Henry,
Heckford, Charles,
Heckford, John,
Osborn, Hannah

Hockcliffe, Wingfield, Tebworth, stealing, fowls, farmer