QSR1869/1/5/11-16

Depositions of Oswald Ilott, miller of New Mill End, Luton. Shadrach Bruton, labourer of Harpenden. Frederick Walker, labourer of New Mill End, Luton. John Crick, police constable of Luton. William Charles Neville, police constable of Luton. Ellen Scott, wife of William Scott, butcher of Luton. Frederick Smith, police constable of Luton. Samuel Brace, police constable of Luton. In the case of Henry Swain, George Bond, Edward Bunker, Alfred Cooper, John Farr and George Pratt accused of stealing 2 ducks.

7 December 1868

From: 1868 To: 1869

Oswald Ilott: he was the son of Edmund Ilott of Hyde Mill, New Mill End, Luton. They had a number of ducks which often went up the river some distance from the mill. They could not always get them into the duck house and it was often troublesome to get them out of the water. On 23 or 24 November they had 26 ducks. From something he heard he got all the ducks together and counted them. He missed 3 ducks. They had 2 white ducks with tassels on their heads and one of those was missing. He went the same day to the police station at Luton and was the white duck there alive. He also saw a dead dark coloured drake at the police station. He believed it to be his fathers. He compared the white duck with the other one white duck. The one with the biggest tassel had been shot. The dark drake had been killed by being shot in the head. The ducks were counted twice a week. The drake was not of a common description and they had it from Sir John Selbrights. The white ducks were from Mr Dickerson of Boxmoor. The 3 ducks were worth 7s 6d. Shadrach Bruton: he was 13 years of age and lived with his father in a cottage near Harpenden Station. He worked for Mr Ilott and it was part of his work to get the ducks out of the river and into the duck house. They would sometimes go a long way up the river and he could not always get them. There were 26 altogether. There were 2 white ducks among them with feathers on their head and a dark coloured drake which had been lame since harvest. He always had to carry the drake to the duck house when it got out of the water. On Friday 27 November he went to fetch the ducks out of the water and got in 14 of them. The rest went back up river towards Luton. One of the white ones with the tassel came in and the other stayed out. The lame duck did not come in that night. He did not fetch them Saturday or Sunday nights and on Monday 3 December he missed the white duck with then tassel on its head, the lame drake and one more. He counted 23 instead of 26. On 1 December PC Crick showed him a white duck with a tassel on its head and a dark coloured drake. He identified them as his master’s. Fred Walker often helped him get the ducks up. Frederick Walker: he father’s name was John Walker and he lived with him near Illott’s mill. He was 8 years old. He knew Shadrach Bruton and often helped him get the ducks out of the water. There were 2 white ducks with bunches of feathers on their heads. There was a dark lame drake which he often had to carry in. He identified the ducks when showed to him. PC John Crick: on 28 November about 5am he was watching a field adjoining the World’s End beer house in New Town, Luton. He saw 4 men coming across the field towards the beer house which was kept by John Farr. When they got within 5 yards of him he turned on his lamp and could see they had something bulky in their pockets. Swain, Copper and Bond were 3 of the men. They all ran away. 3 ran into the World’s End yard and one back across the field. He followed and caught the man, Cooper. As he was running away he saw Copper pulled something white out of his pocket and throw it down. When he caught Copper he had a gun in his hand. Copper collared him and they struggled for about 15 minutes and during this time the gun went off close to his ear. Copper threw it over the hedge. After that they had several falls together and then Copper got away and ran down toward Brown Brick and he lost him. When the gun went off it alarmed him and very much upset him. He went back and picked up the gun and he saw something else and picked up the white duck. It was shot on its back. He went to the police station and got the help of Constable Neville and others. They went back to the World’s End beer house. They found 6 or 7 men in the tap room. Swain and Bond were 2 of them. He was sure they were 2 of the men who had come across the field. He told them he was taking them into custody and the men said they had not been there. He noticed their shoes and trousers were wet and dirty. They took Swain and Bond into custody. After that they went to Copper’s house in Chase Street. They did not find him there. He went again on the night of 3 December and asked Copper where he had been on Friday night. Copper replied he had been at the World’s End until 11pm and had then come home. He told Copper he was the man he had in custody on Saturday morning at the back of the World’s End and Copper replied he was not. He took him into custody and charged him. The prisoner said he knew nothing about it. He recognised Copper’s voice from when he had hollered out for his mates to come and help him. He found 3 duck feathers between the World’s End and Coppers house. PC William Charles Neville: he went with PC Crick to the World’s End beer house at 6.30am and helped him taking the prisoners, Swain and Bond, into custody. He them went with Crick and PC Smith to Copper’s house but he was not home. He traced some of the feathers from the World’s End to Copper’s house. They were quite fresh. On the previous night he had visited the World’s End about 10pm and had seen Swain, Bond, Bunker, Copper, Farr and others there. He went with Crick to Copper’s house on the night of 3 December and found him there. Crick identified him as the man he had taken into custody. On 2 December they went in search of Bunker and found him at his father’s house at Toddington. They took him into custody and charged him. They took Bunker to the police station at Luton. Farr was present and identified him as the man who had brought a duck into his house on Saturday morning. Farr said he had laid it on the table and he told him he would not have it and threw it down. Bunker picked up and gave it to George Pratt and told him to get rid of it at St Albans market. Bunker made no reply to what Farr said. He searched Farr’s house and found no ducks. He was present when Pratt was taken into custody by PC Smith. Smith said he had been given the duck by Farr and told to get rid of it. A man named Scott had been with him and there was a load of meat on the cart. Ellen Scott: she was wife of William Scott, butcher near the World’s End beer house. The prisoner, George Pratt, worked for her husband. Her husband started about 5.45am with a cart going to St Albans market and the prisoner was going with him. The prisoner stopped to light his pipe and just as he was going out of the door Farr stood there and told him he had something for him to get rid of. Pratt told Farr to “chuck it in here” holding his coat pocket. She did not see what it was. Pratt ran off laughing and Farr went back home. William Scott: George Pratt had been in his employment for 4 or 5 months. He left home on the morning of 28 November with a cart load of meat to go to St Albans market. Pratt went back to light his pipe and overtook him and got into the cart. When they got to near Kennersbourne Green, Pratt said he had a duck that John Farr had given him. He told Pratt “you’re a stupid chap. I shouldn’t at all wonder but what the policeman came and take you”. Directly the policeman came up and took Pratt and the duck. The police had been up at his house looking for something before he started. Pratt gave the duck up when asked for it. PC Frederick Smith: from information received he went with PC Neville along the London Road after George Pratt. They overtook him at Kennersbourne Green in Scott’s cart. He asked Pratt how many ducks he had and Pratt replied he only had 1 and pulled it form his pocket. Pratt said that he had been given it by John Farr. He took Pratt into custody and charged him. Pratt said he had not stolen the duck and had been given it by John Farr that morning. He went to Farr’s house and took him into custody and charged him with receiving the duck knowing it to be stolen. At the police station Pratt said that Farr was the man who gave him the duck and Farr said he had given it to Pratt as he had found it in his gateway. PC Samuel Brace: he was in charge of the police station at Luton. On 29 November Farr came into custody about 6pm and said that he did not see what he should suffer and that a man named Bunker had come into his room and pulled a duck from his pocket and laid it on the table. Farr said he had told Bunker he would not have it there and then Bunker walked out of the room so he picked up the duck and went out with it and gave it to Pratt to get rid of. On 4 December, Bunker was in custody and said he had not been in such trouble before and he would tell the truth about it. Bunker said there had been him, John Holloway, Henry Swain and George Bond drinking in John Farr’s. Bunker said they had left about 11pm and went out to New Mill End to rabbit. When they got about 2 miles on the Harpenden Road Holloway gave him a duck to take to John Farr. It had been a dark one. Holloway left and they went across Noakes’ Hill and to Farr’s room. Bunker said he told Farr he had brought him a duck and Farr had said “all right throw it under the table”. He did so and went and sat in the tap room. None of the others had been present. Statements of the accused: Swain – nothing Bond – nothing Bunker – he felt very sorry and he hoped it he would never come again. Cooper – not guilty Farr – not guilty Pratt – not guilty

item

SWAIN, HENRY,
Bond, George,
Bunker, Edward,
Cooper, Alfred,
Farr, John,
Pratt, George,
ILOTT, OSWALD,
Ilott, Edmund,
Bruton, Shadrach,
Walker, Frederick,
Crick, John,
Neville, William Charles,
Scott, Ellen,
Scott, William,
Smith, Frederick,
Brace, Samuel

East Hyde New Mill End, LUTON, Harpenden, stealing, ducks, miller, butcher, Luton Worlds End, guns