QSR1869/3/5/11

Depositions of Frederick Ayre, bricklayer of Tebworth. John Harris, foreman to John Ayre, farmer of Chalgrave. In the case of James Roberts accused of unlawfully attempting to commit buggery with a cow.

25 June 1869

From: 1869 To: 1869

Frederick Ayre: he was a bricklayer and lived with his father John Ayre, a famer at Tebworth. He knew the prisoner, James Roberts, but he was not employed by his father. On 20 June, between 3pm and 4pm, he was in the company of John Harris, his father’s foreman. He saw the prisoner in one of his father’s fields and he had no business to be there. There were several cows in the field. He saw the prisoner standing behind one of the cows, about midway between the hedge and some trees in the middle of the field. The prisoner was about 80 to 100 yards from he and Harris. The cow was a rather low cow. The prisoner had his boots off and was standing on them. There was no one in the field besides the prisoner and he saw the prisoner pull the cow’s tail to one side. The prisoner was stood on his boots and was quite close to the cow. He had a dog with him and started to go to the gate of the field, 15 yards from where he stood. Whilst he was unlocking the gate he saw the prisoner in the same position by the cow holding the cows tail to one side. Before he got through the gate the dog ran into the field and the prisoner got down from his boots and ran away. He overtook the prisoner and the prisoner was asked by Harris what he had been doing with the cow. The prisoner said he had not been near the cow and he had gone to the field to wash his feet. When he came up with the prisoner he was lying down with his legs in a ditch. The prisoner was hiding. Harris saw him first. The prisoners hands were dirty with cow dung and he told the prisoner he would hear of it again. The prisoner said he would give him a crown if they did not say anything. John Harris: he was foreman to Mr John Arye and he knew the prisoner well. On Sunday 20 June between 3pm and 4pm he was with the lat witness in the road adjoining one of his master’s fields in which there were 8 cows. He saw the prisoner standing behind one of the cows and quite close to it. They were about 100 yards from where the prisoner was standing and he could see the prisoner was standing on his boots behind a cow. There was no one else in the field. He saw the prisoner pull the cow’s tail to one side, the left. The cow stood in the midst of the other cows. The prisoner mauled the cow about and handled her shaped from behind. He was too far away to see exactly where the prisoner handled the cow. He did see the prisoners head go down to his trousers but was too far off to see if the prisoner’s trousers were unbuttoned. He saw the last witness start to go thought he gate and the prisoner ran in the opposite direction. He saw the prisoner run through the next field and into an adjoining field and there found the prisoner lying in a ditch with his boots off. He asked the prisoner what he had been about with the cow. The prisoner said he had not been near the cows but had been washing his feet. He noticed the prisoner’s hands were dirty with cow dung. He heard the last witness say to the prisoner that he would hear of it again and the prisoner offered him a crown to say nothing. The cow had been a very low cow and when he stood on his boots, the prisoner could about reach the root of the cow’s tail. Statement of the accused: he did not have anything to do with the cow. He went across the field to the gravel pits where he worked and then went down by the hedge side to wash his feet at the drinking place. He then went across and scratched the cows.

item

Roberts, James,
Ayre, Frederick,
Ayre, John,
Harris, John

Tebworth, CHALGRAVE, sex crimes, cows, bricklayers, foreman, farmers