QSR1835/1/5/19-20

Depositions – James Millard and Richard Paine charged with stealing one ewe sheep from William Eames at Shillington

17 December 1834

From: 1834 To: 1834

William Eames of Hawnes, farmer – last November he had a flock of sheep with 60 ewes and one ram lamb on his brother’s farm at Lower Stondon. On the morning of 5 November his shepherd, John Grant, came to his house at Hawnes after he had been to see the sheep and Lower Stondon and told him one had been killed. Then next morning he walked over to Lower Stondon and saw blood on the ground in the field where a sheep had been killed. He has counted the sheep and knows he had lost one. John Grant of Hawnes, labourer – he is shephered to William Eames and cares for his flock on the farm of his late brother at Lower Stondon. On the morning of 5 November he went into the field where the sheep were. He counted them and found only 60 instead of 61. He looked round the field and in the lower corner found the skin, shoulder, loin bone, entrails and the head. He went to Hawnes and informed his master. The entrails were wrapped up in the skin and were quite warm. James Gazely of Shillington – he is a labourer living in the hamlet of Lower Stondon. On 5 November about 10am he went to the door of the house of William Millard, the father of the prisoner James Millard. He called to find out whether James Millard intended to go to Shillington to see for work. On passing the window he saw Millard and Paine in the house. Millard told him to go round where the wall was down and come in. He believes the door was locked. He went in and he saw them with two little pieces of mutton which they were cutting in order to fry it. He stayed in the house until it was fried and took part of it. While they were frying he said “you have been killing somebody’s sheep”. Millard laughed and said “how came you to think of that?” He thinks there might be about 2lbs of mutton. There was no bone in it. After this they walked out together to the brick kiln in Upper Stondon. In the afternoon Millard and Paine were with him in his uncle’s shop they they told him they killed Mr Eames’ sheep about 4am that morning. The next day they went to Pirton Fair together and they told him of it again. When they were walking together on Wednesday morning Millard took out a knife from his pocket to cut a stick. He spat on the knife then wiped it on his clothes. Paul Limbey Poulter – he is one of the Shillington parish constables. On Monday 8 December he received Mr Hull’s warrant for the apprehension of Millard and Paine. Before he received the warrant he heard they had run away. On the morning on which he apprehended them he heard they had returned. Paine admitted to him that they ran away a month ago. James Millard and Richard Pain – nothing to say.

item

Millard, James,
Paine, Richard,
Eames, William,
Grant, John,
Gazely, James,
Poulter, Paul Limbey

SHILLINGTON, Lower Stondon, Upper Stondon, STONDON, HAYNES, PIRTON, stealing animals, sheep, farm labourer, shepherd, mutton, kiln, brick making, fairs, parish constables