QSR1835/3/5/36

Depositions and examination - James Lett of Carlton, shepherd, charged wtih stealing 9 lbs of wool (value 15s) from George Battams

16 June 1835

From: 1835 To: 1835

George Battams of Carlton, farmer – James Lett was living in his service as shepherd, and has lived in his service over 9 years. He gave Lett directions to shear some of his sheep yesterday. Towards the evenign he sent his servant George Parriss to bring all the wool to his house. Soon afterwards he went to the field himself and saw there were two fleeces of wool remaining which Lett had not shorn when Parriss brought the others away. He paid very particular attention to the weight and quality of one of the fleeces and observed to the shepherd that it was a good fleece. He then went round his farm. When he got home he enquired and found the shepherd had brought only one fleece. He suspected it might have been hidden in the field. He found it in a ditch within about 100 yards of the spot where Lett had been shearing. It was the same fleece which he had particularly noticed in the afternoon. He left the fleece in the ditch. About 10pm he returned to the spot with the intention of watching it and found the fleece was gone. That mornign at an early hour he went to Lett’s house and told him he had lost the fleece and charged him with stealing it. Lett went upstairs and brought down the fleece now produced. Lett told him it belonged to a sheep which had been attacked by flies and that he had intended to have brought it home. It is the same fleece he saw in the ditch. He gave Lett in charge to the constable with the wool. He has examined the wool and believes the sheep from which it came was not attacked by the fly. [Answer to question by Lett] He is sure that the fleece he had observed in the field was not one of the three fleeces of wool in the basket in the kitchen. George Parriss of Carlton, servant in husbandry – he is in Mr Battams’ service and at his order went to bring the fleeces out of the field. There were two sheep left, one of which the shepherd was then shearing. The other was in the pen. About 8pm the shepherd brought up one fleece of wool only. He is quite sure about this. William Johnson of Carlton, constable – Mr Battams brought the prisoner and the fleece and gave them into his custody. James Lett of Carlton, shepherd – he sheared the sheep at 5.30am yesterday as it was attacked by the flies and he laid it in the ditch where Mr Battams found it. He took all the other fleeces up to the house. He forgot the one in the ditch until about 10pm and then he fetched it home.

item

Lett, James,
Battams, George,
Parriss, George,
Johnson, William

CARLTON, stealing, wool, farmers, shepherd, farm labourer