QSR1834/1/5/30-31

Depositions of Thomas Gill of Girtford. Eliza Gentle, servant of Girtford. Samuel Manning. William Denton. Lewis Finding of Girtford. In the case of Thomas Pinner and James Yerrall accused of stealing 8 fowls.

27 December 1833

From: 1833 To: 1834

Thomas Gill: he was thresher to Mr Hogg at Girtford. On Tuesday 24 December he was threshing in Mr Hogg’s barn at Girtford. These was a hen roost adjoining the barn but not under the same cartilage as the dwelling house. About 3pm he saw Thomas Blewitt, who had the care of the fowls, lock up the hen roost. The fowls were then in the yard. There was a hole cut in the door for them to go to roost. When it grew dusk he saw the fowls go to roost as usual and enter hen roost. He left it all safe when he went. The next day, Christmas Day, he did not go into the yard until about 7am and saw that the staple of the hen roost had been drawn and he looked in and saw that 7 hens and a cock were missing. There were 5 fowls left. He knew the fowls well. Eliza Gentle: she was a servant to Mrs Croot who resided in a house adjoining Mrs Hogg’s farm yard at Girtford. One the morning of Christmas Day, about 1am, she heard a noise in the farmyard. She had heard the clock strike 1am a little before. The noise was like a door creaking. She looked out of the window and saw the hen roost door open and 2 men going out of the yard with fowls in their hands. It was moonlight. One of the men had on a long smock frock of a light colour and appeared a tall man. He did not observe then dress of the other who was rather shorter. Samuel Manning: on Christmas Day he was about Sandy with William Denton and other Christmas singing. As they were crossing White’s meadow on the footpath he saw 2 men cross over a trap on the footpath some 150 to 200 yards before them as if they wished not to be seen. He thought they were up to some mischief and called out to them and the party set off running. The 2 men ran away from them but by means of the river intercepting them they crossed them and William Denton laid hold of one of the men. The man had on a light coloured dress and it was the prisoner James Yerrill. The other man he did not know and was rather shorted and in darker dress. The 2 men were let go and after they had gone they found 4 fowls later identified by Thomas Gill as the property of Mr Hogg. They were still warm and lying within a few yards of the place where the 2 men had been stopped. They went round the village singing their carol. Denton separated form the party and about an hour later they met the same 2 men between the 2 bridges at Girtford. Both appeared to have changed their dress. William Denton: he had heard the evidence of Samuel manning and believed it quite correct. When he laid his hand on Yerrill, Yerrill said he had been in a row or something like that. He was present when the fowls were picked up and after that the party divided. They went of singing their carol and about 3 o’clock they met the 2 men again on Beeston Green. Both men had changed their dress. He asked them how they had been so foolish as to drop the fowls and Yerrill replied they had been frightened. Pinner said they had the fowls from 3 men but he did not know who the men were but the 3 men had run away. He told them they were his master’s fowls and he must tell his master who he had seen. The prisoners said they wished to tell the master as they would clear themselves. He told them he would be at his masters, Sir Frederick Hogg of Girtford at 8am and the men said they would come and clear themselves. Lewis Finding: on the evening of 24 December he was at the King’s Arms Inn at Girtford. Pinner and Yerrill were there. Pinner offered him half a crown for the smock frock he had on. He refused and Pinner offered Yerrill and another young man a pint of beer to pull it off him by force. They did so and Pinner put it on himself and he and Yerrill went away. He did not think anything of it as it was only a lark. On Christmas day, about 5.45am Pinner came to his father’s house and brought back the frock. He observed some blood on it which had not been there the night before.

item

Pinner, Thomas,
Yerrall, James,
Gill, Thomas,
Gentle, Eliza,
Manning, Samuel,
Denton, William,
Finding, Lewis,
Hogg, Frederick

Girtford, stealing, fowl, servants, Girtford Kings Arms