QSR1834/3/5/14

Depositions of Abraham Crouch, yeoman of Cainhoe in Clophill. William King, Thomas Francis and William Simpkins all of Shitlington. William Mann, employed by Mr Musgrave. Paul Limbey Poulter, constable of Shillington. John Kempson. In the case of John Hare accused of stealing 50 fleeces of wool and 4 sacks.

5 June 1834

From: 1834 To: 1834

William Crouch: his father held a farm at Cainhoe and had a large quantity of wool in his granary on Friday 13 May. There were 455 fleeces of different sorts of wool. The granary was safely locked with the wool in it. The next morning a little after 5am he was called up and went to the granary and found that the lock had been broken. The door was latched again and there was a large quantity of wool taken away. He looked about and found a cart had been brought up just into the gate and backed again the hedge. The horse had a large foot and the tire of the wheel was very small. He traced it from there to Upper Gravenhurst and from there to Shitlington Bury gate. There he missed it for some time but when he got to Mr Hancsombe’s at Pirton Grange he saw it again and then went back and found it had turned off from Shitlington Bury towards Hanscombe End Wood. He could then trave it over the new arch into the field of Mr Wilson adjoining Handscombe End Wood. He examined the wool produced by Poulter the constable. It consisted of 6 teggs fleeces and he had no doubt there were part of what was lost. He had no doubt the rest of the fleeces were his fathers but he picked out 6 he could best swear to. On the same day they lost 4 sacks from the granary. They were marked with different marks and he could swear that the 4 produced by Poulter were the same. William King: on 31 May he saw John Hare, William Jepps and 2 other men coming in the direction from Handscombe End Wood towards Aspley End. They came along the road between his 2 farms about half a mile from the wood. Thomas Francis: he was watching Handscombe End Wood on 31 May and saw John Hare come out of the wood and called out “Frank”. Hare then came a little nearer to him and said he thought it he had thought he was Frank. He asked Hare if there were many rabbits in the wood and Hare muttered something and said he must go. He went down the meadow and called out to his partners, but he did not know what was said. William Simpkins: his father kept a horse about 200 yards from where Hare lived. About 6am Saturday he found that the horse had been taken out and used in the night. The horse had a large foot and a bar shoe. He had borrowed John Poulter’s cart in the morning and the tires were narrow and there was some wool in the cart. He had not seen Poulter’s cart in the hovel the night before. Statement of the accused: he would reserve what he had to say until the trial. William Mann: he was employed by Mr Musgrave to look after Hanscombe End Wood. On the morning of Saturday 31 May he saw John Hare and 2 other men walking up by the wood. He observed a tuft of wool on the gate leading into the wood. In the evening he was set to watch the wood. A little after 9pm he saw Poulter coming towards the wood and heard some men outside the gate running away. He went away and heard some of them say “Old Will Mann is gone” and he heard them leaning against then gate and called to one another to go into the wood. John Hare was there with 2 strangers. They had a stick a piece. He went home and put on another coat and went back. He met them again close to where he had met them before. Hare spoke and said “Old Chap you will not take them to night. There is a party all round the wood”. They were going towards Shillington. Another man named William Jepps was there. Paul Limbey Poulter: a constable of Shitlington. On 31May he went with Mr Trustram to search Handscombe End Wood for some wool. They found some sacks full of wool but did not go up to it but came out again. They afterwards went in again and found it was wool. They then had some more people and watched the wood. About 9pm he had seen John Hare at Shitlington and about 10pm he heard Hare’s voice in or near the wood. About 11.30pm they took the wool away and went home. There were 26 fleeces in the sacks. Monday week his man found some more wool in the wood near the same place. He went and saw it with Mr Crouch who took it away. John Kempson: on the morning of 31 May he saw a man come out of handscombe End Wood and immediately after John Hare came out. There was a third man. As soon as they saw him they all ran away. He was sure it was Hare. He knew him well. He had heard Mr Crouch had lost wool.

item

Hare, John,
Crouch, Abraham,
King, William,
Simpkins, William,
Francis, Thomas,
Poulter, John,
Jepps, William,
Mann, William,
Poulter, Paul Limbey,
Kempson, John,
Trustram

Cainhoe, CLOPHILL, Shitlington, Shillington Handscombe Wood, stealing, wool, sack, yeoman