QSR1831/3/5/1-3

Depositions of Benjamin Jeffries, farmer of Thurleigh. James Pestell, poulterer of Willington. James Moss, victualler of St Paul, Bedford. Joseph Tansley, constable of Bedford. Thomas Jefferies of Thurleigh. In the case of Samuel Wills accused of receiving pigeons knowing them to be stolen and John Williamson and Daniel Williamson accused of stealing the pigeons.

18 March 1831

From: 1831 To: 1831

Benjamin Jefferies: he was bailiff for the executors of his late father, Benjamin Jefferies, in the management of the farm at Thurleigh. On Wednesday 16 March he heard that the dove house had been broken open. He found the padlock gone. The door was pinned by a piece of wood through a staple. On going into the dove house he saw footsteps and could find no pigeons in the dovehouse except some young ones. He missed a great quantity of older pigeons. There were more pigeon feathers on the floor of the dove house than usual. He made it known in the neighbourhood that the dove house had been robbed. In consequence of information received he went with James Pestell to a shop in Butcher’s Row in St Paul, Bedford. Before he went he saw Samuel Wills at the Saracen’s Head public house near Butcher’s Row. Pestell said to him in the hearing of Wills that they would go and see the pigeons. They all went into the shop and Wills went to the back room and brought out a flat with 2 and a half dozen live pigeons in it and Wills said “Here they are do as you please with them”. He heard Wills say to Pestell at the Saracen’s Head, before they went to the shop, that 2 men had brought him pigeons to sell for them. After Wills gave him the pigeons they went back to the Saracen’s Head and Wills said 2 men had given them to him but he did not know who but that one was a tall man and the other shorter. Wills said the men said they had come from Chichley and they would see him again on Monday. He examined the pigeons which were common dove house pigeons. They were not the sort usually drawn for sale except for pigeon shooting matches. He went to Tansley, one of the constables, and gave Wills into his charge. Wills also delivered to him a carpet bag containing about 4 dozen of the same kind of pigeons, which were all dead. They appeared to have been killed by having their necks broken. Before he went to the constable he delivered the flat of pigeons and the bag to James Moss. When he returned he helped take out 4 of the pigeons and tie red ribbon round the legs. He, Tansley, Moss and Pestell set off for Thurleigh. At Oakley Hull, about 4 miles from the place, they let the 4 pigeons go. Each separately went in the direction of Thurleigh. They went on to Thurleigh and the others went to the Red Lion public house but he went home. He later went with Tansley, Moss and Pestell to the house of William Williamson and Daniel Williamson. They had heard that pigeon feathers had been traced from the dovehouse to their house. They could not find either Williamson at the house. He had not been able to find them since. Daniel Williamson was a great deal tall than him and he stood at 5ft 11inches. William Williamson was about his height. About half an hour later he saw 2 pigeons flying about with red ribbon on their legs. He saw them settle upon the barns but not upon the dove house. James Moss: he kept the Saracen’s Head in Stonehouse Lane, St Pauls, Bedford. Mr Jefferies of Thurleigh, Pestell and Wills were at his house. Mr Jefferies asked him to go with him to Will’s shop. He went with him. Wills pulled a flat from under a table in the back shop and Mr Jefferies said that these were the pigeons that had been left there and if Jefferies believed them to be his then he was welcome to them. Wills said he was going to make a pair of leggings for the man who left them. Mr Jefferies said that he would take them. Wills said he was glad to be rid of them. The bag contained dead pigeons and the flat contained live ones. He carried the bag and one of the others carried the flat to his house. When they got to the house they locked the bag and flat in a room and he kept it whilst Mr Jefferies went for Mr Tansley, the constable. When Tansley came he saw 4 of the pigeons taken from the flat and a piece of pink ribbon tied to one of the legs of each of the pigeons. He saw the 4 birds put in a basket and Pestell carried the basket half way between Milton and Clapham. Pestell took the pigeons from the basket and threw them into the air. They went in the direction of Thurleigh towards the river and he saw of more of them. When they had visited Wills he had said he did not know the names of the men who brought the pigeons but he would know them again and had measured one for a pair of leggings. James Pestell: on Saturday 14 March Samuel Wills asked to him at the Cross Keys, Bedford “What are pigeons worth?” He replied he thought about 8 pence a piece. Wills replied that he thought he might have a few. Nothing more was then said. On 17 March he saw Samuel Wills and Wills asked how the pigeon trade was going. He replied he did not know and asked if Wills had any. Wills said he had some at his shop. Pestell said he thought they may belong to a young man he knew. Wills asked who and Pestell said that if he went with him then he would show him. He took Wills to the Saracen’s Head where Mr Benjamin Jefferies was waiting to see him. James Moss kept the Saracen’s Head and they all went to Wills shop in the Butcher’s Row. He had heard the evidence of Mr Benjamin Scrivener and his evidence was true. He asked Wills if he had bought then and Wills said he had not and wished to get rid of them and wished them gone. John Williamson: he was a master tailor of Thurleigh until the night the pigeons went missing. Having work to do for 2 young men at Keysoe he took it home about 10pm and for his brother Daniel to go with him. They stayed at the young man’s about an hour and a half. Then 2 young men were Samuel Wildman and George Wildman. They returned home between 12 midnight and 2am. Between Mr Austin and the back part of the house there was Mr Jefferies close. He saw 2 men about 60 yards before them coming to meet them. His brother said to him “Who are those a coming”. As he spoke the men turned out of the road and went a sort of triangle way out of the road. His brother suggested they follow them. At that time they were walking on a path again just within the style and they ran after them. They were going down a field leading to Mr Peacock’s farm. The men dropped a sack and a bag. There were some live pigeons in the sack and some dead ones. They cold not find the men. They took the bag and sack and went under the hedge and said to one another that if they sat there then perhaps the men would come back. No one came and they took the pigeons hoe. They did not know what to do for the best and his brother suggested they had been stolen. Next morning they took the pigeons into Bedford and went to the Chequers public house. They set the pigeons down; the live ones were in a basket and the dead ones in a bag. His brother saw Samuel Wills and said he had sold him some rabbits before and he was the most likely man to buy them. His brother went down to Samuel Wills and half an hour later Wills came back to them and said he could do nothing with them as they were undoubtedly stolen. They told Wills they were not going home yet and they wished to leave them with him and they would pick them up on their way home. Wills was going to a sale buy said he would be back I half an hour. Wills was longer than half an hour and he wanted to go home so he told his brother to fetch the pigeons and they would take home. They got home about 4pm and when they got home Dr Moore’s servant was waiting for him to do a little job for him. He knew nothing about Mr Jefferies losing the pigeons until he was told by Mr Jefferies when he was searching for them. Dr Moore’s servant was in the house at the time. He told Dr Moore’s servant that the searching of the house cut him up more than anything and he would not stay in Thurleigh living among his friends as it was a disgraceful thing. The next morning his brother agreed they would go off to America. He told his wife he would get to America and that she might sell a few things there and come after him. When they got to Liverpool their money was exhausted and they did not have sufficient to take over. They had got to Liverpool on the Thursday and went to work in a shop on the Saturday. He went to pay his footing with shop mates on the Saturday night and got rather fresh. As they were going home they got put in the cola hole for the night. They were searched and his brother, who was gamekeeper to Colonel Mackay, asked them to write to Colonel Mackay, which they did. Daniel Williamson: he could not say more than his brother had said. That was the truth. The night the pigeons were taken he had gone along with his brother to take some clothes home. They only other thing he could say was what passed between him and Samuel Wills. He went round by Mr Rayment’s to Samuel Wills house and found him up and dressing his children. He asked him if he wanted the pigeons. Wills said he did not buy them. He told Wills he did not steal them. Wills said he would not buy them but would get a wagon and send them to London for him. He agreed and asked what he would charge. Wills said Bill would come down on Monday and if he came then he would give him what money there was. Thomas Jefferies, aged about 17 years: he assisted in the management of the farm in the occupation of the executors of the will of his late father, Benjamin Jefferies deceased. The dove house was broken open and he missed a quantity of pigeons. The prisoner both lived at Thurleigh rather than 100 yards from the dovehouse and they lived under one roof. He traced the pigeons from the dovehouse through Doctor Moore’s Close to the back of the prisoner’s house. He went with his elder brother, Benjamin Jefferies, who is ill and unable to leave home, and his brother’s miller and horse keeper, William Bridge and Thomas Jefferies servant, to search Daniel Williamson’s house. They found nothing. The prisoner was not at home. They searched John Williamson’s house and found nothing. He was at home. They told the prisoners they were searching for pigeons. The men said they might search but that they were innocent and did not know nay pigeons had been stolen. He had not seen the men since. Joseph Tansley: he was a constable of Bedford and was occasionally employed as a constable of the county. On 17 March he searched the houses of both prisoners at Thurleigh for the pigeons but found none. He had a warrant to apprehend the prisoners but could not find them. On 17 April he heard they were at Liverpool ad went there to apprehend them. They were lodged at the Borough Gaol for disorderly conduct. He told them he would take them back to Bedford and they both said they had expected to see some people from Thurleigh. The constable of Thurleigh was with him. They went to engage some coaches and returned for the prisoners about 2 hours later. The prisoners were handcuffed together and Daniel Williamson asked where Samuel Wills was. Nothing had been said about Wills. He replied that Wills was in custody. John Williamson said he was sorry for that as Wills was innocent and knew nothing of it. Later John Williamson said he acknowledged they had the pigeons but they had not stolen them. Daniel Williamson said nothing until on the coach when he said they had the bag and sack at the Chequers public house and that was all that passed between them and Wills. Daniel Williamson said more than once that he acknowledge they had the pigeons but had not stolen them. Joseph Tansley [continued]: he took Samuel Wills into custody and charged him on suspicion of receiving the pigeons belonging to Mr Jefferies. Wills said he knew nothing more than stated by the previous witnesses. Wills said it was the taller of the men which had been with him on the morning. Samuel Wills: on Saturday morning a tall man like a keeper came to him at his stall on the market. The man said he wanted him to make a pair of leggings. He replied he would make him a pair as strong and anyone and he would measure him. The man said he would bring him a few pigeons over on Wednesday and he could measure him then. He told the man he had no occasion to bring him pigeons and he did not want any as they were of no service to him. On Wednesday morning the same amn and another came and rapped him up. He was not up and they said he better get up as he had to measure him for the leggings. He said he would come as soon as he dressed himself. The man had a basket and a bundle on his back. He asked to leave the things there as he was going on an errand and would come back for them. He came back about 10am and he measured him for the leggings. The man said there were some pigeons for him and he said he did not want them. The man said he would leave them and call again for them. Another short thicker man came with him the second time and said they had a place for the pigeons and would fetch them in a few minutes. The men went away and he saw nothing more of them.

item

Wills, Samuel,
Williamson, John,
Williamson, Daniel,
Jefferies, Benjamin,
Pestell, James,
Moss, James,
Tansley, Joseph,
Jefferies, Thomas,
Bridges, William

THURLEIGH, St. Paul Bedford, WILLINGTON, receiving stolen goods, pigeons, farmer, poulterer, victualler, Bedford Saracens Head, St.Paul's Square, Bedford Cross Keys, Bedford Butchers Row, Liverpool, Bedford Chequers, bailiff