Reference
QSR1822/308
Title
Examinations and depositions. Information of Henry Clarkson of Blunham, farmer.
Date free text
1822
Production date
From: 1822 To: 1822
Scope and Content
'He and his brother Thomas occupy a farm at Blunham ... under Col. Campbell - there are two new dovecotes on the farm, about a hundred yards from each other and from the dwelling house. About one in the morning of this day he was called by his brother Thomas and dressed and went out directly with him and another brother, William. They went together to one of the dovecotes called the Little Dove House and he went in; he found the door open and that the house had been robbed. They went next to the Great Dove House; that was not broken open.
They heard a man whilst they were on the village road speak to a horse in a gentle voice - and then he and his brother William ran across the green to get to the bridge over the Ivel by which any cart or horse might have to pass, and bid Thomas take another road so as to have the person heard to speak between them.
When the deponent and William Clarkson got to the road leading to the bridge (which was by a shorter cut than the road itself) they had the cart behind them but very near; the cart was driving at a rate of ten or twelve mile and hour.
The deponent stopped the horse by striking him on the nose with a poker - William laid hold of the reins - they found the prisoner John Thomas in the cart and bid him get out for he suspected he had gotten his [Clarkson's] pigeons. The prisoner got out, the deponent took hold of him and the prisoner made no resistance. He did not say that he had brought the pigeons at market. They detained him till further help came - he detained the cart and horse - the cart has on it John Thomas, Fishmonger, Castle Street, Camberwell. No 148130.
There was in the cart a ped filled with live pigeons - the body of the cart is inclosed - in that body there were live pigeons - on the body was a sack or bag with dead young pigeons and an iron coulter marked I.C. the coulter [cutting blade] was fresh used from the brightness of it's point. The coulter might well supply the place of a crowbar. The cart is on springs, and would carry live pigeons well and the horse active and strong.
On taking the cart into his possession he turned it into the ditch by the road side, backing it so that the horse could not move it. Between seven and eight when there was light enough he tried to trace by the wheels from where the cart came and found that a cart had been turned round against the pailes close to the farm yard.
The young pigeoins found dead in the bag were not packed in the manner that pigeons are killed and packed for sale to poulterers or by them ... Henry Clarkson further sayeth that John Adams was covered with pigeon's feathers when taken, as he would have been had he freshly come from a dove house in which he had been taking the pigeons.'
Reference
Level of description
item