Sheep stealing

Sheep stealing

Hunger among the rural poor in past times was widespread and therefore a major cause of theft, especially of food, and the most easily available was that to be found in the fields.

Sheep were therefore a frequent target of thieves, usually operating at night in isolated areas, although the risk was great because apprehension and conviction meant severe punishment imposed by magistrates who were most likely the landowners involved and at one time could have meant execution, transportation to the colonies or, at least, a lengthy jail sentence.

These are some of the cases gleaned from the newspaper archives and elsewhere.

¬ Unless reported to us on testimony not to be questioned, we should not venture to give publicity to a fact almost too atrocious for even a county of barbarians, and certainly calling for the active and incessant exertions of the parish in which it occurred to discover the perpetrators. One of more wretches, unworthy of the name human beings, last week, after cutting off the shoulders of a sheep belonging to Mr Franks, of Morton, near Bourne, in a pasture not far from his house, left it to finish its miserable existence. From the beaten track, marked in agony and stained with gore, which terrified the shepherd in the morning, the poor animal is supposed to have continued struggling alive for upwards of an hour.
- news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 5th March 1819.

¬ We are sorry to learn that sheep stealing has again begun in the neighbourhood of Deeping. It may well be to observe that execution has followed all the recent convictions for this offence and that the judges have declared their determination to let the law take its full course for the repression of it. - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 20th October 1820.

¬ In the course of a few nights past, upwards of one hundred sheep have been worried by dogs in Bourne Fen. On Monday night last, 40 fine sheep, the property of Mr John Thorpe, of the Bull Inn in Bourne, were found dead in his grounds from this provoking sort of trespass. - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 20th October 1820.

¬ Robert Woolley and John Bycroft were indicted at the Crown Court held at Bourne for stealing a sheep from Mr Robert Mawby on the night of the 3rd. inst. Woolley, who was shepherd to Mr Dove, of Cawthorpe, pleaded guilty and Bycroft was found guilty on trial. Both were sentenced to death. - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 11th March 1825.

NOTE: The sentence imposed on John Bycroft was later commuted to one year's imprisonment and hard labour at the House of Correction, Folkingham.

¬ John Edwards, aged 25, appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on Monday 18th July charged with stealing a lamb, the property of Mr John Dewey, of Bourne, on the 22nd of June. A second count charged the prisoner with feloniously slaughtering the lamb and stealing the carcass. It appeared in evidence that on Wednesday the 23rd of June, prosecutor missed a lamb from a pasture in his occupation and shortly afterwards found the skin and entrails in an adjoining meadow. He searched the prisoner's house by warrant and in a pantry adjoining the cottage found an earthen pot full of lam cut up into small pieces and covered with a smock-frock [outer garment traditionally worn by shepherds] stained with blood: an iron pot filled with lamb was also found, covered over with harden [dripping]. The carcass was not taken from the skin in a butcher-like mode and the bone of one of the legs was broken: the skin corresponded with the carcass. In defence, prisoner said he did not know how the meat came into his house. The jury found him guilty and judgment of death was recorded against him. - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 22nd July 1831.

¬ Sheep stealing is again much on the increase in the Bourne neighbourhood. Two sheep have been recently stolen from Bourne Fen. The scheme seems to be, to avoid detection, to slaughter the animals in the field and cut away the legs, shoulders and bulk of the meat, leaving leaving the skin and carcass. Mr Thomas Osborn, of Bourne, and Mr E Eldret, of Haconby, have had sheep served in this manner, A reward of £20 is offered in each case for discovery. - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 9th November 1849.

¬ Sheep stealing is again become prevalent in the Bourne neighbourhood, notwithstanding there has been at the quarter sessions a weeding of such offenders. Mr Teesdale had an in-lambed ewe slaughtered on the night of the 28th ult., on his farm in Bourne Fen; and on the following Monday night one was slaughtered in a field occupied by Mr John Eldred. Liberal rewards have been offered for discovery of the offenders. - news item from the Stamford Mercury, 10th January 1851.

¬ A shearling [a year old sheep that has been sheared once] belonging to Mr Richard Bettinson, of Thurlby, near Bourne, was slaughtered on Saturday night last in a field adjoining the turnpike road. The hind parts were cut off, part of the loin only being taken, which was carried away with the skin on, the remainder left in the field. An ineffectual attempt was made to trace the offender by the aid of Lord Willoughby's bloodhound (which was kindly lent by the keeper for the purpose), but the arid state of the ground, and the length of time that had elapsed before the trail could be made out, had removed all scent, and the effort was consequently unavailing. A reward, we hear, is offered for the apprehension of the parties. - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 11th July 1851.

¬ The quantity of fowls stolen in the neighbourhood of Bourne during the past winter has been larger than ever before known. Sheep stealing too has been much on the increase. During the last winter, a visit was paid to the hen roost of Mr J Dawson of West Street, Bourne, and a general clearance was effected. - news report from the Stamford Mercury, Friday 24th May 1880.