Sheep Trial

Derbyshire Times 8th April 1882

sheep sheep sheep

The Charge

Sheep Stealing


On Thursday night last two sheep were missing from a field belonging to Mr. Harry Booth, Farmer, of Pleasley, on the borders of Nottinghamshire. The matter was reported to the Chesterfield Police and the recollection of an occurrence dating twelve months back, Superintendent Carline, proceeded to Stonebroom and sought an interview with Alfred Hardy, Butcher of that place. Hardy was not at home at that time, but Supt. Carline waited until he came. On being asked if he had any sheep, he said he had, there were some in the slaughter house. Mr. Carline desired to see them. On arriving at the slaughter house door, it was found to be locked. Hardy suggested that a man named Harrison had taken the key away. The Supt. at once accompanied Hardy to Harrison's house and while waiting at the door for Harrison, Hardy slipped away and made off.

An entrance was soon effected into the slaughter house and the carcasses of two sheep were found, but the skins were missing. The place was searched for the skins, but to no purpose. Supt. Coope of Alfreton, being applied to, sent his men to search all the pools, brooks and walls in the neighbourhood.

The men continued their search for the skins up to Saturday night. While dragging the brook at the foot of Shirland Hill, near Alfreton, several people congregated, not knowing what the water was being dragged for. One of the men engaged remember it was the 1st April, picked up a piece of cloth and pretended to read 'Alfred Hardy' on it remarking, at the same time, 'Well Hardy might have chosen a better place than this to drown himself in'.

This story, or rather the impression it was intended to give, soon got to Alfreton and a number of people went to see the Police dragging for the body of Hardy. The neighbourhood was searched for Hardy and nothing was heard of him until Monday afternoon, when Police Constable Knowles and Sergeant Reilly went to the house of John Hill of Wessington Hay , one to the back door and the other to the front. At the back door stood Knowles, but hearing a noise upstairs, he rushed in and up the stairs. He was just in time to catch Hardy by the heels as he was getting out of the window. The sash of the window had slipped down upon Hardy when he was partly out and this had prevented him from getting out, before the Policeman got to him.

Hardy then got back into the room and a desperate struggle ensued. He got the Policeman down and cut his face and otherwise injured him before Reilly get in to his assistance. Knowles had just got the mastery of Hardy , when Reilly got in.

He was then secured and then with more than one attempt to escape taken to the Alfreton Lock-up. On Tuesday he was taken from Alfreton to the Chesterfield Police. A correspondent was informed that he had fully confessed to his guilt, but in doing so had implicated another man , who is not yet in custody. This other man took away the skins. Mr. Walker, of Belper, telegraphed to Supt. Coope on Tuesday afternoon to tell Hardy that he was instructed to defend him. Hardy says he was hiding part of the time in an old building not far from Shirland Toll Bar.

At Chesterfield County Court Thursday, Hardy was charged before Mr. E W Barnes, with stealing sheep of the value of £8.00, the property of Henry Booth, Farmer of Pleasley, on the 29th of last month. Police Constable Knowles, stationed at Shirland, detailed prisoners arrest and said that when charged with stealing sheep, he admitted being guilty and added he was helped by another man. A remand for a week was applied for and granted.


Derbyshire Times 15th April 1882

Sheep trial continues

The Proceedings

Chesterfield County Court 12th April 1882


At the Chesterfield County Police office on Wednesday morning Alfred Hardy, Butcher, of Stonebroom, was charged before E.W. Barnes, Esq, on remand, with having stolen two sheep of the value of £8.00, from the premises of Mr. Harry Booth, Farmer of Pleasley, on the 29th March. Particulars of prisoners exciting capture appeared in our column last week. The case is causing considerable interest in the county from the fact hat the prisoner is well known and has been in business for some time.

Mr. J.B.Walker of Belper appeared for the prisoner.

The first witness was the prosecutor, who deposed that on 29th March, 1882, he had 14 sheep in a turnip field on his farm, near Woodlane, near the Railway Bridge at Pleasley. He saw them safe at seven o'clock on Wednesday night. About 8.30 next morning when he went to look at them, he found two were missing, marked 'D', through the left ear. Witness examined the field and found the fence broken down at one corner. There were also foot prints in the corner - one of a man's clog and the other of boots with a plate on the heel and the sole without nails in. The footprints were discernible for 30 yards up the field from the lane side and then back again to the fence adjoining the lane. On going into the lane the witness see wheel marks as if a cart had been backed up to to the rails. The cart had been turned round twice in the lane and at two weak places in the fence there was wool on the brambles as though sheep had been lifted over. There were marks close by on the other side of the fence. Witness gave information to the Police.

On the day but one after he went to Stonebroom and saw Supt. Carline there and they went together to the prisoner's slaughter house. There was the carcasses of two sheep there, one being a wether and one being a theave. The heads were cut off, but the carcasses were of sheep and similar to those missing.

The same day the witness in company with Sergeant Radford took the prisoner's horse and trap to the field from which the sheep had been stolen and the wheels made exactly similar impressions to those already there near the fence. Sergeant Radford also made impressions with the boots produced and found they exactly corresponded with footprints in the field. Prisoner's horse made a peculiar impression with it's left hind foot - owing to that foot being longer than the off hind foot and the toe of the left sunk deeper than the rest of the foot. These marks also exactly corresponded with those already there.

Geo. William Floyd, woodsman, residing at Palterton, said that on Wednesday the 29th about a quarter to seven saw prisoner in the road leading from Palterton to Glapwell. Witness was carting soil and saw two men drive up. Prisoner and another man drove to the lane end and one got out in the lane. Prisoner drove on to Mr. Fretwell's farm - about 200 yards along the same road. He stopped the trap at Mr. Fretwell's and shouted, ' Is the master at home?'. The servant replied in the affirmative, but before Mr. Fretwell could get to the prisoner, he drove off in the same direction that the other man had gone.

By Mr. Walker : He had never seen either before that night. Did not see the second man again that night..

Wm. Topley, gamekeeper, living at Stuffyn Wood Lodge, near Wood Lane, about half a mile from the prosecutor's farm, said he was at home on the evening of the 29th and saw a trap pass along the road in the direction of Mr. Booth's farm. There were two men in the trap. About 8 o'clock the same evening witness was in the garden when he heard a trap coming very rapidly from the direction of the railway bridge near Mr. Booth's farm. Witness remarked to his wife, 'Why that's the conveyance that passed while we were at tea'. There were still two men in the trap.

He had been shown three traps since that date, at Stonebroom and had recognized one as the one he saw on the 29th. A horse was afterwards put in the prisoner's trap and witness was quite confident they were the same he had seen near his house.

By Mr. Walker: Witness house is about 20 yards from the house and below the road. There is a garden and thorn fence five feet high separating witness house from the highway. The road is a public one , much frequented and leads to Worksop. Was quite sure as to the cart. Heard of robbery the day after. Did not give a description of the horse and cart to any person before he had a conversation with the Policeman.

By Mr. Barnes : Mr. Fretwell's farm is about three miles from Mr. Booth's field out of which the sheep were stolen.

Mr. Elijah Carline, Superintendent of Chesterfield County Police Force, stated that that on 31st of last month he received information that two sheep had been stolen from Mr. Booth's field and at once went over to Stonebroom and at about seven in the evening with two other Constables, went to the prisoner's house and enquired for prisoner, but was informed he was not at home. Witness went straight to the slaughter house and found it locked up. He waited about until half-past nine , when prisoner returned home. Just as he was entering the back door, witness said, 'Hardy I want to speak to you and look in your slaughter house. He replied, 'I'll fetch the key' and witness went into the house with him. He said he could not find the key and that it must have been left in the slaughter house door. They went across to the slaughter house together and tried the door, but the key was not there and the prisoner then said, ' I sold a side of beef this afternoon to Mr. Harrison, perhaps this man has taken it in mistake. He only lives at Stonebroom, let us go and see'.

On going there together, prisoner asked to see Mr. Harrison, but on seeing him coming to the door, prisoner bolted down an entry and away as fast as could. Witness tried to catch him but he dodged about back yards and gardens and got clear away. Witness had not spoken to him about the charge of stealing sheep at that time. On returning to prisoner's slaughter house, two carcasses of mutton were found there and a sheep's head. The skins were searched for but no part of them could be found.

On searching the prisoner's house, the boots produced were found under a sofa in the kitchen. The boots were given to Sergeant Radford. On Tuesday the 4th, witness received prisoner into custody at Alfreton. On reading the warrant over to him prisoner replied, ' I've told Knowles all about it. He has a statement in writing.' Witness read the statement over to prisoner, who replied it's true. Witness then said, ' It seems you have been cautioned, do you mind signing it, if it's true?'. He replied, ' No, I'll sign it.' He did so at once, in the Superintendent's Office. Prisoner, ' You forced me to sign it'. Superintendent Carline, ' Oh, nothing of the kind'.

By Mr. Walker: Supt Carline, P.c. Knowles, Sergeant Reilly and myself were there when the prisoner signed the paper and there was no pressure put upon him. At the time the paper was signed there was no black lead pencil writing upon it'. Mr. Walker : 'Well there is some now and it's been tampered with.' P.c. Knowles : 'I have re-written one word on the margin'. Mr. Walker: 'When ?'. P.c. Knowles : ' This morning'. Mr. Walker: ' Then I take objection to the paper altogether. It has been tampered with and then alteration since the signing, is fatal to it.' By Mr. Walker: 'P.c. Knowles wrote the statement'. Sergeant Radford, of the Chesterfield County Police Force, swore that on Friday, March 31st. by Superintendent Carline's instructions, he took prisoner's horse and cart to prosecutor's farm. In the lane opposite the field where the sheep were taken, there were wheel marks, showing that the cart had been turned twice in the lane and backed up to the hedge. The wheel marks made by priosner's cart were exactly the same. The rear hind foot shoe of prisoner's horse was much larger and wider than that on the off foot and the marks in the lane also corresponded in that respect.

Witness and prosecutor then got over the field and found the footprints of two men. Witness then minutely described the footprints and stated that the boots given to him by Supt. Carline made exactly similar prints to those along the hedge side. There was also a peculiarity in the outside corner of the left heel, 'clippet' which was observable in the prints in the field. Witness perfectly certain that the boots produced had made the impressions in the field. Witness was cross examined at length as to the impressions in the field.

P.c. Knowles, stationed at Shirland, stated that on the 3rd inst. from information received, he went to the farm of Joseph Hill, at Wessington Hay, in company with Sergeant Reilly. Both doors of the house were fastened and when witness knocked at the front door, prisoner put his face to the window. Witness knocked on the front door two or three minutes, but no one opened it and witness then said, ' If you don't open the door, I'll break it in'. The door was then opened and witness saw the prisoner running from room to the other. On going upstairs witness saw prisoner getting through the bedroom window. A portion of his body was hanging through the window head first. Witness pressed the window down on him, preventing him going further. Witness then drew him back into the bedroom and secured him after a violent struggle. After some minutes when prisoner had calmed down he was charged and cautioned in the usual way and he then said, 'I'll tell you about it, it will be best for me.' Prisoner then made a statement - produced - and witness wrote it down and afterwards read it over to him. Prisoner on hearing it read over said, ' It's all right, it's true'.

Prisoner was conveyed to the Alfreton Lock-up and after handed over to Supt. Carline. He was present when prisoner signed the statement and there was no pressure put on him. Cross examined : Witness wrote the statement on the night of the prisoner's arrest. Part of it was written at witness's house and part at Sergeant Reillys. One word had been written by him on the statement since the prisoner signed it. It was only altering the name of a place,. which had been wrongly spelt. In answer to the charge the prisoner, pleaded ,' Not Guilty'. and was committed to take his trial at the next Derbyshire Assizes. Mr. Walker applied for bail, but Mr. Barnes said he could not grant it, as one man was still at large and it was not a case for bail.

Derbyshire Times 16th May 1882

Sheep trial continues

Derbyshire Assizes - Trial by Jury

Pleasley - Sheep Stealing


James Broom and Alfred Hardy were indicted for having on the 29th March last, stolen two sheep, the property of Henry Booth, in the Parish of Pleasley. The prisoner Hardy pleaded 'Guilty'.

The prosecutor deposed that on the night of the date in question he had fourteen sheep in a field near Wood Lane and when he came to look after them in the morning he found two of them had been taken. He found that the sheep had been taken through a gap in the hedge and he followed the prints of the two men to a place in the lane, where there were marks of a horse and cart

A few days after he lost the sheep he went with a Constable to Hardy's house at Stonebroom where he was shown two carcasses of mutton, which correspondence in size, weight and other particulars with the sheep he had lost.

Other evidence was called which showed that prisoners Hardy and Broom were seen together in the neighbourhood of the field where the sheep were folded on the night in question, with a horse and light cart, the wheels of which corresponded to the marks found in the lane near the fold.

When the prisoner Broom was arrested, he said that Hardy had told him he had brought two sheep and asked him to help him to remove them from the field.

The prisoner Hardy , on being called, said that he and Broom had stolen the sheep together. He never told Broom he had brought the sheep.

The Jury acquitted Broom and His Lordship sentenced Hardy to Twelve Months Imprisonment.

Mr. Tonman Mosley conducted the case for the Prosecution.

(NOTE: Alfred Hardy was born 19 September, 1843. He would have been 38 years old at the date of the Trial. His eldest son, also named Alfred, was born 15 March, 1870. He would have been 12 years old. At the date of the sentence, Alfred (Senior) was married to his second wife Susannah Hardy (nee Pursglove)). She would have contiunued to run the Butcher's shop and Swiss Farm, Shirland, whilst her husband was in prison.


  • Return to Index