Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Sussex Daily News

Wednesday, January 10, 1894

Mark Cross Petty Sessions

Short version from the back page:

At these Sessions yesterday, James Taylor was fined 2s., without costs, for allowing cattle to stray, and Henry Dickenson, Robert Miller, Lewis Bridger, and E. Barton, who pleaded guilty to trespassing in pursuit of game on the land of the Marquis of Abergavenny, at Frant, were fined 1s. and 7s. costs each.  William Hobbs and Thomas Stevens, for night poaching on land belonging to the Marquis Camden, were fined £1 and 13s. costs each, with 14 days in default.

Longer version on page 3:

[Yesterday before General Munro (in the chair).  Lord George Nevill, Hon. J. Ashburnham, Mr. H. G. Dixon, Mr. R. Watson, and Mr. J. Hogg.]

CATTLE STRAYING. - James Taylor was summoned for allowing two horses to stray at Crowborough, on January 9th. - P.C. Allchorn, in proving the offence, said that he saw two horses straying on the Pilmer-road, Crowborough, and found that the animals belonged to defendant - Defendant said that his boy allowed the horses to go on the road. - Fined 2s., without costs.

GAME TRESPASS. - Henry Dickenson, alias Bridger, Robert Miller, Lewis Bridger, and E. Barton, four young men, all of whom pleaded guilty, were charged with trespassing in pursuit of game, on the land of the Marquis of Abergavenny, at Frant. - Mr. Cripps, of Tunbridge Wells, appeared from the prosecution and said that nets, ferrets, &c., were found on some of the boys, who were n the land of Lord Abergavenny.  As all the defendants admitted and expressed regret for their offence, he should only ask for a nominal penalty as a warning. - The Bench fined each of the defendants 1s. and 7s. costs, or seven days in default. - Time was allowed for payment in the case of those lads who could not pay forthwith.

NIGHT POACHING.  - William Hobbs and Thomas Stevens, workmen, were summoned for unlawfully entering by night, in search of game, a wood belonging to the Marquis Camden. - Mr. Cripps appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. John Burton represented the defendants. - Mr. Cripps opened the case, and then called Richard Edwards, gamekeeper, in the employ of the Marquis Camden, who deposed that he was in the wood, and heard a shot fired.  He saw the men, and stopped them about ten yards from the cottage of Stevens.  Witness asked defendants for the bird, and they said they had none.  Witness then wrestled with the men.  Stevens held a gun, the barrels of which were in his pocket.  During the struggle one of the men told witness that one of the barrels was still loaded, and he afterwards found this was so.  After a scuffle on the ground, another keeper named Bourne came up, and witness next went to the head keeper, Mr. Lucas.  On inspecting the spot afterwards tracks were found in the wood, and some pheasants' feathers were also discovered where the shot was fired. - Cross-examined:  It was dark when he heard the gun fired. - P.C. Hazleman said he heard a shot fired in Sawpit Wood, and witness waited until three men came round a field from the wood.  It was not light enough for witness to then identify them.  Hugh Lucas, head gamekeeper to the Marquis Camden, said he was shown the place where the scuttle happened.  He saw nail-prints in the wood as well as paper marks and pheasants' feathers.  The barrels of the gun were dirty. - Mr. Burton, on behalf of defendants, called attention to their previous good character.  Hobbs was in the employ of one of the tenants of the Marquis Camden, and was trying to rid Furnis Mill of rats.  For the purpose he had a gun.  Hobbs had been in the employ of a tenant of the Marquis Camden for a long time, and had been instructed to kill rats. - William Marshall, a higgler, of Furnis Mill, on behalf of the defendants, deposed that he saw defendants on the night of December 9th at Hook Green, and instructed them to destroy the rats at Furnis Mill the next morning.  The rats were all over the premises, and witness could hardly sleep for them. - Mr. Cripps, in the course of cross-examination, reminded witness that the morning named would be a Sunday, and asked if a rat shooting party would be organised on that morning? - Witness said he could not answer, but rats were often shot on Sundays. - Edward Bailey also gave evidence for the defence, and Charles Hammond spoke to the good character of Hobbs, who, he said, sometimes dealt with pests such as rats and rabbits.  Both were equally bad as pests (laughter). - Mr. Cripps pointed out that the gun was concealed in the pockets of Hobbs. - The Bench decided to convict, and fined each defendant £1 and 13s. costs, or fourteen days' imprisonment in default.

(I have no known connection to any of the above.)

Previous Page