Crown Inn with adjoining shops. Postcard courtesy Carol Ewin
The Norfolk Chronicle of the 28th June 1902, reported on a case against the landlord of The Crown, Great Ellingham, Walter Buckle.
Buckle was charged with assaulting his customer, James Fisher.
Circumstances of the Case
The Magistrates heard the circumstances of the case.
It appears that on the 17th June, James Fisher was at The Crown Inn. At around 6pm he fell asleep.
Walter Buckle tried to wake him up. It was then alleged that Buckle struck Fisher with his open hand across the head.
However, Fisher was given a glass of beer and told to sit up. Buckle apparently then set Fisher up against the settle, and it was also alleged that Buckle struck him in the eye.
The court was told that Fisher was drunk, and could not walk out of the pub.
The incident was apparently witnessed by a young woman. However, James Fisher was unaware that she was present. He told the court that he might have used ‘filthy language’, but he knew nothing about it.
Case Dismissed
In the event, the Magistrates dismissed the case. James Fisher was ordered to pay court fees of ten shillings
James Fisher
Church of St James, Great Ellingham
The James Fisher mentioned in the court case, may well be James Fisher the son of Harriet Fisher who was baptised in St James’s Church, Great Ellingham on the 18th April, 1852.
The 1901 census finds 53 year old James working as an agricultural labourer but resident in the Wayland Union Workhouse at Rockland. 10 years later, James is still living at the Workhouse. Sadly, James Fisher died in 1916 aged 69.
Walter Buckle
Great Cressingham born Walter Buckle was landlord of The Crown for at least the period between 1904 and 1910.
Although the Electoral Register of 1911 shows Walter Buckle still living at The Crown, the census return for 1911 shows 40 year old coal merchant Walter Buckle with his wife Anna and three children (Florence 13, Walter 12, Sydney 11) living in Attleborough.
Publican and coal dealer, Edward Palgrave was then at The Crown.
Nevertheless within three years, Walter Buckle is dead. He died on the 20th December 1914.
Sources:
Walter Buckle. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills & Administrations), 1858-1995. Viewed via www.ancestry.co.uk. Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England
England, Norfolk Register of Electors, 1832-1915. England, Norfolk Register of Electors, 1832-1915,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2HBW-9G1 : 23 July 2017), Walter Buckle, 1911; citing Great Ellingham, Mid division, Norfolk, England, Record Office, Central Library, Norwich; FHL microfilm 1,597,059.
Free BMD website. Deaths Jun 1916. Fisher, James. 69. Wayland 4b 292. https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=EV4wMuiDt3ExlpFlKo26DA&scan=1
1901 census RG13/1867/105
1911 census RG14/11483/148, RG14/11471/63, RG14/11473/131
Great Ellingham Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office PD 609. Transcription viewed via Norfolk Baptisms Project 1813 to 1880
Norfolk Chronicle 28th June 1902. Viewed via The British Newspaper Archive