The former Crown Public House Little Ellingham.
In the photograph is Bert Pestell a son of a former landlord, Henry D Pestell (landlord 1899-1908)
Courtesy of Pauline Laing
The following report from the Watton Petty Sessions was published in the Thetford & Watton Times on the 3rd October, 1896:
William Kemp of Hingham farmer and Isaac Fincham of Great Ellingham dealer were charged by Thomas Cooper of Little Ellingham innkeeper with being disorderly and refusing to quit the Crown Inn at Little Ellingham when requested to do so on the 19th ult.
Both defendants were further charged with assaulting the landlady, Harriet Cooper. Thomas Cooper said defendants came into his house between 7 and 8 o’clock in the evening of the 10th September and called for two glasses of ale. These Kemp paid for. Then Fincham called for two glasses, but refused to pay for them, and commenced “kicking up a row”, knocking the table over and committing other disorderly conduct.
Complainant requested them to leave. Kemp went out, but Fincham refused, and complainant was obliged to get the assistance of a man named Herbert Skitmore to assist him. After they got him out he threw stones at the door.
In the second charge Mr Houchen defended. Complainant said he was in the kitchen when the defendants entered, and while kicking up a disturbance his wife came in and defendant Kemp struck her and knocked her down on to the settle.
In cross-examination by Mr Houchen, complainant said he was not aware that Skitmore pulled off his coat to fight. Fincham did not strike his wife, but abused her and called her bad names. Mrs Cooper said when Fincham refused to pay for the two glasses of ale he called for he struck the table and abused her, making use of very bad language. She thought both defendants struck her.
By Mr Houchen - If Skitmore took off his coat she did not see him do so. She thought Fincham was the worst of the two. Samuel Lister said he was at The Crown Inn during the while evening and saw the defendants come in. They had a glass of ale each, which Kemp paid for, and then Fincham called for two more, which he refused to pay for.
Mr Cooper demanded the money, and then an altercation took place, during which Kemp got hold of Mrs Cooper’s arm and held her, but he did not see any blows struck. He did not see Fincham assault Mrs Cooper in any way, but he refused to leave the house when asked to do so. Complainant Cooper asked Skitmore to assist him to put Fincham out of the house, and he might have pulled off his coat, before doing so. Kemp did not resist.
The Bench told defendants that they considered both guilty, Kemp of assaulting Mrs Cooper, for which he would be fined 10s and 14s costs; Fincham for refusing to quit the house when requested by the landlord, for which he would be fined 16s, and costs 13s.
Isaac Fincham
At the time of the 1891 census, a 39 year old cattle drover Isaac Fincham is living with his wife Sibylla at Swangey, Attleborough. The area of ‘Swangey’ borders the villages of Rocklands and Great Ellingham.
The couple have seven children whose ages range from 13 down to the youngest at just one year old. The family have been at Swangey for less than two years. All but the youngest of the children were born at Shropham.
Rocklands Born
Issac Fincham was born on the 17th March, 1852, in Rockland All Saints to dealer and farmer, Thomas Fincham and his wife Letitia. He was baptised at the Church of All Saints with Saint Andrew on the 16th May.
Living with Parents
The 1861 census captures 9 year old Isaac with his parents and five siblings in Shropham Road, Rockland All Saints.
Ten years later, 19 year old Isaac is still living with his parents. The Fincham family is now living in Low Road, Shopham.
Marriage in the Borough of Tower Hamlets
However by 1876, Isaac has moved to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets where he is living at the time of his marriage to Sibylla Smith on the 27th July, 1876 at the Church of St Michael & All Angels. The marriage entry gives Isaac’s occupation as ‘Bus Driver’. Accordingly Isaac will have been ‘driving’ a horse-powered omnibus.
Back in Norfolk
Nevertheless by 1881, 28 year old Isaac Fincham was back in Norfolk. The census of 1881 finds Issac, Sibylla and their three children living in Low Road, Shropham. Isaac is back working as a cattle dealer.
The family then move to Swangey before the birth of Florence in 1889. However their stay at Swangey appears to be short lived as daughter May was born in Rocklands in 1892. Of course it is possible that Sibylla was ‘away from home’ when she gave birth to May.
Nevertheless by 1895, Isaac had moved his family to Brick Kiln Cottage, Little Ellingham. This is prior to the birth of his daughter Olive. It follows that this is where Isaac Fincham is living at the time of the incidents at The Crown in Little Ellingham in the September of 1896.
Thomas & Harriet Cooper
According to Norfolk Pubs website, Little Ellingham farmer, Thomas Cooper, was landlord of The Crown in Little Ellingham from 1888 to 1896. Perhaps it was after the fracas at their pub ithat Thomas and his wife Harriet moved on.
Innkeeper
The 1891 census captures 44 year old farmer and innkeeper, Thomas Cooper, at The Crown. His wife Harriet is also 44 years old and both were born in Little Ellingham.
Marriage
Thomas Cooper married the former Harriet Skitmore towards the end of 1865. Before her marriage, Harriet lived with her parents, James and Charlotte Skitmore, in Anchor Lane, Little Ellingham.
Move to Rocklands
By 1901, the couple are found living along the Attleborough Road at Rockland All Saints.
Sources:
27 July 1876 Marriage. Isaac Fincham & Sibylla Smith. London Metropolitan Archives; London, England, UK; London Church of England Parish Registers; Reference Number: P88/MIC/020 Ancestry.com. London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1940 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
Thetford & Watton Times 3 October 1896. Viewed via The British Newspaper Archive
1861 census RG9/1237/129, RG9/1237/108
1871 census RG10/1841/1839
1881 census RG11/1974/140
1891 census RG/12/1549/9, RG12/1549/86
1901 census RG13/1867/90, RG13/1867/106
GRO Index FreeBMD website
Rockland All Saints with St Andrew Parish Registers. Norfolk Record Office PD 335. Viewed via www.ancestry.co.uk