Illustration by Christine Fuller Before the Magistrates A night of disorderly conduct at the Chequers Inn on the 29th May, 1866 resulted in the appearance before the Magistrates at East Harling of the Landlord and some of his customers. John Brown, the Landlord, was fined £2 and costs of 14s for permitting disorderly conduct at…
Category: Court Hearings
Housebreaking & Theft of Soap, Candles, Matches and Other Articles
Illustration by Christine Fuller Martha and Jemima Downes Committed for Trial Sisters Martha and Jemima Downes (Downs) of Great Ellingham appeared before Mr A Cockell Esq, a local Attleborough Magistrate, in the August of 1878. On the information of Police Constable Gooch, the sisters were charged with housebreaking at Great Ellingham. They were committed for…
Claim for Rent & Rates on the Stone Cottage in Bow Street
Illustration by Christine Fuller A case of ‘Strange Contradictions’ was reported by the Norfolk News in their edition of 20th July 1878. A claim was brought by James Lane (the Plaintiff) for rent and rates amounting to £4 5s from James A Rix (the Defendant). The case was heard before the Judge, Edwin Plumer Price…
Mary Ann Mace Pleads Guilty to Assault Charge in 1883
Court Appearance Mary Ann Mace, described as an Innkeeper’s wife of Great Ellingham, appeared at the Petty Sessions at East Harling on July 30th, 1883. The Defendant was summoned to Court on the information of labourer, John Fox (also of Great Ellingham), for assaulting his daughter, Ellen Fox. Mary Ann pleaded guilty and was adjudged…
Smallpox and a Vaccination Court Case
Smallpox in Great Ellingham Amongst the outgoings listed in the Great Ellingham Parish Accounts for the year 1742, are entries for payments of relief by the Overseers of the Parish for three inhabitants of the village: “For the nursing and keeping William Winter in the time he had the small pox”; “For the nursing and…
Fined for Allowing Horses to Stray on the Highway
Illustration by Christine Fuller 1883 Court Appearance The Norfolk Chronicle & Norwich Gazette of August 4th, 1883 reported on the case of James Carter, a farmer, of Great Ellingham. Carter appeared before the Magistrates at East Harling on July 30th. He was charged with allowing two horses to stray on the highway. He was found…
The Intemperance of the Skipper Brothers
Illustration by Christine Fuller Appearance before the Magistrates in 1881 The Norwich Mercury of 25th June 1881, published a report of recent cases heard at the East Harling Petty Sessions. The defendants included brothers Abraham and Jeremiah Skipper from Great Ellingham. The men were “charged upon the information of Superintendent Starke with being drunk on…
Jonathan Rivett – Charge of Furious Driving
Illustration by Christine Fuller 1866 Court Appearance Jonathan Rivett of Great Ellingham appeared before the East Dereham Magistrates in the June of 1866. He pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a horse and cart furiously along Swan Lane in East Dereham on the 1st June. Rivett was fined £1 with costs of 8s. The…
A Difficult Year for John Green of the Curriers Arms in 1866
Illustration by Christine Fuller Fire at the barn of the Curriers Arms On a Tuesday evening in the October of 1866, a fire broke out in the barn at the Curriers Arms. The landlord, Mr John Green, had left his home at the Curriers Arms to visit a friend shortly before Mr Green’s daughter discovered…
Christmas Chaplin – Charged with being Drunk at the Queen’s Head
Drunk on Licensed Premises A report of the local petty sessions in the Norfolk News dated December 11th, 1875 referred to the case of Christmas Chaplin, a labourer, of Great Ellingham. Christmas Chaplin was charged with being drunk on 5 November on “the licensed premises of Theodosia Morley at Attleborough“. Theodosia Morley was the licensee…