Illustration Christine Fuller
Towards the end of July, 1874, Great Ellingham baker, James Carter, appeared before the Magistrates at East Harling. Police Constable Richard Hannant found Carter to be drunk and disorderly at Great Ellingham on the 9th July.
The Magistrates found James Carter guilty of the offence. He was fined £1-8-0d (one pound and eight shillings).
James Carter
The 1871 census captures three ‘men’ in two families with the name ‘James Carter’. However, none of them were bakers!
I think it reasonable to think that the ‘James Carter’ before the Magistrates in July 1874, was not the James Carter, the husband of Mary Ann. In 1871, 58 year old labourer James Carter and his wife Mary Ann are living in ‘The Green’ (Town Green), Great Ellingham.
The same census finds 50 year old agricultural drillman James Carter with his wife Jemima occupying a house in Church Street. Their children Sarah Ann aged 22, Nehemiah 19, James 16 and William 14 are with them.
James Jnr and William are working as farm labourers. However, Nehemiah is a baker!
Accordingly, I have come to the conclusion that the James Carter convicted of drunk and disorderly in 1874 was, perhaps, James Carter Jnr who at the time would have been 19 years of age. He may have had a change of occupation between 1871 and 1874. However, this is little more than a guess!
Sources:
1st August 1874. Norfolk Chronicle. Viewed via The British Newspaper Archive website
1871 census RG10/1841/76 & RG10/1841/87