Crimes and misdemeanours

Fortunately Hasketon doesn’t seem to have ever been a hotbed of criminality. We do have the odd burglary, or attempt to break into out-buildings even now, but unless somebody is quietly committing cyber crime at home, there doesn’t appear to be anything major going on at the moment. But if you take a period of approximately 100 years – roughly the time covered by the offences here – then it’s not surprizing the cases mount up. The majority would probably be classed as minor crime, but we have found one Hasketon villager who was transported to Tasmania, and one sentenced to death (though later reprieved). Most of the cases here directly relate to Hasketon, but I’ve included a few that don’t, simply because they help the story along. They’re more-or-less in date order.

Notes:

  1. The ancient Courts of Assize (commonly known as the Assizes) formerly sat at intervals in each county of England and Wales to administer the civil and criminal law. They were held in the main county towns and presided over by visiting judges from the higher courts based in London. After many centuries they were finally abolished in 1972 and their functionality transferred to the Crown Courts and High Courts.
  2. Less serious crimes were held at the local Quarter Sessions. Established in 1388, these were traditionally held at four set times each year in England: at Epiphany, Easter, Midsummer and Michaelmas.
  3. The term ‘the Bridewell’ was sometimes used to describe a gaol or prison.
  4. The Woodbridge ‘House of Correction’, was situated in Theatre Street, near the top of Queens Head Lane, and next to the steps leading down to Bredfield Street. The word ‘Correction’ is still visible on the front.
  5. Convicted criminals were often sentenced to ‘hard labour’. This could include a range of usually pointless physical tasks, including walking on treadmills, breaking rocks, etc for a minimum of 6 hours a day. For more details take a look at: https://visitvictorianengland.com/2019/05/07/hard-labour-in-victorian-prisons.

Contents

Casually sentenced to death

I think what I found striking in the following passage is the way in which the judge arrives in the town for the Assizes, goes to church, listens to an ‘appropriate’ sermon and then swears in the jury. All fine so far. Then the following day, during the few hours before noon, he casually sentences seven people to death . That works out to about 30 minutes for each case during which he had to hear the charges, review the evidence, cross-examine the witnesses, direct the jury etc. OK, so he reprieves 5 of them before he departs, presumably because they were just mostly petit theft, but it’s difficult to believe justice was really done.

SUFFOLK ASSIZES.  
On Thursday afternoon Judge Grose arrived here, and at nine o’clock in the evening the Commission for holding the Assizes was opened; next morning he attended divine service at St. Mary’s church, accompanied by the Officers of the Court, and the Alderman and Gentlemen of the Corporation, where an appropriate sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Rogers, Rector of Lackford, and Chaplain to the High Sheriff, (Joshua Grigby, Esq. ); after which his Lordship proceeded to the Crown bar, and the following gentlemen were sworn upon the two Grand Juries.
[Full list of jurers omitted]
At these Assizes, (which ended yesterday noon) the seven following prisoners were capitally convicted, and received sentence of death, viz. James Crow, aged only 18, (who pleaded guilty) and Charles Kent, aged 22, for robbing and cruelly treating Jonathan Clift, on the highway, in the parish of Mildenhall were both left for execution.
Wm. Rose, for stealing a lamb from James Ellis of Hunston;
Bridget Crack, for stealing a piece of calico from the shop of James Blyth of Bury;
Thos Brown, for stealing wearing-apparel, &c. in the dwelling-house of Wm. Nolloth, of Wangford;
Charles Curtis, for stealing a horse from Rev. Amies of Thwaite;
Harriet Barker, for stealing sundry banknotes from the house of Ann Eade, of Hasketon. 

These five last were reprieved before the Judge left the town.

Bury and Norwich Post – Wednesday 28 March 1810

Stealing wood

So you get sentenced to death for stealing a piece of calico (see above), but £5 for nicking some wood. Go figure…

Wednesday last John Markham, of Hasketon, was convicted before the magistrates, at their sitting at Woodbridge, in the mitigated penalty of £5 for stealing wood from the premises in the occupation of Miss Provart.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 21 March 1818

Attacks on horses and livestock

Amazing though it may seem, vicious attacks on farm animals, notably working horses, were not uncommon in the past, usually as a form or revenge or score-settling.

Sunday night some villain or villains stabbed and cruelly wounded a capital young cart mare, in the horse road, belonging to Mr. Salkeld, of Hasketon.

Ipswich Journal – Saturday 15 April 1797

On Saturday night some miscreants entered the farm-yard of Mr. Mills, of Lavenbam, stabbed three of his horses, cut the harness into pieces, and stole a pig.  One of the horses, it feared, will not recover.

The Suffolk Chronicle; or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express. – Saturday 19 September 1835

To minimise losses, some owners formed associations to combat the problem and share losses. This account from the Ipswich Journal in 1802 declares such a scheme in Hartismere, near Eye.

“HUNDRED Of HARTISMERE ASSSOCIATION for prosecuting Persons guilty of maliciously wounding and maiming CATTLE”.
At a Meeting held at Stoke White Horse,’ in the county of Suffolk, on the 9th April, 1812, pursuant to public notice by advertisement, in the Ipswich a Journal, – stating that Mr. Studd, of Gislingham, had then lately lost a Heifer in calf, by being wilfully and maliciously stabbed in the body, with a knife or some other weapon, of  which died, and that other like atrocious acts had been frequently committed,  It was agreed, and resolved on, by the persons a whose names are hereunder-mentioned, being principal farmers and occupiers of land within the said Hundred, to enter into a Subscription, and form an Association for prosecuting to Conviction the person or persons who shall be guilty of wilfully stabbing, wounding, maiming, or disfiguring any of the Horses, Cows, or other Cattle, belonging to any Member of this Association and indemnifying to out of the subscription Fund the loss any Member shall sustain by the death, or the charge of cutting the wounds of the I Cattle so stabbed, wounded. or maimed. And a Subscription was accordingly entered into for the above purpose.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 24 April 1802

HORRIBLE OUTRAGE.—On Thursday, the 14th instant, a most diabolical outrage was committed at Woodbridge, upon a mare belonging to Samuel Rudland, fish-dealer, which was stabbed in the heart by some evil-disposed person. In consequence of their having been some little altercation in the course of the day, at the Swan Inn, between Rudland, and James Green, butcher, a well-known, character in Woodbridge, suspicion fell upon Green, and he was apprehended early on the following day, and committed for trial at the Sessions.

True Sun – Saturday 23 April 1836

HORSE STABBING.-On Monday night, a colt belonging to Mr. Robert Emson, of Halstead, was maliciously stabbed several times in the flank, but fortunately without materially injuring the animal. A horse belonging to one of the showman attending our fair was also stabbed a few nights ago.  The perpetrators of these malignant actions have at present escaped the punishment they so richly deserve.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 13 May 1854

Poor relief

Before the Poor Laws of the 1830s when workhouses were introduced, responsibility for supporting the poor of a parish fell upon the residents of the parish, particularly those with land and the money. They weren’t always happy with this, so woe betide anybody who failed to support their family. I suppose the modern version of this is the Child Support Agency.

William Steel, refusing to maintain his wife and family, whereby they are become chargeable to Hasketon, 21 days hard labour.

Committed to the County Gaol and House of Correction, David Hearn, charged on the oath of Thomas Scott, of Badley, farmer, with having absented himself from his service, arid otherwise misbehaved himself, one month’s hard labour.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 15 July 1826

Similarly, anybody making fraudulent claims was dealt with severly. In this contect the ‘overseer’ is the person in the parish, often the Rector, charged with the responsibility of distributing benefits to the poor.

Woodbridge Quarter Sessions:  Abraham Grayston, for obtaining, under a false and fraudulent pretence, 1s.6d. from the overseer of Hasketon;  6 months in Ipswich gaol to hard labour, and the last fortnight to solitary confinement

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 05 July 1834

Vagrancy

If things have gone really wrong for you, and your only option is to crash-out in any place you can, then the powers that be seemed to think that there’s nothing like a spell of hard labour to set you back on the straight and narrow. It does make you wonder what on earth they were thinking of!

CONVICTIONS BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES.
James Barker, of Chelmsford, labourer, and Joseph Davis, of Spalding, mariner, of having, on the 19th inst., committed an act of vagrancy in the parish of Hasketon: committed to Ipswich Gaol for seven days each with hard labour.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 26 January 1850

WOODBRIDGE.  PETTY SESSIONS.
Friday, before the Rev. C. G. Archer and Major-General Hessey, Alfred William Lanham, labourer, Hasketon, pleaded guilty to sleeping in a shed, on the night of the 29th of May, without having any visible means of subsistence, and was sentenced to 14 days’ hard labour.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 07 June 1890

Riot at Nacton Workhouse

The Workhouse system was introduced during the 1830s as a means of providing work for the very poor. Essentially, destitute people were given food and shelter in the Workhouse in return for doing some form of work. However, conditions inside were often very harsh, and rebellions by the inmates at their treatment were not uncommon. The workhouse for the Woodbridge area was at Nacton. The site later became the location of Amberfield School.

 RIOT AT NACTON WORKHOUSE
In last week’s Journal, we noted the riot which took place on Thursday the 7th inst., and was restrained by the interference of the Magistrates and the police.  On Friday, the inmates prepared to renew their insubordination, but the appearance of policemen, armed with cutlasses, quelled their spirit.  Fifteen of the ringleaders having been captured, were removed to Woodbridge, strongly guarded, and order was afterwards tolerably well restored.  The prisoners were brought before the Rev. T. D. Betts, at the Woodbridge lock-up, on the 8th and 9th inst, and the following is the result of the adjudication on their offences:-
Wlm. Whitbread, of Newborne, Daniel Coates, of Playford, & Henry Osborne, of Otley, for inciting insubordination -14 days hard labour each;
Robt. Barker, of Woodbridge, Robt. Sawyer, of Sutton,  Emanuel Tricker, of Clopton, William Smith, of Debach, Henry Wythe, of Woodhridge, John Block, of Martlesham, James Garnham, of Rushmere, Henry Lee, of Woodbridge, Charles Garrard, of Playford, and Charles Salter, of Hasketon, for malicious damage to various parts of the building – two calendar months hard labour each, in Ipswich gaol;
Henry Hurren, of Felixstowe, and Joshua Lewis of Foxhall, for want of evidence, were reprimanded and discharged.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 16 February 1850

Riding upon the shafts

I’m not exactly sure what the specific crime is here: getting a free lift, or mistreating the horse. It’s probably quite an exhilarating way to travel though!

Edward Buckman, servant-to Mr. J. H. Packard, of Hasketon, was convicted on Wednesday last, before the Magistrates at Woodbridge in the penalty of ten shillings costs, for riding upon the shafts of his master’s waggon, upon the road leading from Tuddenham to Ipswich, on tile 2Oth day of March instant.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 31 March 1827

Stealing an oak block

In the early 18th century Edmund Jenny was a major land owner in the Hasketon/Burg/Boulge/Bredfield area. It’s not clear whether the ‘block’ is simply a lump of wood, or part of a block-and-tackle pulley system. The penalty was a severe ‘months hard labour’, which implies the latter.

At the Sessions, at Woodbridge, on Wednesday, Edward Moor, Esq. in the Chair:   

John Gooding, for stealing a silver watch, the property of Robert Tricker, of Woodbridge, chaise driver, was sentenced to three months hard labour;  
David Last, for stealing a grey coat, the property of John Tidman;
James Cow, for stealing a shovel, the property of — Waller, two months’ imprisonment in Ipswich Gaol, hard labour;  
David Taylor, for stealing a wagon rope, the property of George Clarke Doughty, Clerk; and
Wiliam Doole, for stealing an oak block, the property of Edmund Jenney, Esq. of Hasketon, one months’ hard labour.

Bury and Norwich Post – Wednesday 23 January 1828

Youth crime

I suspect hunger has as much to do with this as anything else.

William Stopher, aged 16 years, was charged with stealing quantity of bread, etc. from the house of James Dickens of Hasketon, labourer.  The prosecutor said he left home on the afternoon of the 20th September, and went to church; his wife soon followed him, and on their return, they found the house had been broken into, and a quantity of bread and other victuals stolen therefrom.  That on hearing some boys bad been near the house, prosecutor went in search them, and came up with the prisoner and two little boys, about quarter of a mile from the house; the two latter ran off, but the prisoner did not, and was taken into custody, and the prosecutor picked up some bread upon the spot where he first saw the boys.  Elizabeth Dickens, the prosecutor’s wife, said she secured the doors of the house before she went to church, and corroborated her husband as to the robbery. John Chandler, boy 9 years old, said he and another boy, named Skimmers, about 6 years old, went with the prisoner on the day in question into the fields, after Michaelmas plumbs, and when they came to prosecutor’s house, the prisoner broke the glass in the window, opened the casement, put witness and Skimmers into the house, and told them to get something to eat; that they got some bread and other victuals, and gave it to the prisoner out the window.  The prisoner denied all knowledge the transaction.  Verdict, Guilty; but in consideration of his youth, the jury recommended the prisoner to mercy; the Court, however, knowing him to be an old offender, sentenced him to 12 months’ imprisonment in Ipswich gaol, to hard labour, and to be twice whipped.

The Suffolk Chronicle; or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express. – Saturday 24 October 1829.

Assaulting a constable

William Burch, Hasketon, labourer, £1/6s/6d penalty and costs, for having on he 28th June last, upon the king’s highway, unlawfully assaulted William Tillett, constable of Hasketon on his return from the execution of his duty ; and default of payment, was committed to the House of Correction at Woodbridge for fourteen days.

The Suffolk Chronicle or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express  – Saturday 07 July 1832

Poaching

 Before the Magistrates at the Sessions’ Hall Woodbridge:—

Samuel Brown (generally called Stumpy Brown), a well known as poacher in the neighbourhood Woodbridge, was fined the sum of £5.I7s.6d. penalty and costs, for having, on the 16th of August last, been in an enclosed field in Hasketon, with two dogs, in search pursuit of game, then and there having a hare in his possession, and in default of payment was committed to Ipswich gaol to hard labour for three months.

The Suffolk Chronicle or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express – Saturday 14 September 1833

POACHING.
Arthur Page and Chas. Mudd were charged with being unlawfully in possession of game, and. Mudd was also charged with aiding and abetting, at Grundisburgh on the 18th inst.  P.C. Peek stated that on the 18th inst., at about half-past three in the afternoon, he saw defendants in a lane at Hasketon.  They entered a field and searched it.  Mudd had a gun; witness afterwards heard the report of a gun, and met Page coming from Grundisburgh.  He searched him and found eight snares and a partridge, quite warm, in his pockets.  Mr. Clement Smith, Hasketon, gave corroborative evidence as to seeing defendants on the field in question.  Page said he found the bird, and had had the snares in his possession for 12 months.  (A laugh.)  Mudd said he had permission to shoot pigeons on the land he was seen on.  Fines 10s 6d, and 14s. 6d. costs each, in default 14 days; the gun license to be forfeited, and the snares destroyed.

The Ipswich Journal – Friday 31 December 1886

Drunk on a Sunday, and a parking fine

Convictions.— Before the Magistrates at the Sessions’ Hall, Woodbridge : J. Mallett and R. Crisp, servants in husbandry to Mr. R. Ablitt, of Grundisburgh, the fine 3s. 6d. each, for leaving their master’s waggon and horses in Woodbridge Thoroughfare, to the danger of the public. Wm. Keeble, servant in husbandry to Mr. Gosling, of Hoo. in the fine of 55., for similar offence.

Joseph Birch, of Hasketon, labourer, the penalty of 5s for being drunk on Sunday, the 8th ins.

The Suffolk Chronicle or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express – Saturday 28 September 1833

Acquitted of stealing a handkerchief

Robert Barker was put to the bar and re acquitted on a charge of stealing three silk pocket handkerchief, the property of Richard Lyon, of Hasketon.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 04 July 1835

Damaging a gig outside the church.

A ‘gig’ was a small, 2-wheeled cart, typically capable of carying 2 people and their luggage.

CONVICTIONS BEFORE THE MAGISTRATES AT THE SESSIONS HALL, WOODBRIDGE, ON WEDNESDAY LAST.  Chas. Bolding, of Hasketon, labourer, upon his own confession, in the sum of £1, mitigated damages & costs, for having on Sunday, the 20th inst., during Divine service at the parish church of Hasketon, wilfully and maliciously committed injury or spoil to or upon a gig (the property of Mr. C. Baldry) while standing in the churchyard; and in default of immediate payment committed to Woodbridge Bridewell for 14 days, unless, &c.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 16 April 1836

Burglaries and petit theft

Joseph Borrett, of Hasketon, labourer, and Henry Carter, of Woodbridge, carpenter, were charged before Thomas D’Eye Betts, Clk., with having on the night of the 5th of January last, feloniously broken & entered the dwelling of Thomas Calver, of Hasketon, wheelwright, no person being therein, and stolen therefrom small deal box, one clothes’ brush, and variety of articles of pro- vision, &c.. the property of the said Thomas Calver. They were committed for trial, at the next Quarter Sessions, at Woodbridge.

The Suffolk Chronicle or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express – Saturday 23 December 1837

On the night of the 21st instant, some person or persons entered the fowl-house of Christopher Churchill, of Hasketon, Gent., and stole and carried away there from be seven ducks, his property.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 26 January 1839

James Baldwyn, of Hasketon, was remanded for further examination, on a charge of having in the night of the 17th instant, broken open and entered the shop and dwelling house of Joseph Goodwyn, of Kirton, shopkeeper, and stealing there from a quantity of drapery goods, and copper money.

The Suffolk Chronicle or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express – Saturday 27 April 1839

James Blake, 37, labourer, Hasketon, pleaded guilty stealing a spade, the property Sarah Mason, Woodbridge. Three mouths, first and last week solitary.

The Suffolk Chronicle or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express – Saturday 22 March 1851

Stealing malt

This slightly more serious case involved a group of local men who, it was believed had been responsible for a number of thefts in the locality.

STEALING MALT.  George Goldsmith, of Melton, labourer, (37); Benjamin Bilner, of Hasketon, labourer, (28); and John Smith of Eyke, labourer, (26), were charged with stealing 5 coombs [Ed: about 140 litres] of malt on the 27th of June from the Sun Lane Malting, the property of Messrs. Edwards and Son, of Woodbridge.
James Read, of Woodbridge, brickmaker, (34), and William Gowen, of Stowmarket, brickmaker, [24), also arraigned with the above prisoners, pleaded Guilty to the same indictment.  
Eden Tyler, of Blaxhall, carrier, (33), was also charged with having received 9 bushels of malt, part of the same property, knowing it to have been stolen.
The case came before the Court with particular interest, from the number of robberies of the same nature which had been committed in Woodbridge and neighbourhood, and the strong impression on the public mind that the present prisoners were the parties implicated. 

The Suffolk Chronicle – Saturday 06 July 1839

The full transcript of the trial can be found here, but at the end of the trial:

The Jury found all the prisoners Guilty. There being two previous convictions against Bilner, he was sentenced to 14 years transportation. Tyler, was also sentenced to the same term. The other four were transported for 7 years. The Court awarded Barnes, the officer, Five Pounds, for his active services in bringing these malt stealers to justice.

The Suffolk Chronicle – Saturday 06 July 1839

So for Hasketon’s Benjamin Bilner, the reward for his involvement in this theft was a 14 year spell in Tasmania. This would have beeen an extremely brutal time for him, at the end of which he would either have had to find the money for the trip back home, or stay in Australia. Most transportees ended up staying for this reason. In fact, since colonisation was part of the idea behind 19th century penal transportation, this was the indended result.
The authorities in Tasmania kept quite detailed records of transportees, and most are now available on-line.

Hedge pruning

Bear this one in mind next time the Parish council makes their annual announcement about trimming hedges.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT. BURY ST. EDMUND’S, MARCH 30.
CIVIL SIDE. (Before Mr. Sergeant ATCHERLEY and a Special Jury.) BROOK V. JENNEY. Mr. KELLY and Mr. O’MALLEY appeared for the plaintiff;
Mr. ANDREWS and Mr. BYLES were counsel for the defendant.

This was an action of trespass for cutting and destroying certain thorn-trees growing in the fence of a field called the ” Shortlands,” the property of the plaintiff. It appears that the parties are neighbours, residing at Hasketon, in this county, and in 1839 the defendant was surveyor of the highways.  In the discharge of that office notice was given to the plaintiff, under the Highway Act, to cut and prune his fences, and the thorn trees therein growing, which were alleged to have become injurious to the road.  The plaintiff accordingly set a man to work, but the defendant Jenney was dissatisfied with the mode in which the order had been complied with, and he therefore obtained an order of justices, under which the defendants themselves proceeded to cut the fences of the plaintiff, through the hands of one Marjoram. That person, however, did his work so effectually as not only to level the whole fence to the ground, but also to cut down a large quantity of thorns of an ancient date and great size, which had been cherished by the plaintiff and preserved on account of their beauty. The plaintiff complained of this, and as the authority of the surveyor does not extend over “ornamental trees,” he commenced proceedings against Mr. Jenney and the parties concerned in the execution of the order.  The case came in for trial at Ipswich, in the summer of 1840, and on that occasion the defendants obtained a verdict, the learned judge before whom the cause was tried being of opinion that they were justified by the order. The Court of Queen’s Bench, however, set aside that ruling, and the case now came before another jury, and after occupying the whole day, terminated at a late hour in a verdict for the plaintiff— Damages, 13/.

Morning Herald (London) – Friday 01 April 1842

Agricultural damage

James Blake, of Hasketon, labourer, of having on the 29th ult., at Blunts Wood, in the parish of Hasketon, wilfully and maliciously damaged some underwood there growing, the property of Chas. Cooper, Esq. Fined, damage and costs, and in default of payment committed to Ipswich gaol for 7 days hard labour…

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 12 January 1850

Ebenezer Baldwin, shoemaker, Hasketon, was charged with stealing two growing trees from a plantation belonging to Mr. Robert Holmes-White, of Boulge Hall. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and in explanation said cut down the trees for the purpose of erecting a*flag-pole on the day of the races at Hasketon. Finding one polo too short, he cut down the second. He was fined 10s., 2s. damage, with £1 10s. Cd. costs, or seven days’ hard labour.

Framlingham Weekly News – Saturday 28 April 1894

Henry Blake of Hasketon, labourer, oh having on the 10th inst. stolen a quantity of walnuts growing in an orchard in the occupation of the Rev. W. Collett,  Hasketon, was committed to Ipswich gaol for14 days with hard labour.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 16 October 1847

Stealing hogs

On Monday night, the 8th inst., two small S fat hogs were stolen from Mr. W. Stannard’s farm yard, at Hasketon. He gave information to the Woodbridge police on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning police constables Taylor and Cole found the hogs at Mr. Smith’s, dealer Lowestoft, who stated he bought them of two swine the day previously. The police soon afterwards brought two men to Lowestoft, whom Mr. Smith identified as the persons from whom he had purchased the hogs.  On being informed they had been stolen, Mr. Smith immediately gave them up. The prisoners were brought with the hogs to Woodbridge on Thursday, and were remanded until yesterday, when Mr. Stannard, having identified the hogs as his property, the prisoners were fully committed for trial at the Quarter Sessions.  The prisoners reside at Hasketon.  Their names are Robert Lyon, dealer, and James Smith, labourer. When apprehended, Lyon had a load of herrings, with which he and his companion were returning from Lowestoft, for which town they started t early on Tuesday morning.  They had worked for Mr. Stannard, who keeps a dog near the sty from which the hogs were stolen ; no noise was made by the dog on the night of the robbery. 8 night of the robbery.

(NEXT MONTH:). James Smith and Robert Lyon, for having stolen two fat pigs, the property of Wm. Stannard, of Hasketon, Sentence: 12 months’ each.

The Ipswich Journal – Saturday 13 December 1851

A family evening out in the Royal William Inn.

The Royal William Inn is now a private house in Theatre Street, Woodbridge, just opposite the Fire Station.

PETTY SESSIONS, Thursday. Before C. Walford Esq., (Chairman); J. O. Sheppard, F. G, Doughty, and J. P. Fitzgerald, Esqrs. A BOW.   

Harriett Tumner, of Hasketon, was charged by Martha, the wife of Wm. George Bines, of Hasketon, with having committed assault upon her on Saturday, the 3rd inst.  The complainant and defendant were at the Royal William, at Woodbridge, on the night of the 3rd instant. Defendant came into the room where complainant was and with an oath struck complainant on her mouth.  Complainant returned the blow, and there was regular scuffle.  After that, the husbands of the two parties struck each other, and much foul language was used.

Caroline Pinner, wife of James Pinner, saw Tunmer strike Bines on the mouth, and Bines struck Tunmer back again.  Defendant’s daughter also got about Mrs. Bines, and there appeared to have been quite a combat between the women.  The complainant is daughter-in-law of defendant, having married her son. 
Elizabeth Blake, the daughter of the defendant, deposed to seeing Mrs. Bines strike her mother.  Her mother did not say a word to her, and only put out her hand.  Witness afterwards said her mother called complainant a “good for nothing hussy”.  Witness was there the whole time, and saw no blow struck by her mother; but complainant struck witness, who had a baby her arms.  Witness did not strike complainant until complainant struck her.
Convicted.—Fined 6d and 6s costs, or six days’ imprisonment, but not to pay complainant’s costs. Defendant paid the money.

The Suffolk Chronicle or Weekly General Advertiser & County Express – Saturday 10 August 1861

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