The Great War may have been raging in all its fury, but new village resident Mr. Walter Hunter, who had recently bought the house currently known as ‘Elmfield’, had problems of his own. At the time it was called ‘Barnpeace’ and the land included that currently occupied by next three modern detached houses up Boulge Road. This extract is from the Woodbridge Reporter, 19^th August 1915.

Bad words at Hasketon.

“Harry Frost, labourer of Hasketon, was charged with using obscene language on the highway at Hasketon on July 18^th 1915, and further to doing malicious damage to a growing hedge to the amount of 1s.

Evidence was given in support of the charge by Mr. Walter Hunter, a retired civil service officer, Mrs Hunter and Mr. Gordon Rumsey, a visitor, who in the gardens adjoining Mr. Hunters residence, and were much annoyed at the language used by the defendant. 

Defendant denied the offence, and called as a witness Alfred Collins, shopkeeper, who said he was standing on the corner, and did not consider the language very obscene, but the defendant might have used one or two bad words.

The Bench convicted.  The chairman, in announcing a fine of 10s, including costs, said there were a good many previous convictions against defendant, but the bench had not taken them into consideration as they were old, the last one being 3 years ago.  Mr. Hunter withdrew the second charge of damaging the fence on defendant paying the costs.”