BERWICK ADVERTISER, 16 APRIL 1920

17/04/2020 by Northumberland Archives

CHATHILL GIRL AWARDED £100 DAMAGES

The details of an unfufilled promise of marriage were related before the Under-Sheriff of Northumberland (Mr John E. Gibson), and a jury, who sat at the Moot Hall, Newcastle, on Tuesday, to assess damages in a case which had been remitted from the King’s Bench. The plaintiff was Mary Ternent, of Tuddle Farm, Chathill. The defendant, Robert Carr, was described as a boiler man, of Budle New Farm, Bamburgh. After hearing the evidence damages amounting to £100 were awarded.

The Moot Hall Court in Newcastle, where the the case of Mary Ternent, of Tuddle Farm, Chathill, was heard in 1920. © Roger Smith, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 license

Mr Hugh Percy, of Alnwick, who represented the plaintiff, said the parties in the case were in humble circumstances. The girl was 25 years of age, and she met the defendant, as unhappy fate would have it, about November, 1917, their acquaintance ripening into courtship. Carr proposed to her in January, 1919, which could be proved by a letter written by defendant to plaintiff, posted on January 21^st, in which the following passage occurred: “Have you made up your mind yet about getting married? I do not like to say anything to your mamma, as you know I am shy, but I think she would let me have you darling.” That occurred in the middle of a voluminous correspondence, and it was important in fixing the date because of a particularly sad feature of the case. The girl gave all to this man, with the result that a child was born on March 17^th last. He appeared to be acting honourably towards her, and in May, 1919, he had bought her an engagement ring. Later, however, he deserted her, and did not reply to her letters. After the proposal, added Mr Percy, Miss Ternent had spent £10 on household linen, and during her illness lost about £45 in wages.

Plaintiff bore out Mr Percy’s statement, and Carr, asked as to his financial position, said that his wages amounted to £2 10s per week, of which he paid 30s for board.

BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS

FRIDAY

Before A. T. Robertson and Thos. Purves, Esqs.

Neil McGee, labourer, Ireland, was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Chapel Street, Berwick, at 9.30 p.m., on Thursday, 8th April. April. He pleaded guilty.

P.C. Cruickshank proved the case, and said he found accused using foul language in a passage, and later, after being warned, he found him committing a nuisance.

One previous conviction was recorded, and accused was fined 5s or 7 days.

MONDAY

Before Alex. Darling and Jas. McNab, Esqs.

PUNCHED THE POLICE

Jane Wood, married woman, Berwick, was charged with having assaulted P.C. Latto and P.C. Robson, while in the execution of their duty in her own house in Chapel Street, on Saturday evening. She pleaded guilty.

P.C. Latto said he heard the accused cursing and swearing in Chapel Street, and abusing P.C. Robson. Witness advised her to go home, but she continued the disturbance. Her husband attempted to drag her into the house, but she bit, scratched, and tried to punch him on the face. She was mad drunk, and witness and P.C. Robson went into the house to try and pacify her. She continued to kick and strike out, and hit P.C. Robson on the lip, causing it to swell.

P.C. Robson said when he had occasion to check the child of accused, Wood, who was mad drunk, started to abuse him and use vile language. When trying to pacify her in her house, she behaved violently and struck him on the mouth, also kicking him in several places. She resisted all the way to the Police Station, kicking and scratching all the road.

This being accused’s third appearance; she was fined £2, with the alternative of one month. A fortnight was given in which to pay.

LOCAL NEWS

A long delayed letter and a postcard were received by Mrs Anderson, 66 Hunter’s Road, Newcastle-on-Tyne, on 27th March. The missives were posted in Moscow, Russia, on July 29th, 1914, by her son, Mr W. D. Anderson, a Freeman of Berwick, who was going to China, and they described the mobilisation of Russian troops for the great war, then just about to begin.

How Moscow would have looked to Mr Anderson, a Freeman of Berwick, in the early part of the twentieth century. © Author: С. С. Ильин. Source: Фото архив С. С. Ильина

Mr Anderson, shortly after posting his letter to home, crossed Siberia to China, and was there 12 months when he came home to join up and become gazetted 2nd Lieut. in the D.L.I. He then went over to France, and was badly smashed up at the Somme, and returned to Newcastle, where he remained with his wife until demobilisation. He has been back in China for nearly a year. His brother, Mr Jas. Anderson, who is also a Freeman of the Borough and a regular visitor to the old town at holiday times, was in Berlin on holiday a few days before war was declared, and just got away at the last moment.

While excavations in connection with the laying of underground telegraph and phone cables were in progress at the Berwick end of the Old Bridge on Friday, workmen laid bare a piece of very old masonry, and a very much encrusted water main of lead was also unearthed. It is believed that the masonry is part of the foundations of the old English Gate or Key Gate, which are shown on a sketch of the Bridge dated 1745, and which were demolished nearly two centuries ago. The old foundations appeared to be composed of sandstone and limestone, run together with hot lime. The foundations cannot have belonged to the old Toll House, as it was situated in the recess at the Bridge End, close to Mr Vance’s shop.

About 1.40 a.m. on Saturday while two soldiers of the K.O.S.B.’s were returning after attending a dance, they observed fire to have broken out in an old house used as a workshop, at the rear of Mr Thos. Buglass’ property at 79 Low Greens. They immediately in formed the police, who communicated with the Borough Surveyor with a view to getting the fire engine out. Meanwhile a number of railway cleaners, and others who had hurried to the scene got at work on the burning building with water buckets. Their efforts were rewarded by keeping the fire from Lowrie’s stable which is adjacent, but the entire workshop was gutted. The fire brigade call was cancelled immediately the fire was got under control. It is believed that the conflagration was started by an old incubator which is kept in the workshop, becoming overheated. Damage to the extent of £100 was done, and the property, we understand, is not insured.

The children attending Kiln Hill Sunday School were entertained to a social on Thursday evening last in the Mitchel Memorial Hall. The first gathering of its kind for the past few years, owing to war conditions, the youngsters naturally looked forward with added keenness to a night’s enjoyment. The teachers and those responsible for the arrangements saw that they got it. Over 100 children were present at tea, and the good things were thoroughly enjoyed. Afterwards a concert of recitations, etc., provided by the children, was gone through, many parents and friends being present. Another treat was the exhibition of lantern slides by Mr G. Short, Berwick. The Rev. W. Jardine, who was accompanied by Miss Jardine, was present, and spoke a few words to the children. Mr Grainger, Superintendent of the Sunday School, and Mrs Grainger were also there.

Police Posters at Berwick-upon-Tweed (Twixt Thistle and Rose)

03/04/201904/02/2019 by Northumberland Archives

Twixt Thistle and Rose is a project funded for one year by Archives Revealed to make the records of Berwick-upon-Tweed more widely accessible.

Twixt Thistle and Rose refers to the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed which sits on the Border between Scotland (Thistle) and England (Rose). The phrase- as Twixt Rose and Thistle – has been often used to describe Berwick. For example, it was the name of a public house in Walkergate (now the Cobbled Yard – the windows are etched with the symbol) and it featured on a railway poster of Berwick around 1920 “The Mecca of All Seeking Health and Pleasure”.

Funding has also been provided by the Berwick Guild of Freemen and the Friends of Berwick-upon-Tweed and District Museum and Archives to enable the participation of volunteers in the project and other outreach work.

If you are interested in volunteering please email us at ttar@northumberland.gov.uk. We’ll add you to the mailing list and you’ll be invited to come along to one of the introductory sessions we plan to hold in March.

Berwick had it’s own Police Force until the 1920’s

One group of records that we hope to make better known is the series of Police Posters and Informations that date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These were sent to Berwick Police Station to alert the local constabulary about a variety of criminals or absconders from the Army or Workhouses.

Currently the records are boxed, arranged in bundles and are clean and dry. However, they require some conservation work to prevent deterioration with use and they are in need of detailed cataloguing. This is an ideal project for volunteers!

Police Posters and Informations, reference M16/1-17

Although the notices were received from elsewhere they may be the only surviving copy. They provide lots of information about all aspects of life at the turn of the twentieth century including attitudes to vagrancy at the time. If you like detective work, volunteering could give you a chance to investigate the background to the story or what happened next.

12 year old child “used to being on tramp”

They used the technology of the time – photography and telegraphy – to convey detailed descriptions of criminals or items stolen

Telegram issuing order to check premises and carriers for stolen pigeons

There are scams that seem very modern – such as a the circular from the Hawick Police reporting a false collecting agent for Miss Stirling’s Orphanage operating in the area. Miss Stirling was a well known philanthropist in Edinburgh who pioneered the sending of pauper children to Canada. Her Charity was involved in a scandal that revealed the lack of supervision of her child migrants after they were placed abroad.

There are instances of local crimes such as the malicious damage of salmon nets in Spittal. The wording of the poster and the offer of a reward strongly suggests that this kind of activity was perceived as economic sabotage.

Malicious damage to nets at Sandstell Road, Spital

There are also dramatic depictions and accounts of individuals wanted for serious offences. The artist’s sketch in this poster – raising the alert for a man wanted for an horrific murder – alongside the detailed character note creates a very sinister image!

And postcards were used to inform the constabulary when a search could be called off.

This is just one small example of the wealth of information found in the Berwick Borough collection. If you feel inspired to help please get in touch.

James Forster’s Crime

08/10/2018 by Northumberland Archives

In the winter of 1855 Messrs. Smith and Appleford were executing a series of contracted works on Alnwick Castle. During the works large quantities of lead went missing and James Forster, a mason working for Messrs. Smith and Appleford, was accused of the crime. He was incriminated by a great quantity of lead found buried in his garden “under suspicious circumstances” by a policeman named P.C Marshall. Following a further search James was also charged with stealing a wedge and piece of zine from his masters.

James was 54 years old at the time of the theft. He had a wife, Marjory, and two children, Jane aged 19 and William aged 9. James was prosecuted for the theft by Hon. A Liddell and defended by Mr Blackwell. The contractor’s foreman and blacksmith were called to identify the wedge and piece of zine recovered from James’ person, but neither could positively confirm whether these were the missing articles. On this count James was found not guilty. He was then tried for “stealing three stones and a half weight of lead from the roof of Alnwick Castle, the property of his Grace the Duke of Northumberland.” According to newspaper reports “the lead in question was lying on the roof of the Castle, tied up in bundles, and the prisoner was observed by the foreman of the masons to go to one of the bundles and cut off a piece of lead, which he placed in his left jacket pocket.” The foreman immediately reported this to the contractors’ overseer and James’ premises were searched by PC. Marshall that same day. James was sentenced to six months hard labour for this crime.

In 1861, six years after the theft, James and Marjory were residing in Clayport Street with their unmarried daughter Jane (now a dress maker) and Marjory’s mother Jane Spours (aged 80). Jane the elder was listed on the 1861 census as being an Innkeeper from Ellingham. She was also familiar with the law, having been fined in 1857 for keeping her public house open and “selling exciseable liquors during prohibited hours on Sundays.”

The Forsters had been living in in Clayport Street since at least 1841, where they are listed in the census alongside their four young children:

Martha, then aged 12.

George, then aged 10.

John, then aged 8.

Jane, then aged 6.

Also living in the street in 1841, although not in the same property, was the 60 year old Jane Spours.

Another Forster child, who died in 1841 and most likely before the census, was Robert Spours Forster. He was less than a year old when he became the first Forster to be placed within their family burial plot in Alnwick. In 1849 George Forster, James’ eldest son, also died and was buried in the plot. He was followed in the same year by a third child, Eleanor Forster, who was seven years old. Martha, the Forster’s eldest daughter, became the fourth child to go to the grave young, dying in 1851 aged twenty-two. She was followed by her paternal grandmother, Ann Forster, aged eighty. Finally, in 1863, Jane Spours, the ever-present matriarch, was buried in the plot aged eighty-four.

Having such a large family to feed, and losing so many children in quick succession, may have driven James’ to extreme lengths – including stealing from his own employer. James and Margery’s death dates are not clear, but they were interred in the family plot with their children and mothers.

This blog was inspired by a document found within the Dickson, Archer and Thorp papers outlining the crimes of James Forster. We would like to thank the volunteers who have cataloged and researched this piece.

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