Police Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Northumberland Archives

RIOT AT THE ALNWICK MARCH HIRING!

On Saturday, 6^th March 1875, a disturbance in the Angel Inn was to end with the death of a local man.

An auction poster advertising a sale to take place at The Angel Inn. *REF: NRO 11343/B/DAT*

The events that took place that afternoon were described by the Alnwick Mercury published on the 13^th March as ‘RIOT AT THE ALNWICK MARCH HIRING’.

March hiring’s were a common practice in England, it was a time for farmers to hire workers for the next twelve months. The 1875 hiring’s saw a great number of agricultural labourers arriving in Alnwick as well as large number of pitmen from the surrounding collieries. The Alnwick Mercury described that Saturday as “such a concourse evidently contained the elements of tumult and disorder; and what made matters worse was that there was more than the ordinary drunkenness, as the rain that fell heavily during great part of the day drove the people to resort to the public-houses to a much greater extent than would otherwise have been the case.”

The disturbance in the Angel Inn was down to two brothers, John and Thomas Waite. John Waite had been drinking in the Angel and was worse for the drink that he had consumed. The Alnwick Mercury reports that he behaved in a “riotous and noisy manner” in a downstairs room and even worse when he went upstairs. The article continues with “he was so violent that at length Mr (John) White, the landlord, sent for the police to put him out.” When the police arrived, they asked Waite to leave the premises but he refused and continued to act in a violent manner. Waite was taken hold of by the two constables with a view to eject him from the inn but as they walked down the stairs, he broke free and returned to the upstairs room. The constables recaptured him and this time were able to get him downstairs where he was pleaded with to go home quietly. Instead of doing so, Waite punched one of the constables, P C Robinson, causing him to stagger. Waite grappled with the constable and unable to shrug him off, P C Robinson drew his baton and struck Waite on the side of the head.

The constables then brought their prisoner out of the Angel Inn yard onto Fenkle Street with the intention to escort him to the police station on St. Michael’s Lane. To do this, they had to cross an open space which was crowded with people. It was at this stage that Thomas Waite grabbed his brother in an attempt to rescue him and a number of the crowd joined in to help him. The constables were able to hold onto their prisoner and tried to make their way through the drunken crowd. It was at this stage that Police Sergeant John Hately and two other constables made their way through the crowd to assist P C Robinson and P C Connell. The report states that the route to the police station was packed with almost two thousand people, most of whom were drunk and jostling the policemen. Due to the pressure of the crowd, the policemen and their prisoner were forced to the Shambles on the opposite side. It was here that John Waite was rescued from the police by his friends.

The police formed a line in front of John Dickman’s shop and wielding their batons, were able to clear a space in front of them. Not wanting to provoke the crowd further, Sergeant Hately decided that he and his men should make their way over to the entrance to the nearby Correction House Yard where they could more easily defend themselves should the need arise. Leading his men forward, Sergeant Hately found himself surrounded by the mob and whilst defending himself he fell to the ground, ashen faced. The constables rushed forward to assist but the jeering crowd made it difficult. P C Robinson was first to reach Hately and as he was trying to lift Hately to his feet, he was kicked and jostled by the drunken crowd. Eventually the constables were able to carry Hately and force their way to the police station. Medical assistance was called but to no avail, he was declared dead. The post mortem was held on Sunday, 7^th March by Dr A J Main who found no wounds on Hately’s body, but an examination of Hately’s heart found evidence that he had died of a heart attack. Sergeant John Hately left a widow and eight young children.

It was nearly 5 o’clock before the riotous crowd dispersed into smaller groups, both John and Thomas Waite were apprehended and taken to the cells in the police station. The next day, Monday 8^th March, saw both brothers in court where the magistrate, Mr H Lisle, ordered them to be remanded for eight days. The Waite brothers, together with six others were charged with assaulting and resisting Police Constables Robinson and Connell in their execution of their duty. All eight appeared in front of the town’s magistrates on Saturday, 20^th March and after hearing the evidence, John and Thomas Waite and the other six were all fined the sum of £10 with failure to pay would result in three months imprisonment. All paid their fines except for one, a Thomas Dunn, who was sent to prison.

A map showing the location of the Angel Inn as it was in 1827, forty-eight years before the riot.

This piece has been researched and produced by a volunteer working on the Dickson, Archer and Thorp Project. We would like to thank him for his work.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 27 AUGUST 1915

EARLY SHOP CLOSING IN BERWICK

Although it may appear on first examination to be inflicting a hardship on some people to close the merchants’ shops at six o’clock in the evening still it has to be borne in mind that we are living in very abnormal times. It is a time when sacrifices have to be made, and the man or woman who exhibits any hesitancy in adapting himself or herself to the special and exceptional times manifest a want of true consideration to help their country in the hour of its direct necessity. The highest and supreme sacrifice has been paid by many a family during the terrible times we have passed through. The closing of business establishments a few hours earlier is a small matter in comparison therewith, and if it is to safeguard the lives of the community and frustrate the cowardly intentions of an unseen enemy nothing should stand in the way of adopting the most stringent and exacting precautions. There is no reason why a shopkeeper should not be able to close early if the public determine to assist in this direction. If the public resolved to discontinue patronising a particular shop they would very effectively close that shop altogether.

Early 1900s photograph of Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed. Berwick Record Office, BRO 1636-3-16

The early closing of business premises, therefore, depends wholly on the public being alive and educated to the fact. And as the early closing does not effect locally till the 1^st October there is ample time for all customers to realise the fact, as well as for the various merchants taking adequate steps to meet the inauguration of the new hours. The easiest way to meet the new situation is either for the customer to send in a list of his orders early, or else for the merchant to call at the customers’ residences and take a note of these. On Saturday evening there should be no hardship inflicted, for all will surely manage to purchase there weekend provisions before nine o’clock. Indeed, at the Town Hall meeting, there were no real solid arguments adduced against closing earlier, and as soon as the public can thoroughly comprehend the hours the new method should be found to work quite smoothly in a small borough such as Berwick. No merchant need be afraid of losing his customers, as these will quickly respond to the altered circumstances, and they will not desert patronising a particular shop where they think they have an inducement to buy. Although there was a small minority against the motion which became the finding of the meeting it was very gratifying to observe how whole-heartedly they fell in with the majority. Unanimity means success, and all that is now required is that the various merchants should take full advantage of the reasonable interval before 1^st October in reminding all their customers of the changed hours to suit the exceptional needs of the country’s peril.

BERWICK PETTY SESSIONS

Friday

Before Captain Norman, R.N., and J.McNab, Esq

Hanselling of Spittal Lock-Up- A large crowd gathered in the precincts of Spittal’s new Police Station on Thursday afternoon. The occasion was not the opening ceremony of the imposing building by the civic fathers but merely the new cells receiving their first occupant. The crowd again gathered on Friday morning with a view to seeing the delinquent take her departure to the more commodious quarters of Berwick Police Court. However the curious ones were disappointed for the prisoner was taken out by the back door while the crowd waited patiently at the front door. Following upon the foregoing events Mary Johnson, married woman Lanark, was charged with being drunk and disorderly near the Forge, Spittal, at three p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Defendant pleaded guilty, Sergt. McRobb said that upon receiving a complaint he proceeded to the Forge and on the grass

A half crown coin (2s 6d), the sum of which Mary Johnson from Lanark was fined, with the alternative of seven days imprisonment. — A half crown coin (2s 6d), the sum of which Mary Johnson from Lanark was fined.

near there found defendant lying in a drunken condition. Defendant had been creating a disturbance and on witness attempting to lift her to her feet she drew forth her hat pins from her hat, and by this action exposed witness to the hatpin peril by attempting to thrust the aforesaid pin into his leg. Foiled in this defendant refused to walk to the lock-up but witness obtained a trap and she was driven there in state. In defence defendant said she had met someone home from the Front. The Chief Constable said defendant had 2s 6d in her possession. Captain Norman-We will relieve you of that half crown with the alternative of seven days imprisonment. The Chief Constable said defendant was the first to be locked up at the new police station at Spittal.

Berwick Advertiser, 27 August 1915 Playhouse advert.

BELFORD CENTENARIAN

MRS ISABELLA LEARMOUTH OF ROSS

A happy event was celebrated at Ross, Belford, on the 5^th August, when Mrs Isabella Learmouth, wife of the late George Learmouth, North Sunderland, attained her 100^th birthday. Mrs Learmouth, who is the daughter of the late Mr Robert Geggie, is in good health, retains all her faculties and at present is always busily engaged knitting socks and comforts for the troops. On the morning of her birthday she received many letters of congratulations and birthday cards from the following- Rev. J and Mrs Miller, Belford; Mr J. and Misses Blenkinsop, Ross; Miss Arthur, Chathill; Mr David Black, Berwick; Miss P. Aynsley, Blyth; Mr Adam Jefferson, Spittal; Mrs Margaret Clark, Beal; Mrs Hunter, Ross; Misses Ross, Grange Mill; Mr John English, Bedlington; Miss M. Davison, Ross; Miss A. Heffen, Ross; Mr James Hoje,(sic) Ross; Mr George Hope, Ross; Miss M.G.Clark, Newcastle; Mr and Mrs W. Learmouth, Gosforth; Co-operative Society, Ltd, Wooler; Mrs Young, Ross; Miss I. Learmouth, Ross; Mrs Gibson, Bltyh; Mr J. Mole, Belford.

To mark the occasion a birthday cake was made and presented to Mrs Learmouth by Mrs Graham and family, Belford. Mrs Learmouth also sent a birthday cake to her grandson at the front, Lance Corporal George English, 7^th N.F., to celebrate the event with his comrades in the trenches. It will be the wish of all that Mrs Learmouth may be long spared to enjoy the quiet eventide of life.

In the 1911 Census, Isabella is living with Alexander Hope, her son-in law at New Shoreston in Bamburgh. According to the Census, she was born at Ayton in Berwickshire.

Trouble at the Inn – The Tale of an Alnwick Riot

This Week in World War One, 27 August 1915