3rd February 1899 – The Liability of Country Tenants to keep their Hedges Pruned

An Interesting Case

Alfred Williams, Josiah Lewis, Henry Crump, William Jenkins and James Rowlands, were summoned to show cause why they should not be ordered to prune certain hedges on the highway at Goytre.

Mr T. Watkins, solicitor prosecuted on behalf of the Pontypool Rural District Council.

Jenkins, Rowlands, and [afterwards] Lewis, appeared in court, whilst Crump was represented by his son; Alfred Williams being the only one not represented.

Mr Watkins read section 65 of the Highways Act, respecting the cutting, pruning and plashing of hedges and empowering the local authority to prosecute.

In September last, the Rural District Council received a petition from the inhabitants of Goytrey [and strange to say, most of the defendants signed it] calling attention to the bad state of the roads and hedges.

Defendants were served with notices on the 5^th of November to prune their hedges. Subsequently question was called to attention at the Parish Council. Nothing could be done to the roads until those hedges were cut. No wind or sun could get into them.

Rowlands, an old man of remarkable assertiveness, who, throughout the case provoked amusement by his persistent interruptions and expressions of opinion, boldly asked for the cases to be heard separately. His request was acceded to, his case was heard first.

Mr Robert Derrett, surveyor to the Pontypool Rural District Council, produced the petition signed by the inhabitants, and read the part relating to the fences, which were described as dangerous. Rowlands name was among the signatures. Witness handed the roadmen certain documents, copies of which were produced, this was on the 5^th of November, the Rural District Council had also received a requisition from the Parish Council.

Defendant – When were you over that way mister?

Witness – Thursday

Where did you see this hedge you are complaining about? – On the road

What road? – The witness described the road

What sort of hedge was it? – You have cut a portion of it

What day of the year do you plead? – From the 30^th September to the 31^st March

Did you ever see a man plash a hedge in September? – Many trees are planted in October

Rowlands, Not one sir – You have brought me here today on a thing that is just beginning. Christmas is the time for plashing a hedge.

Witness – It’s the orders of the Council

The chairman told Rowlands he had had the whole of December, and the whole of January, two months, to do what was required of the hedge, he [the Chairman] knew as much about hedges as the defendant did.

Defendant said he always did the hedges between January and April. In April he preferred to do them. There was 85 yards done already, and he had about as much again, which he would do in 3 days if the weather was fine.

The Chairman advised him to do this.

Defendant: I am quite willing, what about my expenses Sir? I can’t come down here without my expenses, [laughter]

The Chairman: You have not done what you had notice in November to do. The Council had full power to summon you. They had a perfect right and you are here because you neglected to do your duty, and no one can pay you for neglecting to do your duty.

Defendant: Begging you pardon, the time is not expired until next March. There is a piece there by the house that will shade the house and the Rectory. Am I to do that or not? I do not know why I have been brought here today and lose time. If you had summoned me in April I should have done it.

The Chairman: I don’t summon you. You get it done as soon as you can. The law states you must get it done before 31^st March. We have only to make an order.

Defendant: It’s to early to be done.

The Chairman: The order is that you are to do it in ten days or the Council will do the work and charge you with the costs.

Defendant: It can’t be done in ten days; I am short of stakes, [laughter]

Mr Watkins also asked that defendant should pay costs, but the Chairman said as this was the first case of this kind, the Bench did not think it advisable to order the costs to be paid.

The next case taken was that of Jenkins, who did not dispute his liability. He said he did the greater part of the hedge last year. He was leaving the farm on 2^nd February, and expressed the opinion his landlord could claim damages of him if he pruned the hedge at this stage, besides, the trees were very good shelter for the house in rough weather.

The Chairman: If we make the order you will be safe from your landlord then?

Mr Derrett said the trees in question were 150 yards away, and were not a shelter to the house.

It’s nothing like a hundred yards sir.

The Bench granted the order applied for.

The third case, Josiah Williams was heard next. Williams said that any reasonable man would know it was not the time to trim the hedges now.

The Chairman – I had my trees done for the convenience of the County Council, although I was not obliged to do so as they are ornamental.

Defendant – I did 157 perches last winter.

An order was made in this case, defendant at this time expressing his annoyance at being compelled to come there and lose time over such an affair.

Crumps son pleaded that the road was to bad for a man to work on that side of the hedge next to the road – else his father would have done it

Col. Hair – It is to be hoped you will have finer weather – similar order made.

An order was made in the remaining case, that of Alfred Williams.

The Manager of the American Cycling Team

A Notable Goytrey Boy – 20^th January 1888

The following sketch of the career of Mr W.J., the son of Mr W. Morgan, The Wern Farm, Goytre, who has earned distinction both in this country and America, will be read by many friends in this district.

William J. Morgan, long distance Champion of America, and Manager of the American team, was born in Goytrey, Monmouthshire in 1863. After a British school education, and an apprenticeship of four years, when thirteen years old, to the grocery business in Dudley, Staffordshire, he returned to Wales and put in two years more behind the counter in Newport, Monmouthshire.

Here he learned to ride a bicycle and became a member of the flourishing Newport bicycle club.

In 1880 he sailed for Canada and settled in Toronto, Ontario. Bicycling was just beginning to attract public attention in the dominion, and Morgan was the first man to introduce bicycle riding into Canada, having brought a racer from England with him.

Forming the St Catherine bicycle club Mr Morgan was soon known as a celebrity on the road and path. In 1882 he crossed the line into the States and raced against John S. Price, Rollinson, Harrison brother, and others with varying success, being particularly fortunate in long distance riding.

In Chicago in 1883, out of a field of seven in the championship 12 hours per day (72 hour) race, he rode second to Prince, defeating Higham, Woodside, Shuck and others.

In 1885 he defeated Prince and a large field in the 48-hour Memphis, Tenn., six-day contest, winning by over 20 miles. In 1886 Morgan defeated Prince, who was then champion of America, ten races out of an actual twelve on the circuit, winning an 8-hour per day race a month later, and establishing professional tandem records for the world from 1 to 250 miles inclusive.

A month later he defeated a field of seven in Minneapolis in the eight hour per day international championship race, making the world record of 780 miles in 48 hours, riding the first five days without dismounting. Three weeks later he was matched for 144 hours, six-day (night and day) contest for $1000, against Albert Schock whom he defeated three weeks previous in the 48-hour race.

In this race Morgan astonished cycling America by riding 235 miles (world’s record) without stopping or making one dismount. Leading until Friday, the fifth day, with a score of 1098 miles, he was attacked with sickness, which compelled him to leave the track for six hours, which lost him the race.Mr Morgan is not only a busy rider, but also a writer of cycling renown and his letters to all the cycling and sporting press of America on sporting matters under the Nome-du-plume of “Spokes” and “Coventry” have earned for the Anglo American distinction.

Mr Morgan was for some time connected with the Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean and Sporting Journal as a writer on sporting matters; and in turn he not only manages the affairs of his team and takes part in contests, but is also the special correspondent for the Chicago Journal, Lynn Item, and the Bicycling world and will also write for a number of other American papers on “what he sees on his travels”

Mr Morgan stands 5 feet 7 inches high and weighs 145 lbs.

Mr Morgan’s performances in England have been somewhat limited, as his managerial duties have curtailed his practises to such an extent that he cannot find time to practise for any event that he is booked for.

His running a dead heat for second place in the Easter Handicap at Leicester in 2 mins, 36. 1-5 secs., from the 80 yards; and his win of the mile at Bridlington Quay in 2mins., 37 secs., from the 90 yards is the best work he has accomplished in Great Britain.

In Edinburgh, last October, in company with Batenby, Dabois, and Lumaden, he succeeded in beating the best 50 mile record, doing the distance in 2 hours and 41 mins.

Mr Morgan is responsible for the Edinburgh, London and Newcastle six day races, where at each place the public were turned away owing to the crowds who sought admission. The public evidently appreciated the good entertainment the Anglo-American manager provides for them.