Author Archives: Viv Rosser

John Turner – Scab in Sheep 1877

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Scab in Sheep

1st December 1877

John Turner, farmer was charged with having a flock of sheep affected with scab on his premises and neglecting to report the same to the authorities.

P.c Allen said that on the 13th inst., he was passing through defendant’s farm and noticed a flock of sheep apparently affected with scab;

Got defendant to bring the flock together, witness then found 15 sheep affected in a flock consisting of 41.

Defendant said he was unacquainted with the nature of scab; and further he had always left the care of the sheep to his son who attended them night and morning;

Fined 20s.

Prize Fight at Goytre – 1872

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November 16th 1872

Prize Fight:

Took place at Goytre on Friday last between two Pontypool men who had made arrangements with so much secrecy that the police knew nothing of the affair until it actually took place.

The combatants were Daniel Desmond, a pugilist and Thomas Fletcher, a smith; and the contest seemed to have arisen out of a row in George Street some time ago.

These men, in a field belonging to a farmer named Probert, hammered away at each other for two hours and a quarter, in which time 101 “rounds” occurred. The stake was to be £10.

Fletcher, who sprained his wrist some time since, sustained a renewal of the sprain, but kept on until Desmonds head was “as big as a bushel,” Desmond aiming to take the use of his opponents sound arm.

We are told that the disgraceful affair ended in a “draw” as the backers would not consent to the men fighting any longer. Principals, backers and spectators are to figure at the Police Court on Saturday.

 

November 23rd 1872

The Prize Fight at Goytre

Daniel Desmond (who did not appear), Thomas Fletcher, John Littlehales, Edward Farr, John Wise, Alfred Farr, John Roberts, James Fletcher and Henry Jordan were charged with unlawfully assembling in the parish of Goytre and creating a breach of the peace; Desmond and Fletcher, being principals in the fight and the rest by aiding and abetting by being present.

Pc Basham proved service of the summons on Desmond. Roberts and Jordan pleaded not guilty.

John Gwatkin deposed that on November the 8th he saw the fight; did not see Roberts and Jordan there; it was between 7 and 8 o’clock in the morning.

Pc Williams deposed that he saw all the defendants, except Alfred Farr at the place, or coming away in the train.

Thomas Jeremiah deposed that he saw the fight at a distance, but did not see whether anyone was seconding the principals or not. Did not see Jordan or Roberts there.

Jordan said he should have liked to see the fight very well; but he did not see it.

Charles Rudman was called as a witness but did not answer. It was said he was out posting and superintendent M’Intosh said, that if that was the case, he must ask for an adjournment for a week against Roberts and Jordan. This was agreed to.

Col. Byrde said that these prize fights were disgraces to the community in which they occurred. The Bench had the power of sending the defendants for trial at the quarter sessions. They did not desire to do so on the present occasion, but at the same time they must take such measures that would prevent a recurrence of such disgraceful scenes in future.

Thomas Fletcher was bound over to keep the peace for six months himself in £20, and two sureties, (Thomas Morgan, ironmonger, Abersychan, and Stephen Howells, collier, Pontypool) in £10 each and had to pay £1 costs.

A warrant was issued for the apprehension of Desmond. Roberts and Jordan would have to appear again next Saturday. The rest were bound over in £10 each to keep the peace for six months and had to pay 10s each costs.

 

November 30th 1872

The Recent Prize Fight

Henry Jordan, Charles Rudman and John Roberts were charged with aiding and abetting the recent prize fight at Goytre. Supt. M’Intosh said that Jordan and Roberts were Desmonds backers, all three now admitted that they were present at the fight.

In answer to the Bench Supt. M’Intosh said that the party had walked from Pontypool to Goytre and arrived there at six o’clock in the morning and waited for the day to dawn before they began operations.

Roberts and Jordan were bound over to keep the peace for six months themselves in £20 each, with one surety each in £10 and had to pay 16s 6d each costs. Rudman was bound over in £10 and had to pay 10s costs.

John Redwood Affiliation Case 1872

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July 13th 1872

Affiliation

John Redwood, of Goytrey, who did not appear was charged of being the father of the illegitimate child of Christiana Hooper now living at Llanithel.

Service of the summons was proved. Complainant and her step-mother gave evidence,

 

July 20th 1872

John Redwood, who did not appear, was charged with being the father of the illegitimate child of Christiana Hooper, the case had been adjourned. Mrs Powell, in whose service the girl had lived, deposed that Redwood came to see the girl frequently and no one else did so; she had seen no improper familiarities between them.

This not being sufficient evidence, the case was adjourned for a month.

Police Court August 17th 1872

Mr Watkins appeared for the defendant in an affiliation case, Christiana Hooper v John Redwood, which had been twice adjourned to allow the young woman to bring witnesses.

Mr Watkins objected to a further adjournment, which the complainant required; and the case was dismissed.

John Probert – 1877

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27th Jan 1877

John Probert was charged with refusing to quit the refreshment rooms at Nantyderry when ordered to do so by the proprietor.

Defendant did not appear. Proof of the service having been given.

John Williams, proprietor of the said rooms, deposed that defendant came to his house at 9.13 on the night of the 13th inst., and called for a glass of beer, with which he was served; he was then perfectly sober and went away; in the course of about half an hour he returned much intoxicated, and complainants wife and daughter refused to draw him beer, whereupon he used very disgraceful language; complainant asked him to go out, and he refused, but subsequently with great difficulty he managed to eject him.

Fined 15s or 14 days hard labour.

Ann Twissell Assault – 1874

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Free Press Saturday July 18th 1874

Police Court

JEALOUSY

Ann Twissell was charges with assaulting Emily Phillips, at Mamhilad.

Mrs Phillips said that the defendant’s children were breaking a hedge, and she reproved them, when defendant rushed out and struck her, threatening to rip her guts out.

Elijah Gethany deposed that Mrs Twissell struck Mrs Phillips with such violence as almost to send her down.

Defendant said she merely pushed Mrs Phillips for calling her children thieves.

Jane Roberts was called for the defence, but she said she did not go out of the house when she heard the row, and therefore did not see whether any blows were passed.

The Bench said that the woman acted in a very sensible manner by remaining indoors.

Samuel Twissell, the husband of the defendant, came forward and made a round-about statement, in which he admitted that his wife pushed Mrs Phillips. It appears that Mrs Twissell was jealous of Mrs Phillips.

Fined 15s.

Bevan, William – 1869

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Drowned In the Canal – 6th February 1869

On Sunday two men named William James and Lewis Bevan while walking by the side of the canal between Mrs Summerfield’s public house and Mamhilad found the body of a man lying in the canal.

The deceased turned out to be a basket maker named as William Bevan about 80 years of age, who had lived in Goytrey. His hat still remained on his head and in his pocket were £1 in gold, £1 in silver and 51/2d . His wallet contained groceries was found about 20 yards off.

The presumption is that in the darkness on Saturday night he walked into the canal and was accidentally drowned.

William Bevan lived at Coalbrook; he married Mary Williams at Llanover Church on the 9th June 1823. She died in 1865 they had at least 6 children, one of them being Mary who was a servant for Isaac Lewis Glanusk. She was the young girl in the murdered baby case at Glanusk.

Ezeriah Morgan – 1877

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Dogs without Licenses

30th June 1877

Ezeriah Morgan, ( Azariah lived at the Wern) Goytre was charged with keeping a dog without a license on 3rd May

Thomas Edwards, excise officer visited the house on the above named date and saw a dog in the field adjoining the house;

Morgan’s father admitted the dog belonged to the son, and said that he would take out a license when he got into work.

Fined 25s.

 

7th July 1877

Aaron Rosser

Was charged with a like offence

P.c Allen proved the charge;

Fined 5s.

Black Beech Farm – 1857

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14th March 1857 Usk Observer

Black Beech Farm, parish of Goytre.

Mr John Philpot will sell by auction on Friday March 20th 1857 at Black Beech farm near Nantyderry station, parish of Goytre, the following Farming Stock, Part of the Household Furniture and effects:

The property of Mr Abraham Williams who is quitting these premises.

Comprising two cart horses; one hackney ditto; one capital chiff chaff engine; one ditto; two sets of harness; one pair of new scotch harrows; two ploughs; one narrow wheeled cart; four new wheels; for wagon; set of blacks and pulleys for raising timber; also a portion of the household furniture, casks, tubs etc.

The sale will commence at one o’clock.

James Hayward – Ejectment Order

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Application for Ejectment

3rd April 1875

Mr Jas H Farquhar of Abergavenny, on behalf of the Blaenafon Iron Co., applied for an Ejectment order against James Hayward, Goytre.

Mr Forest, a former agent of the Blaenafon Iron Co.,was called by Mr Farquhar, and proved having engaged defendant for the company at a wage of 16s per week, including house rent; there was a distinct understanding that the rent was to be part of his wages.

Col. Byrde said that the country cottages were let at an annual tenancy, and he did not know if the rule applied to them.

Mr Farquhar said it was an invariable rule of the Blaenafon Company and in this case the man was given to understand that when he ceased working for the Company he would also have to give up the house.

Mr Rosser was called and proved having served Mr Hayward with a notice on the 15th ult., a copy of which he handed to the magistrate.

The Ejectment was granted.

Wm Yorath – Sheep Stealing

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14th April 1877

Alleged Extensive Sheep Stealing

Wm. Yorath, a farmer who lives at Goytre was charged with stealing 20 sheep, the property of Benjamin James, Llanover Upper, and two belonging to John James of Goytre.

The sheep having been missed, Pc Allen, stationed at Llanover, made enquiries and traced the flock to Cardiff. There he recovered 13 alive and accounted for eight carcasses, but one sheep was not traced. Yorath, who is an elderly man, was then taken into custody.

Prisoner was remanded until today (Friday) when there will be a special petty sessions to hear the case.

 

21st April 1877

Sheep Stealing

William Yorath was charges with stealing 20 sheep, the property of Benjamin James, parish of Llanover Upper, and two sheep, the property of John James, parish of Goytre.

Mr Greenway appeared for the defence.

Benjamin James deposed that he was a farmer, living in the parish of Llanover Upper; on the 1st instant he missed sheep from the mountain near Blaenafon; he lost 20 sheep; from information he received he went to Cardiff and there found 13 sheep in the possession of Richard Dare, butcher; 13 of these belonged to the prosecutor and 2 to his brother; they were the same sheep he had missed from the mountain;

Pc Allen had showed prosecutor 7 skins from the sheep Friday (same day) and he identified 6 of them belonging to his sheep and one to his brother; the skins belonging to the sheep he had missed off the mountain.

Cross examined by Mr Greenway: John James was his brother-in-law; prosecutor owned 200 sheep and John 50; they ran together on the mountain; He last saw the sheep on the mountain to count them on the 25th March; the sheep had wandered sometimes but generally came back, all the 150 sheep that prosecutor owned were not on the mountain, some were down on the “flat”; his brother and prosecutor marked their sheep “BJ”.but his brother’s punch holes were different.

John James, Goytre, deposed that he saw the sheep safe on the mountain on the 25th March; on April the 1st he missed them; two of the sheep brought to him by his brother he knew as his; there was another sheep missing; the skin of which he recognised amongst those shown to him by P.c. Allen;

Henry Johns, son of a farmer living at Goytre, deposed that he remembered March 25th between 8 and 9 o’clock, on that night he saw prisoner come out of a wood near the New Barn Farm, and going onto the turnpike road; he had a flock of sheep with him; he did not count them; prisoner told him he was taking them to Mr James’s, Goytre House,; there was a good flock but he did not count them; prisoner lived on a little farm near witness’s; the sheep were going in the direction of Goytre House.

John Williams deposed he lived between the Half-way and Nightingale in the parish of Goytre; on Friday March 30th between 5.30 and 5.45 am he saw prisoner driving a flock of sheep along the road; understood them to be mountain sheep; prisoner was going towards Pontypool and he walked with him as far as Mamhilad; prisoner said he was driving them to Usk Road; he had them past Mr James’s house.

Richard Dare, butcher, Cardiff said that on 31st ult he bought 21 sheep off prisoner; he sold 3 and killed 5 himself; paid £14 for the sheep; gave Mr Blaiberg the Jew £11 and handed the balance £3 to the prisoner; before he bought the sheep he asked young Blaiberg he if knew the prisoner and he said “yes, he knowed the gentleman and it was alright and he, (witness) was to tell Newman, the detective it was alright.”

Sold the skins to Messrs Hall, Reynolds & Co., fellmongers, Cardiff, sold 3 of the sheep to Mr Wynne, butcher and the remaining 13 were put late in the field, and handed over to Pc Allen when he came to witness.

Cross-examined by Mr Greenway: Knew Blaiberg by sight; and that was quite enough for witness; went to Blaiberg first because prisoner said Blaiberg had a bill of sale on his property and that the sheep were to be sold on account to pay him money of this bill;

Understood that £11 was £5 interest for last month and £6 for this month; gave the £3 balance to the prisoner; and he handed back 1s for luck; the skins produced by the policeman bore his mark.

Charles Wynne, butcher, Cardiff deposed that he bought 3 sheep off the last witness; the skins now produced he could swear to.

James Davies, in the employ of Messrs Hall, Reynolds & Co., said that the skins produced and handed over to the police were received by him from Richard Dare.

Henry Lyndley, foreman to Messrs Hall, Reynolds & Co., gave corroborative evidence.

Ebenezer Hales, foreman to Mr Ballard, fellmonger, proved that certain skins which he had handed over to the policeman had been sold to him by Wynne.