James Brown was charged with poaching on land in the occupation of Mr Cook at Hill End. Mr
Armstrong appeared for the defendant. Thomas Cook said he saw defendant on the 3rd. instant fire
off a gun and stoop to pick up something but could not tell what it was. Mr Armstrong said the charge
arose out of ill feeling between the parties and an action had been commenced in another court
against the complainant. Case dismissed. (December 1859)
RABBITTING. Charles Mays (aged 17, a labourer living at Back Lane) and George Fairey (aged 20,
living at Back Lane, Preston) both of Preston near Hitchin were charged with setting snares to take
rabbits on land in the occupation of Mr. Bird and where a gentleman named Powell has the right of
shooting. The defendants, who were only committed a fortnight ago for a similar offence, were
committed to the House of Correction at Hertford, for one month each. (December 1860)
John Palmer of Preston was charged with poaching on land in the occupation of Mr John Cook of Hill
End Farm. The offence was proved by Henry Russell, gamekeeper to H. Rogers of Stagenhoe Park,
but it being the first time the defendant had been brought before the Bench, he was ordered to pay
10s, including costs. (January 1861)
George Fairey ( aged 20, living at Back Lane, Preston) was charged with poaching on land in the
parish of Kings Walden, where Mr Baker has the right of shooting. The offence was proved by one of
Mr Baker’s gamekeepers and the defendant was fined 5s and costs and in default committed for three
months. (January 1861)
Henry Jeeves (aged 23, of Preston - a straw plaiter in 1861) was charged with poaching on land
belonging to Mr Cook at Little Almshoe in the parish of Ippollitts. The case was proved by Mr John
Cook and the defendant was fined £2 including costs and, in default, to be committed for one month.
(January 1862)
George Saunders labourer, of Hitchin was charged with setting snares for the purpose of taking
game on land belonging to Samuel Kirkby (aged 68), of Preston. Fined £1 including costs. (October
1868)
POACHING Charles Fairey, Henry Adams, John Butterfield and Charles Smith all of Kings Walden
were charged with trespassing in search of conies on the 21st of December on land in occupation of C
C Hale Esq.
Silas Houghton said that on the 21st of December he was in the Breachwood Green road when he
saw the four men on land in the occupation of C.C.Hale, Esq. They were going up a footpath towards
Leacher Wood. Witness then followed them and saw Smith standing outside and the other three in the
wood. The defendants ran away when they saw the witness, who then found two snares set. He ran
after them and overtook Butterfield and hearing a rabbit halloa, he took Butterfield back and asked
him if he set the snares, and he said he did not. On being asked why he ran away, he said because he
knew he was doing wrong. Fairey admitted he was in the woods, but he denied he knew the snares
were there. Police constable Berry corroborated the evidence of Houghton.
In defence, Fairey said he did not set the snares nor did he know anything about them. Adams and
Butterfield said they did not know anything about the snares and Smith declared that he was 100
yards from where the snares were when the constables saw him. There were two previous convictions
against Fairey. The Bench fined Fairey £1 including costs. The other three were fined 10s each
including costs. (January 1876)
POACHING. Charles Smith, Charles Fairey, Charles Brown and John Butterfield were charged with
poaching on land belonging to C. C. Hale Esq. at Kings Walden on the 12th inst. Smith and Butterfield
did not appear. The case having been proved, Fairey who has been up before was fined £1 and 12s
6d costs or three weeks, and Brown was fined 15s or a fortnight. (January 1877)
Charles Fairey and Charles Brown of Kings Walden were charged with trespassing in search of
conies on land in the occupation of Mr Whitbread Roberts on the 21st January. A gamekeeper named
Barker said he saw the defendants on either side of a hedge in the occupation of Mr Roberts. He saw
Brown strike a rabbit and witness took it from him. Four convictions were proved against Fairey and
two against Brown Fined 12s each; in default 14 days. (January 1877)
Thomas Fairey charged with poaching on land belonging to C. C. Hale Esq., of Kings Walden on
23rd April, was fined £1 and 12s 6d costs or one month’s imprisonment. (May 1879)
THE POACHING PREVENTION ACT. At Hitchin Petty Sessions on Tuesday, Salvinas Loveridge, 23,
and Joseph Loveridge, 16, gypsies were charged with an offence under the Poaching Prevention Act.
Supt. Reynolds said that he was at Preston about nine o’clock that (Tuesday) morning and saw the
defendants, one of whom tried to shun him. He got out of the trap and searched a bundle Joseph was
carrying which Salvinas said was a bed. He found the tin produced containing 51 partridges eggs
covered with grass in the middle of the bundle. The defendants both said they picked the eggs up as
they passed along the road and did not go on anyone’s land. Fined 12s 6d and 5s 6d costs each.
(May 1889). (Sylvanus Loveridge was at Walkern, Herts in 1901 when his wife was a hawker.).
There was a postcript to this story which clearly involved the same gypsy family:Thomas and James
Loveridge were charged with unlawfully sleeping in an outhouse at Hexton on Tuesday morning, the
24 February. Police-constable Anderson said that on searching one of Captain Young’s barns, he
found the two defendants with their wives, two or three other women and nine or ten children. The
barn was in the occupation of Mr Page. The defendants said they were travelling about mending
chairs and one of them said Mr Page had given them leave to sleep in his barn. A letter was handed to
the Chairman in which Mr Page denied having given the prisoners leave. Judgement suspended for
one month. (Feb 1874)
THE GAME LAWS At the Hitchin Petty Sessions on Tuesday, James Freeman, Robert Crawley
(aged 16, of Preston Green) and Henry Jeeves (aged 17, living at the Chequers Inn in 1891),
labourers of Preston were charged with trespassing in search of game in a field of Mr Richard Marsh’s
on February 18th at Kings Walden. Edward Hagger, a gamekeeper in the service of Mrs Hinds of
Kings Walden, said he saw the defendants beating a hedge in the field, having two dogs with them.
They had no sticks. The defendants said they merely walked along a field; they only went a few yards
out of the footpath and were not in search of game. Each of them was fined 5s. (March 1888)
SEARCHING FOR GAME. At the Hitchin Petty Sessions on Tuesday, James Shambrook (aged 28 of
St Pauls Walden) Arthur Reeves, labourers, were charged with trespassing in search of game at
Preston on November 18th. F. R. Sleet, a gamekeeper in the employment of Lord Glamis said that the
men were searching the hedges on the roadside and egging their dogs on to look for game. The
defendants said they only went for a walk along the road and had two puppies with them. They never
left the road. The Chairman informed them that they were just as much trespassing when on the road
searching for game as if they were in a wood. They would be convicted, but discharged with a caution.
(December 1888)
CHARGE OF POACHING. Thomas and Henry Jeeves, late of Kings Walden were charged with
having on the 16th inst. trespassed on land in the occupation of Mr Whitbread Roberts in search of
conies.
Police-constable Farr said last Saturday afternoon he was walking from Preston to Ley Green when
he saw the prisoners in front of him and suspecting they were up to no good, he watched them. He
then saw Henry Jeeves take up a snare and reset it. He then went back to his companion and they
went to some rabbit holes on Mr Robert’s land. Witness then went up to the accused and took a ferret
away from Thomas Jeeves. In his defence, Thomas Jeeves strongly denied that he was poaching.
The fact was that Farr owed him a little money and these proceedings were taken because he (the
prisoner) had sent him a bill last week. He did not think the policeman had any business to pull out his
staff and say he would knock his ------ brains out. The chairman said that there was not the least doubt
that the prisoners were ferreting on this occasion and ordered them to pay a fine of 40s and 12s 6d
expenses. (December 1871)
Joseph Peters (aged 30, married and a domestic gardener, living at Blacksmiths Lane, Preston in
1881) was summoned for having on the 7th inst. trespassed upon land in occupation of Mr Marriott in
the parish of Hitchin in search of game. In consequence of the defendant’s good character, the
magistrates let him off on a payment of 17s 6d. (October 1872
POACHING. Alfred Fairey (aged 22, living at Preston 1871, a labourer) was charged on a warrant,
not having appeared when he was summoned, with poaching upon land in the occupation of Mr
George Wright of Kings Walden. The prisoner was further charged with a like offence at Paul’s Walden
upon land in the occupation of Mr Richard Jepps. To this charge the accused pleaded guilty but he
entirely denied trespassing in search of game on Mr Wright’s land. The magistrates however
considered both cases proved and fined the prisoner in each case 40s and costs, or the alternative of
two months imprisonment. The fines and the costs amounted to £5 14s 6d in default of paying which,
Fairey will be imprisoned for four months. (November 1872)
SNARING. John Ward of Preston was convicted in his absence of setting a snare to take game on
the 5th inst on land at Preston belonging to Thomas Harwood Darton Esq. Fined 20s and costs.
Committed for one month’s hard labour in default. (January 1856)
William Winch and Thomas Currell of Preston were charged with setting snares to take hares on
land belonging to Charles Chomley Hale Esq. at Kings Walden. Winch who is an old offender and was
seen to set the snares, did not appear. Winch was seen by one of Mr Hales’ keepers to follow Winch
to where the snares stood. Both the defendants had been at work in the same field. Currell having
borne a good character, the Bench ordered him to pay 5s and issued a warrant against Winch (May
1856)
William Winch of Preston was convicted of shooting two partridges on land at Offley Holes. Fined £5
and costs or three months hard labour. He was an old offender. (January 1857)
George Read (aged 28, a carrier) and Daniel Winch of Preston were convicted of trespassing in
search of game on land in the occupation of Mr Kirkby in the parish of Kings Walden. Fined 15s each
including costs. (February 1857)
George Brown and Thomas Fairey (aged 56 a labourer of Kings Walden) were charged with
poaching on land belonging to C. C. Hale Esq. of Kings Walden. Fined 10s 6d each including costs, or
in default to be committed for fourteen days. The money was paid.(March 1866
GAME TRESPASS. Charles Fairey (b 1858c) of Preston and Samuel Reeves of Whitwell were
charged with game trespass on the 12 January. Fairey did not appear. John Barker said on the 12 of
January he saw the two defendants in Kings Walden Park in a dell at rabbit holes. When they saw him
they ran away. He went to the holes and took up half a dozen nets set for ferreting. Reeves said he
had been at work at Mr Taylor’s and went across the park, home and saw Fairey. He spoke to him but
he had nothing whatever to do with Fairey. Fairey was fined £1 and 9s costs, the case against the
other defendant being adjourned for a week to enable him to call a witness. (Jan 1885)
George Fairey (of Preston b 1821c), John Palmer (of Preston b 1826c) and Daniel Winch (of
Preston b 1816c) were charged with trespassing in search of rabbits on land at Offley in the
occupation of Wm. Olney. They pleaded guilty and were fined – Winch 20s and Fairey and Palmer 10s
each which they paid. (Feb 1843)
Daniel Butterfield and Henry Barber were charged with setting snares to take game in a field in the
occupation of Mr James Titmus (b 1806c) at Poynders Green in the parish of Hitchin. (March 1843)
John Ward and Thomas Ward (b 1816) of Preston were charged with trespassing in search of
rabbits in the parish of Kings Walden in the occupation of Harriett Saunderson (widowed licensee of
Red Lion b 1791). The offence was proved against them by the evidence of George Young
gamekeeper to Wm Curling, Esq. of Hitchin and they were fined 20s each and in default of payment
committed to the House of Correction at Hertford with hard labour for one calendar month. (Nov 1841)
A charge of trespass in pursuit of game preferred by the gamekeeper of T P Halsey Esq. of Preston
(of Temple Farm) against Thomas Cook and John Cook (aged 15 and 14), sons of John Cook
(Farmer) of Hill End was adjourned till Tuesday next. (Jan 1844)
SNARING Henry Ward of Whitwell was charged with setting snares in a wood belonging to Lady
Glamis Fined £5 and 15s 6d costs being an old offender. In default of payment, he was committed for
three months of hard labour. (Feb 1848)
Thomas Fairey (b 1845 of Preston Hill Cottage) was charged with poaching on land of Mr C C Hale of
Kings Walden Bury. John Walker, keeper to Mr Hale proved the case and the defendant was fined £1
and 12s 6d costs. He was sent to gaol for one month in default of payment. (May 1879)
Amos Scott and William Andrews (of Preston b 1835c) were charged with trespassing in search of
game on land in the occupation of William Jackson, Hill End, Hitchin. They admitted the offence. Mr
Jackson said that on the morning of 28 September, he saw the defendants digging at a rabbit hole.
They had two dogs with them and two rabbits were found in Scott’s possession. Scott said the rabbits
had been killed the day before. Each of the defendants were fined 10s including costs. (Oct 1884)
October 12, 1901. Charles Gray, a labourer, was summoned for trespassing in search of game at
Preston on September 29 but the complainant asked leave to withdraw the case and this was allowed.
November 30, 1901. Ebenezer Fox, labourer of Stevenage, was charged with trespassing in search
of conies at Ippollitts on September 2. A game keeper named Ralph Barnes said that about seven
o’clock in the evening he heard a noise in Wain Wood and concealed himself. A few minutes later he
saw the defendant and his brother (Albert) come out of the wood. The defendant fired at a rabbit and
then took the gun to pieces and gave part of it to his brother. On stopping the defendant, the gun stock
and ten cartridges were found in his possession. The brother got away without being searched
(though his pockets looked bulky).
The defendant said his brother was not there and it was not true he fired the gun off. He was not in
Wain Wood on that occasion. He had leave to shoot rabbits on Mr Dew’s farm as they were doing him
damage. At this point the defendant’s brother came into court and was told there was a warrant
against him for his share of the transaction. The complainant asked for an adjournment to call new
witnesses. The brothers were fined £1 and costs or one month’s imprisonment in default.
Killing game out of season. William Saunders of Whitwell, baker, was charged with this offence.
George Cranfield deposed as follows: I am gamekeeper to TP Halsey Esq of Temple Dinsley in the
parish of Hitchin. On Wednesday 30 September, a little after 6 o’clock in the evening, I was in
Frogmore Wood in the parish of Kings Walden and I saw William Saunders shoot at a pheasant. I saw
him hit it very hard and the next morning I picked up a pheasant about 25 or 30 yards from the place
where he was when he shot at it. I was close to Saunders when he fired at the pheasant and I said to
him, ‘You might as well have let it alone ‘til the next morning’ and he replied, ‘ I only shot at a rabbit.’ I
said, ‘It is the first rabbit I ever saw flying’.
Cross examined by the defendant’s solicitor: I was about ten yards from Saunders when he fired his
gun off. The wood is on the side of a hill. I will not swear that I did not say, ‘It is a pity you did not kill it’.
I saw the leg drop when he shot at it. I did not ask him what he shot at. Where I found the pheasant
the next morning was at the place where it would have fallen if it fell from his shot. I do not know
whether it was a cock or a hen pheasant he shot at. It was a cock pheasant which I found next
morning. Fined £1, the full penalty and 19s costs which defendant paid but stated his intention to
appeal against the conviction. (17 October 1840)
John Ison, John Bowler and William Bowler, three boys all of Hitchin, were fined 5s each for taking
three partridge eggs from a close in the parish of Offley in the occupation of Mrs Con. They were
detected by William Perkins, gamekeeper to TP Halsey Esq of Temple Dinsley. (22 May 1841)
John Ward and Thomas Ward of Preston, near Hitchin, were charged with trespassing in search of
rabbits on land in the parish of Kings Walden in the occupation of Harriet Saunderson. The offences
were proved against them by the evidence of George Young gamekeeper to William Curling Esq and
they were fined 20s each and in default of payment, committed to the House of Correction at Hertford
with hard labour for one calendar month. (20 November 1841)
William Jenkins, labourer of Preston, Hitchin was charged by Mr William Brown, farmer of Preston,
with stealing a rabbit and snare from his land. Case dismissed. John Farr, labourer of Preston, was
charged with assaulting Vince Hawkins of Preston. Fined £2 including costs and committed for one
month in default. (26 December 1868)
Game trespass. Walter Bray, 26, of Russell’s Slip, Hitchin and George Gray of Charlton Street,
Hitchin were summoned for game trespass at Preston. Frederick G Chapman, a gamekeeper
employed by Mr Delme-Radcliffe gave evidence of chasing the two men with another game keeper.
He caught Gray and on searching him, found several ferret nets. The defendants told the bench they
were taking a short cut home. When asked why they ran away, Bray said, ‘I thought that I would give
them a stretch. I like a trot myself and I thought it would do them no harm. Both men, who had been
previously convicted, were fined 5s. (4 March 1932)
PETTY SESSIONS. Albert Ebenezer Fox (a labourer who has been a great many times convicted of
offences against the Game Laws, appeared to answer a charge brought under the Poaching
Prevention Act on May 12. P.C. Chapman deposed that he stopped Fox on the highway at Preston
and found seven pheasants eggs in his possession. The defendant said he picked up the eggs on the
roadside and was going to give them to a gamekeeper. The Justices convicted him and a list of 83
previous convictions was put in by the police. A fine of 40/- including costs was imposed or in default a
month’s imprisonment. Time in which to pay was refused and defendant remarked, ‘All right; I can do
a month any time’. (30 May 1908)
William and John Mays, (17 and 11, sons of William, widower of Back Lane) two youths belonging to
Preston were charged with poaching in Wainwood near Preston. The charge was proved against them
very clearly, but both defendants were allowed to go, on their promising not to offend again. (16 May
1863)
William Crew (33, of Chequers Lane, ag lab) and Richard Crawley (20, born Preston) were charged
with poaching on land on the occupation of Mr Bird (of Temple Farm) of Preston. The evidence not
being sufficient, the case was dismissed. (19 January 1867)
William Winch of Preston (33, of Blacksmiths Lane, ag lab) was convicted of setting snares in a wood
in the parish of Ippollitts in the occupation of Mr Delme Radcliffe. It being the first offence, he was
fined £1 and costs. Committed for one month. (24 April 1852)
William Peters of Preston (27, single of Preston Green, son of Joseph) was charged with trespassing
in search of game on land over which Mr Powell has the right of shooting. Fined £1. (23 July 1859)
Charles Mays (18, single of Back Lane) and George Fairey (19, also single of Back Lane) of Preston
were charged with setting snares to catch rabbits on land in the occupation of Mr Bird (of Temple
Farm) of Preston. Both were fined 5/- each for a similar offence on 13 November, and this case being
clearly proved by a young man named Read, they were committed for one month. (1 December 1860)
George French (23) and Thomas Sharp (22), charged with poaching at Preston, did not appear and
warrants were granted for their apprehension. (4 March 1865)
James Shambrook and Arthur Reeves, labourers, were charged with trespassing in search of game
at Preston on 18 November 1888. F R Sleet, gamekeeper in the employment of Lord Glamis said the
men were searching the hedges on the side of the road and egging on their dogs to look for game.
The defendants said they only went for a walk along the road and had two puppies with them. The
Chairman informed them that they were just as much trespassing when on the road searching for
game as if they were in a wood. They would be convicted, but discharged with a caution.
Hertfordshire Mercury 3 March 1888 The Game Laws
At Hitchin Petty Sessions, James Freeman (bn 1841, living at School Lane), Robert Crawley (bn
1872, living at Church Lane) and Henry Jeeves (bn 1839, living at Back Lane), labourers of Preston
were charged with trespassing in search of game in a field of Mr Richard Marsh on 18 February at
Kings Walden. Edward Hagger, a gamekeeper in service of Mrs Hinds of Kings Walden said he saw
the defendants beating a hedge in the field having two dogs with them. They had no sticks. The
defendants said they merely walked along the field; they only went a few yards out of the footpath and
were not in search of game. Each was fined 5/-
Bedfordshire Express 22 May 1871 Charge of Game Trespass
Daniel Winch, labourer of Preston, was charged with setting snares for the purposes of taking game
on land in the occupation of Mr Darton on 5 inst.
Edward Walker said he was gamekeeper to Mr Darton and on the 5th inst at nine o’clock in the
evening he was in Hernsfield Wood when he saw the defendant set some snares in the hedge and on
Mr Darton’s land. He lay against a tree watching for an hour and a half. When he saw him and PC
Farr, he ran away. They found six snares. The defendant said they were not on Mr Darton’s land. He
admitted setting them on Mr Partridge’s land which adjoins. PC Farr said he watched the defendant.
The snares were set on the bank and in the ditch on Mr Darton’s land. Defendant said he had
permission to snare rabbits on Stagenhoe farm in the occupation of Mr Partridge. He did not set one
snare on Mr Darton’s land. Mr Partridge handed a letter to the Bench authorising the defendant to
catch rabbits on the land in his occupation. He had seen the peg holes where the snares were set and
not one was on Mr Darton’s land. There was one within a foot of Mr Darton’s boundary. The Chairman
told the constable that the police had no business whatever with poaching cases. The Bench thought
the case was not proved and dismissed it.
Ferreting Hertfordshire Express, 10 December 1870
John Farr, labourer of Preston, was brought up under a warrant charged with ferreting on 12 and 24
October. PC Farr said on the 12 October he saw the defendant ferreting in a wood belonging to FP
Delme-Radcliffe. The defendant on seeing him ran away. Defendant denied the charge. Mr John
Cook, farmer proved catching the defendant ferreting on land in his occupation on 24 October. He
admitted this offence. For both offences, defendant was fined 40/- in default two months.
In Search of Conies Hertfordshire Express, 1 October 1870
John Ward, an old man, was charged with being in search of conies on land in occupation of FP
Delme Radcliffe on 19 September. PC Farr said that at about half-past twelve o’clock on 19
September he was in Wain Wood when he saw the defendant on his hands and knees poking a small
stick in a rabbit’s hole. The stick broke and he then got another one and again dug at the hole. He
asked him what he was after and he said he was after a few nuts and asked the witness to say
nothing about it. Westwood the keeper stated that he had turned the defendant out of the wood the
day before. Defendant denied putting the stick into the rabbit’s hole and said he intended to go into the
Workhouse. Fined 10/-, in default seven days.
Hertfordshire Express, 27 August 1870 Very Suspicious
James Jenkins of Preston was charged under the Poaching Prevention Act. PC Farr said on Sunday
morning, 14 August, at about ten minutes to one, he saw a man under a hedge in a lane in the parish
of Preston; he noticed him pull off his coat; he went to the man who turned out to be Jenkins and
asked him what he did there? He had concealed a gun, taken to pieces and had in different pockets,
powder and shot; he said he borrowed the gun from a man called Jeeves; he denied at first that he
was going poaching but afterwards admitted that he was, and begged the constable to say nothing
about it. Defendant in answer to the charge said he borrowed the gun to go rat hunting and was then
going to take the gun home. As the defendant bore a good character and was not a regular poacher,
they would withdraw the charge on his paying half the coats, rather than send him to gaol. Defendant
paid 10/- - half the costs.
IN SEARCH OF GAME
Arthur Smith and Albert Rutland, labourers of Hitchin, were summoned for trespassing in search of
game at Preston on 8 April 1906. Rutland did not appear. His wife who came to represent him said he
had met with an accident and could not come. The charge against him was heard in his absence. PC
Hagger said that while in Dead Womans Lane, Preston he saw the defendants in search of game on
Mr Albert Brown’s farm. They had a dog with them. Smith denied the offence and said they merely
walked along a footpath. Each defendant was ordered to pay 5/-costs
20 April 1906
A History of Preston in Hertfordshire
Preston in the news:
Poaching