A look at the darker side of Rural Life of times gone by
An Indictment for
MURDER
at Elmstead of
Stephen Keeler
By an inquisition held at Elmstead on 4 April 1653 before Richard May coroner on the body of Thomas Arnold of Elmstead, a jury:
Henry Lushington
Thomas Shrubsoll
John Horton
Simon Balden
Edward Wood
Henry White
John White
Thomas Spaine
Sampson Courte
James Gibson
John Heyman
John Pising
Robert Gardner junior
Stephen Scott
Nicholas Mitchell
John Mount
found that about 7 p.m. on 18 March 1653 in the house of Thomas Arnold at Elmstead, Keeler drank 3 cups of beer ‘immediately, one after the other, unto’ Christopher Daley of Barham, yeoman, and then asked Dalley to pledge 3 cups in return. Dalley refused to do so, and Keeler ‘struck his heels’. Thomas Arnold held onto Dalley’s left arm to prevent him falling down, but both of them fell to the ground, striking the edge of a form. Arnold suffered injuries to the side of his head and died on 31 march 1653.
Endorsed by Elizabeth Arnold, Christopher Dalley, John Carder
A true bill for manslaughter but not for wilful murder
Guilty but allowed clergy
An Indictment for
GRAND LARCENY
at Elmstead of
Elizabeth Crook and Elizabeth Blenden
both were found guilty to hang
Elizabeth Crook a spinster from Pluckley and Elizabeth Blenden a spinster from Maidstone stole a sheet worth 10 shillings, several pieces of linen worth 10 shillings and 4 shillings in money from Catherine Bee a widow at Elmstead on 5 April 1595
Before that Elizabeth Crook did also steal things at Pluckley on 24 March 1595 and again stole things at Frittenden on 7 April 1595
Elizabeth Crook and Elizabeth Blenden were both found guilty to hang but were remanded on a plea of pregnancy
An Indictment for
GRAND LARCENY
at Elmstead of
Avery Strood, John Wigmore and William Clarkeson
Avery Strood was found guilty to hang - the others are still at large
Avery Strood a labourer from Kingston and John Wigmore a labourer from Salcote in Sussex stole a black-bald gelding worth 40 shillings from Vincent Den on 13 September 1588 at Kingston.
Avery Strood and William Clarkeson a labourer of Appledore stole a white-grey gelding from Vincent Den on 20 September 1588.
Avery Strood now of Elmsted broke into the close of John White called North Croft at Elmsted and stole 2 cows worth 40 shillings on 24 September 1588.
Strood was found guilty to hang
Wigmore and Clarkeson were still at large
An Inquisition into
MURDER
at Brabourne of
William Rychardes
By an inquisition held at Brabourne on 15 December 1597 before Humphrey Kybbett coroner on the body of William Rychardes a gentleman of Baston.
The jury found that about 1.00 a.m. on 13 December 1597 William Rychardes, Edward Mereweather gentlemen of Baston, Stephen Cheston a yeoman of Petham, Paul Cocke a labourer of Elmsted and Robert Dunkyn a husbandman of Elmsted together with three other malefactors, broke into the park of Thomas Scotte Esquire of Smeethe, to hunt deer with 4 greyhounds.
They killed 2 bucks and 2 does, and were then discovered by Robert Reames a gentleman of Smeethe, Scott’s Parker, accompanied by William Kempessoole his servant of Smeeth and John Newington of Smeethe, a warrener of Smeethe and Brabourne Lees, who attempted to arrest them.
The poachers resisted, and Mereweather struck Robert Reames with a hanger wounding him in the head. In defending himself, Reames struck William Rychardes in the chest with a piked staff and killed him.
An Indictment for a
Foot-WAY
OFFENCE
at Elmstead of
RICHARD DOLLY
A Presentment by Richard Cloake of Elmstead and constable of the half hundred of Stowting in July 1670
Richard Dolly has allowed a foot-way in Elmsted, leading from Bodsham to Wye, to become overgrown
Richard Dolly a yeoman of Acrise was then indicted for not cutting back trees
NB The preceding cases were taken from the Calender of Canterbury Assizes. HMSO
©Keith Griffiths 2001
An indictment of
Theft
at Hythe
William de Nortlege
(believed to be William of Northleigh in Elmsted)
was found guilty and hung
In 1245 there was one William de Nortlege who took a bull, a heifer and a cow near Hythe and later he came to Godmersham with the cow and heifer, but he sold the bull before he came thither. And in process of time a certain woman who owned the animals came to Godmersham searching for them and at length the same were found in the keeping of the same William and he acknowledged the theft and he was brought before the Court of Godmersham and placed in fetters and at length he was sentenced in the Hundred Court of Felborough and was hanged at Babbele within the manor of Godmersham.
NB From notes sent by Canon Woodruff of Canterbury Cathedral (formerly Vicar of Godmersham ) to the then Vicar S.G.Brade-Birks in 1934 and comes from Sede Vacante Scrap Book III 12.13.14 consisting of depositions made circa 1245 by Godmersham inhabitants concerning the administration of justice by the monks of Canterbury (as lords of the Manor of Godmersham) between 1200 and 1245. Apparently dating from the years after the death of Archbishop Edmund (when the King held the see). The place called Babbele was by the river Stour not far from the bridge near Godmersham crossroads. Apparently men were hanged but women were drowned in the river in the Godmersham court - this was a variation on Fordwich where all those condemned were drowned in the river.
©Rex Lancefield 2001
An incident sometime 1799
The
MURDER
at Chilham of
JESSE TANTON
"Saturday last was committed St.Dunstan's gaol, Stephen Pott, charged with feloniouly shooting at and killing Jesse Tanton, late of Wye. The circunstances attending the murder have seldom been equalled in savage forocity nor more seriously affecting in their fatality. Jesse Tanton, the deceased, had been to Canterbury to see a relation that had narrowly escaped the fire which happened there on Friday morning: on his return home in the evening, in the company with a man of the name of Pettet, they stopped to refresh themselves at the Woolpack at Chilham; while they were in the house, a quarrel arose between Pott and a man who had been there before they came in; a scuffle ensuing, and Pott apparently being vanquished, he left the company and said he was going home, as he should not occasion any more disturbance. This seeming concession however, only proved to cover for the most diabolical revenge. Immediately on entering his dwelling, he loaded his gun, (being a noted poacher) and waited till the man who had offended him should pass his door in the way home, with a determination to shoot him. Unfortunately, Tanton, Pettet, and the antagonist of Pott soon came by; when the sanguinary villain presented his gun it missed fire; he primed again and following, fired and lodged the contents in the body of Tanton, who instantly called out--------I am shot! I am a dead man! Pott finding that he had not killed the man he had intended, then aimed a blow at the object of his revenge with the butt of his gun, which breaking, Pott in turn was knocked down and left, while what assistance could, was procured for poor Tanton; but after languishing in great pain for 2 hours he died. Pott it seems never attempted to make an escape but returned home and was soon afterwards taken in bed"
NB From "The Old Book of Wye"
Stephen Pott was born Waltham 1775 son of Robert (bapt Elmsted 1740)and Ann.(nee Tunbridge). I have to confess the he was the brother of my 4x great grandfather , as yet I have no idea of his fate. One would expect cold blooded murder to get the death sentence, but it is possible that it may have been commuted to life transportation.
Page added 2 June 2001, credits revised 23 July 2001
html D.F.J.Pott from original layout of K.Griffiths
©in this format Griffiths.Lancefield.Pott 2001