Assaults at Welsh Newton; bigamy and fire
1826 – Assault on 8 Year old Boy at Welsh Newton
T. Hawkins disgusted the court when he appeared for assaulting an eight year old boy at Welsh Newton, and was imprisoned.
1843 – Bigamy at Welsh Newton
Elizabeth Taylor (no, not that one!) married E. Jones on 1st November 1842 in Welsh Newton. Unfortunately, she neglected to tell him that she was already married to George Taylor who was still alive.
1851 – Fire on Farm at Welsh Newton
One Sunday morning, fire broke out on the premises farmed by Mr. Locke at Welsh Newton; a full barn of wheat; drill, a cart and other farm implements were destroyed, but due to the hard work of neighbours, other parts of the farm were saved.
It was thought that the fire was started by tramps who were sleeping in the barn, and who dropped sparks from their pipes.
Mr. Locke had seven children, and had only just moved onto the farm so this fire was a devastating blow
1854 – Labourer from Welsh Newton Drowns in Wye
On 25th September 1854, Joseph Madley, a labourer from Welsh Newton, was drinking at a pub near Symonds Yat Rock.
Some time later, he left the pub to ferry himself across the River Wye in a boat, and he never made it home. The boat was discovered missing from its usual mooring the following morning, and was eventually found two miles down river. Joseph’s body was not found for some time, but it was finally found floating near the new weir in the parish of English Bicknor.
1860 – Assault on Husband at Welsh Newton
Sarah George was charged with assaulting and beating her husband, Timothy George, a Shoemaker of Welsh Newton.
Timothy was described as a “gallant complainant” when he testified that his wife abused him for giving her brother a piece of bacon.
She apparently hit him around the head when they went to bed.
She was ordered to pay expenses of 10s, which the “forgiving husband” paid for her.
Hmmm. See below!!
1860 – Brutal Conduct of Husband at Welsh Newton
Timothy George, Shoemaker described in the article above, was charged with assaulting his wife Sarah George on 2nd May 1860.
He and Sarah were making their way home from Monmouth, when he lay down in the road; Sarah said that she asked him to come home and tried to get him up but he hit her violently several times so she went on without him.
When he finally arrived, he caught hold of her and struck her in the face, saying that he didn’t care if he killed her.
In court, Sarah said that she never gave him cause to assault her, but during the seven months of their marriage he had often done so, and now she was expecting their first child.
Timothy paid costs of 6s and was bound over for 12 months.
See below, again!!!
1867 – Violent Assault on Wife at Welsh Newton
(Date out of sequence but this needed to follow on from the above)
Timothy George, a shoemaker of Welsh Newton, was convicted of violently assaulting and beating his wife, Sarah George.
Sarah, a schoolmistress, gave evidence and said that on 24th June 1867 her husband told her to clean the potatoes, and she said that she would if she had time; she later dismissed the children and went to see to the potatoes.
She started to prepare the supper for her husband, who was whetting a reap hook, and an argument sprang out of nowhere with Timothy accusing her of being too damned lazy, and when she defended herself he threatened to “cut her bloody head off” with the reaping hook.
Timothy got up in a temper and hit Sarah with his hand, knocking her to the floor, and when she tried to get up he grabbed her hair and hit her on the head with something unknown. She fell down unconscious with blood pouring from a wound.
This was not the first time he had hit her, but Timothy said that Sarah was away from the home too much, and she just asked to be struck!
He was sentenced to three months imprisonment with hard labour and bound over to keep the peace with his wife for six months.
1862 – Father Kemble and the Kemble Pipe
Father Kemble, who was forced to go from London to Hereford on foot and then executed before being buried at Welsh Newton, stopped at a “friendly door” to smoke a last pipe – from this, the final smoke was often known as the Kemble.
“The Kemble of smoking notoriety was executed at Hereford on August 2nd 1679 on a charge of implication in Titus Oate’s plot.
Anyone who loves the fragrant weed, and desires to visit the resting place of the ancient man who indulged a similar failing under such trying circumstances, may easily find the tomb at Welsh Newton.”