The News in Brief – Items from The Times Newspaper

The Times Newspaper 23rd July 1825.

Chelmsford Assizes: James Mallet was indicted for stealing at Stanford Rivers on the 25th March, a horse the property of Edward Rayner. It appeared in evidence that in the night of the 25th of March, the prosecutor, a farmer of Ongar, had his stable and cart-ledge broken open, and robbed of a horse, cart, and four sets of harness. On the 27th, Hall, the officer of Union-hall police office, apprehended the prisoner at some stables in the borough of Southwark; and on searching his person found a key which opened the stable in which was the horse in question. The prisoner then directed the officer to another stable in the same neighbourhood, in which were found three other stolen horses, and a regular set of housebreaking implements. One of the witnesses examined for the prosecution, proved that he was coming to London early on the morning of the 26th March and was overtaken by the prisoner and another man, riding in a cart. The prisoner offered to give him a lift, but he declined. He swore positively to the prisoner’s identity.

The prisoner declared his innocence but called no witnesses.

The Jury, under the learned Judge’s directions, immediately found the prisoner guilty.

The LORD CHIEF JUSTICE then proceeded to pass the awful sentence of death upon this and two other prisoners, who had been convicted of a similar offence during the assizes. His Lordship told the unhappy culprit, that the crime of horse stealing had now become so common in every part of the kingdom, that it became absolutely necessary, for the protection of such property, that the dreadful sentence of the law should take its course.

The prisoners were all deeply affected and were with difficulty removed from the dock.

The Times Newspaper 1st June 1850.

DARING BURGLARY. – On Thursday, between the hours of 1 and 2 am., a most daring outrage was committed in the dwelling house of Mrs. Christiana Waters, in the parish of Stanford Rivers, in this county. It appears that at the hour above named Mr. Charles Clarke, brother to Mrs. Waters, and residing with her, was awakened by hearing some person in his bedroom; on asking who was there he received no reply, and on attempting to get out of bed he saw a man standing in the room in the act of pointing a gun at him, at the same time saying, “If you don’t lie still I will blow your brains out.” The fellow almost immediately fired, severely wounding Mr. Clarke in the left arm and face, the shot tearing away a large portion of the flesh on the upper part of the arm. Notwithstanding this, Mr. Clarke courageously grappled with the ruffian, and held him till the arrival of his two nephews, who slept in another part of the house, and had been aroused by the report of the gun.

The robber proved to be a young man named William Green, a loose character from Ongar, who was convicted of felony at the quarter sessions in January last and sentenced to three month’s imprisonment. The gun used by Green was the property of Mr. Clarke and had been placed in one of the lower room through which the fellow passed on his way upstairs.
The prisoner was shortly after given into the custody of Superintendent Flood, by whom he was taken before Mr. J. F. Wright, and, Mr. Clarke being unable to appear against him, he was remanded to Epping till Saturday next.

The Times Newspaper 27th October 1931.

Lady Hudson recommends her Under Chauffeur, leaving after five years’ service: married: running repairs: some knowledge London. – Apply Walter West. 43. Theydon Mount, Epping.

The Times Newspaper 5th October 1953.

POLICE SEARCHING FOR CATTLE POISONER. Epping Criminal Investigation Department are investigating a case of cattle poisoning on glebeland at Stapleford Abbots, near Romford, Essex, the second which has occurred on the same land. Several Friesian heifers belonging to Mr. F. Padfield. of Pinner's Farm, Stapleford Tawney, which had been put out to graze on the glebeland, were killed last year. Mr. Padfield recently received an anonymous letter which said that if he continued to cultivate the land at Stapleford Abbots more heifers would die. Several more have since been poisoned. Five died and two are recovering.
“There were 18 heifers in the field.” Mr. Padfield said, “and enough poison had been put down to kill 400. My father farmed the glebeland in question for 37 years and I have farmed it myself since 1946.”

The Times Newspaper 19th December 1955.

SIR D. HAMILTON-SPENCER-SMITH, Sir Drummond Hamilton-Spencer Smith, Bt., O.B.E., died yesterday at his home at Stapleford Tawney, Essex, at the age of 79. Drummond Cospatric Hamilton-Spencer Smith was born on November 4, 1876, the son of the Rev. Spencer Compton Hamilton Spencer-Smith, vicar of Kingston, Dorset, and Mary, daughter of Admiral. Cospatric Baillie-Hamilton. He was educated at Eton and New College, Oxford, and in 1900 he was gazetted to the Royal Artillery, in which he was to serve for 24 years. From 1910 to 1913 he was Military Secretary and Staff Officer, R.A., to the G.O.C., New Zealand Forces, and during the 1914-18 War he served as Brigade-Major, R.A., 4th Division, in France, being mentioned in dispatches: as commandant of the 4th. Army Artillery School during 1916-17, as commandant of the RA. Officers Cadet School at Exeter during 1917-18, and in command of the 14th R.H.A. Brigade in France during 1918. From 1920 to 1924, when he retired with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, he served on the International Commission of Control in Berlin. He was made an O.B.E. in 1923 and succeeded his cousin Sir Drummond Cunliffe Smith as fifth baronet in 1947.

He married in 1915 Roma, daughter of Arthur Hope, of Timaru, New Zealand. She died in 1918, leaving him with one son. He married secondly, in 1923, Mary Aurora, widow of Colonel Ridley Boileau, R.E., of Heavitree, Exeter, and daughter of Canon H. Tudor. The baronetcy devolves upon his son. Captain Thomas Cospatric Hamilton Spencer-Smith.