LAW & ORDER – Poaching Affray at Wilton near Redcar

Accreditation the Redcar and Saltburn News 21/05/1874.

POACHING AFFRAY AT WILTON
NEAR REDCAR. 

            The recent alleged poaching and attack on the gamekeepers on Sir William Hugh Lowther’s estate at Wilton, near Redcar, was investigated on Tuesday (19/05) by Guisborough Magistrates. Six miners residing at New Marske and the neighbourhood of that place, and who gave their names as Thomas Hargrove, James Elsgood, Charles Mays, William Woodhouse, Edward Elsgood, and Henry Archer, were charged with having been found on the Wilton estate in pursuit of game; and five others viz., Timothy Buckton, C. Bright, Ed. Winchester, Jas Punchard, and John Lodge, who were also charged with having trespassed along with them, failed to answer the summonses which had been taken out against them. The circumstances of the case were as follows:- On Friday night (15/05), while Harland Hardcastle, gamekeeper to Sir William Hugh Lowther Bart., and George Charlton, gamekeeper to Mr A. H. Turner Newcomen, Kirkleatham Hall, whereon duty in the woods at Wilton, they came upon a gang of between forty and fifty men, who were trespassing on the estate, many of them armed, and accompanied by dogs. The keepers summoned a number of watchers to their assistance, and after a severe struggle, were successful in capturing the prisoners, who were conducted to Redcar police station, in custody of the keepers and watchers, where their names were taken by Sgt Storey, prior to their being summoned, after which they were all liberated, with the exception of James Elsgood and Thomas Hartgrove, the latter having struck one of the watchers, named Charlton, a severe blow on the right hand, and Elsgood having also struck another watcher, named Wallace, a severe blow stop Hartgrove and Elsgood alleged that they were struck first; and the defence of the men for having trespassed over private property in pursuit of game was that they did not know the land they were wrong was private. The Bench said they would not be too severe on the defendants, but hoped they would discontinue those raids over land where they had no right to be. The following fines were then inflicted:- Buckton, £1; Hartgrove, £1; Elsgood, £1; Bright, £1; Mays, £1; Winchester, £1; Punchard, £1; Woodhouse, 10s; Lodge, 10s; Edward Elsgood, 10s; and Henry Archer, 10s. The fines were in addition to the costs.