LAW & ORDER – Poaching from

Accreditation Redcar and Saltburn News 19/06/1875

COATHAM – SEA POACHING

            About three o’clock one morning last week, a fisherman, named William Thompson, while standing on the Sea Wall, observed a boat with two men in it, on the west side of Coatham Pier end, apparently drawing something out of the water. Having his crab creels planted at that part his suspicion was aroused that they were on a poaching excursion. He at once took to his boat and pulled towards the men, who observing his movements made for shore, and after securing their boat made off. Thompson finding his creels empty, and the traps open made for the boat which the two men had just left and there found a quantity of crabs and a lobster. Shortly after he saw the two men return and clear the boat. Thompson immediately gave the information to the police, and on the officer going to the house of one of them, he was refused admittance, but on looking through the window saw a number of crabs in a basket. The two youths are well known in Redcar as notorious characters, each of them having on more than one occasion appeared before the magistrates. Their names are John Blenkey and Edward Atwood, well known poachers.