Hereford Times - Saturday 23 October 1852
Alarming
Fire.—Early on Sunday morning, Mr. Barrett the Saracen's Head,
Wyebridge, and his family, had a narrow escape from destruction by the
means of fire. We are informed that about 3 a.m., Mrs. Barrett awoke
with a burning sensation in her throat, and at first attributed it to
having eaten something injurious on the previous night, but could not
remember that she had done so. While cogitating the matter she became
thoroughly awake, and then discovered that the room was full of
smoke. She instantly rose, opened the bed-room door, and found that
the lower part of the house was on fire. Mrs. Barrett then raised her
husband, who had not been awakened by the smoke, and, having
partially dressed herself, took their child, and made her escape from
the house to that of a neighbour, arousing one or two other
neighbours she went. While she was thus engaged, Mr. Barrett ran,
barefooted, and with scarcely any clothes on, to the City Gaol, for
the engines. The fire-bell speedily rang -the engines were
immediately got out, and quickly on the spot—and the exertions of the
firemen, aided by a number of respectable citizens chiefly from High
Town, soon brought the fire under. It was afterwards found by a
policeman that the fire had arisen in the ash-pit which goes down
into the cellar, from (it is supposed) some hot cinders having fallen
on some oak beams which run across nearly under the fire-place. Had
not the fire been discovered early, as it providentially was, the
total destruction of the beams would not have been a matter of very
long time, and then the house would have probably fallen in, burying
the inmates in the ruins, even if the fire should have extended
further, which very improbable, the internal part of the house being
old. Happily, the damage actually is done comparatively slight.
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Some background about Thomas and the Saracen's Head.
Hereford Journal - Wednesday 11 February 1852
The
Saracen's Head.
Mr.
Gough, member of the committee appointed to inspect and report on the
state of these premises, stated that Mr. Stephens, Mr. Hatton, and
himself had examined them, and their opinion, after being put in
pretty good repair, they may be let at rent of 35l. a-year;
but it would take something like a year's rent to put the house into
repair. There were several things, such as fixtures and windows,
valued at 10L or ]51., that belonged to the tenant, but which ought
to be the property of the landlord.
Mr.
Hatton, jun., said, the roof of the large room was a very dilapidated
state, and he should like to take the opinion of the Town-Clerk or
some other professional man as to whose duty it was to make the
repairs. By the lease the tenant covenanted to leave the premises in
tenantable state of repair, himself, his heirs, or assigns. The
original lessee, Mr. Prothero; had left for some years, and the lease
had been handed from one tenant to another, being now in the
possession of Mr. Davies. He thought himself that not much less than
50l. would be sufficient for all the repairs. A very
respectable tenant (Mr. Barrett) had just taken the Saracen's Head
for the remainder of the lease ; but he was not willing to run the
risk of entering upon the premises without security from the Council
that they would continue him as tenant. It was desirable that the
matter should be looked into more closely, and he suggested that some
gentleman should move a postponement.
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Hereford Times - Saturday 10 April 1852
Publicans'
Licenses.—On Monday last, at the Guildhall, the following licenses
were transferred ; that of the City Arms Hotel, from the
representatives of the late Mrs Mary Humphreys, to Mr. William Smyth
; that of the Kerry Arms, from Mr. William Smyth to Mr. John Hankins;
that of the Punch Bowl, from Mr. John Hankins to Mr. William Smyth ;
that of the Ship Inn in the Ross road, from Mr. Joseph Morgan to Mr.
Samuel Chard ; that of the Saracen's Head, from Mr. William Davies to
Mr. Thomas Barrett; that of the Royal George, Widemarsh-street, from
Mr. William Barnes to Mr. Robert Witcombe ; and that of the Elephant
and Castle, St. Peter's street,from Mr. Charles Watkins to Mr.
Benjamin Browning. A license was granted by the Magistrates for the
Bowling Green Inn, in Bewell-street. Some objections were made to the
charges of the Magistrates' Clerk, by- Mr. Stephens, but Mr. Charles
Owen explained to the Magistrates' satisfaction, and the Mayor
remarked that Mr. Owen was always very particular in not exceeding
the charges to which he was entitled by Act of Parliament. With
respect to the notices required to be given by Act of Parliament to
Overseers, &c, on the part of any person applying for the
transfer of a license, it was stated that Mr. Smyth had served his
own notice. Such services were excused on the present occasion ; but
the Mayor stated that on all future occasions, it would be deemed
indispensable that these notices should be served by the proper
officer of the Court ; a fact we are requested to mention.
----------------------------
The
Saracen's Head. Mr. Hatton stated the proceedings which had been
taken by the committee in reference to the state of the Saracen's
Head, and their inability to come to any arrangement with Mr. Price
or Mr. Hiles. The house is in such a dilapidated state that the
present tenant, Mr. Barrett, is obliged to stuff rags and other
things in the roof to keep out the wet, and to place pails and
buckets to catch the water that runs through, notwithstanding this.
Mr. Price or Mr. Hiles was the proper person to repair the house,
according to the covenant of the lease to leave the house "in a
tenantable state of repair." One half of the roof had been
repaired, but the other half was left unrepaired. There was an
excellent malthouse attached to the house, but from which the kiln
and other appurtenances connected with the malting had been taken
away, and applied to the party's own use. This he was in a position
to prove in a court of justice. He could not consent to public
property being sacrificed in this way without trying in a court of
law to make parties do that which they had covenanted to do. The
Town- Clerk had written to Mr. Price, who had put the matter in the
hands of Mr. Gough, from whom a communication had been received
stating that Mr. Price was from home, and requesting the matter to be
deferred until Monday next. He thought the committee, after the
failure of all their attempts, could do no less than ask the Council
to instruct the Town-Clerk to take legal proceedings against the
party whom he should consider to be liable, in order that the house
might be put in proper repair. To restore the kiln and other things
which had been taken away from the malthouse, would cost at least
30l.
Mr.
Stephens concurred in Mr. Hatton's recommendation, adding that the
rain now came in down to the lower floors, threatening to destroy the
whole fabric.
In
reply to Mr. Myer, Mr. Hatton said that Mr. Price (who it appears was
the last holder of the lease, which was granted 40 years ago to Mr.
Prothero), was so determined to get his money from the tenant, that
threatened to put in an execution immediately upon the half-year's
rent becoming due. In consequence of this, the tenant of the Council
(Mr. Barrett) was obliged to pay for fixtures which were not fixtures
at all. If the fulfilment of the terms of the lease were not
enforced, they would sacrifice 60l. or 70l. altogether.
It
was agreed, upon the proposition of Mr. Myer, seconded by Mr. Parry,
that the Town Clerk be authorised to take legal proceedings against
the party who is liable, to enforce the proper repairing of the
house, according to the covenant of the lease, and the restoration of
all fixtures which have been illegally abstracted ; this resolution
not to prevent the committee from accepting any reasonable terms, if
such should be offered by Mr. Price or his solicitor.
----------------------------
Hereford Times - Saturday 11 December 1852
THE
LATE CAPTURE OF THE LLANOVER BURGLARS.
TO
THE EDITOR OF THE HEREFORD TIMES.
Sir,
—Having seen in the columns of your paper of the 27th ult. two
letters, hearing the signatures of “Samuel Hawkins,” P.C., of
Saint Devereux, and "Walter Prosser," farmer, of Trelough,
in the same parish, wherein they take upon themselves all the merit
of the capture of the men, taken in this city on the 5th ult., for
the late burglary at Llanover, I should esteem a particular favour,
having been principally concerned in the capture of one of the
burglars, if you will allow me a brief space to make a few remarks
upon some of the passages contained in those letters, and to state to
the public the real facts of the case regards the capture in which I
was concerned. I should have written upon this subject last week, had
it not happened that my time of late has been much occupied in the
discharge of my duties as one of the Serjeants of the Herefordshire
Militia, that I had not time to attend to it at an earlier period. It
is not intention to follow Mr. Hawkins (with whom have the most to
do) through the details of his letter respecting his suspicions of
whom the parties were when he passed them near the parish church of
St. Devereux, his complaint against his superior officer (P S. Paine,
of the Abbeydore district for not doing as he desired him, &c,
&c.; but I shall principally confine myself to writing what
occurred relative to the prisoner that was captured near Wyebridge,
and to what more immediately concerns myself.
The
following are the true facts of the case :—Between six and seven
o'clock the evening of the 5th November, P.C. Hawkins called house
and requested me to go with him in search of a man, whom he said he
was in pursuit of for passing bad money at Trelough, never mentioning
to me that he had the least suspicion he was one the men engaged in
the burglary at Llanover although in his letter he says he had such
suspicion when he previously saw them near the church at
St..Devereux. Hawkins told me that the man he was pursuit of was 5
ft. 4 in. in height, whereas the height of the one we captured
afterwards proved to be 5 ft. 7 in. I went with Hawkins, as he
requested, and he placed me and Mr. Prosser in one of the recesses on
Wyebridge, in order that might identify the party if he should pass
that way. During the time we were waiting there a great number of
persons passed, and among the rest three men, of whom I took
particular notice, and one of whom I immediately suspected was the
man “wanted” by Hawkins. I immediately crossed from my place of
concealment to the opposite side of the road, and after looking each
of the men in the face, I called Mr. Prosser and asked him if one of
them (the man suspected) was not the man that Hawkins wanted. Mr.
Prosser assured me he was perfectly satisfied that neither of them
was the man, they were all too tall. Notwithstanding Mr. Prosser's
assurance to the contrary, I was pretty sure that the party I had
noticed was the man Hawkins wanted, as he continued looking back, and
pretended to call to another party behind him ; and at that moment
Mr. Prosser turned into the Saracen's Head to take some refreshment.
Hawkins then returned from the city, whither he had gone to give
information, and asked me if I had seen anything of the man he had
given me the description of. I told him that I had seen some men whom
I suspected, but Mr. Prosser had assured me they were all taller than
the man he was seeking for. Hawkins then invited me into the
Saracen's Head to have glass of ale, but, from prudential motives, I
declined his invitation, telling him that I would go in and have one
when he came out, thinking that, if went in with him, the man might
pass in the meantime, and that the capture might thus be prevented.
During the time Hawkins remained in the Saracen's Head, the man
previously particularly referred to (whose name proved to be Arnold)
returned, when he appeared to be much confused. I then followed him
into Wyebridge-street, and near the Black Lion met a boy named Wm.
Mason, whom I requested to go to the Saracen's Head and tell Hawkins
to follow me up Wyebridge-street. Hawkins shortly overtook me, and I
told him I thought Arnold was the man he wanted, which I was led to
believe from own observations of his conduct. Having heard that he
would have to pass through some water on his road from St. Devereux
to this city, Hawkins and I felt his trousers, and found they were
wet. We brought our prisoner back to the end of the bridge near the
Saracen's Head, when he endeavoured to make " a bolt" down
the steps to the side of the river, but we prevented him from
succeeding in his attempt. Whilst I was holding the prisoner by the
right side of the collar, Hawkins having hold of him on the other
side, he drew something from his right pocket, which l at first
thought was case-knife. I immediately attempted to seise it, as I
thought by the handle, but then found it was a pistol, the muzzle of
which I endeavoured to avert in a direction not to injure any party,
and in struggling for it the cap went off, but the contents the
pistol .it being loaded with powder and ball, providentially did not
explode. When the cap exploded. P.C. Hawkins cried out most manfully
for assistance perhaps thinking he was shot—and Mr. Barrett,
landlord of the Saracen's Head, came out and seized the ruffian
behind. We then dragged him into the Saracen's Head, where I allowed
Hawkins the honour of searching him, of which appeared very desirous.
Mr. Barrett knew that I had been stationed on the bridge some time
previous, on the “look out" for some party, but he knew not
whom. We afterwards conducted the man to the station-house, when we
were informed that P.C. Preece had captured another party. In his
letter, Hawkins says: I immediately recognised him as one of the
parties had seen at St. Devereux ; "whereas the fact was that
Hawkins, on seeing him, said he was not one of the men, and requested
he might set at liberty. Upon this I tapped Mr. Adams on the
shoulder, and told him I was certain he was one of the men who passed
over the bridge with the other prisoner, Arnold; I made a request
that he might be detained, and he was detained accordingly. I was,
sir, well satisfied with the fair and impartial account of the
evidence which appeared in one of your previous numbers ; and had not
P.C. Hawkins, with his eye on the reward, thought proper to sound on
his trumpet the false notes of his own praise, I should not have
troubled you with the present remarks, which I declare to be a fair
and honest account regards the capture of the prisoner Arnold, but
which is strangely at variance with the account supplied to you by
Hawkins. Moreover, I would ask why did not Hawkins, if he thought the
men were really the perpetrators of the burglary at Llanover, when he
saw them at St. Devereux, tell me his suspicions, instead of telling
me that he was only in pursuit of one man for passing a bad half
crown? And what will all his brother police-officers think of Hawkins
when I inform them that, on the Saturday after the capture he went to
my house and endeavoured to gain possession from my wife of the
pistol I had taken from Arnold, and which he knew I ought to produce
in evidence? And ought not Hawkins to have told me that loaded
fire-arms had been taken from the prisoner whom Paine had captured,
that I might have been more on guard in apprehending another of the
gang? I perfectly agree with Mr. Prosser when he says “let merit
have its reward” but I do ask you, sir, I do ask the public,
whether, after what I have stated, and which I solemnly declare to he
the truth it, to .Mr. Samuel Hawkins belongs all the merit capturing
Arnold, or whether he ought, as he would wish, to receive the whole
of the reward ? What probably would have become of the prisoner
Arnold, if had accepted Hawkins's invitation to accompany him drink
ale, instead of having looked after the prisoner ? The probability is
that he would entirely have escaped.
I
am, sir, an unfortunate yuong man who has been in the service of my
Queen and Country, from which I was discharged on account of ill
health ; and therefore I think it hard that a brother officer in the
police-force should endeavour, from selfish motives, to deprive me of
just share of the praise and reward due for the capture of one of
these daring burglars, and to make the world believe that all the
merit belongs to himself.
THOMAS
BENNETT,
Member
the City Police, and late of her
Majesty's
30th Regt. of Foot.
Hereford,
December 6th, 1852.
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Hereford Journal - Wednesday 30 March 1853
LOST.
A
BLACK GREYHOUND DOG, about twelve months old, little ticked with
white, not quickly discernible; answers to the name of " Tippo."
Whoever will bring him to Mr. Barrett, of the Saracen's Head, shall
be rewarded for their trouble. If Stolen, whoever will give
information of the thief shall, on conviction, receive One Sovereign
Reward.
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Hereford Journal - Wednesday 13 April 1853
Henry
Smith, railway labourer, was charged with having broken "a jug
and two glasses the Saracen's Head Inn, for which he refused to pay.
Mr. Barrett, the landlord, did not appear to prosecute, and the
defendant was then convicted of having been drunk and using obscene
language.—Mr. Bennett told the defendant that the Bench, who had
hitherto dealt most leniently with railway labourers, could not
permit such conduct as he had been guilty of to go unpunished,
particularly when it was committed on the Sabbath. He would now be
fined in the small sum of 1s. and costs, or seven days imprisonment,
but if he ever came there again he would be fined heavily.
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Hereford Times - Saturday 01 April 1854
City
of Hereford.
To
inn-keepers and others
Unreserved
by Auction, on Friday and Saturday next, April 8th and 9th, 1854.
Mr
WILLIAM BOTTRELL will SELL by AUCTION, on Friday and Saturday next,
the 8th and 9th days of April, 1854, on the Premises, at the
Saracen's Head Inn, Wye-bridge, the property of Thomas Barrett, who
is leaving the Premises, the whole of the neat and modern HOUSEHOLD
and EFFECTS, likewise the STOCK, in Spirits, Beer and Cider, Casks,
Hogsheads, and Barrels, Brewing Utensils, Fixtures, Gas Fittings,
&c.-Particulars in bills.
Sale
each day punctually at 2 o'clock. [2951
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