"Mr. JOHN ADNEY was charged witha assaulting a girl of the town, named Anne Woodbury. The defendant answered the summons, and said his solicitor, Mr. Laidman was there. The Court having waited for him, however, for some time, the defendant rquested the Magistrates to "be quick," adding that "he was not very well, nd considerably annoyed at being called there." He expressed his wish not to wait for Mr. Laidman and the case proceeded.
"The complainant stted that Mr. Adney came up to her in High-street, about eleven at night, and invited her to walk with him. They went down towards the Theatre, where he attempted indecent liberties. She resisted , and he knocked her down, tearing her dress in the mannner she displayed. Policeman Thomas Deacon stated that he heard a scuffle, and on coming up, saw the defendant withhis fists knock the woman down. Mr. Adney here exclaimed, "You lying blackguard - you d---d liar!"
"The MAYOR - "Don't you interrupt the proceedings , sir, or I shall commit you."
"Mr. HOOPER - "Remember sir, you are before a Bench of Magistrates; your conduct here is the best proof that you would be guilty of such a thing as is laid to your charge - the son of a clergyman too, to make use of such language!"
"Defendant - "Well, sir, it is a lie what he says."
"The watchman repeated his statement adding that when the girl fell Adney ran away, but was afterwards stopped; he had evidently been drinking.
"The defenant being called on, stated that he walked with the girl, and she wanted him to treat her. He refused and was about to leave her, when she caught him by the coat tails, on which, in self defence, he was obliged to throw her on the road. Striking her he denied,"
"The Mayor - There can be no doubt you have been guilty of an assault, and we think under aggravating circumstances. Though your conduct in this Court has been most improper, we shall not visit that upon you; but for the assault we fine you 20s. and expenses.
"The defendant, before leaving the Court, asserted that the girl had received a sovereign from his father, on condition that she should not appear against him; but this she earnestly denied.
"[The Bench fined the working man 20s. and costs, the other day, for interrupting the police, who had apprehended his son, for sliding on the pavement. Not very even-handed justice when compared with this case.]"
*
The opposite of the even-handed justice which The Western Times promulgated in 1845 is that two-tier justice about which we hear much today. The father of the sliding boy was the working man; John Adney who used his fists to knock down Anne Woodbury was a gentleman by virtue of being the son of a clergyman. They could hardly expect to be treated equally. The Mayor and magistrates call JohnAdney 'sir' although he was probably a very young fellow and he was Mr. Adney. The fine was nothing to him. He said his reverend father has already given Anne Woodbury a sovereign. I hope he did.
The pattern of interaction between 'girls of the town' and 'gentlemen' was established. "Will you walk with me?" was the common question. These interactions were common on the streets and in the public gardens. The girls were sometimes as young as nine. Twelve was, for what it mattered, the age of consent. The girls expected a treat, either in the form of money or something to eat and drink. How the encounter progressed depended on circumstances. Sometimes, not often, the gentleman lost his purse or his pocket-watch. Sometimes, as here, there was violence. Sometimes there was sex but only sometimes.
Source: The Western Times, 4th January 1845
No comments:
Post a Comment