Under this title The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 27th September 1845 briefly reported the serious crime of William White who was brought to the Exeter Police Court by Mr. Charles Sclater:
"William White, a lad, was charged by Mr. Charles Sclater, with trundling a hoop on the pavement in Sandford-street, New-town.
"Mr. Sclater stated that he frequently saw the public subjected to the annoyance arising from twenty or thirty boys trundling their hoops in the street at once, and the practice of using iron hoops was considerably more dangerous than of using wooden ones.
"The parents of the defendant having attended, and engaged both for his present penitence and future good conduct, the Magistrates dismissed him with an admonition, on paying for the summons."
Sclater: looks a more exotic family name than it is. It is a form of Slater, i.e. it is a well-established English occupational surname.
Mr. Charles Sclater, Charley (as he was called) Sclater was one of a large Exeter family whose sons seem all to have been nurserymen and/or seedsmen, He was also at one time the city councillor for St. Sidwells and was the owner of property in Newtown, Exeter. His nursery was at Summerlands, near where now is the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. He was unhealthily keen on litigation and particularly on bringing young people to court for misdemeanors.
Sandford- street: was a street in Newtown, perhaps where now is Sandford Walk.
Poor hoopless Willy White! You can bet that none of the other kids in Sandford Street will have been deterred by Charley Sclater.
Trundling hoops: this is the first reference I have seen in the local papers to hoops as a child's plaything but clearly they were a 'craze' in Exeter in 1845 and for many decades each way. I suppose the metal hoops were barrel-hoops; they must have been noisy and, yes, painful if one was trundled into you!.
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