18th January 1924 - Buntingford Rural District Council

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Note: The last column of the article seems to be one that actually belongs in the middle, before the column that starts "Cottered". I have transcribed this with the text in the correct place to prevent any confusion with screen readers.

Buntingford Rural District Council

The monthly meeting of the Buntingford Rural District Council was held in the Board Room on Thursday of last week.

The Chairman (Mr H.C. Marshall) presided, others present being Messrs. E.T. Morris, F.B. Cannon, C. Fraser, G.C. Wilson, H.H. Williams, C. Hummerstone, W.J. May, F. Prime, J. Bygrave and G. Graves, Mrs C.R. Dimsdale, the Clerk (Mr E.C. Clarke) and the Surveyor (Mr E.G. Thody).

Isolation Hospital

The Surveyor reported that no cases of infectious disease had been notified during the past month, and that the Hospital was closed.

Waterworks

The consumption of water during the past month was reported as follows:

1st week 207,000 gallons

2nd week 214,000 gallons

3rd week 190,000 gallons

4th week 208,000 gallons

The water level has risen a further two feet and the rest level is now 33 feet, being 2ft. 6ins. higher than in January 1923.

A supply of 400 gallons of paraffin had recently been procured.

Buckland House Scheme

The Surveyor reported that a sample of water taken from the bore hole had been submitted for analyst [sic].

The report stated that the water was distinctly hard, but in all respects it was quite good.

It was considered a wholesome water, and the turbidity would disappear with use.

Electric Light Discussed

It was notified that the North Metropolitan Electric Company proposed applying for powers to supply energy to include the Rural Districts of Buntingford, Ashwell, Hadham and Hitchin.

The Chairman explained the purport of the Bill, and said that he thought the Board would approved of it, but at the same time he thought that a public meeting should be called to discuss the matter.

He hoped that the proposed charge of 10d. per unit would be revised as early as possible.

The Chairman then made the following observations on Clauses 7 and 8 of the Bill:

Clause 7. Under this clause as drawn, the Company can exercise their powers without the consent of the Local Authority where such authority were not authorised distributors at the time of pass the Act. Should the Company obtain the consent of the Council before exercising their powers in the district?

Clause 8. The maximum charge of 10d. per unit, which is to remain in force for a period of three years from the passing of the Act. Under this clause as drawn, a revision of prices cannot take place until after a period of three years. A revision of prices should be permitted to take place any time after the passing of the Act.

It is suggested that Clause 7 should be amended so that the Council would be protected in regard to the Company exercising their powers in the District, and the County Council should consult those Councillors representing the district and ascertain their views before giving their consent.

The following resolution was then unanimously carried:

"That this Council having examined and considered the North Metropolitan Electric Power Supply Bill 1924 are of opinion that Clause 7 should be amended to the effect that the Company shall not exercise their powers to supply in the District except without the previous consent under seal of the County Council, after consultation with representatives of the Local Authorities.

That Clause 8 should be amended so as to permit a revision of charges taking place at any time after the passing of the Act, and not post-poned for a period of three years."

The Chairman, who said that the Hertfordshire Council had the matter in hand, said he would be seeing Sir James Devonshire on the 23rd of January, and that no doubt if the public were willing, and could guarantee a certain number of consumers, the Company would expedite facilities.

Captain E.T. Morris asked if the service would pass through Buckland, and the Chairman said he understood it would.

The Clerk was instructed to write to the Clerk of the Hertfordshire County Council respecting the points raised.

Cottered

The Surveyor stated that owing to carelessness on the part of those drawing water, the elevator was broken on the 8th. The cost of repairs would be £2.

Ardeley

It was reported that the contractor was proceeding with the well-boring, and was down 210 feet. There was 50 feet head of water, and testing was being commenced that day.

A Nuisance at Cromer

The Surveyor reported that a considerable quantity of sewage matter discharged into an open ditch running through the village street. It appeared that the sewage flowed from several properties.

The Surveyor was instructed to interview the owners of the properties with a view to devising a scheme whereby the sewage could be dealt with.

Condemned Cottages

Four cottages situate in Little Lane, which had previously been condemned as unfit for human habitation, were reported to be vacated and closed.

Westmill Cottages

One of the tenants of the Council Cottages at Westmill reported that the mantel shelf in the parlour collapsed, and that his clock and sundry ornaments were thrown to the floor and broken. The tenant had estimated the damage to be about £5.

One of the Councillors caused laughter by saying that he thought mantel shelves should have a notice similar to that on brides, showing what weight they could take.

17th September 1926 - Rural District Council

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Rural District Council

Captain H.H. Williams presided at the meeting of the Council which followed. Dr R.A. Dunn (M.O.H.) and the Surveyor (Mr E.G. Thody) were also present.

Vote of Condolence

The Chairman said he felt he must endorse the remarks which Mr Hummerstone had made with reference to the late Mr Edward Pigg.

Everyone must feel that men with such a high sense of public spirit were very rare, and the death of Mr Pigg was indeed a great loss.

Surveyor's Report

The Surveyor reported as follows:

Isolation Hospital

No cases of infectious disease have been notified, and the hospital remains closed.

Waterworks

The consumption of water during the past month has been:

1st week - 246,000 gallons

2nd week - 257,000 gallons

3rd week - 240,000 gallons

4th week - 258,000 gallons

The rest level has fallen and now stands at 37ft, being 1ft. lower that [sic] at September last.

Little Hormead Drainage

I have again interviewed Mr Patten with reference to the proposed drainage, and he is willing that the drain take the line shewn upon the accompanying plan.

Housing

Mr T. Pugh, of Ardeley, submits plans for the erection of a bungalow at Ardeley. The plans are in order.

Coal Emergency

Since submitting my last report, increased supplies have reached the merchants, which together with a quantity that I have been able to secure, has been sufficient to meet current needs.

Sandon

Samples of water from properties at Sandon have been sent for analysis, and the owners should be called upon to provide an efficiant and wholesome supply.

Estimates

The Clerk presented the estimates for the half-year ending 31st March, 1927.

The expenses were estimated at £1,675, and after deducting receipts, £813 was required. This was a decrease of £93 compared with the corresponding period last year.

Special Expenses

£139 was required for Special Expenses, which was a decrease of £82 compared with corresponding period of last year.

Tenders for Scavenging

Mr C.H. Poulton submitted a tender for Scavenging, 12/- per day. This was considered very reasonable and was accepted.

The other business was of a formal nature.

10th December 1926 - British Legion Buntingford and District Branch

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British Legion

Buntingford and District Branch

The following is a Statement of the amounts raised and collected on Remembrance Day, 1926.

Donations

C. Fraser, Esq. - £1 1s. 0d.

Mrs Nevett - £1 1s. 0d.

Mrs Greg - £1 1s. 0d

Mrs J.R. Russell - 10s. 0d.

Mrs Codrington - 10s. 0d.

Miss Gruner - 5s. 0d.

Mr Sutterby - 2s. 0d.

Total - £4 10s. 0d.

Poppy Sales - Buntingford

Miss M. Crane and Miss Armstrong - £1 13s. 4 and half pence.

Mrs L. Smith and Miss Cutts - £1 15s. 8d.

Miss Lushington - £1 13s. 0d.

Masters John and Georgie Taylor - £1 6s. 11d.

Miss M. Fell - £1 5s. 0d.

Miss Scrivener and Miss Wilkerson - £1 11s. 4d.

Miss E. Smith - £1 2s. 6d.

Mrs J. Aylott - £1 4s. 10d.

Miss P Mayes - 14s. 1d.

Mrs Marshall - 8s. 6d.

Mr H. Fry - 7s. 6d.

Total - £12 2s. 8 and a half pence.

Anstey - per Miss Buckwell - £1 8s. 1d.

Wyddiall - per Lady Heaton-Ellis - £1 17s. 3d.

Aspenden - per Miss Grace Phillips - £1 14s. 6d.

Buckland - per Miss Morris - £2 13s. 8 and a half pence.

Cottered - per Miss Wilderspin - £2 6s. 3d.

Furneaux Pelham (part) - per Mrs Holmes - £1 8s. 2 and a half pence.

Westmill - per Mrs Coutts-Deacon - £4 0s. 4 and a half pence.

Meesden - per Mrs Kerr - £1 6s. 0d.

Great and Little Hormead - per Mrs Dimsdale - £4 0s. 0d.

Rushden - per Mr E.J. Marchal - £3 16s. 6d.

Ardeley - per Mr J.H. Thorpe - £2 3s. 6d.

Brent Pelham - per Mrs Barclay - £2 10s. 0d.

Wallington - per Miss Cragg - £2 0s. 0d.

Total - £31 4s. 4 and a half pence.

British Legion (Branch and Club) Poppies for Wreath - £1 0s. 0d.

Proceeds of Rummage Sale - £10 3s. 8d.

Trail of Pennies - £7 10s. 0d.

Proceeds of Concert, including Sale of Programmes (£1 2s. 1d.) and auction sale of Baby's Comforter (£1 0s. 9d.) - £22 7s. 4d.

Church collections

St Richard's R.C. Church, Buntingford - £1 1s. 2d.

Anstey - £2 1s. 7d.

Buntingford Congregational Church - 17s. 0d.

Total - £3 19s. 9d.

Grand total - £93 17s. 10d.

The above figure of £93 17s. 10d. represents the Gross Receipts up to the 7th December, and there is a further amount to be included in respect of the Church Collections, which has not yet come to hand.

The Gross Receipts for Poppy Day, 1925, amounted to £91 11s. 8d.

E.C. Clarke, Hon. Sec., Buntingford and District Branch British Legion.

Buntingford, 7th December, 1926.

28th January 1927 - Buntingford Petty Sessions

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Buntingford Petty Sessions

Cambridge Undergraduate Fined for Dangerous Driving

Foxhounds Injured by Motorist

Friday last, before Sir Charles Heaton-Ellis C.B.E., and Captain H.H. Williams.

John Daniel Hawthorn (21), of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, appeared on a charge of drivinga motor car in a manner dangerous to the public, at Buckland, on 20th November.

The defendant, who was represented by Mr Grafton Pryor, Barrister, of Cambridge, pleaded not guilty.

Mr G. Passingham, Solicitor of Hitchen, outlined the case for the prosecution. On November 20th (the case had been adjourned till now, because of the defendant's absence in America), the Puckeridge Hounds had just drawn a wood, and were on the highway between Buntingford and Royston, when a car, driven by the defendant, appeared two or three hundred yards away.

The car was travelling at a very fast pace, and the huntsman held up his hands as a signal for the driver to slow down. The drive did nothing till he was within 20 yards of the pack when he put on his brakes and skidded into the hounds, injuring three couples.

Robert Gardner, the Huntsman of the Puckeridge Hunt, said he was in charge of the pack on the day in question. The hounds were on the road when he saw a car about 200 yards away, and put up his hand as a signal to the drive to slow down. The driver did not try to stop till he got within 15 to 20 yards, when he put the brakes on, and the car skidded into the pack. Three or more couples were knocked over, one hound being pinned under the car.

Cross-examined by Mr Grafton Pryor: It was a wet day and the road was greasy.

P.S. Dean, of Buntingford, said that the width of the road at the point of collision was 17ft. 6in.

James Hewins, 1st Whip, corroborated the evidence of the Huntsman. While the hounds were being extricated from under the car, the defendant admitted that he saw the huntsman hold up his hand.

Arthur W. Griffin, the seocnd whip, also gave evidence.

Mrs E. Hargreaves, of Royston, said she was riding directly behind the pack on the day in question, when she saw a large motor car coming down the road at great speed. The came right on top of the pack, and the hounds were howling and screaming, some being pinned under the car. Some of the hounds were carried along on the front axle.

The defendant, in a statement made from the witness box, said he was the owner of the car, which was a 30-98 Vauxhall. It had four-wheel brakes, and was known as a "super-sports" model. On the date of the accident he was driving from Royston to Ware, and his speed was about 35 m.p.h.

As he came over the rise, he saw a man on horseback and thought he was meeting a detachment of soldiers. He put on his brakes, but the car kept going as the brakes would not hold. The hounds took up all the road, and there was no room for the car to pass. As soon as he realised what he had done, he jumped out and apologised. He had been driving a car for nine years, and had never been charged before.

Anthony Patrick Adamson, of Jesus College, who was riding in the front seat with the defendant at the time of the accident, also gave evidence. He said that the defendant did all in his power to pull the car up.

Jeffrey Thomas, another undergraduate, of Trinity Hall, who was sitting at the back of the car, said the defendant applied his brakes as soon as he saw the Huntsman raise his hand.

Addressing the Bench, Mr Pryor said that no one regretted the accident more than Mr Hawthorn. The defendant was not in the habit of driving at great speed and, as the Bench had heard, he had been driving a car for nine years, and had not been previously charged. The brakes of the car were defective and the weather conditions were bad. He (Mr Pryor) hoped that the Bench would "temper the wind of the defendant because of his clean sheet."

The Bench retired for ten minutes, and on returning, the Chairman said the charge against defendant had been proved. He wished to say that it was a very serious offence indeed to drive a high-powered car on a slightly foggy day down hill at the excessive speed of 35 miles per hour, whether there were sheep or hounds on the road.

The Bench had very seriously considered whether to suspect the defendant's licence for a considerable period but after what his Solicitor had said they had decided to inflict a fine of £5 and £3 7s. 0d. cost.

The defendant's licence would also be endorsed.

Ardeley Fowl Stealing Charge

H.G. Stroud, of Wood End, Ardeley, appeared on a charge of fowl stealing at Ardeley. The defendant, an Ex-Sergt. of the Garrison Artillery, had an excellent record, which saved him from prison, the Magistrates imposing a fine of £5 and 15/- costs.

Evidence was given by William H. Livings, a farmer of Gt. Munden, who said that on January 12th he received information that his fowlhouse at Orange End had been broken into. He saw footmarks near the house, and later found that 28 fowls were missing. These he valued at 10/- each. The defendant had previously been to him and asked for work.

P.S. Dean gave evidence of interviewing the defendant in company with Inspector Herbert.

Defendant at first denied all knowledge of the matter, but later told the Sergeant that he had taken 12 fowls, and hearing that the police were making enquiries as to their loss, he took them to a field and released them. The Sergeant and the Inspector went to the field, but there was no trace of the fowls.

Supt. Wright said the defendant had served 11 years in the Army, having served in France from 1915 to the end of the war. After the war he obtained work as a temporary postman, and later was employed at Woolwich Arsenal, where he was discharged in September, 1925, with a good character. He was a married man with two children.

The Chairman said it was a dreadful thing to see a man in defendant's position. Here was a man with a excellent character stooping to petty foggy stealing. He, the Chairman, saw no reason why the defendant should not go to prison.

Mr Livings said he was prepared to assist the defendant, whereupon the Chairman said that defendant would have to pay Mr Livings £5 and the Court costs 15/-, further than that the defendant would be placed on probation for 12 months.

"Mr Livings has treated you very leniently," said the Chairman to the defendant.

4th March 1927 - Eggs

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Eggs

Eggs & Day-old Chicks - Rhode Island Reds (Golders), Light Sussex, White Wyandottes and Light Sussex Cross Barnevelder.

Eggs 6/- dozen; Chicks 12/- Eric Gray, Ardeley, Stevenage.

30th July 1926 - Preliminary Notice

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Preliminary Notice

The Vicarage, Ardeley, Herts

G. Scarborough Taylor, P.A.S.I.,

Has received instructions from the Rev. F.P. Harton to Sell by Auction at the above, on Wednesday, August 18th, 1926, at 11 a.m., the whole of the modern and antique furniture and effects, kitchen utensils, outdoor effects, poultry & appliances.

Catalogues of the Auctioneer, Auction Offices, Buntingford (Tel. 20); Welwyn (Tel. 98); Baldock (Tel. 62); and at Hatfield (Tel. 16).

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Note from Alison: Rev. Frederic Percy Harton was born in 1889 and he died in Wells, Somerset in 1959 while out walking.

He was vicar of Ardeley from 1922 to 1926 when he went to spend a year in Ceylon as missionary. Upon his return he was appointed warden of the Sisters of Charity, Knowle, Bristol. In 1936 he became vicar of Baulking in Berkshire, where he remained until he was appointed Dean of Wells.