Daniel Winch (aged 48, a labourer living at Preston) was placed before the Bench charged on suspicion of setting fire to a wheat stack at Stagenhoe Bottom farm on Saturday night last. No evidence was offered and Winch was told to attend at the Stevenage Bench on Thursday the 12th instant which he promised to do. (April 1860)
FIRE AT PRESTON. About a quarter to twelve on Saturday night, some of the inhabitants of Hitchin were aroused from their beds by hearing the cries of, “Fire!” in the streets and by seeing the illumination of what appeared to be a large conflagration but a short distance from town. Men who had just turned out of the public houses and a few of the more respectable people were hurrying with excitement towards the engine house. Two or three of the firemen in uniform were calling their comrades when a mounted messenger arrived bearing the news that Mr Benjamin Hill’s farm buildings (at Castle Farm) were on fire. Four horses were attached to one of the engines and the whole brigade mounted and they were soon upon the scene of the calamity, but the homestead which consisted of wood and thatched buildings had fallen to the devouring flames. As the wind was blowing towards the house and the granary at its side, the water was applied to what remained of the building and so all danger as to the house catching fire was prevented. The rest of the time, till seven o’clock, was employed pulling down burning ricks and playing on the embers. A quantity of oats and straw was consumed, two valuable cart horses and a pony were burnt, some fowls and ducks were rescued from underneath the granary after the arrival of the engine. A lot of the furniture from the house was damaged by hasty removal and nearly all the farm implements were destroyed. A man named A1 was apprehended on suspicion of having caused the fire and was brought before the Hitchin Bench last Tuesday and was remanded a week for further evidence. (April 1870)
ARSON. A young man named Robert Farr was charged on his own confession with having on 23rd of October set fire to some ricks belonging to Mr Hill of Hitchin.
Inspector Young said, he heard that the prisoner had made a confession and on Tuesday morning last, he went to Luton and received the prisoner from the police there. He charged him with the offence and he did not deny it. He said, “he saw the ricks and thought he would set fire to them”. The Inspector applied that the prisoner might be remanded for a week. The Magistrates granted the request. (January 1872)
At a later hearing, His Lordship in sentencing the prisoner said: “You are one of those incorrigible persons who will not take a warning. You have already been convicted of the offences and sentences of various terms of imprisonment have been passed upon you. It becomes therefore my painful duty to pass upon you a still more severe sentence than any you have yet had and I must change the character of the punishment, since it cannot be imprisonment except for a shorter term. I sentence you to seven years’ penal servitude. (March 1872)
John Jeeves (aged 49 of Church Road, Preston) and Joshua Palmer (aged 37), both of
Preston, were charged with doing wilful damage to some thatching, the property of
Mr Pryor, of Preston, on the 3rd inst. Police-
These articles are reproduced by kind permission of the Hertfordshire Mercury.
