TWO YOUTHS IN COURT - LARCENY!

APRIL 25th, 1936

"WANTED MONEY FOR THE FAIR"

Picked at random, this is the first of the cases that I've chosen to select, from the April 25th 1936 Edition of The Grantham Journal. At the time, Grantham was a relatively prosperous industrial town. Nestled to the east of Nottingham, in southern Lincolnshire, the area was policed by a Borough Police Force, which had its own Chief Constable, a number of constables and sergeants, and a few detectives.

One of these detectives was my great grandfather, James Andrew Bramhall, a Scottish war veteran.

As it turns out, a whole £1 was stolen from Florence H. Reddish, the licensee of the Nag's Head public house on Wharf Road, Grantham, by 20 year old William Harby, who then passed the note on to his accomplice Ray Templeton (18). Under interview, Templeton said to the detective, "I did not take it, but I know who did. He gave me half to keep me quiet" (which, as it turns out, was quite a bad investment!).

An employee of the pub, Harby had responded to Templeton asking how they could get some money for the travelling fair, saying to him, "If anyone wants to know where I was this afternoon, tell them I was in Gonerby taking some money for some waitresses".

Upon appearing before Grantham Police Court, and the magistrate (who was also the Mayor!), they were both given probation for 12 months, at the cost of £3.

Even in 1936, it seems there was no honour among thieves!

ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS: A man who had arrived in Grantham for a holiday in 1882 had ended up celebrating his golden wedding anniversary after never having left.

ADVERT OF THE PAGE: Grantham Savings Bank - "The 4th Largest savings bank in England - total funds exceed £8,000,000"

#theft #probation