A Talk by Chris Reynolds

Poaching and Petty Thieving in St Albans

by Chris Reynolds

The following consists of the slides and edited text of a lecture given to the St Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society in March 2004

Contents

Poachers and Petty Crime in St Albans

The Scope of the Talk

Stealing in the late 18th century

To Catch a fish ... in 1822

Gamekeepers on the Gorhambury Estates in the 18th century

Game Certificates in 1786

Banged up in Prison  

Crime and Transportation - To be provided

The Liberty of St Albans - To be provided

The St Albans Police Force

The Stratton Family - Introduction

The Family in the 1861 census 

After game in 1858 

Collecting Firewood and Chasing Rabbits in 1861

Still after game in 1862

Harvesting turnip tops in 1864

Killing a hare in 1864

And yet more turnip tops

Five years for night poaching in 1865

A day of freedom in 1868

A street brawl in 1868

About time we caught some fish - 1870

Fowl stealing in 1872

Stealing Jacob Reynolds' Potatoes in 1873

and I've got him on the list ... James Stratton

and Joseph Stratton

Joseph gets married in 1875

and his wife steals water in 1878

Another chicken for the pot in 1882

The end of an era

Crimes involving Jacob Reynolds and Heath Farm

The Murder of Edward Anstee in 1880

Did Thomas Wheeler have a grudge

Further Links