Drunk and Riotous at Leigh 1872
LEIGH HISTORICAL SOCIETY
“Drunk and Riotous at Leigh”
In June this year, I wrote an article about the abolition of the Leigh Fair which had been held annually on 16 June from at least the turn of the 19th century. This had followed the introduction of the Abolition of Fairs Act in 1871 and the application by Samuel Morley of Hall Place – and John Maxted, the non-conformist Minister in Leigh – to ban Leigh’s annual fair, the claim being that such fairs were deemed unnecessary and a cause of grievous immorality and injurious to inhabitants.
With this in mind, I spotted an article in the Tunbridge Wells Journal of 4 July 1872 which perhaps goes some way to justify Samuel Morley and Mr Maxted’s actions in this respect.
Under the heading “Drink and Riotous at Leigh”, the Tunbridge Wells Journal reported that Edmund Smith, William Franklin and Martha Franklin were charged with being drunk and riotous in the parish of Leigh. Smith pleaded guilty, but William Franklin and his wife pleaded not guilty. It appears that the two male defendants were both engaged on the works at Hall Place – where Samuel Morley was in the process of rebuilding the house.
PC Irwin stated that at about half-past eight o’clock, Mrs Franklin came up Leigh Street cursing and swearing. It was Leigh’s fair day. Mrs Franklin said to the witness “You say my husband’s a rogue?” He said “No – other people say so”. Mrs Franklin replied, ”I’ll knock your ……. nose off; and if ever you take my husband, I’ll tear you from limb to limb.” PC Irwin stated that Mrs Franklin continued to use this kind of language for some time and then attempted to strike the witness, but another man prevented her.
Mrs Franklin was drunk and her husband then came up to find out what was going on and “whether anybody wanted to fight?” Mr Franklin was also drunk. He tried to pull off his coat, but was prevented by another man. Mr Franklin then said “I’ll knock that ….. policeman’s head off:” After saying this, he went and sat down, whilst still holloaing (sic) and shouting. A witness claimed to have heard him half-a-mile off. The other defendant, Edmund Smith, was also drunk and making a noise, but left before the Franklins.
When served with his Summons, Edmund Smith said “he was very sorry for what he had done and he had been very quiet ever since”. When the Franklins were served with their Summons, they said they were “very much obliged”.
Mrs Franklin gave a long oration in defence and alleged that the case was brought out of spite.
Henry Hills, a stonemason, was the Franklins’ first witness, who stated that the defendant, William Franklin, was not drunk up to half-past nine and conducted himself as a man ought to. He heard the Constable accuse him of stealing a rabbit, and he also heard some high words between the Constable and Mrs Franklin, but there was no foul language used on either side. It was also claimed that it would have been impossible to hear shouting half-a-mile off.
John Morgan, a bricklayer of Leigh, stated that he was with the Franklins from eleven o’clock until they went home, and they were then perfectly sober and George Reeves gave evidence to the same effect and said that there was no shouting only “jollification”.
William Franklin in his defence said he was only enjoying himself on the night in question with the bricklayers, carpenters and other workers at Hall Place and in the course of the evening the foreman danced a polka with his wife up the street. Martha Franklin said that she had only a little pleasant sport: and denied that she was drunk or that she wished to be.
In the end, as the charge had been for being both drunk and riotous, the Bench dismissed the case against all three defendants, although Edmund Smith had pleaded guilty. If they had been charged with just drunkenness, the magistrates would have probably convicted them.
Although the case was eventually dismissed, with drunkenness, threats of violence and bad language having possibly taken place. perhaps Samuel Morley and his Minister, Mr Maxted, had a point about the injurious effects of the Leigh Fair.
Joyce Field (Leigh Parish Magazine Article Sept 2026)