Archived Extracts

  The wedding took place at Huthwaite Parish Church on Saturday of last week of Miss Norah England, youngest daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. J.W. England, formerly of Regent Street, Sutton, and Mr. Leonard T. Edlington, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Edlington, Grimsby. The Rev. W.L. Boulton performed the ceremony.
  The bride was given away by Mr. C. Dove (friend of bride's parents). Two bridesmaids were Miss Elsie Dove (friend of bride), Miss Audrey Edlington (sister of groom), Miss Norah Rowland and Miss Marion Whelton (nieces of bride). ... Mr. H.W. Edlington (brother of groom) was the best man. On leaving the Church the bride was presented with a horse shoe by Miss N. Rowland.
  A reception was held at the home of the bride's sister, and later the happy couple left for their honeymoon at Scarborough. Many valuable gifts were received from relatives and friends, including an oak bedroom suite from the bridegroom's parents. The bride's gift to the bridegroom was a pair of gloves, and the bridegroom's gift to the bride was a white crystal necklace. The bridegroom presented each of the maids with a blue crystal necklace.

THE appalling conditions under which a man, his wife and two children lived were described at the Mansfield Petty Sessions yesterday (Mr. A.H. Bonser in the chair), when Elijah Bacon and Georgina Bacon, both of 6, New Fall Street, Huthwaite, were charged with unlawfully and wilfully neglecting their children, Jessie and Leonard Bacon, aged 12 and 8 years respectively, in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to their health.

  Mr. W. Gamble prosecuted on behalf of the N.S.P.C.C., and said the case had been under the notice of the Society on an off since 1925, except in 1928, when conditions were very much improved. Since the beginning of this year the condition of things had become so bad that the Society had no alternative but to prosecute. During the time the case had been under the supervision of the Society repeated warnings had ben given to defendants, both verbally and in writing, and promises had been made to improve things. The offences consisted of insufficient food and clothing, the bodies of the children were verminous, and their heads covered in lice, and complaints had been received from the schools they attended and from the police. When the children were inspected they were found in a shocking condition, and not fit to sit with other children.
"The house was in an appalling condition," added Mr. Gamble. "The rooms stunk, and the bed clothing was covered with livestock. There were two beds, on one of which there was only a dirty mattress, and the other, in which the whole family slept, was covered with a thin dirty blanket and two dirty old coats, and was in a particularly filthy condition."

  The children were constantly allowed to be out at night as late as 11 and 12 o'clock, observed Mr. Gamble, the house being locked up and the children unable to get in to go to bed. On several occasions the children had obtained food from neighbours. The children were appallingly under-nourished and ill-clad, and there was no reason whatever for it as the father received 27s. 6d. per week unemployment benefit and 11s. 6d. pension. The children were in such a bad condition on September 2nd that they had to be taken to the County Institution, where the child Jessie was found to be in a very poor condition.
  Inspector Banyard said when he visited defendants house on the date in question he found the living room in a filthy state, and on the top of the table were cooking and eating utensils which looked as though these had not been washed for days. The bedroom reeked with a filthy smell and the bed in which the family slept was infested with fleas, whilst the room was alive with flies. Witness went to Blackwell Road Schools and saw the child Jessie, who was scantily clad, very poorly nourished and her head alive with lice. Subsequently witness saw the boy Leonard at the Common Road Schools. He was wearing a dirty jersey which was in tatters and his shirt underneath was in rages. The boy was in a poor condition, but was fairly well nourished.

  Witness added that after making further inquiries, he waited for the girl coming home from school. She had to obtain the key and let herself in, and all there was to eat in the house was half a loaf of bread and a tiny piece of lard, not sufficient to cover one slice of bread. Witness said he had pleaded with the defendants many times to improve things and the promised to do so.
  When told about the insufficient bed-clothes, Mrs. Bacon made the excuse that she had some blankets in the wash at her sister's. She made the same excuse when witness's predecessor visited her in 1925. Last June, when witness visited defendants premises, he found the eating and cooking utensils in the same filthy condition, as he had done on each of the several other occasions he had visited the place.
  Mrs. Maud Goddard, of 8, New Fall Street, Huthwaite, said she had known defendants for some time and had often given the children food. The children were out at all hours, and witness had left them at 10.45 p.m. to go to bed. She had known the children to be out at 12 midnight at week-ends. Witness said Mrs. Bacon came to her on the Friday of Inspector Banyard's visit and asked her if she had any blankets or money to lend her.
  Mrs. Bacon: It's false; it's her who asked me that. (Laughter).
  Another neighbour, Mrs. Annie Hughes, of 4, New Fall Street, said she had lived next door to defendants every since they came to the house, and had given food to the children on three occasions. She had seen the children out at night between 11 and 12 o'clock.

  Mrs. Sarah Ann Clarke, who keeps a chip shop at the corner of New Fall Street, said defendants' children were always round the door begging and were often there when she closed the shop at 10 o'clock.
  P.c. Reddish said between 8.50 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. on May 23rd last he saw defendants' children hanging about in New Fall Street. It was raining hard at the time and they had neither hats nor coats on and could not get into the house. At 10.30 p.m. on August 7th, witness again saw the children out. There were no other children about at the time and defendants' house was in total darkness.
  D. Anderson, of Huthwaite, gave evidence of examining the two children on September 2nd and finding the head of the girl absolutely covered with lice. She was rather poorly clad and badly nourished. The boy was fairly well nourished, but his body was covered with flea bites. On going to the bedroom and lifting up the dirty covering of the bed in which all the family slept, he could see fleas jumping about. There was no food in the pantry except a bit of bread and lard.
  Asked by the Magistrates' Clerk if he had anything to say to male defendant said it was a pity they (meaning the witnesses) had nothing else to do.
  Mrs. Bacon: Inspector Banyard wants to look at some other children; I have seen some having a bath and you could not stick a pin in them for flea bites. You can stick a pin in mine.
  After a retirement by the Bench, the Chairman said both defendants ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for allowing such filthy conditions as they had the means to live decently. They were a disgrace to society, and would both have to go to gaol for six months.
  The Bench made an order for the children to remain in the County Institution for the time being.