BARWICK HISTORIC COURT CASES
POTATO STEALING
Back to the Main Historical Society page
Back to the Barwicker Contents page
BARWICK HISTORIC COURT CASES
POTATO STEALING
Barwicker No.106
June 2012
On Tuesday 16th May 1905 at the Leeds West Riding Petty Court,
George Willows, a labourer, of Barwick was charged with stealing 21 lbs of potatoes, the property of Herbert Tankard, a farmer also of
Barwick.
Evidence given by Herbert said he noticed that the cover on one of his
potato pies (pile of harvested potatoes) at the side of a field on Barwick
Road had been disturbed and potatoes removed. He reported this to
the police and advised them 112 a ton of potatoes had been removed.
Local Police Constable Beattie advised that as a result of the complaint
received he kept watch on the pie during the 11th May 1905. He saw
the defendant coming down the road with a sack, he entered the field,
put some potatoes in the sack and then went back towards Barwick.
He followed and saw him put the potatoes behind a berry bush in his
garden. He then looked about and having satisfied himself 'the coast
was clear' he entered the back door of his house.
P.C. Beattie then moved in and charged him with stealing the potatoes,
George initially said he obtained them from a Mr. Homer but then
changed his story and advised he got the tubers from a man he did not
know. The Magistrate found him guilty and committed him to two
months in prison to which George replied 'Thank you, sir!'
Herbert Tankard (Samuel Herbert Tankard) was born in Batley in 1884
but arrived into the village aged about in 6 in 1890 when his father,
Samuel, a woollen traveller, moved into Ivy Dene on Potterton Lane.
He married Barwick born Annie Fawcett in 1904 and brought up a
family whilst living on The Boyle. He was variously described as a
farmer or market gardener and shared a 3.6 acre field, described as a
market garden, on Leeds Road between Scholes and Barwick with Mr.
J. Horner.
I've been unable to find any further information about George Willows
in the village records so suspect he never returned following his two
months incarceration.