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On This Day in Wembury – 1 January 1887

At Exeter Assizes, William Holberton stood trial for night poaching and assault at Wembury, following an incident in Park Wood, a game preserve belonging to Mr. Cory. He was accused of accompanying Alfred Bateman, who carried a gun, and of striking two gamekeepers who attempted to arrest them.

Keeper Anthony Hammett testified that he and his colleague Edward Hendy heard shots and encountered the two men. Bateman was armed with a double-barrelled gun, while Holberton carried a heavy stick. In the ensuing struggle, Holberton allegedly struck Hendy on the arm and Hammett across the head, felling him and causing injuries that required medical attention.

The defence argued that the keepers had attacked first, striking Holberton over the head, and that his actions were only in retaliation. Evidence showed he did have cuts and bruises himself.

The judge instructed the jury to consider whether Holberton’s blows were provoked or whether he had initiated the assault. After deliberation, the jury found him not guilty, and he was discharged. Bateman, who had admitted poaching with a firearm, was dealt with separately by magistrates.

Although the jury acquitted, the case reflects the bitter tensions of Victorian rural life: gamekeepers enforcing the rights of big landowners, and working men facing harsh penalties for seeking food or sport where they were not permitted.

Source: Express and Echo, 31 Jan 1887.