Documents relating to John Hartley

A Nuisance at Northowram.

Hartley, constable at Northowram, charged John Wood, Jno Smith, John Maude, Jonathan Pearson, Joseph Wilkinson, Benjamin Lawton. Simeon Best and William Walker, otherwise known as Podge (who gave his name as William Jagger), with playing at football in Godley Lane Head turnpike road to the annoyance of the passengers.

All appeared except Smith, Pearson and Best, and pleaded guilty.

Hartley said the defendants persisted in playing football near the Stocks Arms, Northowram and took no heed of him. At last, the ball was sent through the shop window of Mrs Appleyard, a grocer.

There were constant complaints about these fellows who stood interrupting people passing by going to church and a spirited horse might have been startled off and injured someone. The constable stated that they were, without any exception in Northowram, the greatest ruffians in the whole of Halifax.

The magistrates often thought they could cure these ruffians, but it was a hopeless task. Those who appeared were fined £1 each and those who did not appear 21s