January 2nd 1866
While his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was
shooting with Lord Alfred Paget in Lineage wood at Melford, a fox was
disturbed. On Tuesday last the Suffolk Hunt visited the wood and soon
the notice that Reynard had gone away was given, he crossed the railway
cutting to a small plantation, thence through Hoggs Grove then across the
road to Bryants Wood into Rectory Wood, Bulston Hall Grove into Paradise
Wood then across the cutting again to the fox's old quarters in Lineage.
10 minutes before the hounds got there, Reynard was dislodged from
Lineage and ran in the direction of Cockfield where after a good run he
was killed. The brush was handed over to Sir William Hyde Parker, a true
foxhunter and worthy of esteem. We regret to say that Mr William Mann of
Lodge farm broke his arm when his horse fell on him. On Monday, Lord
Paget and party who are staying at the Melford Hall had a partridge
brush and shot the woods again.
March 13th 1866
Friday is fixed as the day of humiliation on account of the cattle plague. Two services were held in Melford parish church and collections were made at the close. Sudbury day of humiliation was on Wednesday.
March 27th 1866
Mr Cox will sell a large quantity of household goods and furniture at Lyston Hall near Sudbury on April 3rd. By orders of the executors of the late Mrs Thornhill.
April 24th 1866
Planton Studd, a dealer from Glemsford was charged with illegally moving cattle under the cattle plague order. James Maxim said " I am a drover and employed by defendant, I took 30 pigs in a van from Sudbury to Mr Orbell's farm at Pentlow, Mr Orbell told me he had not got room for them so I took them to the Bull Inn, Cavendish where I lodged them". The defendant said Maxim had disobeyed orders as he was to wait at Mr Orbell's until his master arranged a place for them. 20s with 16s costs.
May 1st 1866
We are happy to announce that the Melford and Sudbury district is now free from the cattle plague though the legal time has not expired to allow Glemsford to have a clean bill of health. The freemen's cows are now able to graze the North meadows at Sudbury.
May 22nd 1866
As a woman named Maxim was returning from Cavendish to the house of her son who is bailiff to Mr Orbell at Bower Hall, Pentlow, being of 80 years of age and very deaf she was unable to hear the approaching train from Melford to Cambridge at 11-45 a m, the poor woman was passing over the line at the crossing when the buffers of the train struck her and hurled her down, she was conveyed home a distance of © a mile but died shortly after.
May 29th 1866
Samuel Hempstead was charged with assaulting a lad named Brown at Brundon. Brown said he was in the barn at Brundon helping to catch some sheep when defendant told him to pick up some wool, he said he would in a minute as he was doing something else. Defendant hit him three times on the head and flung him down, he was hurt by the fall. Hard labour for 21 days.
June 10th 1866
On Thursday morning last, a poor servant girl named Anna
Osborne aged 15 was walking alone from her parents home in Somerton to
her situation in Melford, she was half way between Cranmore Hill and
Melford windmill when a man without shoes or stockings and she had never
seen before sprang out of the hedge and asked her if she had any
money, she said no, he laid hold of her calling her a b----y varmit, he
felt in her pocket and stole 18d. She returned to Somerton and told her
parents who immediately sent for P.C.Hughes who employed a young man to
drive him and the girl in a horse and cart to
Glemsford, Cavendish, Melford and Sudbury, he was not found.
June 24th 1866.
We are requested to state that the police have investigated the alleged highway robbery at Melford and that in their opinion little reliance can be placed upon them.
June 30th 1866
On the 1st of June, Glemsford, as a passenger station appeared for the first time on the railway timetable.
July 3rd 1866
George Braybrook and Frederick Hubbard were charged with fighting at Cavendish fair. 20s each 6s 6d costs. James Maxim and Henry Wells of Cavendish was charged with attempting to rescue one of the defendants in the previous case. To find sureties for 10L for six months.
August 7th 1866
William Keeble of Wood Hall farm, Sudbury, was charged
with unlawfully ploughing up a footpath across Hall Hill Field.
Defendant did not appear.
November 13th 1866
There was an inquest at the residence of Mr Mumford
at Causton Hall, Little Cornard, on the body of a labouring man named
Isaac Mower aged 33 years who was killed the previous day by a fall of
earth upon him while he was sinking a well on Mr Mumford's premises.
The well had been dug to the depth of aboout 22ft and deceased had come
to a strata of fine sand and he had not used the proper cylinder
provided by his master, saying he did not need it till he reached water.
The sides gave way and 15ft of earth fell on him. The body could not be
got out until Wednesday evening, the men having to work with great care.
Deceased left a widow and five children. Stephen Rice, labourer, said he
was working with deceased pulling up the rope and saw the earth fall on
him, he had warned the deceased to use the cylinder. Accidental death
from suffocation. We are glad to hear collections were made at the Tithe
dinners in Great and Little Cornard.
December 11th 1866
The Duke of Edinburgh visited Melford Hall, the
residence of Lord Paget to shoot over the well stocked preserves. The
Royal party arrived at Melford station at about quarter to seven in the
evening and were conducted along the platform by Mr Row, station master.
The following morning the party shot Spelthorne Wood and bagged 592 head
of game-224 pheasants-6 partridges-99 hares-1 woodcock and 242 rabbits.
On Friday the party shot Lineage Wood and shot 196 pheasants-3 woodcock-
3 partridges-119 hares and 328 rabbits, totalling 649 head.
December 18th 1866
We understand that Lord Paget will leave Melford Hall to live at Bushey Park.
December 18th 1866
It has been decided to purchase a piece of ground situated in Newton road, for the site of the new hospital at Sudbury.