1963 – February – Kenilworth Magistrates Court

Could Not Stop Herself

Petrol Theft Cost Him £10 and his Job

More Drunken Drivers Than Ever

Muddy Footprints Gave the Game Away

Took Money Back That He Had Put in the Slot

Toboganner’s Cars Caused an Obstruction

Airmen In Red Lamp Prank

1963 – March – Kenilworth Magistrates Court

Rafman Did Not Halt

21 year-old Reginald Cavell Bailey of R.A.F. Wellesbourne was before the court following a collision on the Abbey Hotel crossroads. It was stated that he did not stop at the halt-sign on December 8th and went straight into a Midland Red bus. In a statement, Bailey, who pleaded quilty, said he was not familiar with the roads in Kenilworth. Luckily, nobody in the bus was injured.

His licence was endorsed and was fined £10 for driving without due care and attention.

Fled from the Scene but Nabbed near Pub

Coventry motorist Peter Franklyn did not stop after clouting another car whilst recklessly overtaking at Crackley. But he eventually pulled up a bit further along the route, outside of a pub in New Street. He was still sitting in his car when the driver of the clobbered car caught up with him. Recognising Franklyn’s car, he stopped and then saw the occupant getting out of the car but as he did, he just flopped onto the ground.

He was charged with driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs, dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident. The bench showed little sympathy and he was banned from driving for two years and fined a whopping £50. He was also ordered to pay a doctor’s fee of 3 guineas.

Inspector Albert Cox said that on examination by a doctor, it was estimated that Franklyn had consumed the equivalent of at least seven pints of beer. At court, Franklyn said that he had been ‘terribly distressed’ about his domestic troubles and has also been out of work. (but had enough money for booze, apparently)

Band’s Tom-Tom Had Gone

No matter what happens the show must go on, a term often used by entertainers. It must have been in the minds of the members of a band whose ‘tom-tom’ drum had disappeared just before they were due to play at a dance at the Abbey Hotel.

“It was only done as a prank and we were going to return it but we didn’t have the guts to take it back” said 18 year-old Nigel Hook of Ashfield Road. He was jointly charged with John Banham of Fernhill Farm with stealing the drum, valued at £12. They both pleaded guilty and were fined £3 each. (boom, boom)

Court Landed Up in Court

Brian Richard Court, a 19 year-old Kenilworth garage forecourt attendant who said, “A little but often” at court, was put on probation for two years. The defendant, of Beauchamp Road, pleaded quilty to embezzling 7s-6d from his employers, Bridge Service Station and falsification of accounts.

Inspector Albert Cox said that instead of registering the money paid to him by customers for paraffin he just kept it. He asked for several other similar offences to be taken into consideration. When questioned by the police, Court admitted ‘pocketing’ money given to him by customers, especially when he had ‘run short’. It was stated he was of previous good character. (Well, that’s alright then)

Car was Casulty of ‘Car Clinic’ Van

On the evening of February 10th, a Saturday, Mr. Albert Lucas of High Strret went out for the night with some friends. When he returned at about 1am he parked his car outside his house and went inside with his companions.

Shortly afterwards he heard an ‘almighty bang’. When he ran outside he saw that a van with ‘Car Clinic’ on the side had hit his vehicle and it hadn’t stopped and was continuing along High Street towards Coventry.

Police traced the van and the man, Bernard Overton to an address in Green Lane, Finham. He was subsequently charged on three counts; driving without due care and attention, failing to stop and not reporting an accident.

Overton who, it was stated, “Was not paying proper attention to his driving”, was fined a total of £25 and had his licenced endorsed.

The so-called ‘Car Clinic’ will not be top of Mr Lucas’s list for the repairs to his vehicle.

1963 – April – Kenilworth Magistrates Court

A Bag Full of Bottles

The Invisible Park Road Halt-Sign?

No Show at Court

Neglected Kids Often Begged for ‘Crusts’

A Fowl Business in Dalehouse Lane

2015 – 7th May – Warwick District Council Elections – Kenilworth

Abbey (3 seats)

Registered Voters 6331

Ballot Papers Issued 4601 (32 spoilt papers)

Votes Cast 12,278 (72.7% Turnout)

Park Hill (3 seats)

Registered Voters 6726

Ballot Papers Issued 4994 (63 spoilt papers)

Votes Cast 13,486 (74.2% turnout)

St. John’s (3 seats)

*denotes retiring councillors

Registered Voters 6885

Ballot Papers Issued 5006 (64 spoilt papers)

Votes Cast 13,758 (72.7% turnout)

FULL HOUSE FOR CONSERVATIVES

District Results: (46 seats) 31 Tories, 9 Labour, 3 Whitnash Residents Association, 2 Lib-Dems, 1 Green Party. Conservatives have overall control.

Kenilworth District Councillors

9 Conservative Party

(R. Davies, P. Cain, A. Cooke, D. Shilton, F. Bunker, A. Mobbs, M. Coker, R. Hill, G. Illingworth)

A Midsummer Murder – Caleb Carter – 1903

Body In The Brook

On Monday the 29th June 1903, the gamekeeper of Chase Woods and Boer war veteran, Caleb Carter, had disappeared, and hadn’t been seen for two days. Concerns were growing for his wellbeing but what un-folded over the next few days and weeks, sent shockwaves throughout town, and one of the longest Kenilworth murder mysteries had only just begun.

Caleb Carter lived in a cottage along Chase Lane, and was last seen alive on the evening of Saturday the 27th by his younger brother Alfred, who had come over from Birmingham to spend the afternoon with him. They eventually parted company just before 8.30, as it would be getting dark soon and Alfred needed to be on his way home.

At about the same time, Caleb’s 17-year-old fiancé Mabel Hancox and her mother Ellen, had called in at his cottage to drop-off some caps and socks which they had bought for him in Kenilworth. With him not being there, they thought nothing strange about that, expecting him to be out on the land somewhere with his brother or even waiting for them at their home, Warriors Lodge Farm, which was only about a quarter-of-a-mile from the cottage.

But as the evening wore-on, the Hancox family, and especially Mabel, had become increasing worried by his absence. They stayed-up late into the evening in the hope that he would eventually turn-up, but he never did.

Caleb’s Early Life

Caleb was born into the farming community of Gospel Oak, Snitterfield, on the outskirts of Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1875, to parents Alfred and Eliza. But when he was around four years-old, tragedy struck the family when his mother sadly passed away. But his father soon re-married, and so for most of his young life Caleb was brought up by his step-mother, Ellen. He had three other siblings, two sisters, Lily and Agnes and brother, Alfred. By his mid-teens, just like his father, he was working on the land. In the 1891 census, he was recorded as a ploughboy.

Caleb’s Arrival in Kenilworth

Rowington Hall, the residence of James Booth,
Caleb Carter’s employer

Where is Caleb?

Caleb Carter was murdered within quarter-of-a-mile of Honiley Church

Search Begins

Caleb’s Death Goes ‘Viral’

Inquest, Warriors Lodge Farm, Chase Lane, 30th June

Possible area where Caleb was last seen alive (1903 OS map)
‘Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland’ Licence CC-BY (NLS) https://maps.nls.uk/index.html

The Coroner

Evidence of Brother

Evidence of Ellen Hancox

Sovereigns and Gold Watch Found on Body

The shallow brook where Caleb Carter was found dead

Medical Evidence

Reward Offered by Police

Adjourned Inquest,Council House,Upper Rosemary Hill,10th July

The Former Council House, Upper Rosemary Hill. (Now apartments)

Brother Cross-Examined

Ellen Hancock Recalled

Miss Hancox’s Evidence

Police Inquires

Edge of the former Featherstons Grove Wood, looking across Long Meadow (2022)
Warwick Division helped with the Investigation. Inspector Parkinson and Superintendent Ravenhall are seated next to each other in the centre of the front row.
Courtesy of the Warwickshire County Records Office Ref. 165/5 Img 10298

Medical Evidence

New Witness Testimony

Possible dry pit on the edge of Chase woods referred to at the Inquest (1903 map)
‘Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland’ Licence CC-BY (NLS) https://maps.nls.uk/index.html
The field adjacent to Chase Woods, once known as Long Meadow (spring 2022)

Pearson’s Testimony

(1903 OS map)
‘Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland’ Licence CC-BY (NLS) https://maps.nls.uk/index.html

Unavailable Witness

The Verdict

Caleb’s Final Resting Place

Caleb Carter’s final resting place. St. Michael’s Church, Wilmcote near Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Hancox Family Move On – But More Tragedy

  1. According to the 1875 England & Wales Birth Index, Caleb was born in the 3rdQ (Jul-Aug-Sept). So he may have been 27 years-old at the time of his death. However, his death certificate records his age as 28, and his brother also gave his age as 28 at the inquest. ↩︎
  2. Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth & District Circular 2nd July 1903. ↩︎
  3. Birmingham Daily Gazette July 2nd 1903. ↩︎
  4. Marjorie Morby death certificate ↩︎
  5. Mabel Morby death certificate ↩︎
  6. England and Wales – National Probate Calender (Wills and Administrations) 1858-1995 ↩︎

2019 – 2nd May – Kenilworth Town Council – Election

Abbey Ward (2 seats)

St. John’s Ward (4 seats)

Park Hill Ward (4 seats)

Dalehouse Ward (4 seats)

Borrowell Ward (3 seats)

ARRIVAL OF THE GREENS – TORIES ROUTED

Kenilworth Town Councillors (17 members)

8 Green Party (P. Jones, A. Firth, T. Drew, A. Kennedy, A. Dearing, J. Dearing, P. Austin, P. Barry)

7 Liberal Democrats (K. Dickson, R. Dickson, G. Hyde, S. Cooke, A. Chalmers, J. Worrall, A. Milton)

2 Conservative Party (J. Cooke, M. Coker)

Mayors

(photo courtesy of the Kenilworth History & Archaeology Society)

1963 – May – Kenilworth Magistrates Court

Wild Driving After Bust-Up with Brother

“I wasn’t paying much attention to my driving because I had just had a row with my brother” said Peter Connelly of Leamington, who was fined a heavy £25 and had his licenced endorsed by the court for dangerous driving.

It was stated that Connelly, who pleaded not guilty, was being followed by a police car when travelling along the Leamington Road towards Kenilworth on March 17th.

When he stopped at traffic lights in Leamington, he stalled the engine. By the time he had re-started the engine the lights had changed to red again but he still pulled away. With the blue lights one, the policemen gave chase, and then saw Connelly approaching a temporary set of traffic lights at Chesford bridge. Instead of waiting, he overtook a stationary car at the lights and proceeded across the bridge swerving all over the place and then turned sharp left. The police eventually caught up with him in the car park at the nearby Chesford Grange Hotel, where they felt his collar.

Dates Were Different

A Kenilworth woman motorist was fined a total of £8 for driving a car when a test certificate was not in force and for not having an excise licence. She is Anne McLellan of ‘Kingcroft’ in Red Lane, who pleaded quilty to the charges.

When McLellan was using her car in The Square on March 20th, P. C. Dick pointed out the offences to her. She replied; “I think my husband has the licence, but must have forgot to put it on the car”. (Yeah, right)

When she later produced the licence and test certificate at Kenilworth Police Station, there was a problem. Both documents were dated after the offences had occurred. (Oh dear….. Mrs McClellan)

Friendly Towards Gypsies

A Kenilworth man who rented his caravan in Rouncil Lane to gypsies because, he said; “I feel we should help these people” was fined £5 at court for using land as a caravan site without a licence to do so. Before the bench was Norman Fox of Warwick Road, who pleaded guilty to the offence.

He was also charged with being £51 in arrears with his rates, which he was ordered to re-pay at £2-a-week. Exchanges between Kenilworth Council and Fox about the licence had been going on for some time. “The situation has become a complete farce and holds the local authority to ridicule” said Mr. C. Riley, Clerk of the Council.

Regarding the gypsies, Fox told the magistrates; “I feel we should help these people, they are pushed from one place to another and they get frightened. I have always had the idea that the Council are biased against these caravans”.

‘Harsh Penalty’ Slashed

An appeal was up-held at the recent Warwickshire Quarter Sessions bought by motorcyclist, 19 year-old Terry Vallance of Moseley Road. His solicitor stated that the 5 year driving ban imposed upon him by Kenilworth Magistrates a few months ago was an ‘un-duly harsh penalty’. The chairman of the quarter sessions, allowing the appeal, stating evidence had since come forward which had not previouly been presented at the Magistrates court hearing. Accordingly, he reduced his ban to just one year from the date of the appeal.

The evidence being that the brake pedal had sheered off his machine early on in the chain of events, so he could not stop. Vallance had pulled out and overtook a sports car which was in turn overtaking an un-lit parked car. He lost control and his machine mounted the offiside pavement, shot back across the road, took-out a hedge and then demolished a bollard. The accident happened near the Warwick-Leamington road juction at the bottom of Warwick Road.

His solicitor, Mr. Cox, stated he had been put into a sudden emergency when the sports car pulled out, he then careered over 200 yards along the road until he finally came to a halt. Vallance could not recall the accident because of injuries to his head, pelvis and ankle, he indicated that he did not want to ride motorcycles again but did seek to drive a car. (That’s wise)

Juvenile Girl Caught ‘On the Pop’

Her part-time job at a local cafe evidently caused a 14 year-old Kenilworth girl to work up a raging thirst. The place to quench her thirst came in the cellar of the premises and she took full advantage. At the juvenile court, she was charged with stealing eight bottles of ‘Baby Cham’ and 18 bottles of mineral water.

Inspector Albert Cox said the offences came to light when the cafe proprieter spotted bottle tops on the cellar floor. He knew no one had authority to open the bottles in the cellar. Suspecting something was untoward, he informed the police.

When the girl was questioned, she admitted it saying; “Yes sir, it was me, I took two bottles yesterday and three today. In all, I suppose I have taken twenty bottles”. The girl was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay 30 shillings in court costs.

She does not work at the cafe anymore.

Sheep Worrier Was Soon a Dead Dog

Retribution descended rapidly on a black labrador which worried livestock. Within a few hours of its offence being discovered it had been destroyed, said Peter Roseby of Brooklyn Caravan Site in Leek Wootton.

At court, Roseby, the dog owner, was fined 10 shillings for not keeping his dog under control. The bench heard that sheep and lambs had been huddled into the corner of a field on the farm of Arthur Silk, which adjoined the caravan site. He noticed a black labrador amongst the flock and it was worrying them. He fired his shotgun into the air and the dog ran off. When he inspected his sheep he found that a two-week old lamb had been severely injured and a number of sheep had been damaged.

Unpleasant Pheasant Death

Feathers plucked from a poor old pheasant were literally on the bench at the latest juvenile court hearing. The bird had been shot by a ‘party’ of three boys from Coventry on April 15th.

But the trio had made a trio of mistakes. Firstly, they killed the bird out of the pheasant shooting season which from 1st October to 1st February. Secondly, they did not have a game licence and finally they were trespassing on the land on which they ‘bagged’ the bird. The three boys all pleaded quilty to the offences. Prosecuting, Inspector Albert Cox stated that they shot the bird and a squirrel on the 200 acre, Hurst Farm at Stoneleigh.

Mr George Powers, the tenant of the farm, saw the boys walking across a field carrying a dead hen pheasant and a squirrel. He went over to them and asked what they were doing, the boys said nothing. Mr Powers then carted them off to Kenilworth Police Station where they revealed the whole sorry story. After the feathers had been plucked so that they could be presented as evidence, the bird was given to Mr Powers.

Mrs L. Smalley, presiding, warned the boys of the gravity of the offences, saying they could well have been fined up to £20 each for killing game. But they were ordered to only pay £4 each.

‘On the Tick’ Trouble for Fake Name Woman

A 24 year-old housewife, Ann Croal, a resident of No. 1 flat, at “The Woodlands” in Birches Lane, appeared before the court on charges of obtaining money by credit fraud. The defendant also told the bench that she had been feeling lonely.

Inspector Albert Cox, said that Croal went to Morley’s Dairy shop in Warwick Road and asked for goods on credit. After it was explained to her that it was highly irregular, the proprietor gave her goods to the value of £2-11s-3d. Croal said her name was ‘Mrs Bull’ and also gave a false address.

On April 11th, she obtained 19 shillings worth of goods on credit from St. John’s Stores, also in Warwick Road, saying; “I’ll pay you tomorrow”. She gave the same name and another false address, 76, Birches Lane.

As a result of complaints, police made investigations and Detective-Sergeant J. H. Smart discovered that 76, Birches Lane was an empty bungalow. However, after further inquires, Croal was traced. At first she said; “No it was not me. I think you have made a mistake”. But she later admitted it, saying; “It was me, I had no money and I had to do something to get food”. Mrs Croal and her family, it was stated, had only lived in Kenilworth since March and didn’t have any friends here.

Mrs L. Smalley, presiding, said, “In Kenilworth there is no need to be lonely, there are plenty of clubs and women’s organisations”. She was put on probation for two years.

2019 – 2nd May – Warwick District Council Elections – Kenilworth

Abbey & Arden (3 seats)

Registered Voters 7,515

Ballot Papers Issued 2,856 (50 spoilt papers)

Votes Cast 7,819 (38% turnout)

Park Hill (3 seats)

Registered Voters 7,864

Ballot Papers Issued 3,293 (51 spoilt papers)

Votes Cast 9,361 (41.9% turnout)

St. Johns (3 seats)

CandidatePartyVotesShare %
Richard Guy DicksonLiberal Democrats229923.09%
Katherine Sara DicksonLiberal Democrats229223.02%
Andrew William MiltonLiberal Democrats206120.70%
*Richard Ivor Graham DaviesConservative Party112511.30%
Marilyn Joyce BatesConservative Party110011.05%
*Patrica May CainConservative Party107810.83%
*denotes retiring councillors

Registered Voters 7,748

Ballot Papers Issued 3,512 (70 spoilt papers)

Votes Cast 9,955 (45.3% turnout)

THREE WARDS – THREE PARTIES

Kenilworth District Councillors

3 Liberal Democrats (R. Dickson, K. Dickson, A. Milton)

3 Green Party (A. Dearing, J. Dearing, A. Kennedy)

3 Conservative Party (J. Cooke, R. Hales, G. Illingworth)

1963 – June – Kenilworth Magistrates Court

Cannot Drive Until he is 92

For the next decade, 82 year-old David Deacon of Birches Lane will have to forego one of his main interests in his long life, driving. He was banned for that period by the court and in addition to his disqualification, the defendant was fined a total of £14 and had his licence endorsed.

Twelve months ago, Coventry Magistrates ordered him to pack-up motoring until he had passed a driving test. Because of that ruling, Mr Deacon continued his driving but only around his own driveway. But on May 15th his round-the-house enjoyment was threatened when the car was running low of petrol. Temptation to obtain a refill proved stronger than discretion and on to the road he went. On the way to the garage, only a mile away, he had a number of near misses. This resulted in him being charged with four offences. He pleaded quilty to driving in a manner dangerous to the public, driving a car unaccompanied by a competent driver, when the holder of only a provisional licence, not displaying L-plates and driving when disqualified.

Mr Deacon was not in court. He was represented by Mr David Sergeantson, who said; “This is not a case of a man driving dangerously along the road, in Coventry last year, Mr Deacon was disqualified until he took another test and that detered him”. Inspector Albert Cox said that as far as the police are concerned, the proceedings at court were not brought to impose a heavy fine but to determine whether or not Mr Deacon should continue to drive.

When Mr Deacon left home on May 15th to buy petrol, he travelled along Birches Lane at about 10 to 15 m.p.h, swerving from side to side. He was followed by two cars, the drivers of which were afraid to overtake him because of Deacon’s erratic ‘driving’. A little girl on a bike near to Thickthorn Close had to jump clear as Deacon’s car bore down on her. The car stalled in Moseley Road causing following vehicles to brake and stop. One of them tried to get round him but Deacon had, by then, re-started the car and started to moved off. This almost caused a collision.

The accused, the Inspector said, continued along Moseley Road intending to turn left into Thornby Avenue. As he approached the junction, a motor cycle was coming the other way. The passenger on the machine recognised Mr Deacon and warned the driver who slowed down to avoid a collision. Mr Sergeantson said that Mr Deacon first had a motor cycle in 1911 and had been driving cars for 40 years. Of the offences, he said that Mr Deacon was; “An old man, out on the road, who was not really aware of what he was doing”.

It was explained that for the dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified charges, a prison sentence could have been imposed. But, Mr. W. Maddocks, presiding, said; “We have decided not to send him to prison at his age but to disqualify him from driving for ten years, the fines are only nominal“.