Posted by Brian Lilley I reproduced this one here because it shows that Matthew Lilley (more commonly called Mathias) was in trouble with the law at least five years before he was hanged for so called 'attempted murder' in 1829. Once again he was involved in a scuffle with a Game Keeper for would you believe 'Knocking the Game Keepers hat off his head' FILE - 1824 [no ref. or date]
on 1/5/2002, 11:24 am
I found this great archive site that has an awful lot of hitorical gems about court happenings in early England. You just go to the site
http://www.a2a.pro.gov.uk/
type in the surname you are interested in
and bingo you get things like this -
Anyway read all about it for yourself -
Quarter Sessions Rolls
item: [no title] - ref. QSR/26/1824/276 [n.d.]
_ [from Scope and Content] Recognizances: Hannah Byng, Jas. Phillips, Jn. Hopkins Warden, Sam. Negus; give evidence against Oliver Leech, junr., and Matthew Lilley, Kempston, labrs; for assault on Wm. Coles.
item: [no title] - ref. QSR/26/1824/399 [n.d.]
_ [from Scope and Content] Examinations and depositions: Information of Wm. Coles, gamekeeper to Col. Kay, Bletsoe. Followed a man, whom he had seen acting suspiciously, into Pippin Wood. When stopped the man, Oliver Leech, junr., of Kempston, struck him in the face several times with part of the barrel of a gun and after scuffling for some time Leech called out "Lilley" and another man came up and knocked his hat off. Coles then ran off to a farmer who was a short distance away and who returned with him to help him look for his hat. Information of Hannah Byng, Bletsoe. She was in Pippin Wood picking up sticks when a man came up to her and asked what she was doing. He ordered her out "as the wood was full of Gentlemen, & nobody was to be there". Information of Jas. Phillips. Mr. Coles beckoned him and told him how he had been assaulted. They then went to look for the hat but could not find it. The next day he went with "a kinsman" to look for the hat but still could not find it. It was eventually found the following week in a white thorn bush, cut in several places.
item: [no title] - ref. QSR/26/1824/688 [n.d.]
_ [from Scope and Content] Indictments and presentments: Oliver Leach, junr., Bletsoe, labr. & Matthew Lilley, same, labr; theft of hat belonging to Wm. Coles.
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