Appearances at the City Police Court

In the Dunfermline Journal and Advertiser for West Fife 100 years ago this weekend (to be specific the Saturday August 7 1915 issue):

City Police Court

[The City Police Court was based in the Guildhall building on Dunfermline's High Street where Wetherspoons is now]

Monday

(Before Baillie Norval)

[Norval Place in Rosyth is named after Baillie Norval.  Baillie/Police Judge James Norval was on the committee for naming streets in Rosyth and later became Provost of Dunfermline]

Of the 15 persons who were in the hands of the City Police at the weekend only 4 appeared.

Drunks

Agnes Brown outdoor worker of no fixed address admitted having been found helplessly drunk in Bruce Street on Saturday.  She said she had a son a private and had got very bad news of him. She was fined 2s 5d with the option of 5 days imprisonment.

Alexander Dunbar a labourer who had been found in like condition in Queen Anne Street on Saturday evening was similarly punished, the magistrate remarking that at a time like the present young fellows should not take drink until helpless.

 Peace breakers

Rodger Docherty and John Burnett labourers admitted having made a disturbance in Dunfermline Model Lodging House on Saturday night.  They said they had no recollection of the occurrence.  They were each fined 15s with the option of 7 days imprisonment.

[For those who are know Dunfermline, the building which was Dunfermline Model Lodging House still stands - it's the building on the corner of Chapel Street, Carnegie Drive and Bruce Street which has a hairdresser, take-away and tattoo parlour on the ground floor.  It was built in 1900 as a model lodging house, taken over by the YMCA who ran it as a hostel for servicemen until it was converted into shops in 1958]

Tuesday

(Before Baillie Norval)

Kirkgate Drunk

Annie Smith vagrant was fined 15s with the option of going to prison for 10 days for being drunk on 2nd inst in Kirkgate.

Neighbours Quarrel - Conflicting Evidence

Jane Cowan or Grant wife of John Grant labourer, 4 Orchardhead Hut, Rosyth and Eliza Fernie or Hannah, 34 Mortimer Street, Dundee denied a charge of having assaulted Mrs Mary Baxter of French wife of Albert French No 3 Orchardhead Hut by striking her with their fists and causing a disturbance.  Accused was defended by Mr Peter McLeod  Evidence was led to the effect that the women who were neighbours quarrelled concerning the ownership of several articles. Mrs Grant gripped Mrs French and they had to be separated.  Mrs Hannah was a stranger on holiday.  Baillie Norval said it was evidently a squabble between neighbours regarding a clock and a fender.  In view of the conflicting nature of the evidence he found the charge not proven.

James McGuire admitted being drunk on 4th inst in Bruce Street and was admonished.


Tune in next week to see what happened in Dunfermline next week 100 years ago ..........

Blog written by Jacqueline Hunter of Ancestral Research by Jacqueline, Dunfermline, Scotland. Please email me at jacquelinehunter895@gmail.com if I can help you with your family history research.