Law Makers
And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lin’d,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part
The medieval
Farndales were law breakers, not law makers. There are a surprisingly large body
of tales of the ancestral poachers of Pickering Forest, who may have been
amongst those who inspired the stories of Robin Hood. By the eighteenth
century, the family were allies of the Smugglers of East Yorkshire.
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7 – Poachers of
Pickering Forest
Tales of a surprisingly large number of our
forebears who were poachers in Pickering Forest. Their archery skills would
foretell the legends of Robin Hood and the English army at Agincourt |
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The
legend of Robin Hood explored for its Yorkshire roots, and the Farndale
connection with the legends, first as the class of poachers who gave rise to
the inspiration, and later their fifteenth century descendants who lived in
the place where the stories emerged |
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Stories
of smugglers, led by my great x3 grandfather known as the King of the
Smugglers, and the undoubted involvement of our forebears |
Joseph
Farndale (1842 to 1901) was a Middlesbrough policeman who became the Chief
Constable of Chesterfield, Leicester and then Birmingham. His nephew, Joseph
Farndale CBE KPM (1864 to 1954) was a Halifax policeman who became Chief
Constable of Margate, York and then Bradford. The younger Joseph’s nephew,
Thomas Henry Farndale, joined the Police Criminal Investigations Department in
1939 and became a wartime detective.
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1864 to 1954
The Chief
Constable of Bradford who pioneered the use of fingerprints, invented the
police box, and played a key role in Bradford’s evolution at the start of the
twentieth century |
1842 to 1901
The Chief
Victorian Constable of Birmingham who foiled a Jack the Ripper Hoax and
played a key role in uncovering the Ledsam Dynamite Conspiracy |
To contrast with the medieval outlaw poachers of
Pickering Forest, the story of the law makers including two influential Chief
Constables and the real Inspector Foyle
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1899 to 1964 An inspector of
crime during the Second World War The real
Inspector Foyle |
Peter Farndale
regularly helped to clarify the law. For instance on 18 May 1878 a case of
threat and assault came before the court when there was a complaint about the
milk being short, and the female accused had replied to her complainant that
she wanted none of her nonsense. Further altercation ensued and Mrs Oliver
ejected the female from the cow byer. Mr Farndale, the deputy clerk, said the
prisoner could not call witnesses in a case of this nature. The female prisoner
was then discharged, and her husband bound over to keep the peace for two
months, himself in £10, and one surety in £5. In September 1879, a man
named David Porter, living in Bowser Street, was charged with a breach of the
peace. When asked if he had any defence he at once commenced a long speech,
telling the magistrates clerk, Mr Farndale, not to interrupt, and when the
bench seemed impatient adjured them with “don't be so fast, your honours.” In
that same month, the Rev W Stoddart, BA, minister of the Unitarian Church,
Wellington Street, Stockton, appeared before the Borough Magistrates on
Thursday morning in answer to a summons for neglecting to have his child
vaccinated as required by the law. Mr Farndale (deputy magistrates’ clerk):
“The child must be vaccinated within the next 14 days, or you will be summoned
again”. On 22 June 1891, an ironworker alleged a double marriage on the
part of his wife and Mr Farndale the clerk, said there was only a statement
but no actual proof as to bigamy, and accordingly the bench ordered defendants
to pay 7s to complainant. A special meeting of the Stockton police court
was held on 22 March 1892 to investigate charges of shop breaking against
several young fellows who supposed recent escapades have created quite a
sensation of alarm in the town. Evidence was given that when he came into the
police station the accused said “I don't know anything about these tools.”
Elsey: “Might I say a few words gentlemen? I believe he has been in the habit
of reading “the Boys of London” and the “Detective” week by week. You might be
as lenient as you can on account of my wife.” Mr Farndale, the assistant clerk:
“you had better not say anything”. Anderson, in reply to Mr Farndale’s query as
to whether he wished to ask any questions, said: “He, witness, says we took a
box of chocolate, but we never took any”.
William Masterman
Farndale was an Officer of Her Majesty’s Customs and a tide waiter.
Martin
Farndale had regular battles with nineteenth century poachers who were
pursued in court.