Harrowers - poaching and court case

[MonicaL]

Hi Steven and Yorklass

The Glasgow Herald is also available here http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=GGgVawPscysC&dat=19560914&b_mode=2  Just insert a year in the 'date' box. Some years are patchy, but it is getting better all the time and goes through to early 1990.

The only problem with seaching this way is that you cannot do a word search and as such, have to know what date you are looking for.

The subscription site that Yorklass mentioned for 19th C newpapers is an easier search as you can search by key word.

Monica 

[Yorkslass]

Hello,

Excellent news Steven - thanks for updating us - did the information confirm whether this Andrew Harrower was "yours"?

The £15 search fee doesn't sound too bad in this day and age!!

The site Monica mentions is really worth looking at if you know the date in 1881 of the court case you mention.

Sometimes the "Gale" website doesn't always come up with search results, especially if the pages are faded or bent slightly....


Yorkslass

[Steven1314]

Thanks Monica I will check it out

Yorkslass - Andrew was not my direct ancestor but his cousin.  In the newspapers it said that the two men Robert & Andrew were cousins and that Robert's mother was Margaret Allan.  I knew Margaret Allan was my Andrew's mother so after finding death, and birth certificates I was able to establish the correct link.

However even better was that the court found that Margaret Allan tried to hit a magistrate with a poker and was tried but found not guilty and hopefully the National Archives will be able to get some information for me.

I paid the £15 today and now its a waiting game to see what they come up with

Thanks

Steven

[Steven1314]

Yorkslass here is the information I got from the National Archives on Margaret Allan (Robert Harrower's mother)

"Interestingly, the same volume of Sheriff Court Records contained an account of a trial in 1881 against Margaret Harrower, Jane Harrower, and Catherine Harrower. Margaret Harrower was the wife of James Harrower, and Jane Harrower was his daughter. Catherine Harrower was the wife of Robert Harrower (presumably the same one as above). They were charged with assaulting a law officer who had attempted to seize household goods. James and Robert Harrower had borrowed money from a local jeweller, Hugh Kelly, and had not repaid it. Mr. Kelly went to the Sheriff Court and a representative was sent to reclaim goods to cover the debt. This representative was allegedly attacked with a poker by one of the women above. They pled not guilty and the charges against them were dropped."

I tried to use the website Monica recommended which looks great but has no search facility - is there anyway you can do a quick search for me using names Margaret Allan and Jane & Catherine Harrower to see if you get a match - even if you got a date I could use Monica's website to search myself

Huge thanks

Steven


 

 

[Yorkslass]

Hello again Steven,

Very interesting family saga!

Unfortunately I couldn't find anything at all about the case.  I searched on all the names, even Hugh Kelly, and would you believe "assault with poker"  (it's amazing how often people used pokers to hit someone with!!)

I'm really surprised that nothing came up - it's the sort of story the newspapers used to love - I can only think the particular newspaper has very faint print and the search is not picking it up...

I did find a few more mentions of the Harrowers though around this time:-

Glasgow Herald, October 17, 1881, page 7, under heading "The Storm" including an Andrew Harrower;

Glasgow Herald, December 15 1881, page 4, under heading Coalsnaughton, about a pit accident.

Glasgow Herald, 20 June, 1876, page 3 heading "Alloa", mentioning Catherine Harrower.

Yorkslass

[Steven1314]

Interesting isn't the half of it!!!!

1901 my great grandfathers 2 brothers died down the pit and were found by my great grandfather and his father

1937 a son of my great grandfather was crushed by a stone down another pit

Thanks so much for your help - will now try to use Monica's link to newspapers to look through them now I have a date

Steven