At the Stevenage Petty sessions on Thursday, four carmen in the employ of the Hertford Brewery were summoned for leaving their horses and carts unattended on the highway at Stevenage, on October 28. The case had previously been before the Court, and was adjourned for the attendance of the defendants, who were : William Parish (60), 2 Ryde Street ; Horace Playle (35), 15 Wellington Street ; William Easter (25), Molewood Road ; and George Hart (16), Green Street.
All defendants except Hart now appeared and Supt Reed informed the Bench that he had joined the Army. P.c. Kirby deposed that at 6.10 p.m. on October 28 he saw three carts and a waggon with horses attached standing unattended outside the Diamond public-house. When he was passing again at 7.35 they were still there, and one had its back to Walkern Road, a dangerous position as it was so dark. All the carts had lights on. He saw the drivers, and they said they had been out several times to see that everything was all right. Asked why they had not attended on the previous occasion, Parish said they could not get there in time. The Chairman: ‘You have got here on time on this occasion?’ ‘Yes, we got up earlier’. This being their first appearance the men were fined 5 shillings each only, and in Hart’s case no penalty was imposed.
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William Easter was my mother’s uncle.
He died in 1928, and any other information on him would be gratefully received.
As well as him, his brother Loftus and his father Thomas, were all Carmen, either with McMullens brewery or with Garrett’s Mill, both Hertford firms.