Crime at the Village Hall

In 1962, a 53 year old lady that we shall refer to as Miss S was sentenced to 21 months in prison at Somerset Quarter Sessions. The charges were fraud, false pretences and forgery and Miss S also asked for 17 other offences to be taken into consideration. It emerged that she had also “done time” previously.

The extraordinary thing that has relevance to this blog is that Miss S was secretary of Montacute Village Hall – as well as being President of the village WI and parish councillor. Even more fascinating is that Miss S didn’t commit these crimes for personal gain – not of a financial nature anyway. It seems to me that she just wanted to be popular.

The Google car couldn't get up to Montacute Village Hall because of another car blocking the road. So here's the sign for it.

Miss S had invented a benefactress. At first, she declared the Lady Bountiful to be anonymous – but then she decided that she could in fact be named as a Miss McBain , who had an estate near Porlock. Using this fictitious lady’s donations, Miss S paid for outings, parties and marquees for flower shows. But of course this money had to come from somewhere. Various offences were set in motion to obtain the cash, including forging Post Office bank forms.

When it all came to light, Miss S absconded to a caravan in Paignton, but she was eventually discovered (or did she give herself up, I wonder…I went to Paignton once…)

Miss S apologized in court to the people of Montacute.

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The Ode to the Village Hall

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This article is copied from The Illustrated Police News, 14 February 1935: Judge Thanked "Thank you very much, sir, I've got off very light." Remarked John Moore, 76, when sentenced by Mr Justice Hawke at Gloucester Assizes to six months imprisonment on charges of breaking into Whitminster Village Hall and stealing articles valued at 4 shillings and 6 pence. There was a term of 344 days remaining of a previous sentence, and Moore was told that he would have to serve that time. P.S. (Police Sergeant) Howkins revealed that since 1904 Moore had been continually in and out of prison. Since that time he had been sentenced seven times to penal servitude, involving in all 23 years. In addition, he was in 1927 sentenced to four years imprisonment and had served further sentences most of them in respect of house breaking. Moore's last sentence was three year's penal servitude. Moore handed in a statement to the judge, beginning "I most respectfully wish t...

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Woods Ware China at the Serving Hatch

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