Henry Brooks, John Staite and James Huxley, labourers of Wickhamford, were charged, on information of the Rev. W. C. Corry, Vicar of Bengeworth, with trespassing in search of game on land in the occupation of Mr. Charles Byrd. Rev. Corry rented a field for shooting called Wet Furrows, with an adjoining coppice. Ann, wife of James Willoughby, saw Huxley and Brooks at 4.30 p.m. on 18th February down in a ditch close to the coppice and they were rabbiting with a ferret. There was no public footpath across the field and they must have crossed a hedge to reach the coppice. When John Willoughby was passing at 5.30 he saw all three defendants there for about half an hour. The magistrates took into consideration that these were hard times and let each of them off with a small fine of 5s, plus 8s costs, and allowed them a fortnight to pay.
