Will the sport be subsidised?

A lengthy and impassioned appeal to the effect that any future subsidy of fox hunting will ensure that a continued supply of suitable horses and horsemanship skills is maintained and available to the army in the event of future conflicts.

Banbury Guardian January 1915

“The injustice to agriculture involved in the present rating system was pointed out by Mr R Lean, J P of Kineton, at the annual meeting of the Henley-in-Arden Branch of the Farmers’ Union.”

His appeal regards proposals in discussion to raise money for the nation that may result in farmers having to pay taxes on one-half of their rental, rather than the current one-third.

Banbury Guardian January 1915

Mr E D Horsfall, President of the Oxford University Boat Club, on Monday announced that there will be no University Boat Race this year. This will be the first time the race has been abandoned since it became an annual event in 1856.

Banbury Guardian January 1915

The monthly meeting of the Parish Council was held on Wednesday week, when there were present – Messrs J Pollard (Vice-Chairman, in the chair), P Knight, Arthur White, and A J Knight, with the Clerk (Mr Kingerlee).

Mr White, as assistant overseer, asked for a precept on lighting account. On the proposition of Mr P Knight, seconded by Mr A J Knight, a precept of £20 was signed.

In answer to a question, Mr Kingerlee said there was a balance in hand of £4.12s.9d. on the lighting account from last year.

Mr White said it was about time something was done to the footpath by Mr Reading’s house and barn. The question arose as to whether it was the duty of the Rural District Council to attend to this. It was stated that the surveyor had disclaimed responsibility. On the proposition of Mr P Knight, seconded by Mr White, it was decided to have some stones carted from the Lodge, and placed on the footpaths, and also that Mr Thomson be asked to obtain a truck of chippings for the Council.

Mr Knight said he should like to revive the question of the collection of refuse in the village. The matter was discussed at length, and was then adjourned.

Banbury Guardian January 1915

January 16^th 1915

Back in the trenches again we have got some territorials with us this time so it looks as if we are going to get relieved from this position, I guess we shall go to get another position ready for the next lot of terrors, they have got the range of these trenches, they were shelling heavily this am one shell put 2 of our men out, one of them had just got the news about his childs death and that his wife was dying, bad luck, the G’s have brought some more guns up. The weather is still bad making it impossible to advance yet.

Diary of Private W Tapp, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, November 1914- January 1915

Imperial war Museum Archives

On Wednesday, the 6^th inst., a recruiting meeting was held in the Schoolroom. Dr F V Ekington presided over a fair attendance, and the meeting was addressed by Mr Dack and Mr Farnsworth. Patriotic songs were sung by the audience. There was one recruit.

Banbury Guardian January 1915

THE RECENT CASE GOODWIN v GRIFFIN

To the editor of the Banbury Guardian

Sir – Now that it has been decided that the appeal in the case of Goodwin v Griffin shall not be proceeded with, I desire, on behalf of the committee of this Union, to offer some public comments upon the case as it affects the interests of farmers.

The facts may be briefly recalled to public memory:- Mr Goodwin, the plaintiff, purchased at the Byfield sale and show in October 1913, conducted by Messrs Miller and Abbotts, the well-known auctioneers of Banbury, a filly foal which had been entered by the defendant, Mr E Griffin, of Kineton. The plaintiff alleged that he purchased the foal under the belief that it was eligible for entry in the stud book – a belief that he said was borne out by the form of the entry in the catalogue, but it subsequently appeared that the foal was not so eligible. Communications passed between the parties and eventually Mr Griffin was sued for £20 damages which a jury in the Stratford County Court awarded him.

The points to which the Union desire to direct the attention of farmers are two, and they both arise out of the conditions of sale. There is no suggestion that the conditions of sale are in any way unfair as between the buyer, the auctioneer, and the seller, nor is it suggested that the auctioneer acted otherwise than in good faith.

Condition No. 9 is as follows:- “The conditions of entry for this sale are that it is open for shire horses entered, or eligible for entry, in the Stud Book. The auctioneers do not guarantee that these conditions have been complied with, and will not hold themselves responsible in the event of any animal being found ineligible for entry in the Stud Book.”

The first point is that while the auctioneers clear themselves of all responsibility in regard to the entries in the catalogue, the seller remains responsible to the purchaser in the event of any misdescription.

It is difficult to believe but it was admitted in evidence, that Mr Griffin’s entry was altered in the auctioneers’ office without consultation with Mr Griffin, and by that alteration the appearance of the foal’s eligibility for entry in the Stud Book was increased. While the responsibility of the auctioneer is effectively guarded against and the responsibility of the seller remains, it appears to my committee that auctioneers ought not to make any alteration in the seller’s form of entry without prior consultation with the seller.

The second point, and one which largely accounts for the judge’s decision adverse to Mr Griffin, arises from the first sentence of Condition No. 9:- “The conditions of entry for this sale are that it is open for shire horses entered, or eligible for entry, in the Stud Book.”

To the ordinary reader who does not clearly observe the meaning of the sentence it conveys the impression that the sale is open only to shire horses eligible for entry. But of course the sentence properly bears no such interpretation – in fact, it has no practical meaning whatever for it is obvious that every public sale of horses in the country is open for shire horses entered, or eligible for entry and therefore the condition means nothing. Moreover there were entered and sold at the sale many horses which were neither entered nor were eligible for entry. The County Court Judge, however, got it firmly in his mind that the sale was open only to eligible horses and he regarded Mr Griffin as violating one of the conditions of the sale by entering a horse which was not eligible.

As the result of this judicial misunderstanding my committee are of the opinion that Mr Griffin has suffered from a miscarriage of justice and with a view to obviating any such occurrence in future, they urge all farmers and other sellers of horses to scrutinise closely the conditions of any sale to which they propose to send horses for disposal, and they appeal further to auctioneers to carefully revise their conditions of sale so as not to mislead, however unintentionally, the farmers who form the bulk of their clients.

Yours, Richard Lean, Stratford-on-Avon & District Farmers’ Union

Banbury Guardian January 1915

Warmington:

Much sympathy is felt in this village and district for Mr John Smith, whose wife died on Friday aged sixty-two, and was interred on Monday at the Warmington Parish Churchyard at the special request of the deceased. The funeral was simple and impressive and was conducted jointly by the Rector, the Rev. R P Willock, and the Rev. G R Forde, Wesleyan minister Banbury. In officiating at the grave, the latter expressed his very sincere appreciation of the Rector’s Christian spirit in the mutual arrangements made, and for his many acts of kindness shown to Mrs Smith during her prolonged illness.

Banbury Guardian January 1915

The Bicester:

Saturday, January 16^th – Fenny Compton Wharf

Banbury Guardian January 1915