Dear Friends and Cousins, I came across the following in an old email I'd saved when searching newspapers. I know it will be of interest to someone here:- Newspaper (30/1/1837), in the Newport report dated 28 January, I saw: "At the Town Hall last before Lord Yarborough and a full bench of Magistrates, James MIDLANE and Richard DAWSON, butcher, St. Helens, for offering bribes to the preventive men in order that they might run some contraband goods, were convicted in the penalty of 200 pounds, which was mitigated to 100 pounds, in default of which they were committed to Winchester gaol, until paid." Regards David in Ballarat

> I came across the following in an old email I'd saved when searching > newspapers. I know it will be of interest to someone here:- > Newspaper (30/1/1837), in the Newport report dated 28 > January, I saw: > > "At the Town Hall last before Lord Yarborough and a full bench of > Magistrates, James MIDLANE and Richard DAWSON, butcher, St. Helens, for > offering bribes to the preventive men in order that they might run some > contraband goods, were convicted in the penalty of 200 pounds, which was > mitigated to 100 pounds, in default of which they were committed to > Winchester gaol, until paid." Having noticed that this crops up in the current IoWFHS Journal which speculated about which newspaper it was in, I can confirm that it was the "Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle", price 5d! Paul