This story is about assaults within a shared house and is grimly comic. I had come across this newspaper account of a case before the local magistrates, in the Hastings and St Leonards News, 11 September 1857:
ASSAULT. – Rebecca Thrift v Mary Kenward. – A summons for an assault alleged to have been committed on the 2nd last.
The parties, married women, lived at the same house in Cross street, St Mary Magdalen. The complainant had lent the defendant a bedstead some five or six weeks previous, and, on wishing to have it back again, some words ensued, when the defendant emptied a pail of water from the landing on to the complainant who was standing on the stairs. The defendant said she had a pail of water but did not throw it all over her. Mrs Thorne said she heard the defendant say that she would give her another pail. She believed the defendant had only been confined five weeks.
The defendant was fined 1s and costs 13s
Mary Kenward was ‘in the family way’ if she was being ‘confined’ [to a bed].
I checked for a Rebecca Thrift in the 1861 census and found her at 4 Cross Street. It was very revealing in the light of what happened two weeks later. Below are the three households at that address:
Charles Thrift, head, married, 39, carpenter, born Kent Brenchley
Rebecca Thrift, wife, 37, born Kent Dartford
Mary A. Betts, stepdau, U[nmarried], 16, serv out of place, born Sussex Hastings
Rebecca Betts, stepdau, U, 14, serv out of place, born Sussex Hastings
Susanna Thrift, dau, U, 10, scholar, born Sussex Hastings
Charles Thrift, son, 7, scholar, born Sussex St Leonards
Elizabeth Thrift, dau, 5, scholar, born Sussex St Leonards
William Thrift, son, 3, scholar, born Sussex St Leonards
Henry Thrift, son, 1, born Sussex St Leonards
Robert Phillips, head, married, 61, wheelwright, born Sussex Hastings
Dinah Phillips, wife, 60, born Sussex Hastings
William Bartlett, head, married, 30, wheelwright, born Kent Mersham
Mary J. Bartlett, wife, 28, born Kent Wood Church
Alfred G. Bartlett, son, 5, scholar, born Kent Mersham
Mary C. Bartlett, dau, 4, scholar, born Sussex Rye
‘Serv out of place’ meant an unemployed servant. There were 15 inhabitants, all born Sussex or Kent, in what was a small terrace house, on the same side of Cross Street as the Prince of Wales public house. The house is now part of Crystal Square car park. It must have been incredibly cramped, especially with three households.
I then came across a newspaper mention (Sussex Advertiser, 16 April 1861) of both the Thrift and Bartlett households. Rebecca was again assaulted, and again on her head.
ASSAULT. – William Bartlett, wheelwright, was summoned for assaulting Rebecca Thrift.
From the evidence of complainant, who is the wife of a carpenter, named Charles Thrift, it appeared that she and her husband are living in the same house as defendant and his wife, No. 4, Cross-street. On the previous Thursday morning, she went into a neighbour’s house, when she was called by her child. On going in doors she found defendant’s wife abusing her daughter, and on offering some remonstrance defendant’s wife began her abuse towards her. Defendant afterwards returned home, and called her by very offensive epithets, and threw a piece of wood, from the window, on her head. Defendant also broke open her door, caused her children to scream and cry, and put the house in a complete uproar.
Mary Ann, wife of Thomas Tutt, living at 6, Cross-street, deposed to seeing defendant throw the piece of wood, which struck complainant on the head.
Defendant denied the assault, and said his “missus” had been falling out with complainant ever since Christmas, and received two black eyes from her not long ago. But he did not interfere with the women’s quarrels, for he thought he should have enough to do if he did (a laugh).
In reply to General Menzies, defendant said he was on very good terms with complainant’s wife, for she never spoke to him (laughter).
Supt. Glenister informed the magistrates that both parties came to him about a month ago, and after what they told him he advised them to get away from each other. He understood that on one occasion defendant went home and found the two women with their hands entangled in each other’s hair.
The Mayor said they considered there were faults on both sides, and they had decided to dismiss the case. As the same time they would advise them to get away from each other.
Subsequently both parties were bound over to keep the peace, and it was ordered that the costs should be paid between them.
I then came across a slightly different, and more jocular, account in the St Leonards and Hastings Gazette, 13 April 1861. It was not just a pair of black eyes which Mrs Bartlett had received, but also a broken nose. See below.
There was one more incident in the conflict between the Thrift and Barlett families in the Hastings and St Leonards News, 28 June 1861. There was the following hearing on Monday, 24 June:
QUARRELSOME NEIGHBOURS. – William Bartlett, wheelwright, of 4, Cross street, appeared on a warrant charging with using threatening language towards Charles Thrift and his wife, on the 21st inst.
Prisoner, it may be remembered, was bound over to keep the peace towards complainant a short time since, and is still amenable to those recognizances. Both parties live in the same house, and (though their wives) appear to have carried on an internecine warfare for a considerable period.
Complainant, on being sworn, said – Last Friday, at noon, the defendant said he was just ready for me and my wife. He put himself into a fighting attitude and said “I’m beggared if I don’t give it to the pair of you.” We live in the same house, and I am in bodily fear of the defendant.
Superintendent Glenister deposed – On Friday, at noon, I was in Cross street, and heard two men quarrelling and some laughing. Thrift complained that defendant had threatened him. I heard defendant say to Mrs Thrift “I’ll serve you out yet.” They were all excited.
Mrs Thrift was said to be too unwell to attend, and the case was adjourned until Thursday; defendant meantime being admitted to bail.
On the same page, the Thursday hearing:
William Bartlett, of Cross street, also appeared (on bail from Monday) to answer the complaint of Charles Thrift, for using threatening language; and also praying sureties against him.
Complainant said that defendant had assaulted his wife twice during their quarrels. – Both had been ejected from the house since Monday, under a warrant from the magistrates.
Defendant denied that he had used the language complained of.
Superintendent Glenister having been re-examined, Defendant owned that he was in a passion at the time, having been provoked by a remark made by Mrs Thrift.
The Deputy-Mayor said the Bench hoped that as the parties were now separated there would be nothing more of the kind between them.
Case dismissed.
I was curious about the Betts stepchildren in the 1861 census. How did Rebecca Betts come to marry Charles Thrift ? I checked the 30 March 1851 census, and found pure gold at 9 Priory Road, St Clement’s parish, Hastings.
Charles Thrift was 29, widower, an ag lab, lodging with John Mills, a retired fish dealer. Another household at that address was headed by Rebecca Betts, 27, widow, house servant, with three daughters born in Hastings, aged from 2 months to five years. The two-month-old, Susanna Betts, became in the 1861 census ten-year-old Susanna Thrift in an attempt to conceal her illegitimacy. If she was adopted and took her stepfather’s surname, why not her two elder sisters as well ? When Susanna married in 1872 as Thrift she stated that her father was Charles Thrift, which was certainly true.
Less than two weeks later, on the 12 April 1851, Charles Thrift married Rebecca Betts.
Her first marriage had been on 21 December 1843, St Clements Hastings, as Truluck, no occupation stated, the daughter of a carpenter. Thomas Betts the groom was a fisherman. Both were aged 20 and of the parish, and both were illiterate. I could not find any record of his death.
As for Charles Thrift’s first marriage, I thought I had found it with the 26 October 1845 marriage to Mary Ann Ellis at Brenchley, his parish of birth. However this cannot be him as they were both in that parish in the 1851 census and at 56 he was much too old anyway. The marriage certificate is not online so I couldn’t verify if this man was a widower. It is quite possible that he is ‘our’ Charles Thrift’s father. This too is a mystery.