Keepers Cottage (Norton Court Estate Cottage No 34)
At the time that the Inclosure Act affected Norton, 1807, the site of the cottage that was later to become the home to the gamekeeper, was Plot No 58, a house and garden of 25 perches at Great Ground, Wainlode Hill, and was owned by Walter Wilkins Esq. In the 1770s a Captain Wilkins had married Miss Hayward, the heiress of Wallsworth Hall. The Wilkins family had originally been named de Winton and they later reverted to this surname. It is believed that these were the Wilkins that owned much land at Norton then including Yew Tree Farm which was actually known as Wilkins Farm at this time.
[1806]
The plot can be identified again in 1838 when it was described as being cottages and gardens, still 25 perches and owned by Walter Wilkins. The cottages were occupied by William Jones and Sarah Cordwell.
In 1841 Sarah Cordwell, aged 60, was in residence at The Hill along with 30 year old Phillip Cordwell, an agricultural labourer. Phillip was baptised at Norton on 6 November 1809, the son of Thomas and Sarah Caudel; the surname is written in a number of different ways. Shortly after the census was taken in 1841 Phillip married Mary Cook of Abenhall at Norton and by 1851 they were living at Norton Hill, presumably the same cottage, with two infant children; Thomas and Sarah. Mother Sarah was longer here in 1851.
In 1841 William Jones, aged 35, was also living at The Hill, employed as an agricultural labourer he was living with his wife Hannah, and three infant children; Elizabeth, Thomas and Jane. Hannah was baptised at Tibberton on 13 September 1807, daughter of Thomas and Sarah Cordwell and brother of Thomas, her former neighbour. William Jones had married Hannah Cordwell at Norton on 18 July 1830. The Jones’ were still living next door to the Cordwells at Norton Hill in 1851.
Thomas Cordwell had married Sarah Webb at Tibberton on 30 July 1807 and as their daughter Hannah was baptised at Tibberton in 1807 and their son Thomas at Norton in 1809 this suggests that the Cordwell family moved to Norton at this time and perhaps came to live at the cottage on the hill then. Phillip Cordwell died in 1852 and his aunt and neighbour Hannah Jones in 1854 and both were buried at Norton. There is no further record of either family in the parish although in 1864 Phillip and Mary Cordwell’s son Thomas was serving in the militia and states that he was still living at Norton at that time. See the following link to Thomas Cordwell's interesting military service; Thomas Cordwell
The majority of the land that the de Winton’s owned at Norton was sold to Thomas Cuff Adams of Bath on 17th April 1863 for the sum of £8600. He in turn sold it on to Edward Webb for £9750 on 8th December 1864 and it became part of the Norton Court Estate. When the Estate was sold again in 1867 it was described as having “…30 acres of ornamental woodland and plantations forming excellent coverts for the preservation of game…”. In 1949, Capt Walker, who then owned the Norton Court Estate, stated that he knew the cottage had been home to the gamekeeper for 70 years so perhaps it was the Walker family that started this tradition sometime after their 1867 purchase.
The first clear reference to gamekeeping at Norton comes in 1868 when Mr Bruton, of Bruton & Knowles, compiled a report in respect of land tax of the Norton Court Estate. This records that John Watts had a two year lease of “…Norton Court and shooting…”.
It is likely that the Cordwell and Jones families were the last to occupy the two cottages on this site and that Edward Webb demolished them to build the Keepers Cottage sometime after his purchase in 1864.
In May 1873 “Ann Turk, wife of William Turk, labourer, of Norton, was summoned for wilfully damaging a fence at Norton, the property of Mr. Charles Walker, of Wotton. The charge was proved by Edwin Higgs, gamekeeper to Mr. W. Pegler, of Norton Court. She was fined 3d 6d and costs”. This is the only mention of Edwin Higgs at Norton. Edwin was born at Winchcombe with Gretton, Glos, in 1854, the son of James, a stonemason and beerhouse keeper, and Rebecca Higgs. By 1871 Edwin was living with his parents at Winchcombe and was already employed as a gamekeeper. In 1874 Edwin was living at Weeford, Staffordshire, employed as a gamekeeper, when he married Mary Ann Davis, a widow, at St Peters, Winchcombe. Mary had been born at Norton in 1848, daughter of Henry and Ann Hughes, and had married Daniel Davis in 1869 at St James, Gloucester. In 1871 they were living with Mary's married sister Sarah and her family and also their widowed mother, at 32 Vauxhall Road, Gloucester, with Daniel employed as a labourer. Perhaps Daniel had died shortly afterwards, although his death hasn't been identified, and Mary had returned home to Norton where she met Edwin. By 1880 Edwin, Mary and growing family were living at Chilcote, Derbys, and by 1891 in the Gamekeepers Cottage at Lupton, Westmoreland. The places of birth of their children suggest their movements, presumably following work; Chilcote, to Armington, Warks, to Ashton Hayes, Cheshire, before Lupton. By 1901 and in 1911 they were at The Willingtons, Tarporley, Cheshire, with Edwin employed as a gamekeeper throughout, a career his son Alfred later followed him into. Edwin died in 1917, Mary Ann in 1929, and they were buried at St Phillips, Kelsall, Cheshire, where they have a churchyard memorial.
At the time of the 1881 Census the ‘Gamekeepers Cottage’ is first named as so and was the residence of William Stephens, a 34 year old gamekeeper from Swindon, along with his wife and six children. Looking at the places of birth of his wife and children shows a profession that required him to be mobile. His wife was from Childswickham, his children aged between 12 years and 3 months were respectively born at Staunton, Rudford, Rudford, Churchdown, Malvern Link and Norton. The Stephens youngest child, Emily, had been born at Norton just 3 months previously so perhaps their arrival in the village in 1880 marks the presence of the first gamekeeper at Keepers Cottage. 1880-1949 would also be Capt Walker’s 70 years. In 1881 there was also a George Reed, a 22 year old under gamekeeper of Brickhampton, Worcs, who was lodging with a family at Norton Green.
The Citizen newspaper of 9 August 1884, County Court Sessions, Gloucester; “Charles Marfield, of Sandhurst, was summoned for trespassing in search of game on land belonging to Mr C Walker, of Norton Court, on Sunday, Aug 3rd – George Baylis said that about four o’clock on Sunday, Aug 3rd, he was in company with Mr Walker’s gamekeeper, at Sandhurst. They saw the defendant come out of Mr Blinkhorn’s land. He had a gun in his hand and was beating the fields. After going some distance the defendant saw them and began running away. They followed and chased him to his house. William Stephens, Mr Walker’s gamekeeper, corroborated. Whilst they were watching the defendant he went into a hollow, and they heard a shot and the rising of partridge. – The defendant said that at the time stated he was at home and in bed. – The defendant was fined 20s, including costs, or 14 days’ imprisonment”.
At the same County Court Sessions; “Charles Perkins was summoned for trespassing in search of game on land in the occupation of Mr William Cook, a farmer, of Norton, on August 3rd. – William Stephens stated that between ten and eleven o’clock on Sunday last he was on Mr Cook’s land and saw a dead hare in a wire in a ditch. He partially covered it up and then hid himself in the hedge. Several persons went by, but not one of them noticed the hare. After a short time the defendant came across a field in which there was no footpath and went straight to the ditch. He took the hare from the wire and put it in his pocket. He (witness) jumped out from his place of concealment and took the hare from the defendant. – The defendant was fined £1, including costs, or 14 days’ imprisonment”.
William & Martha Stephens with daughters; Emily, Ellen, Alice, Laura and Frances. Judging by the ages of the children this was likely taken in the late 1880s outside the Keepers Cottage.
In 1889 Norton Court was advertised to be let and along with the house was the possibility to let “1000 acres of shooting (90 acres woodland), with keeper’s cottage, garden, kennels, hatching shed, &c, large fowls-house, and open air aviary, could be rented at £75 a year”.
With enfranchisement extending quite rapidly throughout the later nineteenth century the conditions for being granted a vote were complicated and ever changing. As a result there appears to have been many instances where Revision Courts were held to discuss and decide on individual cases. One such Court was held on 10 September 1894 for ‘the revision of the voters’ lists for the Tewkesbury Division’. The final case involving Norton was similar to the first and was that of the Estate gamekeeper; “William Stephens, gamekeeper, Norton, was objected to by Mr Docwra who contended that he was obliged, by reasons of his occupation, to live in his house”. It was then argued whether or not he could carry out the duties of gamekeeper if he lived in another house that wasn’t tied to his job and they agreed that this was possible. William Stephens was allowed to remain on the list.
In 1901 William Stephens and family are living at what was then recorded as the ‘Keepers House’ and he remained gamekeeper until at least 1906. Perhaps by 1910, when he would he would have been 63 years old, he had retired from his employment as he had moved into one of the Tythe Cottages nearby. William Stephens’ great grandson, Douglas, was still living at Lyndale Terrace, Cold Elm, in the early 2000s, when he passed on this tale;
“My great grandfather was gamekeeper for Norton Court Estate living in the ‘Keepers Cottage’ on Wainlode Hill. There had been a disagreement between the squire and his cook of many years. Upon leaving his employment she had cursed him with the threat she would return to haunt him! Some years later she died. My great grandfather’s duties included nightly rounds of the woods in all weathers, checking the game and looking out for poachers. One particular night the hairs on the back of his dog stood on end, it then turned and ran for home ! Approaching them and passing them by was the ghost of the cook ! After this happened the dog wouldn’t go into the woods again !”
At the time that the Lady Day rents were due to the Norton Court Estate in March 1908 William Matthews was gamekeeper paying a yearly rent of £8 for a cottage and garden, Estate No 34, and he was still here in 1910. William Matthews had left the job by 1912 but by 1920 appears to have still been at Norton and maybe even still living at the Keepers Cottage. Problems with a shortage of affordable homes and people requesting the Council for assistance is not so recent an issue as many would suspect. The Gloucester Journal newspaper of 7 February 1920 reported that a request for housing was made to a meeting of the Gloucester Board of Guardians at the Poor Law Institution. “The Clerk read a letter from a householder, Mr Matthews, at Norton, stating that his landlord [Mr Walker] had obtained an order for eviction against him, the house being wanted for a young single workman. He had been unable to obtain either a house or apartments, and he, his wife, and three children would be turned into the road. He wished, therefore, to apply to the Guardians to find him accommodation in their institution. They could manage with one sitting and three bedrooms, and could look after themselves in every way”.
By 1911 a Frederick Hall was recorded as “gamekeeper to George Norton Walker Esq”. The Gloucestershire Chronicle newspaper 28 September 1912 reported from the Gloucester County Petty Sessions; “George Collier, of Norton, was summoned for trespassing in pursuit of conies at Norton on August 31st. Mr Frank Treasure prosecuted on behalf of Mr George Norton Walker, of Norton Court, and defendant was represented by Mr Lionel Lane. Alfred Hall, head keeper on the Norton Court Estate, spoke to seeing the defendant set some wires at 7:30pm on August 31st in a field on the Norton Court Estate. The following morning he kept watch and saw the defendant return and look over the fence. Defendant went away twice and returned again, and on the last occasion he was stooping down over the wires, in which was a rabbit. When witness spoke to him he said he was going to see the floods. In reply to Mr Lane, witness said he was aware that prosecutor had offered to settle the case on defendant paying 10s to the Infirmary. Gordon Hedges, assistant gamekeeper, gave corroborative evidence. For the defence, the Rev H Cherrington, vicar of Norton, said defendant was in his employ and set wires near a hedge in his garden, which he regarded at the time as a party hedge. Witness received a letter from Mr Walker to the effect that if defendant would pay 10s to the Infirmary and apologise he would not take proceedings. He spoke to the defendant about this and defendant, being convinced he was innocent, refused to apologise. Defendant absolutely denied being near the Windmill Field on the night of August 31st, and said he did not go within 50 yards of it the following morning, when Hall spoke to him. The wire produced was not his. In reply to Mr Treasure, defendant said that when he called at Mr Walker’s office he offered to pay the 10s, but was told it was too late. Mrs Collins corroborated her husband’s statement that he did not go out after returning home from work on August 31st . Wilfred Davies swore that on the morning of August 31st he saw defendant, who did not go near the Windmill Field. The Chairman said the majority of the Bench were in favour of giving the defendant the benefit of the doubt, and the case would be dismissed”.
Alfred was born in 1884, son of Henry and Mary Hall of Bromstead, Staffordshire. In 1891 the family were living at Homers Cottage, Gnosall, where Henry was employed as an agricultural labourer and there were four children; William H (1882), Alfred (1884), Mary (1886) and Sarah A (1891) all born at Moreton, Staffs. By 1901 Alfred had moved away from his parents’ home and has been found learning his trade, living at The Keepers House, Tortworth, near Thornbury, employed as gamekeeper’s assistant in the household of Gabriel Launchbury, the head gamekeeper. In 1910 he married Ada Elizabeth Pead at Boddington and in 1911 they were living at Norton Hill with Alfred employed as gamekeeper to Capt Walker and the Norton Court Estate. Ada was born at The Leigh in 1890, daughter of John and Elizabeth Pead, a general labourer originally from Shropshire. By 1911 the Pead family had moved to Barrow, Boddington, where father Henry was now employed as a butcher and daughter Ada was at school.
On 9th August 1916, Alfred enlisted into the Royal Marine Light Infantry, 1st Royal Marine Battalion, as Pvte, No PLY/1543/S. On 1st February 1917 he was drafted for the British Expeditionary Force with 2nd Royal Marine Battalion. On 3rd February 1917 he arrived at the Base Depot, Calais, France, where he remained until 18th February 1917 when he was taken to 30th General Hospital suffering from bronchitis. He was invalided back to UK on 27th March 1917. Having recovered he was again drafted to the British Expeditionary Force on 19th March 1918 and joined up with 2nd Royal Marine Battalion. He was transferred to 1st Royal Marine Battalion on 28th April 1918 and remained with them until 19th May 1918 when he received a gunshot wound to his right leg. On 25th May 1918 he was once again invalided back to UK and was discharged from the service due to his injury from the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth, on 15th April 1919. He was awarded Silver War Badge No RN34141.
Alfred returned to Norton after the war and resumed his gamekeepers employment but suffered as a result of his injury. By 1919 an Alfred Hall was recorded as “gamekeeper to Walter Leopold Buller Esq”, tenant of Norton Court. In 1921 Alfred and Ada were still at Keepers Cottage, described as having 6 rooms, with three young children, all born at Norton; Doris Elizabeth, Ronald Alfred and Maisie Joyce. Alfred died, aged 38 years, in May 1922 at The Gamekeepers Lodge, and was buried at St Mary’s, Norton, where he has a memorial in the churchyard. A Fred Hall is also remembered on the village War Memorial at St Mary’s and it is believed that this was the same person.
1923 sees Martin Sims as “gamekeeper to Captain George Norton Walker Esq” and he appears to have remained at Keepers Cottage with his wife Alice Maud until approximately 1928. In January 1926 Martin Sims was advertising to sell; "liver and white spaniel bitch, 3 1/2 months, excellent working parents; - Sims, Gamekeeper, Norton". Martin Sims was born at Coln St Aldwyn in 1868, son of Charles and Julia Sims, and was employed as a gamekeeper at Whittington Hurst, Staffs, when he married Alice Maud Walker, of Tewkesbury, at Lichfield in 1901. In 1911 they were living at Armitage, Staffs, with Martin employed as a gamekeeper. Martin died in 1935.
Following Martin Sims, Cyril Williams took over the position and moved in with his wife Agnes Mary.
Alexander Claude Baylis took over as gamekeeper at Norton and moved into the Keepers Cottage with his wife Margaret and children when he signed the following Norton Court Estate agreement on 2 April 1931;
“This Indenture made the second day of April one thousand nine hundred and thirty one between George Norton Walker of Norton Court in the County of Gloucester, Gentleman, of the one part and Alexander Claude Baylis of Norton aforesaid, Gamekeeper, of the other part. Whereas the said George Norton Walker is desirous of appointing the said Alexander Claude Baylis to be Gamekeeper of his manor or lordship of Norton or Bishops Norton in the County of Gloucester and the said Alexander Claude Baylis has consented thereto. Now this Indenture witnesseth that for carrying out his said desire the said George Norton Walker hereby appoints the said Alexander Claude Baylis :-
1.To be gamekeeper for the said George Norton Walker of the said manor or lordship and to preserve or kill the game within the limits of the said manor or lordship for the use of the said George Norton Walker.
2.As such Gamekeeper as aforesaid so far as the law allows to seize and take for the use of the said George Norton Walker all such dogs, nets and other engines and instruments for the killing or taking of game as shall be used within the said limits by any person not authorized to kill game therein.
3.Generally to do and perform all such matters and things for the preservation of the game within the said manor as the said George Norton Walker might or could do if personally present.
In witness whereof the said parties to these presents have hereunto set their hands and seals the day and year first before written”.
On 21 May 1949 Alexander Claude Baylis ceased to be gamekeeper and left the Keepers Cottage when he signed a Norton Court Estate agreement to become a general Estate labourer, earning 3 Guineas a week and living at No 32 Wainlode Hill. Alexander died in 1963.
In 2000, Michael Phelps then of Yew Tree Farm told me; “After Mr Baylis’ retirement in 1949(ish) Captain Walker engaged an ex-Londoner for the post. It was a bad decision as this man was only interested in feathering his own nest in a substantial way. He was also very violent which eventually led to his downfall. The last keeper, Mr Horstnell, had been a policeman and stayed on after the estate was sold until sometime in the 1960s. The cottage then remained empty for about 25 years when it was bought by the present owner and completely rebuilt in the original style, services laid on and a road made to it.”
The individual in question was George William Mawson. Capt Walker had contacted George Mawson about the position of gamekeeper at Norton after seeing he’d advertised his services in ‘The Gamekeeper’ magazine in about April 1949. In the advert Mawson had described himself as being 48 years of age. When responding to Capt Walker he mentioned that “…I’m afraid I would not have got any reply to my advert if I had given my correct age…”. He then confessed to actually being 60 years of age. Mawson claimed to have been in the employ of a Mr Sylvester at Mitton Lodge, Whalley, nr Blackburn, for the previous twelve years and was wishing to move on as he was giving up his shooting rights. He went on to claim to being a ‘life experienced keeper’ having previously worked for Sir James Hill, Lord Derby and Lord Latham.
Mawson was interviewed and accepted for the job taking over the position as gamekeeper on the Norton Court Estate in May 1949 with his Deed of Appointment being registered with the Clerk to the Justices on 10 June 1949.
In 1949 Norton's electoral list records David and Ada Mawson at Keepers Cottage. There are several possibilities as to who these people were but none explain a relationship to George William Mawson.
George William Mawson's tenure in the post of gamekeeper was to be short lived however. The full story is not known but investigation suggested that there was no such person as Mr Sylvester, his supposed previous employer, and that a person who knew of Mawson through experience suggested that he had been quarrelsome and a troublemaker in his previous job and was not liked throughout that district. For whatever reason, Capt Walker wanted him out and a replacement in as soon as possible. It would appear, however, that he was a little reluctant to leave and was served with one month’s notice to terminate his employment and quit the cottage by Capt Walker’s solicitors in September 1949. This was repeated in October and he appears to have finally moved out on 14 November. During these dealings Capt Walker stated that the Keepers Cottage had been home to the Estate gamekeeper for at least 70 years.
The discrepancy over Mawson’s age continued after he left employment at Norton when it was discovered through correspondence received by Capt Walker that he was in fact 73 years of age and had been drawing his Old Age Pension during his time in employment at Norton.
Although documents suggest that George Mawson left Keepers Cottage in November 1949, a report in the The Citizen newspaper of 1 December reveals that they were still here. George Mawson, who gave an address of Grandstand Road, Hereford, and stated that he was the son of the estate keeper, was convicted for obstructing the police whilst driving across the fields away from the cottage.
The next holder of this position was to be Sydney Horsnell whose Deed of Appointment was registered ‘in pursuance of the provisions of the Game Act 1831’ with the Clerk to the Justices in March 1950. The registration was annotated to show that “appointments of gamekeepers are now exempt from stamp duty in accordance with the provisions of the latest Finance Act’. Sydney was born in 1889 at New Brompton, Kent, son of Walter Henry Horsnell, a riveter and driller on ships, and Clara nee Wills, and he grew up at Gillingham. By 1911 Sydney had become a constable with the metropolitan police and was boarding at Hackney, London, when he married Ruth Jarvis in 1913 in Kent.
When the Norton Court Estate was broken up and sold at auction in 1952 there was “…rough shooting in the woodlands north west of the Court Farm…” and the Keepers Cottage “…which lies between the lane and the River Severn…” was described as follows;
“It is built of brick with a tiled roof and contains: small hall, sitting room with cupboard under stairs, kitchen with fireplace oven and sham, and sink, larder, two bedrooms, one having a fireplace and attic. Wash house with furnace. Garden, well of water and pump, EC and coal house. Two fowl houses, two dog kennels, hatching house and a span roof shed. Vacant possession will be given on completion of the purchase subject to the Keepers Service Occupation of the cottage”. The owners or occupiers of Keepers Cottage also had the right to cross ordnance numbers 53 and 54, which were part of Hill Farm.
In 1956 Sydney and Ruth Horsnell were still here. In the Parish Magazine of June 1970 Canon Evans Prosser wrote; “Quite a number of you will not remember Mrs Horsnell. Her husband was keeper here for some years and they lived in the Keepers Cottage. Mrs Horsnell left the parish rather suddenly and unexpectedly very soon after St Johns was dedicated in 1958. ... She was a keen member of the Salvation Army”. Sydney died in 1972 and Ruth in 1980, both at Hereford.
The only later name that has been mentioned was a gentleman who seems to have been universally known as ‘Old Ted’. He was buried in the churchyard at St Mary’s, Norton, where a headstone tells us that his name was in fact Edward William Holmes and that he originated from Ardmore Youghal, Co Waterford, Ireland. He was born on 15th March 1901 and died on 1st April 1989. He never lived at Keepers Cottage.
I do not know when the house ceased to be lived in but possibly after the Horsnells left. At the time of my earliest memories of Norton, from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s, the house stood derelict with broken windows and the front door standing ajar. I also remember a large pile of old blue bottles at the front of the house, many of the old style with marble stoppers.
Many thanks to Erica Bibbings for allowing me to copy and use the above photos of the derelict cottage from the early 1980s.
The next known owners of the cottage are the Oppenheim family who lived at Brawn Farm, Sandhurst. Henry Myer Oppenheim had married Sarah Viner in 1948 and they had three children. Sarah ‘Sally’ Oppenheim was MP for the city of Gloucester between 1970-1987.
Richard and Yvette Cook, who had purchased Court Farm from the Oppenheims in 1979, also took on Keepers Cottage. The Cooks sold the derelict cottage and 30 acres of woodland to John S and Erica J Bibbings in 1983. John was a builder who renovated, extended and largely rebuilt the house, and in 2024 they continue to live here.
GAMEKEEPERS AT NORTON
Whilst writing about Keepers Cottage this seemed to be an appropriate place to record information about earlier gamekeepers at Norton.
It is not known when a gamekeeper was first employed at Norton but the Gamekeepers Deputations from the Gloucester Quarter Sessions (1711-1950) record several early examples of such although it is also not known if any of them lived at what became known as ‘Keepers Cottage’ but it seems unlikely.
10th December 1734 is the very earliest reference with the Deputation to Jn. Baker to act as gamekeeper for Kings Barton, Dudstone and Kings Barton and Norton by Eliz. Whitmore, wid., lord of the manor.
This was followed in quick succession in May 1739 with a Deputation to Thos. Branch, Gent. to act as gamekeeper for Kings Barton and Norton by William Whitmore, Esq., lord of the manor, and in July 1739 with a Deputation to Richd. Edwards, Gent. to act as gamekeeper for Kings Barton and Norton (Gamekeepers only and not to kill) by William Whitmore, Esq., lord of the manor.
In January 1743 we see the return of Jn. Baker to act as gamekeeper for King’s Barton (par. Tewkesbuy, Oxenton, Ashchurch) and Norton by Wm. Whitmore, Esq.,, lord of the manor.
2nd of May 1746 is when a Francis Simmons was recorded as gamekeeper to William Whitmore Esq, Lord of the Manor of Bishops Norton in Norton and Kings Barton.
A few years further on we find a Deputation to Robt. Longden to act as gamekeeper for Kings Barton and Norton by William Whitmore, Esq., lord of the manor, made 7 August 1749, registered at Quarter Sessions 9 August 1749 and in December 1749 a Deputation to William Curtis, gent. to act as gamekeeper for Kings Barton and Norton by William Whitmore, Esq., lord of the manor.
At the Deputation of 31 March 1761 Robert Marston, gentleman, was recorded as gamekeeper of the same Manor. By 26th July 1762 the position was being held by William Singleton Esq. In August 1788 the Lord of the Manor had become John Webb Esq and his gamekeeper was Thomas Healing Esq.
In August 1792 we have a Deputation to Wm. Butt to act as gamekeeper for Norton by John Webb, Esq., lord of the manor. We know that John Webb died in London in February 1795, and shortly afterwards in September 1796, we find William Butt again, but this time to act as gamekeeper for Norton by Arabella Webb, widow, lord of the manor.
A few years later in August 1803 the Lord of the Manor had changed again when we find a Deputation to Richard Butt to act as gamekeeper for Norton by Edward Webb, Esq., lord of the manor.
Throughout the 1820s a succession of cases were heard at the Gloucester Quarter Sessions regarding the illegal hunting and killing of game at Norton “…without obtaining the required certificate…”. This implies that there was organised shooting at Norton during this period and several of the above-mentioned keepers were called as witnesses to the offences.
On 1st October 1824 the Lord of the Manor was recorded as Edward Webb Esq with George Ashwin as his keeper. George Ashwin remained until at least 1826. On 14th August 1827 William Bartlett was recorded as the gamekeeper to Edward Webb. There is a Deputation to Edmund Timothy to act as gamekeeper for Norton by Edward Webb Esq., lord of the manor, in August 1829, and a Deputation to George Turner to act as gamekeeper for Norton by Edward Webb Esq., lord of the manor, in August 1836.
In October 1840, the Commissioners for Assessed Taxes held a meeting at Gloucester to review several cases in regard to the Game Act. One of those in front of the Commission was Henry Arkell of Norton, gamekeeper to Mr William Stephens Mereweather, tenant at Norton Court. Information had been presented to the Commission to the effect that Henry Arkell did not have the proper certificate to hold down this position. When Henry produced his certificate, the ‘informer’ contended that it was ‘not of sufficient amount’ suggesting that he did not have a deputation as gamekeeper by their master. An adjournment was then given to allow Henry Arkell to produce Mr Mereweather to give evidence on his behalf. Mr Mereweather attended the revised meeting of the Commission later that same month. He explained that he had taken out a gamekeepers licence for his servant and then having left the matter to his attorney to complete had supposed that every legal requirement had been satisfied. It failed to be proven, however, that any deputation had been registered and the gamekeepers licence held by Henry Arkell was of insufficient amount to entitle him to ‘sport’. Although the Commissioners were satisfied that there had been no intentional violation of the Act, and the information they had received to prompt the action ‘had been laid in a bad spirit’, they were bound to convict. Henry Arkell was given a penalty of £10 plus the surcharge of double that amount to obtain the requisite licence.
Henry was a local man, son of Jonathan and Fanny Arkell, who for a time farmed what is now known as Norton Farm and then as ‘Arkells Farm’. These must have been tough times for the family as in 1839, father Jonathan had applied for and been granted assistance under an Act for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors. The Arkells lived at Cold Elm.
