Local Government

1918

In November 1918 just after the war ended, Alderman Norton was elected mayor for the third time, as Dr Harris, the previous mayor had retired. Dr Harris had been very active during the war, both as mayor, and the leading medical figure in the town. The town had been sold in September 1918 to a Mr White, a London businessman, and there were fears that the town would suffer from having a non-local owner.
After the war ended there were still restrictions and shortages. In December 1918, an order limited the amount of coal delivered to households to one ton, and coal merchants were forbidden to deliver more than three tons to any one house in two consecutive weeks. At this time nearly all domestic heating and cooking used coal, so a cold winter meant hard choices.

1919

By 1919 the town was recovering from the effects of war, but it still dominated council meetings. A resolution was made to buy goods only from countries who were allies, and to prefer British companies where possible for the peace celebrations’ expenditure.
In February 1919 proposals for a war memorial were discussed, and it was decided it should be a substantial one, whatever was eventually chosen.

In March 1919, although peace had not been achieved throughout the conflict area, the Mayor, John Norton, was keen to plan celebrations and not leave them till the last moment. However residents in Shaftesbury were anxious about the imminent second sale of the town, and it was felt celebrations would be enjoyed more once the matter was settled. The council also resolved to have the town’s musical instruments overhauled with a view to setting up the town band again. Proposals to install a light railway connecting Salisbury, Shaftesbury and Dorchester were raised and referred to the County Council, but it was never built.
In April, the council discussed the building of new homes in Shaftesbury, as part of a government scheme. Sites were proposed and accepted in Angel Lane and Coppice Street. Dr Harris offered to give a site on Castle Hill behind the gas works for eight to ten houses, which was also gratefully accepted.

Police and court matters

Shaftesbury was fortunate to have Superintendent Richard Hussey in charge of law and order in Shaftesbury during the Great War.
Richard Hussey had been promoted to the rank of Superintendent in October 1913, and shortly afterwards left Dorchester to take charge of policing in the town and district. He was a widower with two daughters, and his sister-in-law, whom he later married in 1919, came to Shaftesbury with him to look after the girls. The family lived at 29, Bell Street, and the police station was further down Bell Street where the library is now. The white posts topped with crowns are all that remains of the police station today.

Superintendent Hussey took great pride in getting to know his ‘patch’ and was supported by a deputy and 11 men.
Initially much of his time was spent in dealing with outbreaks of cattle disease and quarantines, but with the outbreak of war in August 1914, his responsibilities increased greatly.
His first major task in late summer 1914 was to arrange the billeting of six to seven hundred new recruits, ensuring that their temporary homes met the required standard, and that the recruits behaved themselves. He managed this with tact and efficiency and was commended for his ability to liaise between the town and its large intake of men.
His task was made more difficult when some of his constables joined up, but he managed splendidly, as after the billeted men had gone in 1915, he was thanked warmly for his efficiency and effectiveness as billet-master.

At the monthly Petty Sessions held in the Town Hall, Superintendent Hussey often gave evidence, covering crimes such as: failing to send children to school; men not paying maintenance to their wives; having no lights on vehicles; breaking rules on the movement of animals; cruelty to animals; and dangerous driving. Two typical cases in 1917 are as follows:
• Two men were summoned for cruelty to a pig being brought to Shaftesbury Market. The pig fell from the cart in which it was travelling and broke its leg. One man was fined 10/-.
• Driving vehicles without lights was a crime which came up regularly in the courts, and one offender, William Coward was fined 7/6d.
Several cases involved the apparent misappropriation of H.M. Army property. In one case, John Gray of Shaftesbury was summoned for being in unlawful possession of a pair of Australian military boots. He claimed that they had been thrown out to be burnt by the Australian army. At least four other men were similarly charged, but the defence solicitor, Mr Rutter, argued that there was no proof that they had acquired them unlawfully, and all the cases were dismissed.

All visitors to the town had to register at inns under the Aliens’ Restrictions Act, and failure to do so resulted in a fine. In 1917 a visitor from Weymouth and his ‘wife’ failed to register when they stayed at The Mitre Inn. When the woman absconded in the night after robbing the man, he reported it at the police station the following day, and was subsequently fined 10/- for failing to register. History does not record if he ever came back to Shaftesbury after his unfortunate experience.
A special children’s court was held for minors, usually dealing with thefts and anti-social behaviour. Parents could be fined as well as their children. Superintendent Hussey reported serious complaints concerning young people obstructing footways in the High Street, particularly on Sunday evenings. The magistrates supported police efforts to stop this anti-social behaviour and fined three boys from Enmore Green.
In April 1920, Superintendent Hussey was transferred back to Dorchester to take over the Division where he had started his career. He retired in 1923, and the Dorset County Chronicle published a fulsome article on his career, writing “As to Superintendent Hussey’s work in the police courts, nothing but the highest praise can be written”.

Shaftesbury Union Workhouse

Adults lived at the workhouse in Umber’s Hill, but from 1912 children were housed in the Cottage Home, which was thought more suitable for them. Regular reports published in the Western Gazette showed that both were well run. Boys over eight years old were not allowed to stay with girls, so an arrangement was discussed with Sturminster Newton Union, with one cottage home taking the girls and the other, the boys.

In 1914 Lady Stalbridge offered to pay for a help for the Cottage Home; one of the guardians protested that the girls should learn to darn stockings, peel potatoes ‘and such like things’ at an early age to fit them for later life. However he was overruled as the committee did not want to upset Lady Stalbridge or as they put it, ‘throw dirty water in her face’.
In 1916 Shaftesbury Union workhouse was found to be very clean and the residents comfortable, despite the economies necessary during the war.
In 1918 the inmates were treated to Christmas dinner, and appeals were made for holly and other evergreens to decorate the workhouse. Coal allocations were distributed to ‘the outdoor poor’ with the guardians themselves arranging delivery to their respective parishes. The guardians also discussed how to improve provision of relief to the poor, overhauling the current system.
After the war, in 1923, the workhouse was still fully functioning, and at Christmas the inmates were treated to a tea and musical entertainment. The men all received tobacco and the women one shilling (worth £4 in 2017) and oranges.
The Fire Brigade in Shaftesbury still used the horse-drawn fire pump during the war, and it was only replaced in 1926, when the Grosvenor Hotel caught fire, and four fire brigades were called to attend it. The new motorised fire-engine cost £400.

Sources

Western Gazette, selected articles
A.G.Gray (1896 to1966) Thinking about Shaftesbury
Superintendent Hussey’s family archive
Kelly’s Directories, 1911, 1915, 1920
Nigel Garrett, family archive

Gold Hill Museum photo archive

Barry Cuff photo collection (workhouse)