When Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837, Sutton Coldfield was a small market town, with a population of about 4,000 - and there was no police force. A watchman, usually of advancing years, patrolled the streets at night.
There was also a parish constable, who would be summoned to crime scenes and then question witnesses and, on occasion, make arrests. For many years this was Thomas Butler, who lived in a house near Holy Trinity Church.
The parish constable was not paid. He dealt with wrongdoings ranging from drunkenness to robberies and burglaries.
Ann Taylor was a wealthy 75-year old widow who had moved to Sutton from Liverpool. She owned property in Liverpool and this provided her with an annual income of £1,700.
She settled in Wylde Green - also known at the time as Wild Green. The few years that Taylor spent in Sutton were to be harrowing. First, in autumn 1836, her house was burgled; and then, a few years later, she was the victim of attempted fraud.
The culprit for the burglary was William Jones, who gained entry by befriending two of Taylor's servants. One of these young women received a proposal of marriage from Jones and the other became pregnant.
One of these women informed the parish constable that Jones had entered the house, revealing that he had informed her that he had hidden a plate in a haystack. Jones was sentenced to transportation for life to Van Diemen's Land.
When the magistrate who had investigated the burglary, Francis Lloyd, a banker, came to live in Sutton, Taylor was pleased to establish a friendship with him.
Lloyd ingratiated himself with Taylor, paying regular visits and sending presents of fruit, game and flowers. He also introduced her to a Mrs Harding, a young woman who had taken a house in the area and who he declared was a widow.
Lloyd informed Taylor that he intended to marry Harding and proposed that the three of them live together, flatteringly telling Taylor she could provide his new wife with guidance on domestic matters. Providing Taylor with a pass book and a cheque book, he began to make payments to himself. When he was unable to withdraw £1,000 from her account as requested and Taylor informed one of her rent collectors in Liverpool, Lloyd's scheming came into the open.
Taylor began legal action to recover her money and was awarded £1,281 in damages. Meanwhile it was revealed that Harding, far from being a young widow, was involved with Lloyd, being the mother of his two children.
Glimpses into Sutton's Past Part I 1800-1850 and Part II 1851-1885 by Stephen Roberts can be ordered from Amazon, priced at £4.99 and £5.99.
Associate Professor
Stephen Roberts