FOR hundreds of years, individuals – all male, unpaid and with no requirement for legal training – were rubber-stamped as JPs onto the Commission of the Peace, to run local government and sit in judgement in the lower courts. The only condition was that they owned freehold land of a certain value (latterly £100), and had the approval of the Chancellor (in practice the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire) who awarded a dedimus potestatem writ (meaning ‘we have given the power’). Lists of hundreds of JPs who were appointed to the Commission are held in the Hampshire Record Office under headings such as ‘Our most dear Cousins and Councillors’. The one for 1836 covers seven large sheets and represents the great and the good of the county.
Tim Poulter with the pike he caught on the Bridgewater Canal
Frank Lythgoe’s Warrington Anglers Association column LAST week, Tim Poulter fished the Dead Length on the Bridgewater Canal using float-fished smelt and ended up with one pike landed and one lost. Certainly from his pic, it looked in great condition. Mike Pritchard ventured out for the first time since Christmas on the same length of the canal, targeting roach and perch using pinkie but after trying a few swims he had to come to terms with his first dry net for some considerable time. However, he did report seeing other anglers catch several pike.
Warrington Anglers Association column
Frank Lythgoe’s Warrington Anglers’ Association column OUR weekly Sunday Mersey series was fished this week along the Victoria Park stretch and saw Dave Hill the winner with 2lbs 8ozs 0drs of small roach caught on feeder and maggot. Jimmy Byrne, fishing the same method. took second place with 2-5-0. The following day, our disabled and over 60s match took place on a chocolate-coloured Bridgewater Canal at Hough’s Bridge due to heavy rain. Mike Worley took his second win of the year with 1-11-0 of small roach taken on pole and pinkie. Ray Boden, on the next peg, was the runner-up and also caught small roach for a weight of 1-8-0. Mike was sandwiched between Ray and third-placed Neil Buist.