THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Men remanded on charges of having broken into Holywood manse

The News Letter reported that two men had appeared before Holywood Petty Sessions the previous day in 1909 charged with having broken into a manse in the Co Down town and having stolen a quantity of “valuable property.

The manse was the property of the Rev Andrew Gilchrist who told the sessions that he had left the property locked up on June 24 when he had gone away on his annual holiday.

He returned home earlier than intended after he was informed that the house had been broken into and had returned on July 17 to find the house ransacked.

On making a search of the house the clergyman found that the following items were missing – three serviette rings, two plated serviette rings in a case, two electro-plated large fruit spoons in a case, a lady’s gold fob chain, a lady’s gold ring set with stones, a silver locket set with “brilliants”, a gentleman’s old silver watch and a lady’s “gun metal” watch.

Among the other items missing from the Rev Gilchrist’s manse were a gold seal, a small electro-plated salt cellar and a small spoon.

In total the value of the items stolen were valued at £10.

One witnessed called before the Petty Sessions told how while he was standing on Strand Street on the morning of July 4 one of the accused had approached him and offered to sell him a gold seal.

He had asked for 4s for the seal which the witnessed had refused to buy.

The police sergeant who brought the two prisoners before the sessions asked that they be remanded for a week since none of the property stolen had been recovered.

The magistrate granted the application.