Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

The first prosecution under this act took place at Bridlington on Saturday last, before Major Prickett and Major Nelson, when John Tasker, of Sheffield, india-rubber manufacturer, was charged with unlawfully having in his possession on the 7th inst., at Flamborough, 28 sea birds, of the different species of auk, sea parrot, and scout, which had been recently killed or taken by him. Mr Woodhead, solicitor, Doncaster, appeared for the defendant, and admitted that his client had killed the birds, but contended that the act would not take effect until the 1st of April 1870. Major Prickett, the chairman of the bench, stated that they were of opinion that the act came into operation from the time of receiving royal assent, and that Mr Tasker had been guilty of an infringement of the law. He was fined 2s. 6d. for each bird, and 9s. costs, altogether amounting to £3 19s. [£390 in 2023.]

Comment

Comment

A tip of the hat to Hull & East Yorkshire History Calendar.

A Mr. Tasker was missing that day from the first AGM of the shareholders of Joseph Peace & Co., Ltd. of Sheffield (Sheffield Independent 1869/07/10), who seem actually to have been in the steel business. Did Tasker lie to the Bridlington majors, and if so, why?

WP:

In 1868, Professor Alfred Newton addressed the British Association for the Advancement of Science on the “On the Zoological Aspect of the Game Laws”. In particular, he urged for protection of birds of prey and seabirds during the breeding season. The British Association appointed a committee to propose a close season. The committee consisted of Frank Buckland, Henry Eeles Dresser, William Bernhardt Tegetmeier and Henry Baker Tristram. James Edmund Harting was later co-opted onto the committee. Newton’s speech cited the destruction of seabirds on the Isle of Wight and Flamborough Head. Wide publicity of his speech led to public condemnation of the residents of Bridlington. Rev. Henry Frederick Barnes-Lawrence of Bridlington Priory held a meeting of local clergy and naturalists and formed the Association for the Protection of Sea-Birds. Barnes-Lawrence’s Association had the support of Francis Orpen Morris, William Thomson, Archbishop of York, and local MP Christopher Sykes. As with many animal welfare laws before 1900, the animals’ safety was not the main reason for the act. Seabirds were useful to sailors to warn of land in bad weather. If a boat was in fog and the sailors could hear seabirds nearby then they would know that they were near land. If the population of seabirds declined then they would not have this early warning system.

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Original

The first prosecution under this act took place at Bridlington on Saturday last, before Major Prickett and Major Nelson, when John Tasker, of Sheffield, india-rubber manufacturer, was charged with unlawfully having in his possession on the 7th inst., at Flamborough, 28 sea birds, of the different species of auk, sea parrot, and scout, which had been recently killed or taken by him. Mr. Woodhead, solicitor, Doncaster, appeared for the defendant, and admitted that his client had killed the birds, but contended that the act would not take effect until the 1st of April 1870. Major Prickett, the chairman of the bench, stated that they were of opinion that the act came into operation from the time of receiving royal assent, and that Mr. Tasker had been guilty of an infringement of the law. He was fined 2s. 6d. for each bird, and 9s. costs, altogether amounting to £3 19s.

148 words.

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• Alfred Newton (1) ·
• Association for the Protection of Sea-Birds (1) ·
• Atlantic puffin (1) ·
• Auk (2) ·
• Bird of prey (1) ·
• Bridlington (7) ·
• 📌Doncaster (34) ·
• 📌Flamborough Head (4) ·
• 📌Flamborough (3) ·
• Henry Barnes-Lawrence (1) ·
• Hunting (10) ·
• Natural rubber (1) ·
• Sea Birds Preservation Act 1869 (1) ·
• Seabirds (1) ·
• 📌Sheffield (72) ·

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