Bigfern Guide to Market Harborough: Magistrate's Court

Tea Larceny at Market Harborough.
No doubt the court room has witnessed some changes in the type of cases brought before it over the years. For instance, if we look back to the years during the WW2, when food was rationed, the following case appeared before the Bench.
In November 1942, two Harborough Railway workers, both with the name of George* found themselves up in front of the Bench charged with tea larceny. The amount of tea weighing seven and a half pounds and valued at seven shillings and sixpence, was purported to be the property of the Ministry of Food. During this time, tea was rationed and the amount taken equated to one person's rations for more than a year. Following the delivery by train to Market Harborough, an amount of tea thought to have come from some damaged boxes; lay on the floor of a wagon after unloading. The two George's regarded the tea as being waste, scooped it up into paper bags, and took it home. Neither of the two men gave any thought that they were doing wrong, especially as the wagon was not covered, and rain meant that the tea was getting wet.
The Chairman of the Bench took the view that the defendants had acted without realizing what they were doing, despite the fact that they should have known that tea was rationed. They were each fined the sum of one pound, and were ordered to share the court costs of seventeen shillings and sixpence.
* Bigfern has withheld the surnames of the two defendants.

The Magistrates Court