Linslade Farmer Fined

Southcott Village c.1900 [Z1432/3/13/5/2]

Tuesday 25th September 1917: Edward Rawle, a farmer at Southcourt in Linslade, has been prosecuted for failing to carry lights on three hay carts on September 10th. Special Constable H. P. Dawson said he was on duty at the Roebuck Corner in Leighton Buzzard at about nine o’clock when three of Mr. Rawle’s carts came along, loaded with hay or clover. Mr. Rawle seemed to be under the impression that it was not necessary to carry lights on hay carts and said it did not matter. He also seemed to be in a hurry and did not stop. The farmer said that in the West of England an exception to the lighting order had been made for hay carts as it was very dangerous to put lights on a load of hay. He was very short of labour and so was a little late coming back from Eggington. The court fined Mr. Rawle one pound.

Source: Leighton Buzzard Observer, 2nd October 1917