ID: ML2017_006_L22 / Ron Green

TitleA Sailor in a Barrow
Abstract

MEMORY LANE From Ron Green and Tony Millatt - Mersea Island Museum.

In our May item for Mersea Life, we referred to an old newspaper cutting concerning The Nutshell and Little Timbers in The Lane. In another cutting, dating from 1906, we find an interesting tale concerning William Trim, landlord of the Victory pub.
It goes as follows:

A Sailor in a Barrow

At the Lexden and Winstree petty session on Saturday, William Trim, landlord of the Victory Inn, West Mersea, was charged with permitting drunkenness on his licensed premises. PC Ellis said he saw a man wheeling a barrow which contained a sailor, who was asleep and who appeared to be very drunk. His head was hanging over the back of the barrow.

Trim told PC Ellis "I saw the sailor on the Hard. His ship was just about to leave. I asked the men to take him to his ship. They did so, but the captain would not have him on board, and he was bought ashore and put in the shed".

Trim's wife said "That man came into the house this morning with some of his mates. He appeared to be alright. He wasn't in the house long and only had three or four half-quarterns of gin"

Ben Pullen, a mariner, said the sailor in question was as helpless as a Baby.
- Mr Asher Prior who defended: Anything else?
- Pullen: Well, that's quite enough I should think.
- What was the cause of his drowsiness?
- Pullen: 'Cause he had too much inside. (Laughter)

Trim said he advised that the sailor should be put in the shed in order to get him out of the gale.
Before the man went away he thanked Pullen and said he had not turned up like that through what he drank in the house, but through drinking some gin before he came ashore.

The chairman said that the majority of the bench, though they did not see their way to dismiss the case, felt that Trim was not himself responsible for the man's drunkenness.

Trim would be fined £1 and costs.

Our photo came from Geof Mole and shows Bill Trim holding up garfish which had been brought to him by two fishermen, probably of the Pullen family. Also in the picture are Mrs Trim and another gentleman, They are posing in front of the 'New' Victory.

Article published in Mersea Life June 2017

AuthorRon Green
PublishedJune 2017
SourceMersea Museum
IDML2017_006_L22