Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 14 June 1878

Jemima Bradley and Mary Smith, Denaby, and Mary Jackson, Mexboro’, were all charged with assaulting another married woman named Emma Taylor, at Mexboro’, on the 1st inst.

The complainant, Mrs. Taylor, alleged that as she was going up Mexboro’ Market, on Saturday night the 1st inst., the three defendants attacked her and illtreated her in a most fearful manner. She stated that Bradley and Smith first struck her, knocked her down, threatened to pull her eye out, one of them put her (complainant’s) thumb in her mouth and bit it. She also alleged that Mrs. Jackson came up and struck her a violent blow on the forehead and that they used language not fit to be heard.

John Hamer deposed that as he was coming from Mexboro’ on the night in question with Taylor’s son, he saw Jemima Bradley and Mrs. Taylor quarrelling. The former got the latter down. Bradley struck Taylor first, &c.

Mrs. Eliza Kirk deposed to seeing Bradley and her mother strike Mrs. Taylor and use language not fit to be heard. Another witness also gave corroborative evidence.

In defence Bradley stated that she and Mrs. Smith were coming from Mexboro’, and she saw her husband and Mrs. Taylor talking together. When they came up to her, Mrs. Taylor called her a filthy name, struck her under the ear and in the body, and also pushed her into the hedge and called her. She (defendant) then “squealed” out. Complainant’s son swore he would have her throat out for his supper. Mrs. Taylor also bit her face, &c.

Mrs. Jackson (mother of Bradley) said complainant had her daughter down and was abusing her. Taylor was drunk. She also alleged that Mrs. Taylor kept nothing but a low “brothel,” that she had taken her child (Bradley) from her home at Barnsley, and had kept her in her brothel, &c. A cross-summons had been taken out by Jemima Bradley, against Emma Taylor at the same time and place.

Jemima Bradley stated that as she and her husband’s mother were coming from Mexboro’ Market, on Saturday night the 1st of June, between eight and nine o’clock, they met Mrs. Taylor going to the Market half drunk. She saw her husband talking to Mrs. Taylor, but when he saw her he left her. Taylor said as she had done what she could for her, she would give it her while she had got her. Mrs. Taylor then struck her under the ear, under her body, and they fell into the hedge. In the meantime her husband’s mother fetched her mother. Mrs. Taylor bit her thumb, &c., &c.

The bench dismissed the summonses in both cases.