Guildhall Police Court – Sending Bad Meat to Market

Henry Smart, innkeeper, grazier and churchwarden, residing at Newton Bromswold, in the county of Northamptonshire, was summoned before Alderman Mechi to answer the charge of having unlawfully sent to Newgate market 500 lbs of unwholesome meat, to the common nuisance and manifest danger of Her Majesty’s subjects. Mr. Stuchbury conducted the prosecution on behalf of the Commissioners of Sewers. Dr. Letheby, the Medical Officer of Health for the City of London, said he had not seen the meat in question; but having heard the evidence of the two inspectors of meat, he was of the opinion that the appearances described by them indicated that the animal was in a very bad state of disease – a disease that could not have been merely of recent date, but one extending over a long period antecedent to the death of the cow. result of the weather, as they indicated disease which Such appearances would not have shown themselves as the could not arise after the death of an animal. The Registrar General’s returns showed that the mean temperature of the three days preceding the seizure of the meat was below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Alderman Mechi said that was not a very powerful temperature for producing putrefaction. George Skinner jnr., said he was a butcher in his father’s employ at Rushden in Northamptonshire. On the 7^th September the defendant called at his father’s house and witness had some conversation with him about a cow, which he had bought already slaughtered on the day previous. He wanted them to sell it for him, but they declined and told him that, if it was sent up to London market and it got seized, they would be liable to a fine of £50 or to be sent to prison. They also mentioned that some Leicester butchers were still in prison for the same sort of thing. They refused to send it up to London, but after dressing it in the usual way, the defendant said he would take all the responsibility upon himself, and directed them to send the meat to Newgate Market. The meat was of a very dark colour, damp and sticky, like meat which has been hanging in damp weather. The animal had been stuck, but had not been slaughtered in the usual manner. He could not tell whether it had been stuck before or after death. He cut off the briskets, because they looked worse than the rest of the meat. Further evidence having been heard, the prisoner was committed for trial. Bail was taken.