A Collie’s Choice in Court

So many stories of ancestors and relatives are mentioned in the newspapers of the past. During April 2020 for the A - Z blog challenge, I am listing the types of stories or information I have found in newspapers with examples for each letter of the alphabet. My clippings include a variety of articles about relatives of my children's ancestors.

I could write about Charity collections, Church notices, Concert details and Contacts for clubs. All of these add rich detail to family history., but here is an interesting Court case.

This story refers to Charles Edward Stirling and Maud Gothard and their children. Charles and Maud were both born in New Zealand and married in Glebe, NSW in 1891. By the time of this court appearance they had three children, twins Charles William and Agnes Lucy (known as Essie) born in 1892 and Gordon Wallace born in 1894.  Charles and Maud are my husband's great grandparents and Gordon, their son, his maternal grandfather.

A Collie in Court

1898 'Notes.', 
The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1871 - 1912),
13 August, p. 369. ,
 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163811464

Does a Dog Know its Owner ?— A detention case possessing some rather peculiar features was heard last week at the Glebe Police Court, before Mr. Isaacs, S.M. Charles Stirling, a resident of the Glebe, proceeded against a Mr. Speight, a resident of Glebe Point, for the recovery of a collie dog, valued at £15, which, it was alleged, Mr. Speight detained without just cause, and refused to deliver up when the usual demand was made. Mr. Isaacs, when the evidence was completed, ordered the dog to be brought into court, and asked those present not to interfere with it.

The dog went sniffing all round the courtroom and up on to the bench; but the moment it came to any of Mr. Stirling's family -it seemed to know them. Mrs. Stirling then left the court. The dog tried hard to follow her, and when the door was closed against him he began to scratch at the bottom of the door to get out. Finding he could not do so, the dog then went sniffing around those sitting in court, taking notice of no one in particular; but the moment Mrs. Stirling (who stated that she had reared the dog) re-entered the court the animal at once jumped up at her as if pleased to see her.

At the request of the magistrate Mr. Edward Roberts who was in court, gave expert evidence. He stated that he had had 40 years' experience with dogs. He had examined this dog, and had watched its movements in court. He found that it was more than 10 months' old, and therefore could not have been born in December last as stated for the defence. He noticed that the dog was particularly attached to Mrs. Stirling and her children. Collies were full of fire and dash, and he did not think the dog would have the affection it appeared to have for Mrs. Stirling and the children if it had only known them for 10 days. Mr. Isaacs said he held the same opinion as Mr. Roberts, and ordered the defendant to deliver up to complainant forthwith the dog, and also to pay 10s 6d costs of court.

A happy ending for the Stirlings. Another article reporting this same incident cites the Stirling's address as 53 Derwent Street, Glebe. Little did we know that our children's great grandparents had lived there when we spent four years living just four streets away in Forest St, Forest Lodge, NSW.

Next up - D for Deaths and Divorce

 This post first appeared on earlieryears.blogspot.com by CRGalvin