William Shed

William Shed was served a summons on 21st April 1888 for carrying and using a gun without a license in force under “The Gun License Act, 1870”. He was expected in court on 3rd May 1888.

William Shed was charged alongside Andrew Shed and John Home - the three boys were draper and ironmonger apprentices and admitted the charge.

An article from the Illustrated Berwick Journal, dated 3rd May 1888, provides more detail about the case: ‘Mr Weston, Supervisor of Inland Revenue, Alnwick, said that on the 14th March last, the three defendants were seen on Bankhill, Berwick firing a revolver at a target. It was not a case he felt justified in pressing for a conviction. It was a boy’s “freak”, but a very dangerous one. P.C. Forster said that on the 14th March, he heard the shots being fired. He went forward and two of the defendants went away, Andrew Shed remaining. The officer asked what they were firing at and Shed said a piece of wood. Mr Weston charged them with firing a gun without a license, and Andrew Shed said he did not think they were doing any harm.’

The boys were each fined 5s, or 7 days of imprisonment.

On looking at the 1891 census, Andrew and William Shed were sons of James Shed who was a school master at Foulden in Berwickshire. By 1891, William was living in London and working as a warehouseman in Christchurch whilst his brother, Andrew was still living in Foulden.

From all these accounts, it would appear that Berwick was certainly an eventful place to live in 1888!