The Globe - c1920

George & Sophia Martins - 1880
All above images provided by R. Palin

At the County Court, held in Norwich on Friday 30th November 1866, Isaac Abbs sought to recover the sum of £8 0s 5d from plumber George Boyce, a resident of Shotesham. The account had been accrued from 9th October 1864 and consisted in the most part, of ale and porter which had been supplied in quantities from two glasses to twenty-one, a day. Mrs Abbs said that the defendant would drink until he was drunk and not liking solitude, would pay a man a shilling per day to keep him company. Some of the items not paid for were matches and onions.
Mr Boyce admitted that he owed money, but indignantly refuted any allegation regarding his sobriety, affirming that he had been sober on many occasions in the previous year. When asked to name a day or two when he had been sober, after some hesitation, he said the 17th October. He also disputed the sum owed and produced a witness, a man in his service, to prove that he was not in the village when some of his imbibatory habits were said to have taken place.
Taking a piece of paper from his pocket, said to contain dates, for the purpose of refreshing his memory, the witness was asked when he wrote it. Upon the answer `Six years ago' there was laughter in the court.
His Honor observed that the witness had committed perjury in that the paper had probably been written that morning.
Judgement was that the debt be immediately settled or a reasonable settlement be found between the parties.

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