Spare a thought for Fanny Ody.
Born Fanny Smart in 1823 she had her first baby out of wedlock when she was just 21 years old. It took William Ody another three years to get around to marrying her.
During the next twenty years Fanny had a further seven children, including two fighty sons - but then Fanny wasn't afraid to get stuck in when the occasion demanded.
In 1887 the unfortunate William Ruck, bailiff to the Cirencester County Court, attempted to deliver a court summons on Noah Ody at his mother's home in Ashton Keynes. He had previously attempted to serve the summons more than twenty times and on this day he had a cunning plan to lay in wait until Noah returned to the house, but the execution of his duty proved far from painless.
Poor William Ruck was beaten up not only by Noah and his brother Young Ody who lived next door, but also by Fanny and received blackened eyes and a broken tooth.
Fanny claimed the bailiff had disturbed and frightened her while she was at home alone reading her bible. However, the Ody evidence was dismissed and Fanny ended up paying £3 7s 6d while the long delayed warrant was eventually served upon her son. Noah was committed to prison for a month with hard labour.
But by far the most recalcitrant of the Ody sons was John. His many court appearances included various offences from a case of ill treating a pony brought about by the RSPCA to a summons by an unmarried young woman, Amelia Nelly Smart, for maintenance for the twin daughters she had borne him in 1886.
But his most frequent appearances before the Bench were for fighting, usually drunken pub brawls but sometimes for taking part in pre-arranged prize fights.
One such court appearance occurred in 1890 before a special sitting of the Malmesbury Bench of Magistrates when John Ody, George Brain and the Rev. William Frederick Gover, Rector of Oaksey, were accused of "riotously, routously and tumultuously" disturbing the public peace, causing "a great noise, riot, tumult, and disturbance, to the great terror and disturbance of Her Majesty's subjects."
The reported case filled many newspaper columns, largely because of the involvement of the Rector, but all three men were eventually acquitted.
But by far the most tragic case was a fight between John and his old adversary Jesse Ellison and his brother Noah in the yard of the White Hart Inn, Ashton Keynes in July 1887.
Several witnesses were called, all giving much the same evidence; that an argument between John and Ellison resulted in a short fight after which younger brother Noah became involved.
One witness told how John had said: "I see I've got two to fight, Jessie Ellison and Nug (Meaning Noah), to which Noah replied. "Yes, as soon as you've done with Ellison, I'll have a cut at you, John."
The fight was quickly halted by another brother, George, but not before Noah fell to the ground where he lay insensible for a few minutes. With the help of George he eventually got up and made his way home.
Witness, Martha Pittaway, told how she found Noah lying in the road later that evening. She called for assistance and carried him to a neighbouring house where a wheelbarrow was obtained and she pushed him home. She stayed with him until he died at about 12 o'clock.
Dr Langley performed a post mortem examination during which he discovered congealed blood between the bone and the skull cap which he concluded was caused by the rupture of an artery. In his opinion the cause of death was the effusion of blood on the brain, that is, the congealed clot. The ruptured artery could only have been caused by external violence, it was stated, although this could have been when Noah fell and hit his head during the fight.
The case was adjourned and John was released on bail to appear at the Winchester Winter Assizes. On November 8, 1887 he was eventually acquitted of the charge of manslaughter to what must have been the huge relief of his family.
Although proved innocent of causing his brother's death, I wonder how he recovered from the shock and sorrow. It certainly didn't deter him from scrapping.
Fanny died aged 77 years old and was buried on January 3, 1900 in the churchyard at Ashton Keynes where her son Noah was laid to rest on July 9, 1887.
John Ody was a bit of a slippery character. The police had trouble keeping up with him and I lose him around 1901 as well.
The Ashton Keynes branch of the Ody family is related to the Lydiard Tregoze Ody family. Fanny's husband William was the son of George Ody who was born in the parish of Lydiard Tregoze. George was the son of Richard Ody who served in many parish offices. George had a brother Noah who with his numerous sons farmed the various Bolingbroke farms in the parish and with whom my Ody obsession began. Several members of this Ody branch of the family are buried in the churchyard at St Mary's - they would appear to be less fighty than the Ashton Keynes lot, unless you know differently.
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Born Fanny Smart in 1823 she had her first baby out of wedlock when she was just 21 years old. It took William Ody another three years to get around to marrying her.
During the next twenty years Fanny had a further seven children, including two fighty sons - but then Fanny wasn't afraid to get stuck in when the occasion demanded.
In 1887 the unfortunate William Ruck, bailiff to the Cirencester County Court, attempted to deliver a court summons on Noah Ody at his mother's home in Ashton Keynes. He had previously attempted to serve the summons more than twenty times and on this day he had a cunning plan to lay in wait until Noah returned to the house, but the execution of his duty proved far from painless.
Poor William Ruck was beaten up not only by Noah and his brother Young Ody who lived next door, but also by Fanny and received blackened eyes and a broken tooth.
Fanny claimed the bailiff had disturbed and frightened her while she was at home alone reading her bible. However, the Ody evidence was dismissed and Fanny ended up paying £3 7s 6d while the long delayed warrant was eventually served upon her son. Noah was committed to prison for a month with hard labour.
But by far the most recalcitrant of the Ody sons was John. His many court appearances included various offences from a case of ill treating a pony brought about by the RSPCA to a summons by an unmarried young woman, Amelia Nelly Smart, for maintenance for the twin daughters she had borne him in 1886.
But his most frequent appearances before the Bench were for fighting, usually drunken pub brawls but sometimes for taking part in pre-arranged prize fights.
One such court appearance occurred in 1890 before a special sitting of the Malmesbury Bench of Magistrates when John Ody, George Brain and the Rev. William Frederick Gover, Rector of Oaksey, were accused of "riotously, routously and tumultuously" disturbing the public peace, causing "a great noise, riot, tumult, and disturbance, to the great terror and disturbance of Her Majesty's subjects."
The reported case filled many newspaper columns, largely because of the involvement of the Rector, but all three men were eventually acquitted.
But by far the most tragic case was a fight between John and his old adversary Jesse Ellison and his brother Noah in the yard of the White Hart Inn, Ashton Keynes in July 1887.
Several witnesses were called, all giving much the same evidence; that an argument between John and Ellison resulted in a short fight after which younger brother Noah became involved.
One witness told how John had said: "I see I've got two to fight, Jessie Ellison and Nug (Meaning Noah), to which Noah replied. "Yes, as soon as you've done with Ellison, I'll have a cut at you, John."
The fight was quickly halted by another brother, George, but not before Noah fell to the ground where he lay insensible for a few minutes. With the help of George he eventually got up and made his way home.
Witness, Martha Pittaway, told how she found Noah lying in the road later that evening. She called for assistance and carried him to a neighbouring house where a wheelbarrow was obtained and she pushed him home. She stayed with him until he died at about 12 o'clock.
Dr Langley performed a post mortem examination during which he discovered congealed blood between the bone and the skull cap which he concluded was caused by the rupture of an artery. In his opinion the cause of death was the effusion of blood on the brain, that is, the congealed clot. The ruptured artery could only have been caused by external violence, it was stated, although this could have been when Noah fell and hit his head during the fight.
The case was adjourned and John was released on bail to appear at the Winchester Winter Assizes. On November 8, 1887 he was eventually acquitted of the charge of manslaughter to what must have been the huge relief of his family.
Although proved innocent of causing his brother's death, I wonder how he recovered from the shock and sorrow. It certainly didn't deter him from scrapping.
Fanny died aged 77 years old and was buried on January 3, 1900 in the churchyard at Ashton Keynes where her son Noah was laid to rest on July 9, 1887.
John Ody was a bit of a slippery character. The police had trouble keeping up with him and I lose him around 1901 as well.
The Ashton Keynes branch of the Ody family is related to the Lydiard Tregoze Ody family. Fanny's husband William was the son of George Ody who was born in the parish of Lydiard Tregoze. George was the son of Richard Ody who served in many parish offices. George had a brother Noah who with his numerous sons farmed the various Bolingbroke farms in the parish and with whom my Ody obsession began. Several members of this Ody branch of the family are buried in the churchyard at St Mary's - they would appear to be less fighty than the Ashton Keynes lot, unless you know differently.
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| Ody family grave published courtesy of Duncan and Mandy Ball |
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| Ody family grave published courtesy of Duncan and Mandy Ball |
