Alan Shelley

Anthony Crittenden BSc, Chair and Hon. Company Secretary of the JapaneseAnimal Welfare Society Tony trained in agriculture, (my old roommate at Plumpton College) before joining the RSPCA’s inspectorate in 1962. He was engaged with frontline animal welfare work in Surrey, North Wales, Cheshire and Lancashire until 1995, when he transferred to the Society’s Legal department as Chief Superintendent of Prosecutions.  In 1999, Tony became the Chief Officer of the RSPCA’s inspectorate, responsible for the recruitment, training, deployment and general standards of…

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Family, Friends, Farming, Fonts, Folk-right & Freedom My biographical philosophy is pretty simple to follow. The family usually comes first, and everything emanates from that. I have luckily been blessed with outstanding good fortune and am well aware of this. However, I also humbly accept that all people and circumstances should be treated respectfully, conscientiously and with kindness. This to my mind has generally been the custom of English tradition. English heritage, its culture, landscape, and traditions has always been…

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It is not always fully appreciated how the “square mile” is the model of English heritage. Established by the Romans and developed by Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror recognised its autonomy. He built his home castle on the outside of the city wall to signify the corporate independence. London has been self-regulated since records began. Governed by a Portreeve whose title under King John became Lord Mayor. The Mayor of London has complete control over the municipal wealth and…

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During the 1990s rising discussion over public access to the countryside came to a head. It was particularly driven by a lady named Marion Shoard, supported by the Ramblers association. With such books as “ The Theft of the Countryside and “This is our Land” she captured the political aspirations of societies such  as the Open Spaces Society intricately connected to the ‘National Trust’. The then Labour Government were obliged to develop an Act of Parliament namely the Countryside and…

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Freedom in England and Wales There are many interesting traditions in England that date back even before the Norman Conquest. Laws applying to customs remain in force until they are displaced by statutory Acts of Parliament. Ancient rules and regulations apply to common lands, grazing rights, rights of way, to hunting and fishing, among others and especially to the defence of our personal liberties. It is not so long ago (1830s) that our country was very much governed by the…

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Megalithic (puddingstone) Marker I recently came across an interesting article by Gerry Smith in the Autumn 2024 Suffolk Review. He brings to light the theory of Dr Ernest A. Rudge about ‘puddingstones’. Puddingstones are minor megaliths (surfaced like plum puddings) that crop up in various places. The theory is that they were placed by Neolithic man as ‘way-markers’ to aid the distribution of Flint loads from its sources. In other words they marked the ‘Flint-ways, in much the same as…

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Descriptions of Courts Courts Baron. Courts Leet. Customary Courts of the manor. Courts of Pie Poudre. Courts of the Staple. Courts of the clerks of the markets (or clerk of the market). Hundred Courts. Law Days. Views of Frankpledge. Common law (or Sheriffs’) county courts as known before the passing of the M1 County Courts Act 1846. Changes to legislation: There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Administration of Justice Act 1977, Part II . Part II Specific Courts…

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Following the nomadic period and ignoring the Roman conquest, people were beginning to settle in tribal territories. This was the family kinship system much as the Clans in Scotland. Boundaries were jealously guarded. The tribal system became modified by King Offa who appears to have introduced the Feudal organisation. When King William conquered England, all lands were deemed to be under the ownership of the King. For many subsequent years, the land has been distributed among members and associates of…

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