A report from the County Police office in Alford, January 1848, adds to previous items suggesting a somewhat bawdy element in Alford at this time, first discovered in the stories from Alford Fair.
Having dealt with four boys for obstructing the thoroughfare and creating a noise during Sunday Service, followed by two bastardy orders, the Reverends Dodson, Vyner and Travers turned their attention to Eliza …
Eliza Maidens of Alford appeared against; Robert Bell of Bilsby, rat-catcher, and general dealer, Sam Rhodes, of Alford and person called ” Red Eye,” who had been working on the East Lincolnshire railway, for entering her house on Saturday night the 15th inst, and damaging property therein of the value of 10s. the complainant begged permission of the bench to be allowed to settle the matter with the parties out of court, which was granted: the parties all left the court together, and adjourned to the Windmill inn tap.; where after settling the affair amicably they had a regular jollification, during which the fair complainant was thrown into a state of somnolency, and conveyed to her domicile minus her exterior and nether garments which were subsequently found by the police, and restored to their unconscious owner. Stamford Mercury – Friday 28 January 1848
The reverend gentlemen fined labourer Jas. Frankish for being drunk and disorderly in the street before they turned their attention to the matter of Ann Richardson’s complaint against Miss E Buffham, Alford beer -seller for having assualted her in public: Miss Buffham was fined 1s. and 5s. costs.
Alford appears to have had some miseries of its own.
About Alford 
Journalists had a way with words then: I love the phrase: “thrown into a state of somnolency”!