Among the dusty old records of the Victorian courts are some which tell the story of a Llanwnog man who got into very serious trouble. His name was Evan Owen he had already been found guilty of one offence when he was brought before the courts again.
In the document below we see him listed among those at the County Gaol in Montgomery awaiting trial in the autumn of 1844.

The records show that Evan Owen was a labourer aged 60 and charged with stealing three geese from a John Price.
The column which has the word "neither" is the space for the information on whether the prisoner could read or write. In this case Evan Owen could do neither. He had probably never had a day at school in his life and would have found the court proceedings very confusing.

More on the case of Evan Owen...