Published in Windlesora 27 (2011)
© WLHG
Flashback to 1882 and we have Roderick McLean about to appear before Windsor Magistrates on a charge of attempting to murder the Queen. Those worthy gentlemen of the time routinely sat in the Guildhall and petty criminals stood before them and were sentenced.
But this time it was different. This heinous crime demanded special treatment. And special treatment demanded the accused be arraigned before their Worships in a dock. (A dock is that railed structure into which prisoners are cast and in which they must declare their plea and ultimately hear their sentence.)
One great problem: Windsor Magistrates Court/the Guildhall didn’t have one. Ever innovative, their Worships ordained that a local carpenter immediately construct one. The identity of that craftsman is now lost in the mists of time. But he did a great job. It was not perhaps of the quality of docks in the Royal Courts of Justice in London, but it was adequate to see this prisoner with as appropriate.
After the hearing, Mr McLean was sent to Berkshire Assizes and what followed there is another story. Suffice it to say that the Windsor Guildhall caretaker had to deal with the dock, now no longer needed. It is not known whether or not their Worships gave any instructions in this regard; probably not. Thankfully, the Guildhall had a commodious cellar and so the dock was dutifully stored down there until further needed.
Flashforward something in the region of a hundred years or so and guess what, the dock is still there.
For many a year, Windsor had been blessed with its very own Coroner. Such an esteemed gentleman investigated suspicious deaths within the Royal Borough. He was nothing to do with the East Berkshire Coroner (good heavens no) and his task was not particularly onerous. In due course of time, those two jurisdictions were amalgamated. A hundred years on the new all- encompassing coroner was having difficulty in finding a spare courtroom in which to hold weekly inquests. Someone came up with the bright idea that the Guildhall should be brought back into service, this time as a coroner’s court. So it came to pass that the coroner sat in what must be the most prestigious courtroom in the land. It was perfect. It had portraits of kings and queens and two great chandeliers on loan from the Queen.
But one thing it didn’t have and that was a witness box. What could be done about it? Structural alterations to the Bench would be frowned upon. But you can’t have witnesses standing in limbo not knowing where to put their hands.
Coroner’s Officers are among the most resourceful men in the land. One of them remembered the old dock slumbering in the basement. It was brought up, dusted and put in place. It fitted perfectly! It was the answer to the problem. Many a witness has stood in it swearing to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and probably had no idea of the infamous past of what he was standing in.
So far as the author knows, it is still in use. I wonder if that ancient carpenter is up there somewhere looking down and with a knowing look in his eyes. He should have had a medal.
Robert W Wilson
Former Windsor Coroner
Windsor Local History Group 