Member Benefits

Membership in the Horse Company came with the following benefits:

• A Recovery Award
• Thief Detection and Conviction Reward
• Circulation of Reward Notices by Hand Bills
• Advertising of a Reward in the Local and Regional Newspapers
• Loss Indemnity to the Owner for His Unrecovered Horse

In 1863 these benefits were expanded to include “Telegraph Expense” for the use of the “new fangled” device.

Recovery of Stolen Horses

• The first occasion on which the new Horse Company paid for the recovery of a horse was November 10, 1855 when $7.00 was paid to W.T. Boyd.
• 1861-1868 — three horses were stolen and their value paid by the Horse Company to Joshua Ashbridge, David Jones and Nehemiah Evans, while a fourth stolen horse was recovered and returned to John Wainwright.
• 1869-1899 — seven horses stolen and three recovered by action of the Horse Company. Two were never recovered and value was paid to the owners.
• 1911 — the last stolen horse, according to Horse Company Records, was John Dunn’s, his bay horse, business wagon and a set of harnesses. Several months later, after the Horse Company had paid Mr. Dunn, his horse was recovered. An inspection of the animal, in accordance with Company by-laws, concluded that the horse was worthless and no money was returned to the Horse Company.