They left a red trail of vandalism across the town – Complete with broken pots, damaged signs, and trashed monuments. They proceeded into the town, painting random doors red. They gave the guard and his companion a fresh coat of red paint, nailed the door of their toll house shut and painted that red too. They didn’t stop there, however, and got creative with their hooliganism. Taking the toll keeper’s demand as an insult, the Marquis of Waterford and his goons proceeded to trash up the poor guard. The gates were in a state of repair, and equipment such as ladders, paintbrushes, and pots of paint was strewn around. They were loud and raucous, and the toll keeper demanded an entry fare. The guards could clearly see that the hooligan riders had freshly finished up a night of debauchery and drinking. Unbeknownst to anyone involved at the time, the events that followed would create history. At the head of the fox-hunting party was Henry Beresford, the third Marquees of Waterford. This was when a group of huntsmen riding on horses approached the gate. The year was 1837, and the Leicestershire folk were hours away from beginning a fresh new day. The men who guarded the Thorpe End tollgate of the quaint British town of Melton Mowbray were getting ready to wrap up their shifts. Dawn was near, but the sky was still dark.
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