On Tuesday 21st September 1875 a fight took place near the Thatchers Arms, Meeting Lane, which resulted in the death, four days later, of Josiah Dent, a 29 year old labourer. He was fatally stabbed during a scuffle that took place across the road from the pub, near the garden wall of "Rosebank".

A group of four men,Thomas and John Wood, Dent and his assailant George Westly, had been drinking and making music in the barwith a tambourine, tin whisle and bonesbut had quarrelled, resulting in the tambourine being slashed with a knife by Westly. The quarrel continued outside where Dent was stabbed in the stomach and thigh by Westly. He was taken home and a doctor was called from Kettering.

Meanwhile, Westly had fled and was arrested at Oundle two dys later, still with the knife in his possession. Josiah Dent died the following Saturday, leaving a wife and two young children.

At the inquest held at the Red Cow Inn on the day of Josiah's funeral, the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter against George Westly, and he was taken away to await his trial.