In October 1902, the noted naturalist and author WH Hudson met and talked with a Widow Garnett in Selborne, who told him the story which he recounted in his 'Hampshire Days.'
In this, she describes how her father, John Newland, had led the attack on the Selborne workhouse, blowing his horn, and how he escaped capture by hiding up on the Hanger which overlooks the village.
Hudson's version of events is widely repeated in several histories of Hampshire – and certainly John Newland achieved some sort of celebrity status in the village in his lifetime, being buried in a place of honour next to the famous Selborne yew, where to this day a stone marks the grave of 'The Trumpeter.'
But in his testimony at his trial – for he was indeed captured – John Newland claims that he was pressed by Aaron Harding to leave his work on the Monday, that he blew his horn only once at the desire of some of the men, and that in the evening he was "knocked down by some of the party for not having taken an active part at the workhouse," and this version seems to have convinced the authorities who gave him 6 months in gaol for his part in the procedings – somewhat less than the punishment given to the 'true' leaders.
A fictionalised story of how the Newland family may have reacted to these events has since been written by John Newland's Great-great-granddaughter Jean – see Echoes of a Trumpet
Outside the Museum of Farnham: The wooden post which marked the 'Trumpeter's' grave at Selborne – now replaced there by a stone.