IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 9 - 15 FEBRUARY 1926
This week's many stories from a century ago include the Sherdley Colliery miner's death from a minor injury, the glass stoppers stolen from Nuttall's bottleworks for use as marbles, the cars that were on sale in Prescot Road, the casual attitude towards explosives that led to five detonators being stolen and an appeal in the Commons to suspend the evictions of 100 persons living near Sutton's poison gas works.
Sherdley Colliery in Peasley Cross was in close proximity to St Helens Hospital and so injured miners could quickly receive treatment. That boosted survival rates but with the limited medication and technologies of the 1920s, many men still lost their lives. On the 10th Martin Murphy became the latest to die in hospital after the 38-year-old from Higher Parr Street had been injured at Sherdley.
At Mr Murphy's inquest it was revealed that he had been struck on a leg by a bar used to support the pit roof but he had not thought his injury serious enough to warrant reporting. He had his wound dressed but five days later complained at the colliery that his leg was so swollen that he could not continue his work and he needed to be carried to St Helens Hospital.
Septic poisoning had set in and with no antibiotics available, what was on the face of it a minor injury led to the man's death. At Martin Murphy's inquest as a verdict of misadventure was recorded, the coroner said: "They do not mention every small thing that happen. People would say they were soft if they did."
Explosives were used in a wide range of St Helens industries and strict safety protocols were supposed to be in place as to their storage and use. But sometimes a casual attitude prevailed, as was revealed on the 11th when three youths appeared in court charged with stealing five detonators from a clayhole at the old Kurtz works.
Superintendent Dunn told the Bench that the lads had entered the works, took the detonators from a box and gave one to another boy who played with it at home and injured his left arm when it exploded. The magistrates told the youths that they could easily have been killed but only ordered them to pay 5 shillings costs.
The Bench were more critical of the firm for their carelessness in leaving a box of detonators lying about. A representative from the works told the hearing that the man who should have looked after the detonators had failed to turn up to his job but promised greater care in future.
Large numbers of boys were employed in the various glassworks in St Helens and those working in the bottleworks took home a huge number of glass stoppers. In a court case in St Helens in January 1919, a manager of the Cannington Shaw bottleworks of United Glass claimed these lads stole "thousands of gross" of stoppers from his firm each year. These were then used to play marbles and smash street lamps. One thousand gross would, of course, be 144,000 and so the mind boggles at the actual quantity if thousands of gross were nicked!
Sometimes the errant boys would be caught and on the 11th a youth named Birkett of Eccleston Street appeared in court charged with stealing 262 glass stoppers from Nuttalls bottle works. A suspicious policeman had seen a group of boys playing marbles in the street and upon enquiring where they had come from was told the marbles had been bought off the lad called Birkett.
He was bound over upon payment of costs after explaining that he had taken the stoppers to boost his miserly pocket money. Children who were working were routinely expected to hand over their wages to their mother who would give them back a small amount of pocket money. Birkett claimed that for his hard labours he only got back from his mum ninepence a week but apologised for what he had done, no doubt hoping that he would still have a job to go to.
Master Birkett's capture was through an inquisitive policeman being on his beat – something that has largely been lost from modern day policing methods. That level of neighbourhood nosiness by a boy in blue was also responsible for Peter Hurst of Station Road in Haydock being prosecuted. PC Phillips had noticed a light burning in a side street in Parr and found Hurst with a bicycle and two lamps.
He claimed that he had bought the machine from a man in Earlestown for £3 but upon examining the bike PC Phillips found the name "Bickerstaffe, Keswick-road St. Helens" on a small card inside a tool bag. Hurst had previous convictions for stealing bicycles and the Chairman of the magistrates said fining him £5 or 28 days in prison might cure him of his habit.
The forced evictions of over 100 persons living in homes near the Sutton poison gas factory in Abbotsfield Road (pictured above) were raised again this week in the House of Commons. The War Department had become the landlord of the 16 houses and ordered their tenants to leave on what they claimed to be safety grounds. That was because of the homes' close proximity to what became known as the Sutton Oak Chemical Defence Research Establishment, which was responsible for the research, development and production of chemical warfare agents.
In the Commons, James Sexton, the St Helens MP, asked the government for a six-month stay on the eviction order. That was on the basis that the 102 residents had been living near the factory since it began seven years before without any danger and had no means of finding alternative accommodation at present. However, he was told that the tenants had received lengthy warning of their evictions.
And although it was said that the War Department was prepared to show all possible consideration to the residents, they would not be able to grant a 6-month suspension to the eviction order, which St Helens County Court had recently ratified. There was strong suspicion that the real reason that the War Department wanted the tenants out was so their houses could be demolished and the poison gas works extended.
There was an advert in the St Helens Reporter on the 12th from McLean & Appleton of Prescot Road who were Morris dealers. They wrote: "We have in stock for immediate delivery two-seater, four-seater and Saloon Cowley and Oxford models. Any car supplied on deferred terms or your old car taken in part exchange."
Their prices of Morris cars started at £162 10 shillings but they varied depending on whether they were two-seater or four-seater and whether or not they had four-wheel brakes. Four-wheel brakes on cars only began appearing in 1921 and most cars on St Helens roads in 1926 would still have had brakes only applied to their rear wheels.
"Use Electricity and Live", said an unusual advert in the Reporter for the annual dinner of employees of the St Helens electricity works, which added: "Millions now dead never used electricity".
And finally, what was described as a Labour Party Social comprising a tea and concert took place in Bushey Lane School in Rainford on the 12th. The Ormskirk Advertiser wrote: "The tables groaned with good things, freely given by local people, and a goodly company did ample justice to the repast."
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Whiston workhouse scandal, the maid that was gassed in a Park Road hotel, the Southport Colliery miner who switched tallies, the Thatto Heath seduction and the lorry that crashed into the Theatre Royal.
At Mr Murphy's inquest it was revealed that he had been struck on a leg by a bar used to support the pit roof but he had not thought his injury serious enough to warrant reporting. He had his wound dressed but five days later complained at the colliery that his leg was so swollen that he could not continue his work and he needed to be carried to St Helens Hospital.
Septic poisoning had set in and with no antibiotics available, what was on the face of it a minor injury led to the man's death. At Martin Murphy's inquest as a verdict of misadventure was recorded, the coroner said: "They do not mention every small thing that happen. People would say they were soft if they did."
Explosives were used in a wide range of St Helens industries and strict safety protocols were supposed to be in place as to their storage and use. But sometimes a casual attitude prevailed, as was revealed on the 11th when three youths appeared in court charged with stealing five detonators from a clayhole at the old Kurtz works.
Superintendent Dunn told the Bench that the lads had entered the works, took the detonators from a box and gave one to another boy who played with it at home and injured his left arm when it exploded. The magistrates told the youths that they could easily have been killed but only ordered them to pay 5 shillings costs.
The Bench were more critical of the firm for their carelessness in leaving a box of detonators lying about. A representative from the works told the hearing that the man who should have looked after the detonators had failed to turn up to his job but promised greater care in future.
Large numbers of boys were employed in the various glassworks in St Helens and those working in the bottleworks took home a huge number of glass stoppers. In a court case in St Helens in January 1919, a manager of the Cannington Shaw bottleworks of United Glass claimed these lads stole "thousands of gross" of stoppers from his firm each year. These were then used to play marbles and smash street lamps. One thousand gross would, of course, be 144,000 and so the mind boggles at the actual quantity if thousands of gross were nicked!
Sometimes the errant boys would be caught and on the 11th a youth named Birkett of Eccleston Street appeared in court charged with stealing 262 glass stoppers from Nuttalls bottle works. A suspicious policeman had seen a group of boys playing marbles in the street and upon enquiring where they had come from was told the marbles had been bought off the lad called Birkett.
He was bound over upon payment of costs after explaining that he had taken the stoppers to boost his miserly pocket money. Children who were working were routinely expected to hand over their wages to their mother who would give them back a small amount of pocket money. Birkett claimed that for his hard labours he only got back from his mum ninepence a week but apologised for what he had done, no doubt hoping that he would still have a job to go to.
Master Birkett's capture was through an inquisitive policeman being on his beat – something that has largely been lost from modern day policing methods. That level of neighbourhood nosiness by a boy in blue was also responsible for Peter Hurst of Station Road in Haydock being prosecuted. PC Phillips had noticed a light burning in a side street in Parr and found Hurst with a bicycle and two lamps.
He claimed that he had bought the machine from a man in Earlestown for £3 but upon examining the bike PC Phillips found the name "Bickerstaffe, Keswick-road St. Helens" on a small card inside a tool bag. Hurst had previous convictions for stealing bicycles and the Chairman of the magistrates said fining him £5 or 28 days in prison might cure him of his habit.
In the Commons, James Sexton, the St Helens MP, asked the government for a six-month stay on the eviction order. That was on the basis that the 102 residents had been living near the factory since it began seven years before without any danger and had no means of finding alternative accommodation at present. However, he was told that the tenants had received lengthy warning of their evictions.
And although it was said that the War Department was prepared to show all possible consideration to the residents, they would not be able to grant a 6-month suspension to the eviction order, which St Helens County Court had recently ratified. There was strong suspicion that the real reason that the War Department wanted the tenants out was so their houses could be demolished and the poison gas works extended.
There was an advert in the St Helens Reporter on the 12th from McLean & Appleton of Prescot Road who were Morris dealers. They wrote: "We have in stock for immediate delivery two-seater, four-seater and Saloon Cowley and Oxford models. Any car supplied on deferred terms or your old car taken in part exchange."
Their prices of Morris cars started at £162 10 shillings but they varied depending on whether they were two-seater or four-seater and whether or not they had four-wheel brakes. Four-wheel brakes on cars only began appearing in 1921 and most cars on St Helens roads in 1926 would still have had brakes only applied to their rear wheels.
"Use Electricity and Live", said an unusual advert in the Reporter for the annual dinner of employees of the St Helens electricity works, which added: "Millions now dead never used electricity".
And finally, what was described as a Labour Party Social comprising a tea and concert took place in Bushey Lane School in Rainford on the 12th. The Ormskirk Advertiser wrote: "The tables groaned with good things, freely given by local people, and a goodly company did ample justice to the repast."
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Whiston workhouse scandal, the maid that was gassed in a Park Road hotel, the Southport Colliery miner who switched tallies, the Thatto Heath seduction and the lorry that crashed into the Theatre Royal.
This week's many stories from a century ago include the Sherdley Colliery miner's death from a minor injury, the glass stoppers stolen from Nuttall's bottleworks for use as marbles, the cars that were on sale in Prescot Road, the casual attitude towards explosives that led to five detonators being stolen and an appeal in the Commons to suspend the evictions of 100 persons living near Sutton's poison gas works.
Sherdley Colliery in Peasley Cross was in close proximity to St Helens Hospital and so injured miners could quickly receive treatment.
That boosted survival rates but with the limited medication and technologies of the 1920s, many men still lost their lives.
On the 10th Martin Murphy became the latest to die in hospital after the 38-year-old from Higher Parr Street had been injured at Sherdley.
At Mr Murphy's inquest it was revealed that he had been struck on a leg by a bar used to support the pit roof but he had not thought his injury serious enough to warrant reporting.
He had his wound dressed but five days later complained at the colliery that his leg was so swollen that he could not continue his work and he needed to be carried to St Helens Hospital.
Septic poisoning had set in and with no antibiotics available, what was on the face of it a minor injury led to the man's death.
At Martin Murphy's inquest as a verdict of misadventure was recorded, the coroner said: "They do not mention every small thing that happen. People would say they were soft if they did."
Explosives were used in a wide range of St Helens industries and strict safety protocols were supposed to be in place as to their storage and use.
But sometimes a casual attitude prevailed, as was revealed on the 11th when three youths appeared in court charged with stealing five detonators from a clayhole at the old Kurtz works.
Superintendent Dunn told the Bench that the lads had entered the works, took the detonators from a box and gave one to another boy who played with it at home and injured his left arm when it exploded.
The magistrates told the youths that they could easily have been killed but only ordered them to pay 5 shillings costs.
The Bench were more critical of the firm for their carelessness in leaving a box of detonators lying about.
A representative from the works told the hearing that the man who should have looked after the detonators had failed to turn up to his job but promised greater care in future.
Large numbers of boys were employed in the various glassworks in St Helens and those working in the bottleworks took home a huge number of glass stoppers.
In a court case in St Helens in January 1919, a manager of the Cannington Shaw bottleworks of United Glass claimed these lads stole "thousands of gross" of stoppers from his firm each year. These were then used to play marbles and smash street lamps.
One thousand gross would, of course, be 144,000 and so the mind boggles at the actual quantity if thousands of gross were nicked!
Sometimes the errant boys would be caught and on the 11th a youth named Birkett of Eccleston Street appeared in court charged with stealing 262 glass stoppers from Nuttalls bottle works.
A suspicious policeman had seen a group of boys playing marbles in the street and upon enquiring where they had come from was told the marbles had been bought off the lad called Birkett.
He was bound over upon payment of costs after explaining that he had taken the stoppers to boost his miserly pocket money.
Children who were working were routinely expected to hand over their wages to their mother who would give them back a small amount of pocket money.
Birkett claimed that for his hard labours he only got back from his mum ninepence a week but apologised for what he had done, no doubt hoping that he would still have a job to go to.
Master Birkett's capture was through an inquisitive policeman being on his beat – something that has largely been lost from modern day policing methods.
That level of neighbourhood nosiness by a boy in blue was also responsible for Peter Hurst of Station Road in Haydock being prosecuted.
PC Phillips had noticed a light burning in a side street in Parr and found Hurst with a bicycle and two lamps.
He claimed that he had bought the machine from a man in Earlestown for £3 but upon examining the bike PC Phillips found the name "Bickerstaffe, Keswick-road St. Helens" on a small card inside a tool bag.
Hurst had previous convictions for stealing bicycles and the Chairman of the magistrates said fining him £5 or 28 days in prison might cure him of his habit.
The forced evictions of over 100 persons living in homes near the Sutton poison gas factory in Abbotsfield Road (pictured above) were raised again this week in the House of Commons.
The War Department had become the landlord of the 16 houses and ordered their tenants to leave on what they claimed to be safety grounds.
That was because of the homes' close proximity to what became known as the Sutton Oak Chemical Defence Research Establishment, which was responsible for the research, development and production of chemical warfare agents.
In the Commons, James Sexton, the St Helens MP, asked the government for a six-month stay on the eviction order.
That was on the basis that the 102 residents had been living near the factory since it began seven years before without any danger and had no means of finding alternative accommodation at present.
However, he was told that the tenants had received lengthy warning of their evictions.
And although it was said that the War Department was prepared to show all possible consideration to the residents, they would not be able to grant a 6-month suspension to the eviction order, which St Helens County Court had recently ratified.
There was strong suspicion that the real reason that the War Department wanted the tenants out was so their houses could be demolished and the poison gas works extended.
There was an advert in the St Helens Reporter on the 12th from McLean & Appleton of Prescot Road who were Morris dealers. They wrote:
"We have in stock for immediate delivery two-seater, four-seater and Saloon Cowley and Oxford models. Any car supplied on deferred terms or your old car taken in part exchange."
Their prices of Morris cars started at £162 10 shillings but they varied depending on whether they were two-seater or four-seater and whether or not they had four-wheel brakes.
Four-wheel brakes on cars only began appearing in 1921 and most cars on St Helens roads in 1926 would still have had brakes only applied to their rear wheels.
"Use Electricity and Live", said an unusual advert in the Reporter for the annual dinner of employees of the St Helens electricity works, which added: "Millions now dead never used electricity".
And finally, what was described as a Labour Party Social comprising a tea and concert took place in Bushey Lane School in Rainford on the 12th. The Ormskirk Advertiser wrote:
"The tables groaned with good things, freely given by local people, and a goodly company did ample justice to the repast."
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Whiston workhouse scandal, the maid that was gassed in a Park Road hotel, the Southport Colliery miner who switched tallies, the Thatto Heath seduction and the lorry that crashed into the Theatre Royal.
That boosted survival rates but with the limited medication and technologies of the 1920s, many men still lost their lives.
On the 10th Martin Murphy became the latest to die in hospital after the 38-year-old from Higher Parr Street had been injured at Sherdley.
At Mr Murphy's inquest it was revealed that he had been struck on a leg by a bar used to support the pit roof but he had not thought his injury serious enough to warrant reporting.
He had his wound dressed but five days later complained at the colliery that his leg was so swollen that he could not continue his work and he needed to be carried to St Helens Hospital.
Septic poisoning had set in and with no antibiotics available, what was on the face of it a minor injury led to the man's death.
At Martin Murphy's inquest as a verdict of misadventure was recorded, the coroner said: "They do not mention every small thing that happen. People would say they were soft if they did."
Explosives were used in a wide range of St Helens industries and strict safety protocols were supposed to be in place as to their storage and use.
But sometimes a casual attitude prevailed, as was revealed on the 11th when three youths appeared in court charged with stealing five detonators from a clayhole at the old Kurtz works.
Superintendent Dunn told the Bench that the lads had entered the works, took the detonators from a box and gave one to another boy who played with it at home and injured his left arm when it exploded.
The magistrates told the youths that they could easily have been killed but only ordered them to pay 5 shillings costs.
The Bench were more critical of the firm for their carelessness in leaving a box of detonators lying about.
A representative from the works told the hearing that the man who should have looked after the detonators had failed to turn up to his job but promised greater care in future.
Large numbers of boys were employed in the various glassworks in St Helens and those working in the bottleworks took home a huge number of glass stoppers.
In a court case in St Helens in January 1919, a manager of the Cannington Shaw bottleworks of United Glass claimed these lads stole "thousands of gross" of stoppers from his firm each year. These were then used to play marbles and smash street lamps.
One thousand gross would, of course, be 144,000 and so the mind boggles at the actual quantity if thousands of gross were nicked!
Sometimes the errant boys would be caught and on the 11th a youth named Birkett of Eccleston Street appeared in court charged with stealing 262 glass stoppers from Nuttalls bottle works.
A suspicious policeman had seen a group of boys playing marbles in the street and upon enquiring where they had come from was told the marbles had been bought off the lad called Birkett.
He was bound over upon payment of costs after explaining that he had taken the stoppers to boost his miserly pocket money.
Children who were working were routinely expected to hand over their wages to their mother who would give them back a small amount of pocket money.
Birkett claimed that for his hard labours he only got back from his mum ninepence a week but apologised for what he had done, no doubt hoping that he would still have a job to go to.
Master Birkett's capture was through an inquisitive policeman being on his beat – something that has largely been lost from modern day policing methods.
That level of neighbourhood nosiness by a boy in blue was also responsible for Peter Hurst of Station Road in Haydock being prosecuted.
PC Phillips had noticed a light burning in a side street in Parr and found Hurst with a bicycle and two lamps.
He claimed that he had bought the machine from a man in Earlestown for £3 but upon examining the bike PC Phillips found the name "Bickerstaffe, Keswick-road St. Helens" on a small card inside a tool bag.
Hurst had previous convictions for stealing bicycles and the Chairman of the magistrates said fining him £5 or 28 days in prison might cure him of his habit.
The War Department had become the landlord of the 16 houses and ordered their tenants to leave on what they claimed to be safety grounds.
That was because of the homes' close proximity to what became known as the Sutton Oak Chemical Defence Research Establishment, which was responsible for the research, development and production of chemical warfare agents.
In the Commons, James Sexton, the St Helens MP, asked the government for a six-month stay on the eviction order.
That was on the basis that the 102 residents had been living near the factory since it began seven years before without any danger and had no means of finding alternative accommodation at present.
However, he was told that the tenants had received lengthy warning of their evictions.
And although it was said that the War Department was prepared to show all possible consideration to the residents, they would not be able to grant a 6-month suspension to the eviction order, which St Helens County Court had recently ratified.
There was strong suspicion that the real reason that the War Department wanted the tenants out was so their houses could be demolished and the poison gas works extended.
There was an advert in the St Helens Reporter on the 12th from McLean & Appleton of Prescot Road who were Morris dealers. They wrote:
"We have in stock for immediate delivery two-seater, four-seater and Saloon Cowley and Oxford models. Any car supplied on deferred terms or your old car taken in part exchange."
Their prices of Morris cars started at £162 10 shillings but they varied depending on whether they were two-seater or four-seater and whether or not they had four-wheel brakes.
Four-wheel brakes on cars only began appearing in 1921 and most cars on St Helens roads in 1926 would still have had brakes only applied to their rear wheels.
"Use Electricity and Live", said an unusual advert in the Reporter for the annual dinner of employees of the St Helens electricity works, which added: "Millions now dead never used electricity".
And finally, what was described as a Labour Party Social comprising a tea and concert took place in Bushey Lane School in Rainford on the 12th. The Ormskirk Advertiser wrote:
"The tables groaned with good things, freely given by local people, and a goodly company did ample justice to the repast."
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Whiston workhouse scandal, the maid that was gassed in a Park Road hotel, the Southport Colliery miner who switched tallies, the Thatto Heath seduction and the lorry that crashed into the Theatre Royal.