IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (20th - 26th MARCH 1923)
This week's many stories include the slippery milk spill at St Helens station, the young women of St Helens perform a workout for the Mayor, Rainhill's top football referee is forced to retire, the Greenbank woman accused of making a racket about spousal abuse, the Duke Street boy's day off dilemma and the 20-year-old St Helens woman sent to a girls home for sleeping out at Southport.
We begin at St Helens County Court on the 21st when Isabella Taberner from Wigan sued dairyman William Hunter for £30 damages for injuries suffered at St Helens Railway Station. The court in East Street heard that the elderly lady had alighted from a Wigan train at Shaw Street and immediately slipped on milk that had been spilt on the platform. Milk then came in large cans not bottles and a milk can had been lying nearby. Mrs Taberner was knocked unconscious by the fall and fractured her wrist, which she said had become deformed.
However, counsel for the defendant said there was no case to answer. There had been 150 cans of milk on the platform during that morning and even if his client had spilled the milk – which was denied – it had been up to the railway officials to keep the platform clean. As a result of hearing the evidence, Judge Dowdall ruled that negligence by Mr Hunter had not been proved and the case was dismissed.
The St Helens Reporter described on the 23rd how the Mayor had enjoyed himself watching lots of young ladies working out – but thought that St Helens men after the war had had enough of drills: "Why do men shun physical drill? Is it because memories still rankle of the hundred and something quick-step of the barrack square, or the unlovable fellow who fired orders with the sharp, metallic voice of a machine gun?
"This train of thought was induced by the splendid gymnastic exhibition, which was given at a rally of the St. Helens Union of Girls' Clubs at the Town Hall on Thursday night, when the Mayor (Ald. Peter Phythian) saw the significance of the movement very quickly, and expressed the conviction that in the next generation they would have an A1 population amongst the women. The spectacle of successive squads of girls going with grace unbounded and almost military precision…was one which compelled admiration and no little wonder at the recent almost amazing rate of expansion in this branch of physical culture."
The paper also wrote: "Last Saturday, for the first time in the history of Rainford, a fancy dress ball was held at the Village Hall (pictured above), promoted by Mrs. Berry and daughter. The scene was a gay one, the charming costumes of the ladies being most picturesque. About 10 o’clock the parade took place for the purpose of awarding six prizes for the best fancy dress costumes."
The Reporter also broke the news that top football referee Job "Jock" Davies of Rainhill was very likely to be forced out of the game. The paper described him as "one of the best referees of the day" and explained that Jock had become the licensee of the Coach and Horses in Rainhill. The Football League refused to allow pub landlords to be in any way associated with the game and so he was expecting to be asked to resign.
During his short career as a first-class referee, Jock had been in charge of an FA Cup Final and was regularly praised in the newspapers for the way he handled matches. The Reporter said Davies was leaving with great regret but the offer to take over the Coach and Horses was too good to turn down.
Rebellious girls could be treated quite harshly by the justice system. Some were declared as feeble-minded and placed in mental asylums and others despatched to a girls' home for a set period of time. And these were not necessarily young girls, say, 13 or 14 years of age. Grace Montgomery was twenty when she appeared in court at Southport where she had been working as a servant. This is how the Reporter described her case:
"Grace Montgomery, a St. Helens girl, was brought up in custody at Southport on Friday, charged on remand with a breach of probation. When previously before the court she was given the option of going to a home or being sent to gaol for three months. She then refused to go to a home, and was remanded [to prison] in order that she might think the matter over. On Friday she said she thought it was a home that she had been at since her appearance before the magistrates.
"The Clerk explained that it was a prison she had been in. Defendant: I did not like the place. She repeated that she did not want to go to a home, but later consented to go to a home for twelve months." The Liverpool Echo in their account filled in some gaps. The police evidence against Grace had been that she had been sleeping out and otherwise "not behaving herself as she should". And before she had agreed to go to the girls' home, Grace had been removed from the court screaming.
Mary Ryan did not take being thumped by her husband lying down. Sergeant Harvey told St Helens Police Court on the 23rd that he had found the woman making a right din in Arthur Street at 11:30pm on the previous Saturday night. A crowd was following Mary who was shouting and swearing about her husband having hit her. In court charged with committing a breach of the peace, Mary from Sandfield Crescent in Greenbank drew attention to her bruised face and arm and complained that she had gone to the police officer for protection against her husband – but he had only sent her home.
Sgt. Harvey agreed that Mrs Ryan had been struck but said when he had seen her in Arthur Street she had been the aggressive party "and kept up the bother when her husband was in bed". Asked by the Bench whether she was "all right" with her husband now, Mary said she was and did not think there would be any more quarrelling. She was bound over to keep the peace for three months.
On the 26th in St Helens Police Court a young woman called Rachel Critchley from Crawford Street in Clock Face fainted in the dock after pleading guilty to stealing a ring from the house of a friend. Rachel said she had not intended to take the ring having simply placed it on her finger and then later had put her gloves on without thinking. Her husband had left her three years earlier with three children to support and she had been forced to go into service. Mrs Critchley was dealt as a first offender and bound over.
It would be some years before newspapers were legally obliged not to name children being prosecuted. Some had voluntarily agreed not to name kids in court – such as the St Helens Reporter. Others hadn't – such as the Liverpool Echo. But even for papers that had decided not to reveal identities of children in trouble, the system was far from perfect. The aforementioned Grace Montgomery – who was treated like a child despite being twenty – had her name splashed in many papers, including the Reporter. And when names were withheld, there were often clues as to the youngster's identity.
In St Helens Juvenile Court on the 26th a boy appeared charged with stealing the 12s 6d wages of Alfred Pinnington. He was an apprentice to a painter and decorator and had been working at what the Reporter described as a public house in Duke Street (shown above). Next door lived the unnamed young thief who had a problem. He was also in employment and like other young workers had to hand his weekly wages over to his mother to pay for his keep.
During the previous week the boy had decided to take a day off and so his pay packet was 2s 6d light. His mother knew nothing of his absence and fearing her reaction he helped himself to the pay packet of Alfred Pinnington who had foolishly left his meagre wages in his overcoat. That had temporarily been placed in the other boy's yard, along with painting and decorating materials.
There was, of course, more than one pub in Duke Street but those that lived in the area would have known which was being redecorated and so the identity of the boy could be deduced. Those still in the dark could read the report of the Echo that stated that the lad had been Edward Butler who lived next door to the Volunteer Inn. The youth had not spent the rest of the money that had been stolen after seemingly not knowing what to do with it and so he was cautioned and bound over.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's many stories will include the Westfield Street gas explosion, the opening of the Parish Church recreation ground, a call for a bye-law compelling the humane slaughter of animals and the death of a leading St Helens clergyman.
We begin at St Helens County Court on the 21st when Isabella Taberner from Wigan sued dairyman William Hunter for £30 damages for injuries suffered at St Helens Railway Station. The court in East Street heard that the elderly lady had alighted from a Wigan train at Shaw Street and immediately slipped on milk that had been spilt on the platform. Milk then came in large cans not bottles and a milk can had been lying nearby. Mrs Taberner was knocked unconscious by the fall and fractured her wrist, which she said had become deformed.
However, counsel for the defendant said there was no case to answer. There had been 150 cans of milk on the platform during that morning and even if his client had spilled the milk – which was denied – it had been up to the railway officials to keep the platform clean. As a result of hearing the evidence, Judge Dowdall ruled that negligence by Mr Hunter had not been proved and the case was dismissed.
The St Helens Reporter described on the 23rd how the Mayor had enjoyed himself watching lots of young ladies working out – but thought that St Helens men after the war had had enough of drills: "Why do men shun physical drill? Is it because memories still rankle of the hundred and something quick-step of the barrack square, or the unlovable fellow who fired orders with the sharp, metallic voice of a machine gun?
"This train of thought was induced by the splendid gymnastic exhibition, which was given at a rally of the St. Helens Union of Girls' Clubs at the Town Hall on Thursday night, when the Mayor (Ald. Peter Phythian) saw the significance of the movement very quickly, and expressed the conviction that in the next generation they would have an A1 population amongst the women. The spectacle of successive squads of girls going with grace unbounded and almost military precision…was one which compelled admiration and no little wonder at the recent almost amazing rate of expansion in this branch of physical culture."
The Reporter also broke the news that top football referee Job "Jock" Davies of Rainhill was very likely to be forced out of the game. The paper described him as "one of the best referees of the day" and explained that Jock had become the licensee of the Coach and Horses in Rainhill. The Football League refused to allow pub landlords to be in any way associated with the game and so he was expecting to be asked to resign.
During his short career as a first-class referee, Jock had been in charge of an FA Cup Final and was regularly praised in the newspapers for the way he handled matches. The Reporter said Davies was leaving with great regret but the offer to take over the Coach and Horses was too good to turn down.
Rebellious girls could be treated quite harshly by the justice system. Some were declared as feeble-minded and placed in mental asylums and others despatched to a girls' home for a set period of time. And these were not necessarily young girls, say, 13 or 14 years of age. Grace Montgomery was twenty when she appeared in court at Southport where she had been working as a servant. This is how the Reporter described her case:
"Grace Montgomery, a St. Helens girl, was brought up in custody at Southport on Friday, charged on remand with a breach of probation. When previously before the court she was given the option of going to a home or being sent to gaol for three months. She then refused to go to a home, and was remanded [to prison] in order that she might think the matter over. On Friday she said she thought it was a home that she had been at since her appearance before the magistrates.
"The Clerk explained that it was a prison she had been in. Defendant: I did not like the place. She repeated that she did not want to go to a home, but later consented to go to a home for twelve months." The Liverpool Echo in their account filled in some gaps. The police evidence against Grace had been that she had been sleeping out and otherwise "not behaving herself as she should". And before she had agreed to go to the girls' home, Grace had been removed from the court screaming.
Mary Ryan did not take being thumped by her husband lying down. Sergeant Harvey told St Helens Police Court on the 23rd that he had found the woman making a right din in Arthur Street at 11:30pm on the previous Saturday night. A crowd was following Mary who was shouting and swearing about her husband having hit her. In court charged with committing a breach of the peace, Mary from Sandfield Crescent in Greenbank drew attention to her bruised face and arm and complained that she had gone to the police officer for protection against her husband – but he had only sent her home.
Sgt. Harvey agreed that Mrs Ryan had been struck but said when he had seen her in Arthur Street she had been the aggressive party "and kept up the bother when her husband was in bed". Asked by the Bench whether she was "all right" with her husband now, Mary said she was and did not think there would be any more quarrelling. She was bound over to keep the peace for three months.
On the 26th in St Helens Police Court a young woman called Rachel Critchley from Crawford Street in Clock Face fainted in the dock after pleading guilty to stealing a ring from the house of a friend. Rachel said she had not intended to take the ring having simply placed it on her finger and then later had put her gloves on without thinking. Her husband had left her three years earlier with three children to support and she had been forced to go into service. Mrs Critchley was dealt as a first offender and bound over.
It would be some years before newspapers were legally obliged not to name children being prosecuted. Some had voluntarily agreed not to name kids in court – such as the St Helens Reporter. Others hadn't – such as the Liverpool Echo. But even for papers that had decided not to reveal identities of children in trouble, the system was far from perfect. The aforementioned Grace Montgomery – who was treated like a child despite being twenty – had her name splashed in many papers, including the Reporter. And when names were withheld, there were often clues as to the youngster's identity.
During the previous week the boy had decided to take a day off and so his pay packet was 2s 6d light. His mother knew nothing of his absence and fearing her reaction he helped himself to the pay packet of Alfred Pinnington who had foolishly left his meagre wages in his overcoat. That had temporarily been placed in the other boy's yard, along with painting and decorating materials.
There was, of course, more than one pub in Duke Street but those that lived in the area would have known which was being redecorated and so the identity of the boy could be deduced. Those still in the dark could read the report of the Echo that stated that the lad had been Edward Butler who lived next door to the Volunteer Inn. The youth had not spent the rest of the money that had been stolen after seemingly not knowing what to do with it and so he was cautioned and bound over.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's many stories will include the Westfield Street gas explosion, the opening of the Parish Church recreation ground, a call for a bye-law compelling the humane slaughter of animals and the death of a leading St Helens clergyman.
This week's many stories include the slippery milk spill at St Helens station, the young women of St Helens perform a workout for the Mayor, Rainhill's top football referee is forced to retire, the Greenbank woman accused of making a racket about spousal abuse, the Duke Street boy's day off dilemma and the 20-year-old St Helens woman sent to a girls home for sleeping out at Southport.
We begin at St Helens County Court on the 21st when Isabella Taberner from Wigan sued dairyman William Hunter for £30 damages for injuries suffered at St Helens Railway Station.
The court in East Street heard that the elderly lady had alighted from a Wigan train at Shaw Street and immediately slipped on milk that had been spilt on the platform.
Milk then came in large cans not bottles and a milk can had been lying nearby. Mrs Taberner was knocked unconscious by the fall and fractured her wrist, which she said had become deformed.
However, counsel for the defendant said there was no case to answer. There had been 150 cans of milk on the platform during that morning and even if his client had spilled the milk – which was denied – it had been up to the railway officials to keep the platform clean.
As a result of hearing the evidence, Judge Dowdall ruled that negligence by Mr Hunter had not been proved and the case was dismissed.
The St Helens Reporter described on the 23rd how the Mayor had enjoyed himself watching lots of young ladies working out – but thought that St Helens men after the war had had enough of drills:
"Why do men shun physical drill? Is it because memories still rankle of the hundred and something quick-step of the barrack square, or the unlovable fellow who fired orders with the sharp, metallic voice of a machine gun?
"This train of thought was induced by the splendid gymnastic exhibition, which was given at a rally of the St. Helens Union of Girls' Clubs at the Town Hall on Thursday night, when the Mayor (Ald. Peter Phythian) saw the significance of the movement very quickly, and expressed the conviction that in the next generation they would have an A1 population amongst the women.
"The spectacle of successive squads of girls going with grace unbounded and almost military precision…was one which compelled admiration and no little wonder at the recent almost amazing rate of expansion in this branch of physical culture."
The paper also wrote: "Last Saturday, for the first time in the history of Rainford, a fancy dress ball was held at the Village Hall (pictured above), promoted by Mrs. Berry and daughter. The scene was a gay one, the charming costumes of the ladies being most picturesque.
"About 10 o’clock the parade took place for the purpose of awarding six prizes for the best fancy dress costumes."
The Reporter also broke the news that top football referee Job "Jock" Davies of Rainhill was very likely to be forced out of the game.
The paper described him as "one of the best referees of the day" and explained that Jock had become the licensee of the Coach and Horses in Rainhill.
The Football League refused to allow pub landlords to be in any way associated with the game and so he was expecting to be asked to resign.
During his short career as a first-class referee, Jock had been in charge of an FA Cup Final and was regularly praised in the newspapers for the way he handled matches.
The Reporter said Davies was leaving with great regret but the offer to take over the Coach and Horses was too good to turn down.
Rebellious girls could be treated quite harshly by the justice system. Some were declared as feeble-minded and placed in mental asylums and others despatched to a girls' home for a set period of time.
And these were not necessarily young girls, say, 13 or 14 years of age. Grace Montgomery was twenty when she appeared in court at Southport where she had been working as a servant. This is how the Reporter described her case:
"Grace Montgomery, a St. Helens girl, was brought up in custody at Southport on Friday, charged on remand with a breach of probation.
"When previously before the court she was given the option of going to a home or being sent to gaol for three months.
"She then refused to go to a home, and was remanded [to prison] in order that she might think the matter over.
"On Friday she said she thought it was a home that she had been at since her appearance before the magistrates. The Clerk explained that it was a prison she had been in.
"Defendant: I did not like the place. She repeated that she did not want to go to a home, but later consented to go to a home for twelve months."
The Liverpool Echo in their account filled in some gaps. The police evidence against Grace had been that she had been sleeping out and otherwise "not behaving herself as she should".
And before she had agreed to go to the girls' home, Grace had been removed from the court screaming.
Mary Ryan did not take being thumped by her husband lying down. Sergeant Harvey told St Helens Police Court on the 23rd that he had found the woman making a right din in Arthur Street at 11:30pm on the previous Saturday night.
A crowd was following Mary who was shouting and swearing about her husband having hit her.
In court charged with committing a breach of the peace, Mary from Sandfield Crescent in Greenbank drew attention to her bruised face and arm and complained that she had gone to the police officer for protection against her husband – but he had only sent her home.
Sgt. Harvey agreed that Mrs Ryan had been struck but said when he had seen her in Arthur Street she had been the aggressive party "and kept up the bother when her husband was in bed".
Asked by the Bench whether she was "all right" with her husband now, Mary said she was and did not think there would be any more quarrelling. She was bound over to keep the peace for three months.
On the 26th in St Helens Police Court a young woman called Rachel Critchley from Crawford Street in Clock Face fainted in the dock after pleading guilty to stealing a ring from the house of a friend.
Rachel said she had not intended to take the ring having simply placed it on her finger and then later had put her gloves on without thinking.
Her husband had left her three years earlier with three children to support and she had been forced to go into service. Mrs Critchley was dealt as a first offender and bound over.
It would be some years before newspapers were legally obliged not to name children being prosecuted.
Some had voluntarily agreed not to name kids in court – such as the St Helens Reporter. Others hadn't – such as the Liverpool Echo.
But even for papers that had decided not to reveal identities of children in trouble, the system was far from perfect.
The aforementioned Grace Montgomery – who was treated like a child despite being twenty – had her name splashed in many papers, including the Reporter.
And when names were withheld, there were often clues as to the youngster's identity.
In St Helens Juvenile Court on the 26th a boy appeared charged with stealing the 12s 6d wages of Alfred Pinnington.
He was an apprentice to a painter and decorator and had been working at what the Reporter described as a public house in Duke Street.
Next door lived the unnamed young thief who had a problem. He was also in employment and like other young workers had to hand his weekly wages over to his mother to pay for his keep.
During the previous week the boy had decided to take a day off and so his pay packet was 2s 6d light.
His mother knew nothing of his absence and fearing her reaction he helped himself to the pay packet of Alfred Pinnington who had foolishly left his meagre wages in his overcoat.
That had temporarily been placed in the other boy's yard, along with painting and decorating materials.
There was, of course, more than one pub in Duke Street but those that lived in the area would have known which was being redecorated and so the identity of the boy could be deduced.
Those still in the dark could read the report of the Echo that stated that the lad had been Edward Butler who lived next door to the Volunteer Inn.
The youth had not spent the rest of the money that had been stolen after seemingly not knowing what to do with it and so he was cautioned and bound over.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's many stories will include the Westfield Street gas explosion, the opening of the Parish Church recreation ground, a call for a bye-law compelling the humane slaughter of animals and the death of a leading St Helens clergyman.
We begin at St Helens County Court on the 21st when Isabella Taberner from Wigan sued dairyman William Hunter for £30 damages for injuries suffered at St Helens Railway Station.
The court in East Street heard that the elderly lady had alighted from a Wigan train at Shaw Street and immediately slipped on milk that had been spilt on the platform.
Milk then came in large cans not bottles and a milk can had been lying nearby. Mrs Taberner was knocked unconscious by the fall and fractured her wrist, which she said had become deformed.
However, counsel for the defendant said there was no case to answer. There had been 150 cans of milk on the platform during that morning and even if his client had spilled the milk – which was denied – it had been up to the railway officials to keep the platform clean.
As a result of hearing the evidence, Judge Dowdall ruled that negligence by Mr Hunter had not been proved and the case was dismissed.
The St Helens Reporter described on the 23rd how the Mayor had enjoyed himself watching lots of young ladies working out – but thought that St Helens men after the war had had enough of drills:
"Why do men shun physical drill? Is it because memories still rankle of the hundred and something quick-step of the barrack square, or the unlovable fellow who fired orders with the sharp, metallic voice of a machine gun?
"This train of thought was induced by the splendid gymnastic exhibition, which was given at a rally of the St. Helens Union of Girls' Clubs at the Town Hall on Thursday night, when the Mayor (Ald. Peter Phythian) saw the significance of the movement very quickly, and expressed the conviction that in the next generation they would have an A1 population amongst the women.
"The spectacle of successive squads of girls going with grace unbounded and almost military precision…was one which compelled admiration and no little wonder at the recent almost amazing rate of expansion in this branch of physical culture."
"About 10 o’clock the parade took place for the purpose of awarding six prizes for the best fancy dress costumes."
The Reporter also broke the news that top football referee Job "Jock" Davies of Rainhill was very likely to be forced out of the game.
The paper described him as "one of the best referees of the day" and explained that Jock had become the licensee of the Coach and Horses in Rainhill.
The Football League refused to allow pub landlords to be in any way associated with the game and so he was expecting to be asked to resign.
During his short career as a first-class referee, Jock had been in charge of an FA Cup Final and was regularly praised in the newspapers for the way he handled matches.
The Reporter said Davies was leaving with great regret but the offer to take over the Coach and Horses was too good to turn down.
Rebellious girls could be treated quite harshly by the justice system. Some were declared as feeble-minded and placed in mental asylums and others despatched to a girls' home for a set period of time.
And these were not necessarily young girls, say, 13 or 14 years of age. Grace Montgomery was twenty when she appeared in court at Southport where she had been working as a servant. This is how the Reporter described her case:
"Grace Montgomery, a St. Helens girl, was brought up in custody at Southport on Friday, charged on remand with a breach of probation.
"When previously before the court she was given the option of going to a home or being sent to gaol for three months.
"She then refused to go to a home, and was remanded [to prison] in order that she might think the matter over.
"On Friday she said she thought it was a home that she had been at since her appearance before the magistrates. The Clerk explained that it was a prison she had been in.
"Defendant: I did not like the place. She repeated that she did not want to go to a home, but later consented to go to a home for twelve months."
The Liverpool Echo in their account filled in some gaps. The police evidence against Grace had been that she had been sleeping out and otherwise "not behaving herself as she should".
And before she had agreed to go to the girls' home, Grace had been removed from the court screaming.
Mary Ryan did not take being thumped by her husband lying down. Sergeant Harvey told St Helens Police Court on the 23rd that he had found the woman making a right din in Arthur Street at 11:30pm on the previous Saturday night.
A crowd was following Mary who was shouting and swearing about her husband having hit her.
In court charged with committing a breach of the peace, Mary from Sandfield Crescent in Greenbank drew attention to her bruised face and arm and complained that she had gone to the police officer for protection against her husband – but he had only sent her home.
Sgt. Harvey agreed that Mrs Ryan had been struck but said when he had seen her in Arthur Street she had been the aggressive party "and kept up the bother when her husband was in bed".
Asked by the Bench whether she was "all right" with her husband now, Mary said she was and did not think there would be any more quarrelling. She was bound over to keep the peace for three months.
On the 26th in St Helens Police Court a young woman called Rachel Critchley from Crawford Street in Clock Face fainted in the dock after pleading guilty to stealing a ring from the house of a friend.
Rachel said she had not intended to take the ring having simply placed it on her finger and then later had put her gloves on without thinking.
Her husband had left her three years earlier with three children to support and she had been forced to go into service. Mrs Critchley was dealt as a first offender and bound over.
It would be some years before newspapers were legally obliged not to name children being prosecuted.
Some had voluntarily agreed not to name kids in court – such as the St Helens Reporter. Others hadn't – such as the Liverpool Echo.
But even for papers that had decided not to reveal identities of children in trouble, the system was far from perfect.
The aforementioned Grace Montgomery – who was treated like a child despite being twenty – had her name splashed in many papers, including the Reporter.
And when names were withheld, there were often clues as to the youngster's identity.
In St Helens Juvenile Court on the 26th a boy appeared charged with stealing the 12s 6d wages of Alfred Pinnington.
Next door lived the unnamed young thief who had a problem. He was also in employment and like other young workers had to hand his weekly wages over to his mother to pay for his keep.
During the previous week the boy had decided to take a day off and so his pay packet was 2s 6d light.
His mother knew nothing of his absence and fearing her reaction he helped himself to the pay packet of Alfred Pinnington who had foolishly left his meagre wages in his overcoat.
That had temporarily been placed in the other boy's yard, along with painting and decorating materials.
There was, of course, more than one pub in Duke Street but those that lived in the area would have known which was being redecorated and so the identity of the boy could be deduced.
Those still in the dark could read the report of the Echo that stated that the lad had been Edward Butler who lived next door to the Volunteer Inn.
The youth had not spent the rest of the money that had been stolen after seemingly not knowing what to do with it and so he was cautioned and bound over.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's many stories will include the Westfield Street gas explosion, the opening of the Parish Church recreation ground, a call for a bye-law compelling the humane slaughter of animals and the death of a leading St Helens clergyman.