IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 20 - 26 JULY 1926
This week's many stories include the poetic miner from Parr, the Sutton Moss telegraph pole that was chopped down for firewood, the attack on a Traverse Street housekeeper, Crank's Rose Queen Carnival, the terrific summer storm, the Gigantic Fair & Carnival in Dentons Green and the woman who was seen as difficult for not wishing to live with her abusive husband.
We begin on the 22nd when a 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old youth called Henry Waring of Springfield Road appeared in court in St Helens accused of breaking and entering the Thatto Heath British Legion Club. The lads admitted having taken 85 packets of cigarettes and 10 bottles of beer and stout. One said he had sold the cigarettes and the other told how he had drunk the beer. At a later hearing they were both bound over.
The St Helens magistrates were reluctant to grant separation orders with maintenance if the warring couple before them had not been married very long. On the 22nd the wife of Thomas Walker of Burtonhead Road told the magistrates: "I do not want to go back to him; he abused me before the baby was born, and he was too free with other women."
But she was perceived as the difficult one, as Thomas had offered his wife rooms for the couple to live in but she had refused to take them. He told the court that he repudiated liability for his wife's maintenance as she was unreasonably refusing to live with him. The case had been adjourned for a month to see if the court missionary / social worker could reunite the couple.
When a solicitor for her husband asked whether she was prepared to let Thomas have custody of their child, Mrs Walker burst into tears and sobbed hysterically, declaring she would never let that happen. The magistrates dismissed the case and refused to order any maintenance.
Instead they advised the woman to apply to the Prescot Guardians for relief for herself and her child. As she would be allowed very little cash from the guardians, they were effectively using the prospect of more money to persuade Mrs Walker to return to her husband.
In a brief note in the Ormskirk Advertiser on the 22nd, the paper mentioned how Rainford Council had interviewed a man called Shaw from Skelmersdale about his desire to open a cinema in the Village Hall. The paper seemed to suggest that film shows would be a new development for Rainford.
But silent pictures had been exhibited in the hall since December 1920, although presumably these had now stopped. Rainford Council was also reported as considering importing foreign coal, with local supplies described as having been practically exhausted because of the miners' strike.
Two local events were also described in the Advertiser. The new headmaster of Crank School (pictured above) had organised a Rose Queen Carnival, which as well as featuring the crowning of a young girl, had included a fancy dress contest, baby competitions and a procession featuring tableaux that was headed by Moss Bank Band.
Dancing, including the Maypole dance, were described as having taken place on a local field and amusements such as hobby horses were indulged in. The winners of the fancy dress contest had dressed up as a fortune teller, Paddy McGinty's Goat and a man called Lomax had dressed up as a lady.
"The affair was a novel one for Crank," wrote the Advertiser, "and Mr. Staines is to be congratulated on the success of his effort." David Staines was then in his mid-20s but served as headmaster of Crank School for 30 more years.
The Advertiser also reported how Rainford Congregational Church had held their annual treat. The event had taken place in fine weather and centred on a procession through the village led by Nutgrove Prize Band with many little girls carrying baskets of flowers.
On the 23rd in St Helens Police Court, Edward Drury was presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's lifesaving medal after rescuing two boys from the Ravenhead Colliery reservoir. The young miner from Atlas Court in Parr joined the long list of heroes who had saved lives in the town's many places of open water, as the Chairman of the Bench commented:
"We are very fortunate in St Helens. Whenever there is danger of drowning, there is usually someone ready to make a sacrifice. So long as we have men like this, we shall never be far behind."
Wood served as a substitute for coal during the miners' strike but Richard Highcock and James Holiday went to extremes to obtain their supply. When the pair appeared in St Helens Police Court on the 23rd, the two miners pleaded guilty to stealing a full-sized telegraph pole from what was described as a lonely part of Sutton Moss.
The pole valued at £4 was cheekily sawed down, leaving a stump in the ground. They then sawed their ill-gotten gain into logs and took them home to use as firewood. Highcock and Holiday were both fined £1 and ordered to pay £2 costs.
The Liverpool Evening Express on the 23rd described how striking miner William Cunliffe had used poetry to try and raise some cash. He'd advertised the sale of produce from his kitchen garden with a series of poetic notices attached to his garden gate. One read:
"The best things out for summer teas,
Are things like lettuce, onions, peas,
As scientists go far to tell us,
There's not a green to whack the lettuce;
So pop inside, ignore your bunions,
We'll fill your wants from spuds to onions."
None of his verses attracted many sales, however, and the Parr miner said he was giving up his poetic promotions.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 23rd and described how on the previous Sunday night the town had experienced "one of the most terrific thunderstorms for many years". The paper said "the deluge of rain, the well-nigh continuous flashes of lightning, and the deafening claps of thunder will live long in the memory."
July had been hot and with the weather having been close and stifling, a summer storm had been threatening the town for several days. The Reporter said the flashes of lightning had illuminated the sky with brilliant white light and the night at times was almost like the day.
What was described as a "Gigantic Fair & Carnival" began on the field at Bishop Road in Dentons Green on the 23rd. It was a 3-day event with a highlight on the Saturday afternoon being a "Great Jumping Match" between Tom Colquitt and Gil Bond. In the past champion jumper Colquitt from Fingerpost had appeared on the stage and been called "A veritable human kangaroo".
His achievements were said to include leaping over the canal at Blackbrook and jumping over a horse-drawn hansom cab – but he was now 50 and so past his peak. And Gil Bond was a well-known Sutton bookie and part-time wrestler. There was also an exhibition of weightlifting and "physical culture" and each evening dancing took place until dusk.
The admission price was a penny, apart from on the Saturday afternoon when it was twopence. Half of the proceeds from the event went to the Miners Relief Fund. The fair had to take a break on the Sunday, as such events were not then allowed in St Helens on the Sabbath.
However, band concerts were permitted, although they were expected to play appropriate music for the day. And on Sunday 25th the Ravenhead Military Band performed in Taylor Park, with both an afternoon and an evening concert. "Come In Thousands", said the advert that also featured a collection in aid of the Miners Relief Fund.
On the 26th Francis Quinn appeared in St Helens Police Court with her head swathed in bandages to give evidence against Alfred Matthews. The 22-year-old miner from Traverse Street was accused of unlawfully wounding Francis. Supt Dunn said Mrs Quinn lived apart from her husband and kept house for Matthews' father. On the previous Saturday morning a dispute had arisen and Mrs Quinn told Alfred Matthews to go outside.
But, instead, he had knocked her unconscious and then went for the police; admitted his attack on Mrs Quinn and told PC Alder that he had better go to the house or there would be a murder. The constable added that when he was attending to Mrs Quinn, Matthews had said to her: "If I get time for this I will swing for you when I come out".
Dr O’Keeffe said the woman's wound was an inch and a quarter long and had penetrated to the bone. The magistrates decided to impose a fine of £5 with 28 days imprisonment being the alternative punishment, which Matthews as a striking miner very likely had to serve.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Ashtons Green Colliery coal raid, the crippled children's annual tea, the County Court dispute over a motorbike insurance claim and the tree chopping in Bold in order to have a cup of tea.
We begin on the 22nd when a 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old youth called Henry Waring of Springfield Road appeared in court in St Helens accused of breaking and entering the Thatto Heath British Legion Club. The lads admitted having taken 85 packets of cigarettes and 10 bottles of beer and stout. One said he had sold the cigarettes and the other told how he had drunk the beer. At a later hearing they were both bound over.
The St Helens magistrates were reluctant to grant separation orders with maintenance if the warring couple before them had not been married very long. On the 22nd the wife of Thomas Walker of Burtonhead Road told the magistrates: "I do not want to go back to him; he abused me before the baby was born, and he was too free with other women."
But she was perceived as the difficult one, as Thomas had offered his wife rooms for the couple to live in but she had refused to take them. He told the court that he repudiated liability for his wife's maintenance as she was unreasonably refusing to live with him. The case had been adjourned for a month to see if the court missionary / social worker could reunite the couple.
When a solicitor for her husband asked whether she was prepared to let Thomas have custody of their child, Mrs Walker burst into tears and sobbed hysterically, declaring she would never let that happen. The magistrates dismissed the case and refused to order any maintenance.
Instead they advised the woman to apply to the Prescot Guardians for relief for herself and her child. As she would be allowed very little cash from the guardians, they were effectively using the prospect of more money to persuade Mrs Walker to return to her husband.
In a brief note in the Ormskirk Advertiser on the 22nd, the paper mentioned how Rainford Council had interviewed a man called Shaw from Skelmersdale about his desire to open a cinema in the Village Hall. The paper seemed to suggest that film shows would be a new development for Rainford.
But silent pictures had been exhibited in the hall since December 1920, although presumably these had now stopped. Rainford Council was also reported as considering importing foreign coal, with local supplies described as having been practically exhausted because of the miners' strike.
Dancing, including the Maypole dance, were described as having taken place on a local field and amusements such as hobby horses were indulged in. The winners of the fancy dress contest had dressed up as a fortune teller, Paddy McGinty's Goat and a man called Lomax had dressed up as a lady.
"The affair was a novel one for Crank," wrote the Advertiser, "and Mr. Staines is to be congratulated on the success of his effort." David Staines was then in his mid-20s but served as headmaster of Crank School for 30 more years.
The Advertiser also reported how Rainford Congregational Church had held their annual treat. The event had taken place in fine weather and centred on a procession through the village led by Nutgrove Prize Band with many little girls carrying baskets of flowers.
On the 23rd in St Helens Police Court, Edward Drury was presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's lifesaving medal after rescuing two boys from the Ravenhead Colliery reservoir. The young miner from Atlas Court in Parr joined the long list of heroes who had saved lives in the town's many places of open water, as the Chairman of the Bench commented:
"We are very fortunate in St Helens. Whenever there is danger of drowning, there is usually someone ready to make a sacrifice. So long as we have men like this, we shall never be far behind."
Wood served as a substitute for coal during the miners' strike but Richard Highcock and James Holiday went to extremes to obtain their supply. When the pair appeared in St Helens Police Court on the 23rd, the two miners pleaded guilty to stealing a full-sized telegraph pole from what was described as a lonely part of Sutton Moss.
The pole valued at £4 was cheekily sawed down, leaving a stump in the ground. They then sawed their ill-gotten gain into logs and took them home to use as firewood. Highcock and Holiday were both fined £1 and ordered to pay £2 costs.
The Liverpool Evening Express on the 23rd described how striking miner William Cunliffe had used poetry to try and raise some cash. He'd advertised the sale of produce from his kitchen garden with a series of poetic notices attached to his garden gate. One read:
"The best things out for summer teas,
Are things like lettuce, onions, peas,
As scientists go far to tell us,
There's not a green to whack the lettuce;
So pop inside, ignore your bunions,
We'll fill your wants from spuds to onions."
None of his verses attracted many sales, however, and the Parr miner said he was giving up his poetic promotions.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 23rd and described how on the previous Sunday night the town had experienced "one of the most terrific thunderstorms for many years". The paper said "the deluge of rain, the well-nigh continuous flashes of lightning, and the deafening claps of thunder will live long in the memory."
July had been hot and with the weather having been close and stifling, a summer storm had been threatening the town for several days. The Reporter said the flashes of lightning had illuminated the sky with brilliant white light and the night at times was almost like the day.
What was described as a "Gigantic Fair & Carnival" began on the field at Bishop Road in Dentons Green on the 23rd. It was a 3-day event with a highlight on the Saturday afternoon being a "Great Jumping Match" between Tom Colquitt and Gil Bond. In the past champion jumper Colquitt from Fingerpost had appeared on the stage and been called "A veritable human kangaroo".
His achievements were said to include leaping over the canal at Blackbrook and jumping over a horse-drawn hansom cab – but he was now 50 and so past his peak. And Gil Bond was a well-known Sutton bookie and part-time wrestler. There was also an exhibition of weightlifting and "physical culture" and each evening dancing took place until dusk.
The admission price was a penny, apart from on the Saturday afternoon when it was twopence. Half of the proceeds from the event went to the Miners Relief Fund. The fair had to take a break on the Sunday, as such events were not then allowed in St Helens on the Sabbath.
However, band concerts were permitted, although they were expected to play appropriate music for the day. And on Sunday 25th the Ravenhead Military Band performed in Taylor Park, with both an afternoon and an evening concert. "Come In Thousands", said the advert that also featured a collection in aid of the Miners Relief Fund.
On the 26th Francis Quinn appeared in St Helens Police Court with her head swathed in bandages to give evidence against Alfred Matthews. The 22-year-old miner from Traverse Street was accused of unlawfully wounding Francis. Supt Dunn said Mrs Quinn lived apart from her husband and kept house for Matthews' father. On the previous Saturday morning a dispute had arisen and Mrs Quinn told Alfred Matthews to go outside.
But, instead, he had knocked her unconscious and then went for the police; admitted his attack on Mrs Quinn and told PC Alder that he had better go to the house or there would be a murder. The constable added that when he was attending to Mrs Quinn, Matthews had said to her: "If I get time for this I will swing for you when I come out".
Dr O’Keeffe said the woman's wound was an inch and a quarter long and had penetrated to the bone. The magistrates decided to impose a fine of £5 with 28 days imprisonment being the alternative punishment, which Matthews as a striking miner very likely had to serve.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Ashtons Green Colliery coal raid, the crippled children's annual tea, the County Court dispute over a motorbike insurance claim and the tree chopping in Bold in order to have a cup of tea.
This week's many stories include the poetic miner from Parr, the Sutton Moss telegraph pole that was chopped down for firewood, the attack on a Traverse Street housekeeper, Crank's Rose Queen Carnival, the terrific summer storm, the Gigantic Fair & Carnival in Dentons Green and the woman who was seen as difficult for not wishing to live with her abusive husband.
We begin on the 22nd when a 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old youth called Henry Waring of Springfield Road appeared in court in St Helens accused of breaking and entering the Thatto Heath British Legion Club.
The lads admitted having taken 85 packets of cigarettes and 10 bottles of beer and stout.
One said he had sold the cigarettes and the other told how he had drunk the beer. At a later hearing they were both bound over.
The St Helens magistrates were reluctant to grant separation orders with maintenance if the warring couple before them had not been married very long.
On the 22nd the wife of Thomas Walker of Burtonhead Road told the magistrates:
"I do not want to go back to him; he abused me before the baby was born, and he was too free with other women."
But she was perceived as the difficult one, as Thomas had offered his wife rooms for the couple to live in but she had refused to take them.
He told the court that he repudiated liability for his wife's maintenance as she was unreasonably refusing to live with him.
The case had been adjourned for a month to see if the court missionary / social worker could reunite the couple.
When a solicitor for her husband asked whether she was prepared to let Thomas have custody of their child, Mrs Walker burst into tears and sobbed hysterically, declaring she would never let that happen.
The magistrates dismissed the case and refused to order any maintenance.
Instead they advised the woman to apply to the Prescot Guardians for relief for herself and her child.
As she would be allowed very little cash from the guardians, they were effectively using the prospect of more money to persuade Mrs Walker to return to her husband.
In a brief note in the Ormskirk Advertiser on the 22nd, the paper mentioned how Rainford Council had interviewed a man called Shaw from Skelmersdale about his desire to open a cinema in the Village Hall.
The paper seemed to suggest that film shows would be a new development for Rainford.
But silent pictures had been exhibited in the hall since December 1920, although presumably these had now stopped.
Rainford Council was also reported as considering importing foreign coal, with local supplies described as having been practically exhausted because of the miners' strike.
Two local events were also described in the Advertiser.
The new headmaster of Crank School (pictured above) had organised a Rose Queen Carnival, which as well as featuring the crowning of a young girl, had included a fancy dress contest, baby competitions and a procession featuring tableaux that was headed by Moss Bank Band.
Dancing, including the Maypole dance, were described as having taken place on a local field and amusements such as hobby horses were indulged in.
The winners of the fancy dress contest had dressed up as a fortune teller, Paddy McGinty's Goat and a man called Lomax had dressed up as a lady.
"The affair was a novel one for Crank," wrote the Advertiser, "and Mr. Staines is to be congratulated on the success of his effort."
David Staines was then in his mid-20s but served as headmaster of Crank School for 30 more years.
The Advertiser also reported how Rainford Congregational Church had held their annual treat.
The event had taken place in fine weather and centred on a procession through the village led by Nutgrove Prize Band with many little girls carrying baskets of flowers.
On the 23rd in St Helens Police Court, Edward Drury was presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's lifesaving medal after rescuing two boys from the Ravenhead Colliery reservoir.
The young miner from Atlas Court in Parr joined the long list of heroes who had saved lives in the town's many places of open water, as the Chairman of the Bench commented:
"We are very fortunate in St Helens. Whenever there is danger of drowning, there is usually someone ready to make a sacrifice. So long as we have men like this, we shall never be far behind."
Wood served as a substitute for coal during the miners' strike but Richard Highcock and James Holiday went to extremes to obtain their supply.
When the pair appeared in St Helens Police Court on the 23rd, the two miners pleaded guilty to stealing a full-sized telegraph pole from what was described as a lonely part of Sutton Moss.
The pole valued at £4 was cheekily sawed down, leaving a stump in the ground.
They then sawed their ill-gotten gain into logs and took them home to use as firewood.
Highcock and Holiday were both fined £1 and ordered to pay £2 costs.
The Liverpool Evening Express on the 23rd described how striking miner William Cunliffe had used poetry to try and raise some cash.
He'd advertised the sale of produce from his kitchen garden with a series of poetic notices attached to his garden gate. One read:
"The best things out for summer teas,
Are things like lettuce, onions, peas,
As scientists go far to tell us,
There's not a green to whack the lettuce;
So pop inside, ignore your bunions,
We'll fill your wants from spuds to onions."
None of his verses attracted many sales, however, and the Parr miner said he was giving up his poetic promotions.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 23rd and described how on the previous Sunday night the town had experienced "one of the most terrific thunderstorms for many years".
The paper said "the deluge of rain, the well-nigh continuous flashes of lightning, and the deafening claps of thunder will live long in the memory."
July had been hot and with the weather having been close and stifling, a summer storm had been threatening the town for several days.
The Reporter said the flashes of lightning had illuminated the sky with brilliant white light and the night at times was almost like the day.
What was described as a "Gigantic Fair & Carnival" began on the field at Bishop Road in Dentons Green on the 23rd.
It was a 3-day event with a highlight on the Saturday afternoon being a "Great Jumping Match" between Tom Colquitt and Gil Bond.
In the past champion jumper Colquitt from Fingerpost had appeared on the stage and been called "A veritable human kangaroo".
His achievements were said to include leaping over the canal at Blackbrook and jumping over a horse-drawn hansom cab – but he was now 50 and so past his peak. And Gil Bond was a well-known Sutton bookie and part-time wrestler.
There was also an exhibition of weightlifting and "physical culture" and each evening dancing took place until dusk.
The admission price was a penny, apart from on the Saturday afternoon when it was twopence. Half of the proceeds from the event went to the Miners Relief Fund.
The fair had to take a break on the Sunday, as such events were not then allowed in St Helens on the Sabbath.
However, band concerts were permitted, although they were expected to play appropriate music for the day.
And on Sunday 25th the Ravenhead Military Band performed in Taylor Park, with both an afternoon and an evening concert.
"Come In Thousands", said the advert that also featured a collection in aid of the Miners Relief Fund.
On the 26th Francis Quinn appeared in St Helens Police Court with her head swathed in bandages to give evidence against Alfred Matthews.
The 22-year-old miner from Traverse Street was accused of unlawfully wounding Francis.
Supt Dunn said Mrs Quinn lived apart from her husband and kept house for Matthews' father.
On the previous Saturday morning a dispute had arisen and Mrs Quinn told Alfred Matthews to go outside.
But, instead, he had knocked her unconscious and then went for the police; admitted his attack on Mrs Quinn and told PC Alder that he had better go to the house or there would be a murder.
The constable added that when he was attending to Mrs Quinn, Matthews had said to her: "If I get time for this I will swing for you when I come out".
Dr O’Keeffe said the woman's wound was an inch and a quarter long and had penetrated to the bone.
The magistrates decided to impose a fine of £5 with 28 days imprisonment being the alternative punishment, which Matthews as a striking miner very likely had to serve.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Ashtons Green Colliery coal raid, the crippled children's annual tea, the County Court dispute over a motorbike insurance claim and the tree chopping in Bold in order to have a cup of tea.
We begin on the 22nd when a 14-year-old boy and a 17-year-old youth called Henry Waring of Springfield Road appeared in court in St Helens accused of breaking and entering the Thatto Heath British Legion Club.
The lads admitted having taken 85 packets of cigarettes and 10 bottles of beer and stout.
One said he had sold the cigarettes and the other told how he had drunk the beer. At a later hearing they were both bound over.
The St Helens magistrates were reluctant to grant separation orders with maintenance if the warring couple before them had not been married very long.
On the 22nd the wife of Thomas Walker of Burtonhead Road told the magistrates:
"I do not want to go back to him; he abused me before the baby was born, and he was too free with other women."
But she was perceived as the difficult one, as Thomas had offered his wife rooms for the couple to live in but she had refused to take them.
He told the court that he repudiated liability for his wife's maintenance as she was unreasonably refusing to live with him.
The case had been adjourned for a month to see if the court missionary / social worker could reunite the couple.
When a solicitor for her husband asked whether she was prepared to let Thomas have custody of their child, Mrs Walker burst into tears and sobbed hysterically, declaring she would never let that happen.
The magistrates dismissed the case and refused to order any maintenance.
Instead they advised the woman to apply to the Prescot Guardians for relief for herself and her child.
As she would be allowed very little cash from the guardians, they were effectively using the prospect of more money to persuade Mrs Walker to return to her husband.
In a brief note in the Ormskirk Advertiser on the 22nd, the paper mentioned how Rainford Council had interviewed a man called Shaw from Skelmersdale about his desire to open a cinema in the Village Hall.
The paper seemed to suggest that film shows would be a new development for Rainford.
But silent pictures had been exhibited in the hall since December 1920, although presumably these had now stopped.
Rainford Council was also reported as considering importing foreign coal, with local supplies described as having been practically exhausted because of the miners' strike.
Two local events were also described in the Advertiser.
Dancing, including the Maypole dance, were described as having taken place on a local field and amusements such as hobby horses were indulged in.
The winners of the fancy dress contest had dressed up as a fortune teller, Paddy McGinty's Goat and a man called Lomax had dressed up as a lady.
"The affair was a novel one for Crank," wrote the Advertiser, "and Mr. Staines is to be congratulated on the success of his effort."
David Staines was then in his mid-20s but served as headmaster of Crank School for 30 more years.
The Advertiser also reported how Rainford Congregational Church had held their annual treat.
The event had taken place in fine weather and centred on a procession through the village led by Nutgrove Prize Band with many little girls carrying baskets of flowers.
On the 23rd in St Helens Police Court, Edward Drury was presented with the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society's lifesaving medal after rescuing two boys from the Ravenhead Colliery reservoir.
The young miner from Atlas Court in Parr joined the long list of heroes who had saved lives in the town's many places of open water, as the Chairman of the Bench commented:
"We are very fortunate in St Helens. Whenever there is danger of drowning, there is usually someone ready to make a sacrifice. So long as we have men like this, we shall never be far behind."
Wood served as a substitute for coal during the miners' strike but Richard Highcock and James Holiday went to extremes to obtain their supply.
When the pair appeared in St Helens Police Court on the 23rd, the two miners pleaded guilty to stealing a full-sized telegraph pole from what was described as a lonely part of Sutton Moss.
The pole valued at £4 was cheekily sawed down, leaving a stump in the ground.
They then sawed their ill-gotten gain into logs and took them home to use as firewood.
Highcock and Holiday were both fined £1 and ordered to pay £2 costs.
The Liverpool Evening Express on the 23rd described how striking miner William Cunliffe had used poetry to try and raise some cash.
He'd advertised the sale of produce from his kitchen garden with a series of poetic notices attached to his garden gate. One read:
"The best things out for summer teas,
Are things like lettuce, onions, peas,
As scientists go far to tell us,
There's not a green to whack the lettuce;
So pop inside, ignore your bunions,
We'll fill your wants from spuds to onions."
None of his verses attracted many sales, however, and the Parr miner said he was giving up his poetic promotions.
The St Helens Reporter was published on the 23rd and described how on the previous Sunday night the town had experienced "one of the most terrific thunderstorms for many years".
The paper said "the deluge of rain, the well-nigh continuous flashes of lightning, and the deafening claps of thunder will live long in the memory."
July had been hot and with the weather having been close and stifling, a summer storm had been threatening the town for several days.
The Reporter said the flashes of lightning had illuminated the sky with brilliant white light and the night at times was almost like the day.
What was described as a "Gigantic Fair & Carnival" began on the field at Bishop Road in Dentons Green on the 23rd.
It was a 3-day event with a highlight on the Saturday afternoon being a "Great Jumping Match" between Tom Colquitt and Gil Bond.
In the past champion jumper Colquitt from Fingerpost had appeared on the stage and been called "A veritable human kangaroo".
His achievements were said to include leaping over the canal at Blackbrook and jumping over a horse-drawn hansom cab – but he was now 50 and so past his peak. And Gil Bond was a well-known Sutton bookie and part-time wrestler.
There was also an exhibition of weightlifting and "physical culture" and each evening dancing took place until dusk.
The admission price was a penny, apart from on the Saturday afternoon when it was twopence. Half of the proceeds from the event went to the Miners Relief Fund.
The fair had to take a break on the Sunday, as such events were not then allowed in St Helens on the Sabbath.
However, band concerts were permitted, although they were expected to play appropriate music for the day.
And on Sunday 25th the Ravenhead Military Band performed in Taylor Park, with both an afternoon and an evening concert.
"Come In Thousands", said the advert that also featured a collection in aid of the Miners Relief Fund.
On the 26th Francis Quinn appeared in St Helens Police Court with her head swathed in bandages to give evidence against Alfred Matthews.
The 22-year-old miner from Traverse Street was accused of unlawfully wounding Francis.
Supt Dunn said Mrs Quinn lived apart from her husband and kept house for Matthews' father.
On the previous Saturday morning a dispute had arisen and Mrs Quinn told Alfred Matthews to go outside.
But, instead, he had knocked her unconscious and then went for the police; admitted his attack on Mrs Quinn and told PC Alder that he had better go to the house or there would be a murder.
The constable added that when he was attending to Mrs Quinn, Matthews had said to her: "If I get time for this I will swing for you when I come out".
Dr O’Keeffe said the woman's wound was an inch and a quarter long and had penetrated to the bone.
The magistrates decided to impose a fine of £5 with 28 days imprisonment being the alternative punishment, which Matthews as a striking miner very likely had to serve.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Ashtons Green Colliery coal raid, the crippled children's annual tea, the County Court dispute over a motorbike insurance claim and the tree chopping in Bold in order to have a cup of tea.