IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 21 - 27 APRIL 1925
This week's many stories include the children's fancy dress carnival at the Town Hall, the brotherly fight over their late father's possessions, the Children's Loyalty League celebrates St George's Day, the Grafton Street woman with 100 descendants, the near-miss between a tram and a waggon and street signs for motorists are set to be installed in St Helens.
Sepsis was either known as blood poisoning or septic poisoning in the past and with no antibiotics available, the condition was fatal for very many sufferers. On the 21st the inquest into the death of Thomas Corns of Clipsley Lane in Haydock heard that the man had been employed at the Ravenhead works of United Glass.
On April 1st the 42-year-old engineer had knocked his shin against an iron bar but thought his injury so minor that he didn't bother to obtain first aid from the works. However, his wound became infected and septic poisoning set in from which he died.
During the evening of the 21st a children's fancy dress carnival was held. Under the headlines "Gorgeous Spectacle At The Town Hall – Brilliant Scenes at Mayor's Carnival – School Children Make Merry – Knights, Kings, Queens, Fairies", this is how the St Helens Reporter's article that described the event began:
"A brilliant cavalcade, gorgeously attired in every kind of fancy dress imaginable, and all aglow with rich colours and beautiful designs, assembled in the Town Hall on Tuesday night, on the invitation of the Mayor and Mayoress of St. Helens (Ald. and Mrs. T. Hamblett) to participate in a children's fancy dress ball. Five hundred local schoolchildren, selected by their respective school, attended in their sparkling costumes to “trip the light fantastic”."
The authorities were very slowly playing catch up with the motor vehicle revolution. There was much concern about the many deaths on the roads and the large number of heavy vehicles that were travelling through St Helens. But driving tests were still years away and it appears that drivers in St Helens did not have any road signs to warn them of the dangers and help them navigate their way through the town.
On the 22nd at a meeting of the council's Highways Committee, it was decided that they would liaise with their Watch Committee and the Elementary Education Committee to decide on the installation of street signs for motorists. The Borough Engineer reported that the St Helens Chief Constable had asked him to go into the matter of installing motor signs generally throughout the town.
On the same day the Parks Committee heard that the new bowling greens that were being installed in Victoria Park were nearing completion and should be fit to play on by the end of June. And the new hard tennis courts would be ready towards the end of May.
In January 1924 the Conservative Party splinter group called the St Helens Women's Unionist Association had formed a Children's Loyalty League. At the time the Reporter wrote how the league had three "lively" branches containing about 300 members ranging in age from 8 to 18. The paper said: "Loyalty to King and country is a strong element in the Children's Loyalty League, and they are taught physical exercises, country dancing and singing and generally have a real good time under well-regulated conditions."
What might be seen these days as indoctrinating children to be patriotic citizens centred on the commemoration of Empire Day and St George's Day. While celebrating the former in 1924, St Helens children representing the Colonies had ceremoniously marched round Britannia and laid gifts at her feet.
During the evening of the 22nd the Loyalty League celebrated St George's Day (which was actually on the following day), along with the anniversaries of the birth and death of Shakespeare. They met in the George Street Assembly Rooms in St Helens and the Reporter said they presented a "happy spectacle" with the room "bright with emblems of our Patron Saint and the Union Jack." The children were told that the object of their organisation was to be "loyal and patriotic citizens and to help to build up the British Empire".
Families can still, of course, fight over the possessions of a loved one after their death. But I expect that in the past such disputes were more common, with working class folk tending to own very little and not write wills. Dividing up the deceased's clothing, furniture and bits and bobs between family members could be a recipe for arguments and even physical violence, which sometimes ended up in the Police Court. This week under the headline "Tough Leathers", the Reporter described such a case:
"Two brothers named John and Henry Leather, the former residing at 2, Latham-street, and the latter at 139, Park-road spent a good deal of All Fools' Day squabbling about the division of three pictures left by their late father. The argument grew rather warm, and as usual in such cases, the men followed words by blows and P.C. Phillips' services being sought, the Police Court case resulted."
The constable told the court that all the time that he had been in the house, the men had been threatening each other. Upon being asked by the Bench why they didn't invite the policeman to act as arbitrator and settle their dispute, John Leather replied, "I never thought of that". Both men were bound over for six months.
The 1931 census revealed that St Helens had the largest families of any town in Lancashire. That could mean when the older generation died they had an awful lot of relatives to mourn their loss. The Reporter stated that Mary Hill's funeral last Saturday had been attended by over 100 of her descendants – and a further six, who were her great-great grandchildren, had been considered too young to attend.
However, the 89-year-old from Grafton Street had not had that many children herself – only four in fact. But her two boys and two girls had been highly productive and had 33 kids between them and Mary subsequently had 64 great-grandchildren. I wonder how she remembered all their birthdays!
The Reporter published a sketch of a new building that was currently being erected at the junction of Dentons Green Lane and Greenfield Road. It would serve as a new nurses home and supersede the present building in Dentons Green Lane which was considered to be too small.
John Cunliffe, a greengrocer from Brook Lane in Crank, appeared in St Helens Police Court this week charged with driving a motor waggon to the danger of the public and failing to give audible warning of his approach. It was expected that if a motor vehicle approached a junction or turned to go either left or right, that the driver would sound his or her horn to alert any other road users of their presence.
Mr Cunliffe had come out of Lowe Street without sounding his horn and driven over the tram track at what the police estimated as being between 20 to 25 mph. That was at the same time that a tram was resuming its journey after dropping off some passengers and Mr Cunliffe was accused of only missing the tram by inches.
But estimating speeds then was also very much a hit and miss affair involving a lot of guesswork. A passenger on the tram called Edward Goodwin gave evidence of the excessive speed at which the defendant had driven his motor waggon across Westfield Street. But his estimate was 16 mph, much less than what the police thought.
Asked how he had arrived at that rather precise number, Mr Goodwin replied: "Because I reckon I can walk four miles an hour, and he was going four times as quick as I can walk." This was from a witness sitting on a tramcar looking out the window!
The defendant, John Cunliffe, had, of course, an even lower estimate of his speed, claiming that it had been under 8 mph! He told the court that he had been travelling into Arthur Street from Lowe Street and seeing the tramcar at a standstill, he'd put his engine into a low gear and slowly advanced across the road. That had been at the same time as the tram had decided to resume its journey. The Bench decided that they had a doubt about the case and chose to dismiss it.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's many stories will include the Eccleston Park dog that was bought by mail order, the adulterated milk at Shaw Street Station, the genesis of Hamblett School is discussed and the hugely popular film comic Pimple performs at the Hippodrome.
Sepsis was either known as blood poisoning or septic poisoning in the past and with no antibiotics available, the condition was fatal for very many sufferers. On the 21st the inquest into the death of Thomas Corns of Clipsley Lane in Haydock heard that the man had been employed at the Ravenhead works of United Glass.
On April 1st the 42-year-old engineer had knocked his shin against an iron bar but thought his injury so minor that he didn't bother to obtain first aid from the works. However, his wound became infected and septic poisoning set in from which he died.
During the evening of the 21st a children's fancy dress carnival was held. Under the headlines "Gorgeous Spectacle At The Town Hall – Brilliant Scenes at Mayor's Carnival – School Children Make Merry – Knights, Kings, Queens, Fairies", this is how the St Helens Reporter's article that described the event began:
"A brilliant cavalcade, gorgeously attired in every kind of fancy dress imaginable, and all aglow with rich colours and beautiful designs, assembled in the Town Hall on Tuesday night, on the invitation of the Mayor and Mayoress of St. Helens (Ald. and Mrs. T. Hamblett) to participate in a children's fancy dress ball. Five hundred local schoolchildren, selected by their respective school, attended in their sparkling costumes to “trip the light fantastic”."
The authorities were very slowly playing catch up with the motor vehicle revolution. There was much concern about the many deaths on the roads and the large number of heavy vehicles that were travelling through St Helens. But driving tests were still years away and it appears that drivers in St Helens did not have any road signs to warn them of the dangers and help them navigate their way through the town.
On the 22nd at a meeting of the council's Highways Committee, it was decided that they would liaise with their Watch Committee and the Elementary Education Committee to decide on the installation of street signs for motorists. The Borough Engineer reported that the St Helens Chief Constable had asked him to go into the matter of installing motor signs generally throughout the town.
In January 1924 the Conservative Party splinter group called the St Helens Women's Unionist Association had formed a Children's Loyalty League. At the time the Reporter wrote how the league had three "lively" branches containing about 300 members ranging in age from 8 to 18. The paper said: "Loyalty to King and country is a strong element in the Children's Loyalty League, and they are taught physical exercises, country dancing and singing and generally have a real good time under well-regulated conditions."
What might be seen these days as indoctrinating children to be patriotic citizens centred on the commemoration of Empire Day and St George's Day. While celebrating the former in 1924, St Helens children representing the Colonies had ceremoniously marched round Britannia and laid gifts at her feet.
During the evening of the 22nd the Loyalty League celebrated St George's Day (which was actually on the following day), along with the anniversaries of the birth and death of Shakespeare. They met in the George Street Assembly Rooms in St Helens and the Reporter said they presented a "happy spectacle" with the room "bright with emblems of our Patron Saint and the Union Jack." The children were told that the object of their organisation was to be "loyal and patriotic citizens and to help to build up the British Empire".
Families can still, of course, fight over the possessions of a loved one after their death. But I expect that in the past such disputes were more common, with working class folk tending to own very little and not write wills. Dividing up the deceased's clothing, furniture and bits and bobs between family members could be a recipe for arguments and even physical violence, which sometimes ended up in the Police Court. This week under the headline "Tough Leathers", the Reporter described such a case:
"Two brothers named John and Henry Leather, the former residing at 2, Latham-street, and the latter at 139, Park-road spent a good deal of All Fools' Day squabbling about the division of three pictures left by their late father. The argument grew rather warm, and as usual in such cases, the men followed words by blows and P.C. Phillips' services being sought, the Police Court case resulted."
The constable told the court that all the time that he had been in the house, the men had been threatening each other. Upon being asked by the Bench why they didn't invite the policeman to act as arbitrator and settle their dispute, John Leather replied, "I never thought of that". Both men were bound over for six months.
The 1931 census revealed that St Helens had the largest families of any town in Lancashire. That could mean when the older generation died they had an awful lot of relatives to mourn their loss. The Reporter stated that Mary Hill's funeral last Saturday had been attended by over 100 of her descendants – and a further six, who were her great-great grandchildren, had been considered too young to attend.
However, the 89-year-old from Grafton Street had not had that many children herself – only four in fact. But her two boys and two girls had been highly productive and had 33 kids between them and Mary subsequently had 64 great-grandchildren. I wonder how she remembered all their birthdays!
The Reporter published a sketch of a new building that was currently being erected at the junction of Dentons Green Lane and Greenfield Road. It would serve as a new nurses home and supersede the present building in Dentons Green Lane which was considered to be too small.
John Cunliffe, a greengrocer from Brook Lane in Crank, appeared in St Helens Police Court this week charged with driving a motor waggon to the danger of the public and failing to give audible warning of his approach. It was expected that if a motor vehicle approached a junction or turned to go either left or right, that the driver would sound his or her horn to alert any other road users of their presence.
But estimating speeds then was also very much a hit and miss affair involving a lot of guesswork. A passenger on the tram called Edward Goodwin gave evidence of the excessive speed at which the defendant had driven his motor waggon across Westfield Street. But his estimate was 16 mph, much less than what the police thought.
Asked how he had arrived at that rather precise number, Mr Goodwin replied: "Because I reckon I can walk four miles an hour, and he was going four times as quick as I can walk." This was from a witness sitting on a tramcar looking out the window!
The defendant, John Cunliffe, had, of course, an even lower estimate of his speed, claiming that it had been under 8 mph! He told the court that he had been travelling into Arthur Street from Lowe Street and seeing the tramcar at a standstill, he'd put his engine into a low gear and slowly advanced across the road. That had been at the same time as the tram had decided to resume its journey. The Bench decided that they had a doubt about the case and chose to dismiss it.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's many stories will include the Eccleston Park dog that was bought by mail order, the adulterated milk at Shaw Street Station, the genesis of Hamblett School is discussed and the hugely popular film comic Pimple performs at the Hippodrome.
This week's many stories include the children's fancy dress carnival at the Town Hall, the brotherly fight over their late father's possessions, the Children's Loyalty League celebrates St George's Day, the Grafton Street woman with 100 descendants, the near-miss between a tram and a waggon and street signs for motorists are set to be installed in St Helens.
Sepsis was either known as blood poisoning or septic poisoning in the past and with no antibiotics available, the condition was fatal for very many sufferers.
On the 21st the inquest into the death of Thomas Corns of Clipsley Lane in Haydock heard that the man had been employed at the Ravenhead works of United Glass.
On April 1st the 42-year-old engineer had knocked his shin against an iron bar but thought his injury so minor that he didn't bother to obtain first aid from the works.
However, his wound became infected and septic poisoning set in from which he died.
During the evening of the 21st a children's fancy dress carnival was held.
Under the headlines "Gorgeous Spectacle At The Town Hall – Brilliant Scenes at Mayor's Carnival – School Children Make Merry – Knights, Kings, Queens, Fairies", this is how the St Helens Reporter's article that described the event began:
"A brilliant cavalcade, gorgeously attired in every kind of fancy dress imaginable, and all aglow with rich colours and beautiful designs, assembled in the Town Hall on Tuesday night, on the invitation of the Mayor and Mayoress of St. Helens (Ald. and Mrs. T. Hamblett) to participate in a children's fancy dress ball.
"Five hundred local schoolchildren, selected by their respective school, attended in their sparkling costumes to “trip the light fantastic”."
The authorities were very slowly playing catch up with the motor vehicle revolution.
There was much concern about the many deaths on the roads and the large number of heavy vehicles that were travelling through St Helens.
But driving tests were still years away and it appears that drivers in St Helens did not have any road signs to warn them of the dangers and help them navigate their way through the town.
On the 22nd at a meeting of the council's Highways Committee, it was decided that they would liaise with their Watch Committee and the Elementary Education Committee to decide on the installation of street signs for motorists.
The Borough Engineer reported that the St Helens Chief Constable had asked him to go into the matter of installing motor signs generally throughout the town.
On the same day the Parks Committee heard that the new bowling greens that were being installed in Victoria Park were nearing completion and should be fit to play on by the end of June.
And the new hard tennis courts would be ready towards the end of May.
In January 1924 the Conservative Party splinter group called the St Helens Women's Unionist Association had formed a Children's Loyalty League.
At the time the Reporter wrote how the league had three "lively" branches containing about 300 members ranging in age from 8 to 18.
The paper said: "Loyalty to King and country is a strong element in the Children's Loyalty League, and they are taught physical exercises, country dancing and singing and generally have a real good time under well-regulated conditions."
What might be seen these days as indoctrinating children to be patriotic citizens centred on the commemoration of Empire Day and St George's Day.
While celebrating the former in 1924, St Helens children representing the Colonies had ceremoniously marched round Britannia and laid gifts at her feet.
During the evening of the 22nd the Loyalty League celebrated St George's Day (which was actually on the following day), along with the anniversaries of the birth and death of Shakespeare.
They met in the George Street Assembly Rooms in St Helens and the Reporter said they presented a "happy spectacle" with the room "bright with emblems of our Patron Saint and the Union Jack."
The children were told that the object of their organisation was to be "loyal and patriotic citizens and to help to build up the British Empire".
Families can still, of course, fight over the possessions of a loved one after their death.
But I expect that in the past such disputes were more common, with working class folk tending to own very little and not write wills.
Dividing up the deceased's clothing, furniture and bits and bobs between family members could be a recipe for arguments and even physical violence, which sometimes ended up in the Police Court.
This week under the headline "Tough Leathers", the Reporter described such a case:
"Two brothers named John and Henry Leather, the former residing at 2, Latham-street, and the latter at 139, Park-road spent a good deal of All Fools' Day squabbling about the division of three pictures left by their late father.
"The argument grew rather warm, and as usual in such cases, the men followed words by blows and P.C. Phillips' services being sought, the Police Court case resulted."
The constable told the court that all the time that he had been in the house, the men had been threatening each other.
Upon being asked by the Bench why they didn't invite the policeman to act as arbitrator and settle their dispute, John Leather replied, "I never thought of that".
Both men were bound over for six months.
The 1931 census revealed that St Helens had the largest families of any town in Lancashire.
That could mean when the older generation died they had an awful lot of relatives to mourn their loss.
The Reporter stated that Mary Hill's funeral last Saturday had been attended by over 100 of her descendants – and a further six, who were her great-great grandchildren, had been considered too young to attend.
However, the 89-year-old from Grafton Street had not had that many children herself – only four in fact.
But her two boys and two girls had been highly productive and had 33 kids between them and Mary subsequently had 64 great-grandchildren. I wonder how she remembered all their birthdays!
The Reporter published a sketch of a new building that was currently being erected at the junction of Dentons Green Lane and Greenfield Road.
It would serve as a new nurses home and supersede the present building in Dentons Green Lane which was considered to be too small.
John Cunliffe, a greengrocer from Brook Lane in Crank, appeared in St Helens Police Court this week charged with driving a motor waggon to the danger of the public and failing to give audible warning of his approach.
It was expected that if a motor vehicle approached a junction or turned to go either left or right, that the driver would sound his or her horn to alert any other road users of their presence.
Mr Cunliffe had come out of Lowe Street without sounding his horn and driven over the tram track at what the police estimated as being between 20 to 25 mph.
That was at the same time that a tram was resuming its journey after dropping off some passengers and Mr Cunliffe was accused of only missing the tram by inches.
But estimating speeds then was also very much a hit and miss affair involving a lot of guesswork.
A passenger on the tram called Edward Goodwin gave evidence of the excessive speed at which the defendant had driven his motor waggon across Westfield Street.
But his estimate was 16 mph, much less than what the police thought.
Asked how he had arrived at that rather precise number, Mr Goodwin replied:
"Because I reckon I can walk four miles an hour, and he was going four times as quick as I can walk." This was from a witness sitting on a tramcar looking out the window!
The defendant, John Cunliffe, had, of course, an even lower estimate of his speed, claiming that it had been under 8 mph!
He told the court that he had been travelling into Arthur Street from Lowe Street and seeing the tramcar at a standstill, he'd put his engine into a low gear and slowly advanced across the road.
That had been at the same time as the tram had decided to resume its journey.
The Bench decided that they had a doubt about the case and chose to dismiss it.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's many stories will include the Eccleston Park dog that was bought by mail order, the adulterated milk at Shaw Street Station, the genesis of Hamblett School is discussed and the hugely popular film comic Pimple performs at the Hippodrome.
Sepsis was either known as blood poisoning or septic poisoning in the past and with no antibiotics available, the condition was fatal for very many sufferers.
On the 21st the inquest into the death of Thomas Corns of Clipsley Lane in Haydock heard that the man had been employed at the Ravenhead works of United Glass.
On April 1st the 42-year-old engineer had knocked his shin against an iron bar but thought his injury so minor that he didn't bother to obtain first aid from the works.
However, his wound became infected and septic poisoning set in from which he died.
During the evening of the 21st a children's fancy dress carnival was held.
Under the headlines "Gorgeous Spectacle At The Town Hall – Brilliant Scenes at Mayor's Carnival – School Children Make Merry – Knights, Kings, Queens, Fairies", this is how the St Helens Reporter's article that described the event began:
"A brilliant cavalcade, gorgeously attired in every kind of fancy dress imaginable, and all aglow with rich colours and beautiful designs, assembled in the Town Hall on Tuesday night, on the invitation of the Mayor and Mayoress of St. Helens (Ald. and Mrs. T. Hamblett) to participate in a children's fancy dress ball.
"Five hundred local schoolchildren, selected by their respective school, attended in their sparkling costumes to “trip the light fantastic”."
The authorities were very slowly playing catch up with the motor vehicle revolution.
There was much concern about the many deaths on the roads and the large number of heavy vehicles that were travelling through St Helens.
But driving tests were still years away and it appears that drivers in St Helens did not have any road signs to warn them of the dangers and help them navigate their way through the town.
On the 22nd at a meeting of the council's Highways Committee, it was decided that they would liaise with their Watch Committee and the Elementary Education Committee to decide on the installation of street signs for motorists.
The Borough Engineer reported that the St Helens Chief Constable had asked him to go into the matter of installing motor signs generally throughout the town.
And the new hard tennis courts would be ready towards the end of May.
In January 1924 the Conservative Party splinter group called the St Helens Women's Unionist Association had formed a Children's Loyalty League.
At the time the Reporter wrote how the league had three "lively" branches containing about 300 members ranging in age from 8 to 18.
The paper said: "Loyalty to King and country is a strong element in the Children's Loyalty League, and they are taught physical exercises, country dancing and singing and generally have a real good time under well-regulated conditions."
What might be seen these days as indoctrinating children to be patriotic citizens centred on the commemoration of Empire Day and St George's Day.
While celebrating the former in 1924, St Helens children representing the Colonies had ceremoniously marched round Britannia and laid gifts at her feet.
During the evening of the 22nd the Loyalty League celebrated St George's Day (which was actually on the following day), along with the anniversaries of the birth and death of Shakespeare.
They met in the George Street Assembly Rooms in St Helens and the Reporter said they presented a "happy spectacle" with the room "bright with emblems of our Patron Saint and the Union Jack."
The children were told that the object of their organisation was to be "loyal and patriotic citizens and to help to build up the British Empire".
Families can still, of course, fight over the possessions of a loved one after their death.
But I expect that in the past such disputes were more common, with working class folk tending to own very little and not write wills.
Dividing up the deceased's clothing, furniture and bits and bobs between family members could be a recipe for arguments and even physical violence, which sometimes ended up in the Police Court.
This week under the headline "Tough Leathers", the Reporter described such a case:
"Two brothers named John and Henry Leather, the former residing at 2, Latham-street, and the latter at 139, Park-road spent a good deal of All Fools' Day squabbling about the division of three pictures left by their late father.
"The argument grew rather warm, and as usual in such cases, the men followed words by blows and P.C. Phillips' services being sought, the Police Court case resulted."
The constable told the court that all the time that he had been in the house, the men had been threatening each other.
Upon being asked by the Bench why they didn't invite the policeman to act as arbitrator and settle their dispute, John Leather replied, "I never thought of that".
Both men were bound over for six months.
The 1931 census revealed that St Helens had the largest families of any town in Lancashire.
That could mean when the older generation died they had an awful lot of relatives to mourn their loss.
The Reporter stated that Mary Hill's funeral last Saturday had been attended by over 100 of her descendants – and a further six, who were her great-great grandchildren, had been considered too young to attend.
However, the 89-year-old from Grafton Street had not had that many children herself – only four in fact.
But her two boys and two girls had been highly productive and had 33 kids between them and Mary subsequently had 64 great-grandchildren. I wonder how she remembered all their birthdays!
The Reporter published a sketch of a new building that was currently being erected at the junction of Dentons Green Lane and Greenfield Road.
It would serve as a new nurses home and supersede the present building in Dentons Green Lane which was considered to be too small.
John Cunliffe, a greengrocer from Brook Lane in Crank, appeared in St Helens Police Court this week charged with driving a motor waggon to the danger of the public and failing to give audible warning of his approach.
It was expected that if a motor vehicle approached a junction or turned to go either left or right, that the driver would sound his or her horn to alert any other road users of their presence.
Mr Cunliffe had come out of Lowe Street without sounding his horn and driven over the tram track at what the police estimated as being between 20 to 25 mph.
But estimating speeds then was also very much a hit and miss affair involving a lot of guesswork.
A passenger on the tram called Edward Goodwin gave evidence of the excessive speed at which the defendant had driven his motor waggon across Westfield Street.
But his estimate was 16 mph, much less than what the police thought.
Asked how he had arrived at that rather precise number, Mr Goodwin replied:
"Because I reckon I can walk four miles an hour, and he was going four times as quick as I can walk." This was from a witness sitting on a tramcar looking out the window!
The defendant, John Cunliffe, had, of course, an even lower estimate of his speed, claiming that it had been under 8 mph!
He told the court that he had been travelling into Arthur Street from Lowe Street and seeing the tramcar at a standstill, he'd put his engine into a low gear and slowly advanced across the road.
That had been at the same time as the tram had decided to resume its journey.
The Bench decided that they had a doubt about the case and chose to dismiss it.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's many stories will include the Eccleston Park dog that was bought by mail order, the adulterated milk at Shaw Street Station, the genesis of Hamblett School is discussed and the hugely popular film comic Pimple performs at the Hippodrome.