IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (22nd - 28th April 1919)
This week's stories include a complaint of Bolshevism in St Helens, more on the rape allegation in Lyon Street, the football nuisance in Taylor Park, a Milton Street miner is accused of GBH in the Green Dragon, a family fight in Park Road, the Frederick ice cream family are back in court, plans to rebuild St Helens Parish Church and playing pitch and toss in Bronte Street.
We begin on the 24th at St Mark's vestry meeting when it was revealed that Sir David Gamble planned to donate land for a new school and playing field. Three acres had been allocated at the corner of a field in Cowley Hill Lane.
The offer was subject to the proposed sale of his Windlehurst estate to St Helens Corporation, who planned to build a thousand houses on the site. The school would, of course, be Windlehurst Primary, which closed in 2006.
Someone using the pseudonym "Anti-Bolshevik" had this letter published in the Reporter on the 25th, alleging communist activism in St Helens: "I cannot refrain from drawing the attention of our authorities and also the intellectual people of our town, to the revolutionary Bolshevik propaganda that is being preached from time to time on the Market Square under the auspices of the British Socialist party."
The person stated that at a recent gathering he had witnessed a couple of plain-clothed policemen "who seemed to be enjoying some of the remarks from these Bolshy men, instead of arresting them for preaching open rebellion, etc."
Anti-Bolshevik also claimed that these men were "blood-thirsty rebels" who were out for the "ruination of all sections of the Christian Church, and to build up in its place atheism. I appeal to the people of St. Helens to say whether we are going to tolerate such a doctrine as this!"
On the 25th in St Helens Police Court Richard Simms described how on the previous Sunday he had been in Bronte Street (off Cambridge Road) talking to a Miss Kenny about a family matter. Suddenly Samuel Edwards approached him from behind and punched him three times in the face, "damaging" him so much that he had to see a doctor.
In his defence Edwards claimed that Simms had used an offensive expression to his wife, which he denied. The defendant was bound over for six months but had to find sureties and pay costs.
As I've said before, the lengths that the police went to catch pitch and toss players a century ago do seem extraordinary today. Colonel Michael Hughes of Sherdley Hall used to put £20 bets on his horses. That was perfectly legal but for the working class to toss a few coins on a Sunday afternoon when there was little else to do was seen as a terrible crime.
PC Reynolds told the same hearing on the 25th that he and another constable had been on plain-clothes duty hiding on wasteland off Strickland Street (probably the present day Fosters Park). They watched eleven men for twenty minutes tossing coins during which time several pounds had changed hands.
The two bobbies then "rushed the gang" but only Edward Byron of Victoria Street was caught. The others fled but William Stretch and Herbert Johnson (both from College Street) were later arrested. All three men were fined twenty shillings.
A barber from Liverpool Road – who appeared to be called James Boldman – was charged with allowing his dog to be at large without a name and address on its collar. The Chief Constable said owing to the prevalence of rabies at the moment in the south of England, the man's offence was a more serious one.
Dogs were required by statute to have an address on their collar or wear a muzzle. Boldman pleaded ignorance of the law and was fined 5 shillings by the magistrates.
Six more "obstructionists" were also fined after being seen by plain-clothes police walking on the pavement three abreast. The two officers had watched the lads for twenty minutes "pull one another about the footpath" and jostle girls in Church Street during the weekly Sunday evening parading.
Isaac Ramsdale was also in court charged with a breach of the peace. The 30-year-old miner from Park Road had been fighting his brother in front of a large crowd. The fight appears to have been connected to a family dispute in which the brother had broken their father's nose. Nice family! Isaac was bound over for twelve months.
Another member of the Frederick ice cream family was in court on the 25th. This time it was Mary Frederick from Duke Street who was charged with driving a vehicle without two front lights and a rear light.
Over the last few years the Italians had regularly been in court for breaching the regulations – such as selling ice cream without a permit on a Sunday or from a barrow after hours.
Sometimes they were charged under their real name of Frederici and other times as Frederick. Mary Frederick appears to have also anglicised her Christian name, having seemingly been Maria in the 1911 census.
When stopped for not having lights in Corporation Street at five to nine, the ice cream vendor accused the police of having a spite against her. That was because PC Reynolds had not stopped two cyclists that had just ridden past without lights. In court it was explained that the officer did not have the opportunity to stop them and Mary was fined 15 shillings.
Six lads mainly from Silkstone Street and Dyson Street appeared at the hearing charged with playing football in Taylor Park. PC Silk told the Bench that for the last two or three Sundays there had been much rowdyism in the park and "endless complaints" had been received.
He added that the park was usually full on Sundays and children could not get a chance to play on account of these older lads. Mr Brooks, the assistant superintendent of parks, stated that footballers in Taylor Park had been a nuisance for months.
He said he had cautioned them "time after time" but they took no notice and old men who had tried to deal with the lads had been threatened. John Brown, James Owen, Harry Bryant, Hector White, Albert Jones and Alfred Heyes were each fined 7/6 for their game of footy.
This week St Helens Parish Church's annual vestry meeting was held in which Canon Albert Baines, the Vicar of St Helens, announced that £40,000 had already been raised towards the cost of the new church. The old Church Street building (pictured above) had been badly damaged by fire in December 1916 and plans had been drawn up to build a new church adjacent to the old one.
The vicar stated that the designs would include a Memorial Chapel that would honour the 225 men from the church that had died in the war. In total 1,700 men associated with the church had gone to war and about 700 had now returned home. A monthly newsletter had been despatched to the soldiers to keep them acquainted with parish matters.
The music hall acts at the Hippodrome Theatre from the 28th were Terence Byron & Company in 'Simple Simon' ("A homely story told in a homely fashion"); Arthur Slater ("Whistling act"); Nan Melville & Ina Gordon ("In a vocal and dancing interlude"); Gaye Gordon ("Comedienne"); The 4 Powers ("Charming musical ensemble") and Wallis & Bruce ("Comedians"). There were always two houses each night at the Hippodrome with performances at 6:30pm and 8:45pm.
Richard Sanders from Lyon Street (off Eccleston Street) returned to court on the 28th to face a charge of raping Elizabeth Taylor, who also lived in Lyon Street. Sanders was a cinema operator – or projectionist – at the Bridge Street Picturedrome and at his initial hearing had been accused of raping a married woman.
However at the second hearing the prosecutrix – as Elizabeth was called – was described as a 22-year-old single woman. Superintendent Dunn told the court that Sanders had committed the offence at the young woman's home while her parents had been away on holiday. Immediately afterwards she went to tell her aunt what had happened and she went to see Sanders, who denied having seen Elizabeth that evening, never mind raped her.
The aunt then took Sanders to her niece and asked her if he had been the man responsible. "Take him away, it is him", was Elizabeth's reply. A doctor's statement was read out at the lengthy hearing and the magistrates decided to commit the prisoner for trial at the next Assizes sessions.
Patrick Lavin returned to court after being remanded in custody for six weeks accused of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. That was because Thomas O’Brien, the Sutton Manor miner's alleged victim, had been unconscious for three weeks and had then lost his memory.
Lavin and O’Brien had been drinking in the Green Dragon in Gartons Lane (pictured above) where they had an argument over war service. O’Brien said he then went to the lavatory and Lavin followed him and struck him on the back of his head.
Upon falling to the ground he received a further blow behind his right ear that rendered him unconscious. Lavin for his part claimed the incident had been an arranged fight and O’Brien had been injured after hitting his head on the floor after being pushed.
The Irish miner from Milton Street had served with the Scots Guards during the war and been twice wounded. Lavin also had three convictions for drunkenness and Alderman Martin on the Bench told him that he would be a "wise man" if he gave up drink. The Chairman said taking his war service into account and the fact that he had been in custody for six weeks, he would be "let off" with a £5 fine.
Next week's many stories will include the Thatto Heath fire that gutted a house, the St Helens boy burglars, an extraordinary court battle between the Mayor and Colonel Hughes, the Morley Street freak chicken, history is made at St Anne's and the Sutton bread man's court case.
We begin on the 24th at St Mark's vestry meeting when it was revealed that Sir David Gamble planned to donate land for a new school and playing field. Three acres had been allocated at the corner of a field in Cowley Hill Lane.
The offer was subject to the proposed sale of his Windlehurst estate to St Helens Corporation, who planned to build a thousand houses on the site. The school would, of course, be Windlehurst Primary, which closed in 2006.
Someone using the pseudonym "Anti-Bolshevik" had this letter published in the Reporter on the 25th, alleging communist activism in St Helens: "I cannot refrain from drawing the attention of our authorities and also the intellectual people of our town, to the revolutionary Bolshevik propaganda that is being preached from time to time on the Market Square under the auspices of the British Socialist party."
The person stated that at a recent gathering he had witnessed a couple of plain-clothed policemen "who seemed to be enjoying some of the remarks from these Bolshy men, instead of arresting them for preaching open rebellion, etc."
Anti-Bolshevik also claimed that these men were "blood-thirsty rebels" who were out for the "ruination of all sections of the Christian Church, and to build up in its place atheism. I appeal to the people of St. Helens to say whether we are going to tolerate such a doctrine as this!"
On the 25th in St Helens Police Court Richard Simms described how on the previous Sunday he had been in Bronte Street (off Cambridge Road) talking to a Miss Kenny about a family matter. Suddenly Samuel Edwards approached him from behind and punched him three times in the face, "damaging" him so much that he had to see a doctor.
In his defence Edwards claimed that Simms had used an offensive expression to his wife, which he denied. The defendant was bound over for six months but had to find sureties and pay costs.
As I've said before, the lengths that the police went to catch pitch and toss players a century ago do seem extraordinary today. Colonel Michael Hughes of Sherdley Hall used to put £20 bets on his horses. That was perfectly legal but for the working class to toss a few coins on a Sunday afternoon when there was little else to do was seen as a terrible crime.
PC Reynolds told the same hearing on the 25th that he and another constable had been on plain-clothes duty hiding on wasteland off Strickland Street (probably the present day Fosters Park). They watched eleven men for twenty minutes tossing coins during which time several pounds had changed hands.
The two bobbies then "rushed the gang" but only Edward Byron of Victoria Street was caught. The others fled but William Stretch and Herbert Johnson (both from College Street) were later arrested. All three men were fined twenty shillings.
A barber from Liverpool Road – who appeared to be called James Boldman – was charged with allowing his dog to be at large without a name and address on its collar. The Chief Constable said owing to the prevalence of rabies at the moment in the south of England, the man's offence was a more serious one.
Dogs were required by statute to have an address on their collar or wear a muzzle. Boldman pleaded ignorance of the law and was fined 5 shillings by the magistrates.
Six more "obstructionists" were also fined after being seen by plain-clothes police walking on the pavement three abreast. The two officers had watched the lads for twenty minutes "pull one another about the footpath" and jostle girls in Church Street during the weekly Sunday evening parading.
Isaac Ramsdale was also in court charged with a breach of the peace. The 30-year-old miner from Park Road had been fighting his brother in front of a large crowd. The fight appears to have been connected to a family dispute in which the brother had broken their father's nose. Nice family! Isaac was bound over for twelve months.
Another member of the Frederick ice cream family was in court on the 25th. This time it was Mary Frederick from Duke Street who was charged with driving a vehicle without two front lights and a rear light.
Over the last few years the Italians had regularly been in court for breaching the regulations – such as selling ice cream without a permit on a Sunday or from a barrow after hours.
Sometimes they were charged under their real name of Frederici and other times as Frederick. Mary Frederick appears to have also anglicised her Christian name, having seemingly been Maria in the 1911 census.
When stopped for not having lights in Corporation Street at five to nine, the ice cream vendor accused the police of having a spite against her. That was because PC Reynolds had not stopped two cyclists that had just ridden past without lights. In court it was explained that the officer did not have the opportunity to stop them and Mary was fined 15 shillings.
Six lads mainly from Silkstone Street and Dyson Street appeared at the hearing charged with playing football in Taylor Park. PC Silk told the Bench that for the last two or three Sundays there had been much rowdyism in the park and "endless complaints" had been received.
He added that the park was usually full on Sundays and children could not get a chance to play on account of these older lads. Mr Brooks, the assistant superintendent of parks, stated that footballers in Taylor Park had been a nuisance for months.
He said he had cautioned them "time after time" but they took no notice and old men who had tried to deal with the lads had been threatened. John Brown, James Owen, Harry Bryant, Hector White, Albert Jones and Alfred Heyes were each fined 7/6 for their game of footy.
The vicar stated that the designs would include a Memorial Chapel that would honour the 225 men from the church that had died in the war. In total 1,700 men associated with the church had gone to war and about 700 had now returned home. A monthly newsletter had been despatched to the soldiers to keep them acquainted with parish matters.
The music hall acts at the Hippodrome Theatre from the 28th were Terence Byron & Company in 'Simple Simon' ("A homely story told in a homely fashion"); Arthur Slater ("Whistling act"); Nan Melville & Ina Gordon ("In a vocal and dancing interlude"); Gaye Gordon ("Comedienne"); The 4 Powers ("Charming musical ensemble") and Wallis & Bruce ("Comedians"). There were always two houses each night at the Hippodrome with performances at 6:30pm and 8:45pm.
Richard Sanders from Lyon Street (off Eccleston Street) returned to court on the 28th to face a charge of raping Elizabeth Taylor, who also lived in Lyon Street. Sanders was a cinema operator – or projectionist – at the Bridge Street Picturedrome and at his initial hearing had been accused of raping a married woman.
However at the second hearing the prosecutrix – as Elizabeth was called – was described as a 22-year-old single woman. Superintendent Dunn told the court that Sanders had committed the offence at the young woman's home while her parents had been away on holiday. Immediately afterwards she went to tell her aunt what had happened and she went to see Sanders, who denied having seen Elizabeth that evening, never mind raped her.
The aunt then took Sanders to her niece and asked her if he had been the man responsible. "Take him away, it is him", was Elizabeth's reply. A doctor's statement was read out at the lengthy hearing and the magistrates decided to commit the prisoner for trial at the next Assizes sessions.
Patrick Lavin returned to court after being remanded in custody for six weeks accused of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. That was because Thomas O’Brien, the Sutton Manor miner's alleged victim, had been unconscious for three weeks and had then lost his memory.
Upon falling to the ground he received a further blow behind his right ear that rendered him unconscious. Lavin for his part claimed the incident had been an arranged fight and O’Brien had been injured after hitting his head on the floor after being pushed.
The Irish miner from Milton Street had served with the Scots Guards during the war and been twice wounded. Lavin also had three convictions for drunkenness and Alderman Martin on the Bench told him that he would be a "wise man" if he gave up drink. The Chairman said taking his war service into account and the fact that he had been in custody for six weeks, he would be "let off" with a £5 fine.
Next week's many stories will include the Thatto Heath fire that gutted a house, the St Helens boy burglars, an extraordinary court battle between the Mayor and Colonel Hughes, the Morley Street freak chicken, history is made at St Anne's and the Sutton bread man's court case.