IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (22nd - 28th July 1919)
This week's stories include a shocking case of wife beating, the running of horses down Crab Street, a little boy drowns in the St Helens Canal, the fifty-year-old Moss Bank suit, the young women robbed on the street for a joke, the Vicar of Sutton appears in court and the idea of putting big German guns on show in Rainford is reprised.
We begin with an appeal from the Mayor of St Helens for townsfolk to be as economical as possible with coal. This was after Henry Bates had received a telegram from the Government calling for extreme measures to be taken as a miners' strike in Yorkshire was causing a nationwide shortage. However St Helens was attempting to ward off the crisis by stockpiling coal at various depots but needed the co-operation of its citizens.
On the 25th the Vicar of Sutton appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with riding a bicycle without a rear light. Although Rev. William Colegrove pleaded guilty, he gave a long-winded cross-examination of a police officer, much to the irritation of the Chief Constable and the Bench.
A century ago electric lamps on the front and rear of vehicles were still in their experimental phase and the vast majority of owners used acetylene gas lamps. These had to be lit but the flame would sometimes go out during a journey, especially if it was breezy. The vicar was fined 5 shillings for his offence.
Also in court was James Greenall from West End Road who was charged with discharging fireworks in the street. The boy and his mates had been amusing themselves in Church Street by throwing crackers under ladies dresses! James was fined 7s 6d.
They certainly made things to last in the past. On the 25th Thomas and Elizabeth Eveason from Pike's Brow in Moss Bank celebrated their golden wedding and Tom wore the same suit of clothes that he wore on his wedding day. Of course only better off folk developed middle-aged spread, as many people were not well fed and had to do much walking. Being a farm labourer would also have helped to keep Tom trim.
The St Helens Reporter wrote on the 25th that the mounting of German guns in front of Rainford Village Hall was back on the agenda. In January the Chairman of Rainford Council had said that a couple of captured weapons "would look well on each side of the flagstaff".
Four months later there was a change of heart when other councillors objected, saying they would be a reminder of the horrors of war. However the Reporter said Councillor Eden had now expressed his desire for some big guns to be installed in the village and would be proposing a motion for discussion at the next council meeting.
The councillors also heard that the London & North Western Railway Company had replied to their letter requesting that workman's tickets be made available for train journeys from Rainford to St Helens. Their superintendent claimed that only five workmen travelled daily by train from the Rainford Village Station in Cross Pit Lane, with one or two others getting on at the Rookery Station.
That did not go down well with the councillors with one saying that a dozen Rainford girls had to cycle to work in St Helens every day because the train fares were so expensive and many men did the same. It was argued that more people would travel by train to St Helens if the same discounted arrangements that other places enjoyed were made available to the working people of Rainford. It was agreed that their clerk would again write to the railway superintendent to request workmen's tickets be made available.
Cross-country running used to be an incredibly popular sport in St Helens – it still is but to a much lesser extent. The newspaper also reported that the Parish Church Harriers had decided to reform now that most of their members had returned from the war. The club met at St Mary's School in Keswick Road.
Another drowning in the canal was described in the Reporter. Ernest Street from Grafton Street had been fishing for "jack sharp" stickleback fish when he overbalanced and fell head first into the water. The struggles of the eight-year-old only led to him being carried into the middle of the deep canal.
His little companions screamed for help but a man who arrived said he could not swim and told the boys to run for the police. This they did but by the time two officers came onto the scene and extricated Ernest, he was found to be dead.
On the 28th a concert was given in the schoolroom at Moss Bank to raise funds to support a badly incapacitated local soldier whose plight had drawn much sympathy.
From that day the "turns" appearing at the Hippodrome Music Hall and their descriptions in the Reporter were: Manuel & Francois ("Funniosities"); Mdlle. Chevalier and Captain Riego ("The dainty comedienne and pianist & raconteur"); Glory Devon and Gilda Gordon ("Harmonising vocalists"); Ernest K. Nelson & Millicent Maynard ("In a novel comedy skit"); Revill & Syd ("In unique comedy act"); Fred Keeton ("Comedian") and Tommy & Yvonne ("In the novel comedy act ‘Our Bath’").
Running horses up and down a street was a common means of showing them off to prospective purchasers. However large crowds would often turn up to watch and block off a street. On the 28th auctioneer William Murray from North Road appeared in the Police Court charged with causing an obstruction through the running of horses. Inspector Anders gave evidence that Murray had been displaying his nags for two hours at the top of Crab Street in front of two hundred spectators.
The officer said this sale took place every Tuesday and the police had received a number of complaints from people in the neighbourhood of the road being blocked. The defence case was that the road was really just a passage and only two or three people passed through it every day and no obstruction was caused.
St Helens Corporation's own veterinary surgeon gave evidence that he attended the sale every week and had no problem getting up the passage in his horse and trap. However the magistrates felt that the defendant had interfered with the traffic and Murray was fined £2.
A young man called Arthur Lowe was also in court charged with stealing a handkerchief from Agnes Molyneux while she'd been walking along Ormskirk Street. The theft had taken place at at ten o’clock on the previous evening and the young woman had followed the miner and his friends into Bridge Street where she got PC Thomas to arrest him.
The Chief Constable told the Bench: "This was a form of horseplay going on in the streets, and it must be stopped. Young ladies cannot go down some of the streets without having things taken from them." When asked by the Chairman why he had taken the handkerchief, Lowe said he did it as a joke and was fined £1.
Annie Mercer brought a charge of persistent cruelty against her husband John and a shocking tale of violent abuse was unveiled in the courtroom. The couple had wed in November 1915 and after just three weeks of marriage the man had violently assaulted his wife, blackening an eye. At one time during the following year Mercer had thrown water over Annie, smashed some of their furniture and then threw it down the stairs. The brute then left their house telling his wife he would hang for her.
Annie had a reprieve from the abuse while her husband served in the army but last Christmas after being demobilised he struck her once again about the head and face. Then at the beginning of July he attacked his wife when she was pregnant and had a large abscess on her neck.
Mercer knocked her onto the couch, struck her several times about the head and face, smashed a plant pot and burst the abscess, causing Annie considerable pain. He then told her to get out of the house. She was taken to her mother's home in Parr and a doctor was brought in on the following day. Mercer then debunked to his own mother's house in Bolton but not before selling all their furniture.
When he took the stand John Mercer blamed his wife's family for the trouble and said he would be prepared to take Annie back if she came to live with him in Bolton. There doesn't appear to have been any censure of the man's conduct during the hearing as it was seen as the product of quarrels that might cease if the couple moved away. The court decided to adjourn the case for a month to see whether the parties could come to an arrangement. Unfortunately that is usually where our knowledge of such cases ends as the newspapers tended not to report any subsequent hearings. However for a pregnant wife not to give her husband another chance despite his track record would have been unusual.
Next week's stories will include the bookies runners in Church Street, Beecham's womanly charm, the Grafton Street jangling court case, the boys gambling at the back of the Parrvilion in Jackson Street and the incorrigible Annie Murphy is back on the street armed with an umbrella!
We begin with an appeal from the Mayor of St Helens for townsfolk to be as economical as possible with coal. This was after Henry Bates had received a telegram from the Government calling for extreme measures to be taken as a miners' strike in Yorkshire was causing a nationwide shortage. However St Helens was attempting to ward off the crisis by stockpiling coal at various depots but needed the co-operation of its citizens.
Left: Alderman Henry Bates, Mayor of St Helens; Right: Rev William Colegrove the Vicar of Sutton from 1910 to 1939
Left: Alderman Henry Bates; Right: Rev William Colegrove, Vicar of Sutton
Mayor Henry Bates & Rev Wm Colegrove
A century ago electric lamps on the front and rear of vehicles were still in their experimental phase and the vast majority of owners used acetylene gas lamps. These had to be lit but the flame would sometimes go out during a journey, especially if it was breezy. The vicar was fined 5 shillings for his offence.
Also in court was James Greenall from West End Road who was charged with discharging fireworks in the street. The boy and his mates had been amusing themselves in Church Street by throwing crackers under ladies dresses! James was fined 7s 6d.
They certainly made things to last in the past. On the 25th Thomas and Elizabeth Eveason from Pike's Brow in Moss Bank celebrated their golden wedding and Tom wore the same suit of clothes that he wore on his wedding day. Of course only better off folk developed middle-aged spread, as many people were not well fed and had to do much walking. Being a farm labourer would also have helped to keep Tom trim.
The St Helens Reporter wrote on the 25th that the mounting of German guns in front of Rainford Village Hall was back on the agenda. In January the Chairman of Rainford Council had said that a couple of captured weapons "would look well on each side of the flagstaff".
Four months later there was a change of heart when other councillors objected, saying they would be a reminder of the horrors of war. However the Reporter said Councillor Eden had now expressed his desire for some big guns to be installed in the village and would be proposing a motion for discussion at the next council meeting.
The councillors also heard that the London & North Western Railway Company had replied to their letter requesting that workman's tickets be made available for train journeys from Rainford to St Helens. Their superintendent claimed that only five workmen travelled daily by train from the Rainford Village Station in Cross Pit Lane, with one or two others getting on at the Rookery Station.
That did not go down well with the councillors with one saying that a dozen Rainford girls had to cycle to work in St Helens every day because the train fares were so expensive and many men did the same. It was argued that more people would travel by train to St Helens if the same discounted arrangements that other places enjoyed were made available to the working people of Rainford. It was agreed that their clerk would again write to the railway superintendent to request workmen's tickets be made available.
Cross-country running used to be an incredibly popular sport in St Helens – it still is but to a much lesser extent. The newspaper also reported that the Parish Church Harriers had decided to reform now that most of their members had returned from the war. The club met at St Mary's School in Keswick Road.
Another drowning in the canal was described in the Reporter. Ernest Street from Grafton Street had been fishing for "jack sharp" stickleback fish when he overbalanced and fell head first into the water. The struggles of the eight-year-old only led to him being carried into the middle of the deep canal.
His little companions screamed for help but a man who arrived said he could not swim and told the boys to run for the police. This they did but by the time two officers came onto the scene and extricated Ernest, he was found to be dead.
On the 28th a concert was given in the schoolroom at Moss Bank to raise funds to support a badly incapacitated local soldier whose plight had drawn much sympathy.
From that day the "turns" appearing at the Hippodrome Music Hall and their descriptions in the Reporter were: Manuel & Francois ("Funniosities"); Mdlle. Chevalier and Captain Riego ("The dainty comedienne and pianist & raconteur"); Glory Devon and Gilda Gordon ("Harmonising vocalists"); Ernest K. Nelson & Millicent Maynard ("In a novel comedy skit"); Revill & Syd ("In unique comedy act"); Fred Keeton ("Comedian") and Tommy & Yvonne ("In the novel comedy act ‘Our Bath’").
Running horses up and down a street was a common means of showing them off to prospective purchasers. However large crowds would often turn up to watch and block off a street. On the 28th auctioneer William Murray from North Road appeared in the Police Court charged with causing an obstruction through the running of horses. Inspector Anders gave evidence that Murray had been displaying his nags for two hours at the top of Crab Street in front of two hundred spectators.
The officer said this sale took place every Tuesday and the police had received a number of complaints from people in the neighbourhood of the road being blocked. The defence case was that the road was really just a passage and only two or three people passed through it every day and no obstruction was caused.
St Helens Corporation's own veterinary surgeon gave evidence that he attended the sale every week and had no problem getting up the passage in his horse and trap. However the magistrates felt that the defendant had interfered with the traffic and Murray was fined £2.
A young man called Arthur Lowe was also in court charged with stealing a handkerchief from Agnes Molyneux while she'd been walking along Ormskirk Street. The theft had taken place at at ten o’clock on the previous evening and the young woman had followed the miner and his friends into Bridge Street where she got PC Thomas to arrest him.
The Chief Constable told the Bench: "This was a form of horseplay going on in the streets, and it must be stopped. Young ladies cannot go down some of the streets without having things taken from them." When asked by the Chairman why he had taken the handkerchief, Lowe said he did it as a joke and was fined £1.
Annie Mercer brought a charge of persistent cruelty against her husband John and a shocking tale of violent abuse was unveiled in the courtroom. The couple had wed in November 1915 and after just three weeks of marriage the man had violently assaulted his wife, blackening an eye. At one time during the following year Mercer had thrown water over Annie, smashed some of their furniture and then threw it down the stairs. The brute then left their house telling his wife he would hang for her.
Annie had a reprieve from the abuse while her husband served in the army but last Christmas after being demobilised he struck her once again about the head and face. Then at the beginning of July he attacked his wife when she was pregnant and had a large abscess on her neck.
Mercer knocked her onto the couch, struck her several times about the head and face, smashed a plant pot and burst the abscess, causing Annie considerable pain. He then told her to get out of the house. She was taken to her mother's home in Parr and a doctor was brought in on the following day. Mercer then debunked to his own mother's house in Bolton but not before selling all their furniture.
When he took the stand John Mercer blamed his wife's family for the trouble and said he would be prepared to take Annie back if she came to live with him in Bolton. There doesn't appear to have been any censure of the man's conduct during the hearing as it was seen as the product of quarrels that might cease if the couple moved away. The court decided to adjourn the case for a month to see whether the parties could come to an arrangement. Unfortunately that is usually where our knowledge of such cases ends as the newspapers tended not to report any subsequent hearings. However for a pregnant wife not to give her husband another chance despite his track record would have been unusual.
Next week's stories will include the bookies runners in Church Street, Beecham's womanly charm, the Grafton Street jangling court case, the boys gambling at the back of the Parrvilion in Jackson Street and the incorrigible Annie Murphy is back on the street armed with an umbrella!