IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (26th SEPT. - 2nd OCT. 1922)
This week's stories include a child's sudden death at an industrial school in Blackbrook, the bagpipe-playing Scotsman unlawfully wearing the uniform of the Black Watch, the revolting domestic conditions in a Waterloo Street marital dispute, the first Labour Party mayor is elected in St Helens and Annie Murphy is sent to prison for simply sitting on a Prescot Road seat.
We begin on the 27th when John Rush appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with unlawfully wearing military uniform. The young Scotsman had been arrested at Turner's lodging house in Church Street in St Helens while wearing the uniform of the Black Watch. Rush had served in the regiment but had been discharged two years ago, which ended his entitlement to wear their uniform.
He told the police that he thought he was still entitled to wear it. However, inquiries revealed a string of previous convictions, including two for unlawfully wearing military uniform. Rush made his living by playing the bagpipes and the Black Watch garb helped to create a more colourful impression on the public while performing on the street. However, he told the Bench that he had sold his bagpipes and was now singing his way back to Scotland – but was told to serve 14 days in prison first.
Theatre impresario Fred Karno's troupe was back in St Helens this week with a musical revue at the Hippodrome called "Scarlet Runners". Karno is credited with popularising slapstick comedy – especially custard pies in the face – and Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel began their careers working for him.
On the 28th it was announced that St Helens Council had elected its first Labour mayor in Ald. Peter Phythian, who'd been on the council since 1904. His brother John was also an alderman on the council – but represented the Conservative party.
A century ago there was a far greater chance than today of a retailer actually making the products that they sold. In the St Helens Reporter on the 29th there was an advert for the Lancashire Clog Factory, as bootmaker Michael Yorke rather grandly called his business. I doubt that his Higher Parr Street premises opposite the Co-op that made clogs to order – or sold them off the shelf – was anything more than a small shop.
But the name sounded impressive and above Yorke's advert there was this statement: "For Knitted Garments Go To The Actual Makers" – Shawcross's, 23, Baldwin Street & 98, Kirkland Street." There was also the Peel Café in Dentons Green which was advertising its Prima Donna Cake – "Sole Makers of the Perfect Cakes", they said. And an advert for the clothing firm known as the Fifty Shilling Tailors. They were opening a branch in Ormskirk Street in St Helens in ten days time and offering made to measure suits for the equivalent of £2 50p. The firm was a massive newspaper advertiser and grew to become one of the biggest clothing chain stores in the country with almost 400 branches.
The Reporter also described the inquest into the death of a 10-year-old Liverpool girl who had been sent to St Mary's industrial school for girls in Blackbrook – but had died on her first day. Industrial schools were created to deal with juvenile delinquency and to teach youngsters a trade and were intended for those yet to commit a serious crime. The newspaper report provides disturbing insights into how children were still being treated 100 years ago.
All that Annie Talbot had done to be placed in the institution was miss a lot of school during the previous year. Consequently, the authorities in Toxteth decided that to "cure her of the habit" of playing truant, she would be sent to the Roman Catholic industrial school in St Helens for six years. Until the home was in a position to accept her, Annie was temporarily placed in an institution in Liverpool. Her father in giving evidence at his daughter's inquest said he hadn't seen Annie for a month despite her then living not far from his home. That seems to have been common at that time when persons were placed in an institution. Family visits were few and far between, perhaps through the shame of them being in such a place.
Sister Bridget Foley, the superintendent of the Blackbrook home, told the coroner that upon the girl's arrival she had been ill and vomiting. Annie was taken to their sick room where she was given a dose of castor oil and put to bed. It was five hours before a doctor was called after the girl was found to be in a state of collapse with a temperature of 100 degrees – and Annie was soon dead. A post-mortem revealed a condition known as status lymphaticus that was then associated with sudden fatalities in children and the Coroner ruled death by natural causes.
The Reporter also described how Thomas Oldham of Rigby Street in St Helens had retired from Beecham's after fifty years employment with the pharmaceuticals firm: "Mr. Oldham's service with the Beecham family has coincided with the rise from small beginnings to world-wide fame of an important St. Helens firm, and with the development of the central establishment in Westfield-street to its present imposing dimensions. Mr. Oldham is a native of the town.
"He entered the service of the firm as a boy of ten, and was first with the founder of the firm, Mr. Thomas Beecham, then with his son, Sir Joseph, and now finally under Mr. Henry Beecham at Huyton. When the firm commenced to keep horses he was transferred to the stables, and has remained throughout associated with that side of the business, or with the stables at the private residence, motors having now to a great an extent replaced the old horse traction. He is best known in this connection as “Beecham's coachman,” and as such has been a familiar figure driving in and out of the town."
Note the reference to Thomas Oldham having recently been driving for Henry Beecham, the brother of Sir Thomas Beecham. Last summer Henry had been sent to prison for a year after the car that he was driving had killed a 6-year-old boy. One witness described the speed of his vehicle as "terrific" and another estimated it as 65mph. At the time Beecham was living in luxury in the mansion called Knebworth House in Hertfordshire – the grounds of which the Knebworth Festival would from 1974 be held.
In St Helens Police Court on the 29th, James Robinson – described as a "loafer of no fixed abode" – was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Clyde Street (which used to be near Peter Street). A constable gave evidence that the man had been creating a disturbance by waving his arms about and shouting:
"This is how I stopped the Prussian guards in 1914. I fought for all you _________ in the street." Robinson told the court that he came from Cheshire and had been working on farms. He said he had gone to Liverpool and had a few drinks but could not remember coming to St Helens. The Bench fined Robinson 6s 6d and said he must try to lead a better life in future.
Agnes Houghton from Waterloo Street in St Helens summoned her husband John to court accusing him of desertion. His defence was that his wife had told him to leave. "She was drunk and threw a jug at me," he explained. The Reporter described how "revolting domestic conditions were brought to light" during the case. Of course, if they felt the details were that revolting why did they report them? The answer, of course, is that readers loved the salacious details revealed in these marital disputes, which, in reality, were applications for maintenance orders.
Mrs Houghton claimed her husband had accused her of giving him a "certain disease" but she had been examined and was "certified to be free from disease". She said she had not thrown the jug at her husband, "only lifted it in self-defence". Mr Houghton claimed his wife had pawned all the bedclothes, to which she replied that she was forced to "in order to keep myself". The husband said his wife had received a certain sum from the pensions authorities but had "boozed" the lot.
There was much more of this "he said, she said" diatribe between the couple – but these were not two young people starting out on married life. Upon their marriage John Houghton had been a widower with five children and Agnes a widow with three kids. It appears to have been a marriage of convenience – that proved highly inconvenient for all! The husband had brought in Inspector Francis Lycett of the NSPCC and he told the court: "In my opinion they are badly mated, and not likely to live in happiness and comfort together. The complainant is a passionate, violent woman."
There seemed little evidence presented to justify the last comment apart from the jug business but Inspector Lycett – who had an office in Croppers Hill – was a very outspoken individual. Last year in court he called a woman a "dirty, filthy, useless person" and earlier in 1922 had labelled a man a "callous, worthless, inhuman fellow". Incidentally, his solicitor son Allan Lycett is mentioned often in my '50 Years Ago' articles, as he was the Mayor of St Helens in 1972. The Bench appeared to have been influenced by the inspector's comments over Agnes Houghton as they only awarded her 5 shillings per week maintenance from her husband.
Annie Murphy made her 80th appearance in court on the 30th. Nicknamed "Gentle Annie", most of her convictions were for "lodging out" or sleeping rough, as we would call it. Her latest offence was simply sitting on a seat in Prescot Road in St Helens in the early hours of the morning, after walking into the town from Liverpool. One might have thought Annie was doing no one any harm but having no visible means of subsistence was a criminal offence.
The 48-year-old told the Bench that she had been staying in the workhouse in Liverpool but could not get any peace at night after working all day. Annie had been before the St Helens magistrates only a couple of weeks before and had been discharged on condition she went to the Whiston Institution, as the workhouse / hospital was now known. But she had failed to go and so was sent to prison for 14 days.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the illegal Sutton Manor suicide attempt, the serious overcrowding of homes in St Helens, protests over a Government curb on feeding poor schoolchildren, good news for St Helens tram users with fares set to come down and a terrifying experience at Lea Green Colliery as new technology saves 32 lives.
We begin on the 27th when John Rush appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with unlawfully wearing military uniform. The young Scotsman had been arrested at Turner's lodging house in Church Street in St Helens while wearing the uniform of the Black Watch. Rush had served in the regiment but had been discharged two years ago, which ended his entitlement to wear their uniform.
He told the police that he thought he was still entitled to wear it. However, inquiries revealed a string of previous convictions, including two for unlawfully wearing military uniform. Rush made his living by playing the bagpipes and the Black Watch garb helped to create a more colourful impression on the public while performing on the street. However, he told the Bench that he had sold his bagpipes and was now singing his way back to Scotland – but was told to serve 14 days in prison first.
Theatre impresario Fred Karno's troupe was back in St Helens this week with a musical revue at the Hippodrome called "Scarlet Runners". Karno is credited with popularising slapstick comedy – especially custard pies in the face – and Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel began their careers working for him.
On the 28th it was announced that St Helens Council had elected its first Labour mayor in Ald. Peter Phythian, who'd been on the council since 1904. His brother John was also an alderman on the council – but represented the Conservative party.
A century ago there was a far greater chance than today of a retailer actually making the products that they sold. In the St Helens Reporter on the 29th there was an advert for the Lancashire Clog Factory, as bootmaker Michael Yorke rather grandly called his business. I doubt that his Higher Parr Street premises opposite the Co-op that made clogs to order – or sold them off the shelf – was anything more than a small shop.
The Reporter also described the inquest into the death of a 10-year-old Liverpool girl who had been sent to St Mary's industrial school for girls in Blackbrook – but had died on her first day. Industrial schools were created to deal with juvenile delinquency and to teach youngsters a trade and were intended for those yet to commit a serious crime. The newspaper report provides disturbing insights into how children were still being treated 100 years ago.
All that Annie Talbot had done to be placed in the institution was miss a lot of school during the previous year. Consequently, the authorities in Toxteth decided that to "cure her of the habit" of playing truant, she would be sent to the Roman Catholic industrial school in St Helens for six years. Until the home was in a position to accept her, Annie was temporarily placed in an institution in Liverpool. Her father in giving evidence at his daughter's inquest said he hadn't seen Annie for a month despite her then living not far from his home. That seems to have been common at that time when persons were placed in an institution. Family visits were few and far between, perhaps through the shame of them being in such a place.
Sister Bridget Foley, the superintendent of the Blackbrook home, told the coroner that upon the girl's arrival she had been ill and vomiting. Annie was taken to their sick room where she was given a dose of castor oil and put to bed. It was five hours before a doctor was called after the girl was found to be in a state of collapse with a temperature of 100 degrees – and Annie was soon dead. A post-mortem revealed a condition known as status lymphaticus that was then associated with sudden fatalities in children and the Coroner ruled death by natural causes.
"He entered the service of the firm as a boy of ten, and was first with the founder of the firm, Mr. Thomas Beecham, then with his son, Sir Joseph, and now finally under Mr. Henry Beecham at Huyton. When the firm commenced to keep horses he was transferred to the stables, and has remained throughout associated with that side of the business, or with the stables at the private residence, motors having now to a great an extent replaced the old horse traction. He is best known in this connection as “Beecham's coachman,” and as such has been a familiar figure driving in and out of the town."
Note the reference to Thomas Oldham having recently been driving for Henry Beecham, the brother of Sir Thomas Beecham. Last summer Henry had been sent to prison for a year after the car that he was driving had killed a 6-year-old boy. One witness described the speed of his vehicle as "terrific" and another estimated it as 65mph. At the time Beecham was living in luxury in the mansion called Knebworth House in Hertfordshire – the grounds of which the Knebworth Festival would from 1974 be held.
In St Helens Police Court on the 29th, James Robinson – described as a "loafer of no fixed abode" – was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Clyde Street (which used to be near Peter Street). A constable gave evidence that the man had been creating a disturbance by waving his arms about and shouting:
"This is how I stopped the Prussian guards in 1914. I fought for all you _________ in the street." Robinson told the court that he came from Cheshire and had been working on farms. He said he had gone to Liverpool and had a few drinks but could not remember coming to St Helens. The Bench fined Robinson 6s 6d and said he must try to lead a better life in future.
Agnes Houghton from Waterloo Street in St Helens summoned her husband John to court accusing him of desertion. His defence was that his wife had told him to leave. "She was drunk and threw a jug at me," he explained. The Reporter described how "revolting domestic conditions were brought to light" during the case. Of course, if they felt the details were that revolting why did they report them? The answer, of course, is that readers loved the salacious details revealed in these marital disputes, which, in reality, were applications for maintenance orders.
Mrs Houghton claimed her husband had accused her of giving him a "certain disease" but she had been examined and was "certified to be free from disease". She said she had not thrown the jug at her husband, "only lifted it in self-defence". Mr Houghton claimed his wife had pawned all the bedclothes, to which she replied that she was forced to "in order to keep myself". The husband said his wife had received a certain sum from the pensions authorities but had "boozed" the lot.
There was much more of this "he said, she said" diatribe between the couple – but these were not two young people starting out on married life. Upon their marriage John Houghton had been a widower with five children and Agnes a widow with three kids. It appears to have been a marriage of convenience – that proved highly inconvenient for all! The husband had brought in Inspector Francis Lycett of the NSPCC and he told the court: "In my opinion they are badly mated, and not likely to live in happiness and comfort together. The complainant is a passionate, violent woman."
There seemed little evidence presented to justify the last comment apart from the jug business but Inspector Lycett – who had an office in Croppers Hill – was a very outspoken individual. Last year in court he called a woman a "dirty, filthy, useless person" and earlier in 1922 had labelled a man a "callous, worthless, inhuman fellow". Incidentally, his solicitor son Allan Lycett is mentioned often in my '50 Years Ago' articles, as he was the Mayor of St Helens in 1972. The Bench appeared to have been influenced by the inspector's comments over Agnes Houghton as they only awarded her 5 shillings per week maintenance from her husband.
Annie Murphy made her 80th appearance in court on the 30th. Nicknamed "Gentle Annie", most of her convictions were for "lodging out" or sleeping rough, as we would call it. Her latest offence was simply sitting on a seat in Prescot Road in St Helens in the early hours of the morning, after walking into the town from Liverpool. One might have thought Annie was doing no one any harm but having no visible means of subsistence was a criminal offence.
The 48-year-old told the Bench that she had been staying in the workhouse in Liverpool but could not get any peace at night after working all day. Annie had been before the St Helens magistrates only a couple of weeks before and had been discharged on condition she went to the Whiston Institution, as the workhouse / hospital was now known. But she had failed to go and so was sent to prison for 14 days.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the illegal Sutton Manor suicide attempt, the serious overcrowding of homes in St Helens, protests over a Government curb on feeding poor schoolchildren, good news for St Helens tram users with fares set to come down and a terrifying experience at Lea Green Colliery as new technology saves 32 lives.
This week's stories include a child's sudden death at an industrial school in Blackbrook, the bagpipe-playing Scotsman unlawfully wearing the uniform of the Black Watch, the revolting domestic conditions in a Waterloo Street marital dispute, the first Labour Party mayor is elected in St Helens and Annie Murphy is sent to prison for simply sitting on a Prescot Road seat.
We begin on the 27th when John Rush appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with unlawfully wearing military uniform.
The young Scotsman had been arrested at Turner's lodging house in Church Street in St Helens while wearing the uniform of the Black Watch.
Rush had served in the regiment but had been discharged two years ago, which ended his entitlement to wear their uniform.
He told the police that he thought he was still entitled to wear it. However, inquiries revealed a string of previous convictions, including two for unlawfully wearing military uniform.
Rush made his living by playing the bagpipes and the Black Watch garb helped to create a more colourful impression on the public while performing on the street.
However, he told the Bench that he had sold his bagpipes and was now singing his way back to Scotland – but was told to serve 14 days in prison first.
Theatre impresario Fred Karno's troupe was back in St Helens this week with a musical revue at the Hippodrome called "Scarlet Runners".
Karno is credited with popularising slapstick comedy – especially custard pies in the face – and Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel began their careers working for him.
On the 28th it was announced that St Helens Council had elected its first Labour mayor in Ald. Peter Phythian, who'd been on the council since 1904.
His brother John was also an alderman on the council – but represented the Conservative party.
A century ago there was a far greater chance than today of a retailer actually making the products that they sold.
In the St Helens Reporter on the 29th there was an advert for the Lancashire Clog Factory, as bootmaker Michael Yorke rather grandly called his business.
I doubt that his Higher Parr Street premises opposite the Co-op that made clogs to order – or sold them off the shelf – was anything more than a small shop.
But the name sounded impressive and above Yorke's advert there was this statement:
"For Knitted Garments Go To The Actual Makers" – Shawcross's, 23, Baldwin Street & 98, Kirkland Street."
There was also the Peel Café in Dentons Green which was advertising its Prima Donna Cake – "Sole Makers of the Perfect Cakes", they said.
And an advert for the clothing firm known as the Fifty Shilling Tailors.
They were opening a branch in Ormskirk Street in St Helens in ten days time and offering made to measure suits for the equivalent of £2 50p.
The firm was a massive newspaper advertiser and grew to become one of the biggest clothing chain stores in the country with almost 400 branches.
The Reporter also described the inquest into the death of a 10-year-old Liverpool girl who had been sent to St Mary's industrial school for girls in Blackbrook – but had died on her first day.
Industrial schools were created to deal with juvenile delinquency and to teach youngsters a trade and were intended for those yet to commit a serious crime.
The newspaper report provides disturbing insights into how children were still being treated 100 years ago.
All that Annie Talbot had done to be placed in the institution was miss a lot of school during the previous year.
Consequently, the authorities in Toxteth decided that to "cure her of the habit" of playing truant, she would be sent to the Roman Catholic industrial school in St Helens for six years.
Until the home was in a position to accept her, Annie was temporarily placed in an institution in Liverpool.
Her father in giving evidence at his daughter's inquest said he hadn't seen Annie for a month despite her then living not far from his home.
That seems to have been common at that time when persons were placed in an institution.
Family visits were few and far between, perhaps through the shame of them being in such a place.
Sister Bridget Foley, the superintendent of the Blackbrook home, told the coroner that upon the girl's arrival she had been ill and vomiting.
Annie was taken to their sick room where she was given a dose of castor oil and put to bed.
It was five hours before a doctor was called after the girl was found to be in a state of collapse with a temperature of 100 degrees – and Annie was soon dead.
A post-mortem revealed a condition known as status lymphaticus that was then associated with sudden fatalities in children and the Coroner ruled death by natural causes.
The Reporter also described how Thomas Oldham of Rigby Street in St Helens had retired from Beecham's after fifty years employment with the pharmaceuticals firm:
"Mr. Oldham's service with the Beecham family has coincided with the rise from small beginnings to world-wide fame of an important St. Helens firm, and with the development of the central establishment in Westfield-street to its present imposing dimensions.
"Mr. Oldham is a native of the town. He entered the service of the firm as a boy of ten, and was first with the founder of the firm, Mr. Thomas Beecham, then with his son, Sir Joseph, and now finally under Mr. Henry Beecham at Huyton.
"When the firm commenced to keep horses he was transferred to the stables, and has remained throughout associated with that side of the business, or with the stables at the private residence, motors having now to a great an extent replaced the old horse traction.
"He is best known in this connection as “Beecham's coachman,” and as such has been a familiar figure driving in and out of the town."
Note the reference to Thomas Oldham having recently been driving for Henry Beecham, the brother of Sir Thomas Beecham.
Last summer Henry had been sent to prison for a year after the car that he was driving had killed a 6-year-old boy.
One witness described the speed of his vehicle as "terrific" and another estimated it as 65mph.
At the time Beecham was living in luxury in the mansion called Knebworth House in Hertfordshire – the grounds of which the Knebworth Festival would from 1974 be held.
In St Helens Police Court on the 29th, James Robinson – described as a "loafer of no fixed abode" – was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Clyde Street (which used to be near Peter Street).
A constable gave evidence that the man had been creating a disturbance by waving his arms about and shouting:
"This is how I stopped the Prussian guards in 1914. I fought for all you _________ in the street."
Robinson told the court that he came from Cheshire and had been working on farms. He said he had gone to Liverpool and had a few drinks but could not remember coming to St Helens.
The Bench fined Robinson 6s 6d and said he must try to lead a better life in future.
Agnes Houghton from Waterloo Street in St Helens summoned her husband John to court accusing him of desertion.
His defence was that his wife had told him to leave. "She was drunk and threw a jug at me," he explained.
The Reporter described how "revolting domestic conditions were brought to light" during the case.
Of course, if they felt the details were that revolting why did they report them? The answer, of course, is that readers loved the salacious details revealed in these marital disputes, which, in reality, were applications for maintenance orders.
Mrs Houghton claimed her husband had accused her of giving him a "certain disease" but she had been examined and was "certified to be free from disease".
She said she had not thrown the jug at her husband, "only lifted it in self-defence".
Mr Houghton claimed his wife had pawned all the bedclothes, to which she replied that she was forced to "in order to keep myself".
The husband said his wife had received a certain sum from the pensions authorities but had "boozed" the lot.
There was much more of this "he said, she said" diatribe between the couple – but these were not two young people starting out on married life.
Upon their marriage John Houghton had been a widower with five children and Agnes a widow with three kids.
It appears to have been a marriage of convenience – that proved highly inconvenient for all!
The husband had brought in Inspector Francis Lycett of the NSPCC and he told the court:
"In my opinion they are badly mated, and not likely to live in happiness and comfort together. The complainant is a passionate, violent woman."
There seemed little evidence presented to justify the last comment apart from the jug business but Inspector Lycett – who had an office in Croppers Hill – was a very outspoken individual.
Last year in court he called a woman a "dirty, filthy, useless person" and earlier in 1922 had labelled a man a "callous, worthless, inhuman fellow".
Incidentally, his solicitor son Allan Lycett is mentioned often in my '50 Years Ago' articles, as he was the Mayor of St Helens in 1972.
The Bench appeared to have been influenced by the inspector's comments over Agnes Houghton as they only awarded her 5 shillings per week maintenance from her husband.
Annie Murphy made her 80th appearance in court on the 30th. Nicknamed "Gentle Annie", most of her convictions were for "lodging out" or sleeping rough, as we would call it.
Her latest offence was simply sitting on a seat in Prescot Road in St Helens in the early hours of the morning, after walking into the town from Liverpool.
One might have thought Annie was doing no one any harm but having no visible means of subsistence was a criminal offence.
The 48-year-old told the Bench that she had been staying in the workhouse in Liverpool but could not get any peace at night after working all day.
Annie had been before the St Helens magistrates only a couple of weeks before and had been discharged on condition she went to the Whiston Institution, as the workhouse / hospital was now known.
But she had failed to go and so was sent to prison for 14 days.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the illegal Sutton Manor suicide attempt, the serious overcrowding of homes in St Helens, protests over a Government curb on feeding poor schoolchildren, good news for St Helens tram users with fares set to come down and a terrifying experience at Lea Green Colliery as new technology saves 32 lives.
We begin on the 27th when John Rush appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with unlawfully wearing military uniform.
The young Scotsman had been arrested at Turner's lodging house in Church Street in St Helens while wearing the uniform of the Black Watch.
Rush had served in the regiment but had been discharged two years ago, which ended his entitlement to wear their uniform.
He told the police that he thought he was still entitled to wear it. However, inquiries revealed a string of previous convictions, including two for unlawfully wearing military uniform.
Rush made his living by playing the bagpipes and the Black Watch garb helped to create a more colourful impression on the public while performing on the street.
However, he told the Bench that he had sold his bagpipes and was now singing his way back to Scotland – but was told to serve 14 days in prison first.
Theatre impresario Fred Karno's troupe was back in St Helens this week with a musical revue at the Hippodrome called "Scarlet Runners".
Karno is credited with popularising slapstick comedy – especially custard pies in the face – and Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel began their careers working for him.
On the 28th it was announced that St Helens Council had elected its first Labour mayor in Ald. Peter Phythian, who'd been on the council since 1904.
His brother John was also an alderman on the council – but represented the Conservative party.
A century ago there was a far greater chance than today of a retailer actually making the products that they sold.
In the St Helens Reporter on the 29th there was an advert for the Lancashire Clog Factory, as bootmaker Michael Yorke rather grandly called his business.
I doubt that his Higher Parr Street premises opposite the Co-op that made clogs to order – or sold them off the shelf – was anything more than a small shop.
But the name sounded impressive and above Yorke's advert there was this statement:
"For Knitted Garments Go To The Actual Makers" – Shawcross's, 23, Baldwin Street & 98, Kirkland Street."
There was also the Peel Café in Dentons Green which was advertising its Prima Donna Cake – "Sole Makers of the Perfect Cakes", they said.
They were opening a branch in Ormskirk Street in St Helens in ten days time and offering made to measure suits for the equivalent of £2 50p.
The firm was a massive newspaper advertiser and grew to become one of the biggest clothing chain stores in the country with almost 400 branches.
The Reporter also described the inquest into the death of a 10-year-old Liverpool girl who had been sent to St Mary's industrial school for girls in Blackbrook – but had died on her first day.
Industrial schools were created to deal with juvenile delinquency and to teach youngsters a trade and were intended for those yet to commit a serious crime.
The newspaper report provides disturbing insights into how children were still being treated 100 years ago.
All that Annie Talbot had done to be placed in the institution was miss a lot of school during the previous year.
Consequently, the authorities in Toxteth decided that to "cure her of the habit" of playing truant, she would be sent to the Roman Catholic industrial school in St Helens for six years.
Until the home was in a position to accept her, Annie was temporarily placed in an institution in Liverpool.
Her father in giving evidence at his daughter's inquest said he hadn't seen Annie for a month despite her then living not far from his home.
That seems to have been common at that time when persons were placed in an institution.
Family visits were few and far between, perhaps through the shame of them being in such a place.
Sister Bridget Foley, the superintendent of the Blackbrook home, told the coroner that upon the girl's arrival she had been ill and vomiting.
Annie was taken to their sick room where she was given a dose of castor oil and put to bed.
It was five hours before a doctor was called after the girl was found to be in a state of collapse with a temperature of 100 degrees – and Annie was soon dead.
A post-mortem revealed a condition known as status lymphaticus that was then associated with sudden fatalities in children and the Coroner ruled death by natural causes.
"Mr. Oldham's service with the Beecham family has coincided with the rise from small beginnings to world-wide fame of an important St. Helens firm, and with the development of the central establishment in Westfield-street to its present imposing dimensions.
"Mr. Oldham is a native of the town. He entered the service of the firm as a boy of ten, and was first with the founder of the firm, Mr. Thomas Beecham, then with his son, Sir Joseph, and now finally under Mr. Henry Beecham at Huyton.
"When the firm commenced to keep horses he was transferred to the stables, and has remained throughout associated with that side of the business, or with the stables at the private residence, motors having now to a great an extent replaced the old horse traction.
"He is best known in this connection as “Beecham's coachman,” and as such has been a familiar figure driving in and out of the town."
Note the reference to Thomas Oldham having recently been driving for Henry Beecham, the brother of Sir Thomas Beecham.
Last summer Henry had been sent to prison for a year after the car that he was driving had killed a 6-year-old boy.
One witness described the speed of his vehicle as "terrific" and another estimated it as 65mph.
At the time Beecham was living in luxury in the mansion called Knebworth House in Hertfordshire – the grounds of which the Knebworth Festival would from 1974 be held.
In St Helens Police Court on the 29th, James Robinson – described as a "loafer of no fixed abode" – was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Clyde Street (which used to be near Peter Street).
A constable gave evidence that the man had been creating a disturbance by waving his arms about and shouting:
"This is how I stopped the Prussian guards in 1914. I fought for all you _________ in the street."
Robinson told the court that he came from Cheshire and had been working on farms. He said he had gone to Liverpool and had a few drinks but could not remember coming to St Helens.
The Bench fined Robinson 6s 6d and said he must try to lead a better life in future.
Agnes Houghton from Waterloo Street in St Helens summoned her husband John to court accusing him of desertion.
His defence was that his wife had told him to leave. "She was drunk and threw a jug at me," he explained.
The Reporter described how "revolting domestic conditions were brought to light" during the case.
Of course, if they felt the details were that revolting why did they report them? The answer, of course, is that readers loved the salacious details revealed in these marital disputes, which, in reality, were applications for maintenance orders.
Mrs Houghton claimed her husband had accused her of giving him a "certain disease" but she had been examined and was "certified to be free from disease".
She said she had not thrown the jug at her husband, "only lifted it in self-defence".
Mr Houghton claimed his wife had pawned all the bedclothes, to which she replied that she was forced to "in order to keep myself".
The husband said his wife had received a certain sum from the pensions authorities but had "boozed" the lot.
There was much more of this "he said, she said" diatribe between the couple – but these were not two young people starting out on married life.
Upon their marriage John Houghton had been a widower with five children and Agnes a widow with three kids.
It appears to have been a marriage of convenience – that proved highly inconvenient for all!
The husband had brought in Inspector Francis Lycett of the NSPCC and he told the court:
"In my opinion they are badly mated, and not likely to live in happiness and comfort together. The complainant is a passionate, violent woman."
There seemed little evidence presented to justify the last comment apart from the jug business but Inspector Lycett – who had an office in Croppers Hill – was a very outspoken individual.
Last year in court he called a woman a "dirty, filthy, useless person" and earlier in 1922 had labelled a man a "callous, worthless, inhuman fellow".
Incidentally, his solicitor son Allan Lycett is mentioned often in my '50 Years Ago' articles, as he was the Mayor of St Helens in 1972.
The Bench appeared to have been influenced by the inspector's comments over Agnes Houghton as they only awarded her 5 shillings per week maintenance from her husband.
Annie Murphy made her 80th appearance in court on the 30th. Nicknamed "Gentle Annie", most of her convictions were for "lodging out" or sleeping rough, as we would call it.
Her latest offence was simply sitting on a seat in Prescot Road in St Helens in the early hours of the morning, after walking into the town from Liverpool.
One might have thought Annie was doing no one any harm but having no visible means of subsistence was a criminal offence.
The 48-year-old told the Bench that she had been staying in the workhouse in Liverpool but could not get any peace at night after working all day.
Annie had been before the St Helens magistrates only a couple of weeks before and had been discharged on condition she went to the Whiston Institution, as the workhouse / hospital was now known.
But she had failed to go and so was sent to prison for 14 days.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the illegal Sutton Manor suicide attempt, the serious overcrowding of homes in St Helens, protests over a Government curb on feeding poor schoolchildren, good news for St Helens tram users with fares set to come down and a terrifying experience at Lea Green Colliery as new technology saves 32 lives.