IOO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 29 SEPT - 5 OCT 1925
This week's stories include the St Helens violinist who was robbed in Blackpool, the heavy fine for taking in bets in Brook Street, the Brynn Street woman who scalded a cat but claimed she could not harm a fly, the boys trespassing on the Blackbrook railway line to watch a football match, the man criticised for using a motorbike to visit the Labour Exchange and the starving family reliant on the part-time earnings of a 16-year-old boy.
With many people taking in lodgers in St Helens, smooth talking conmen often persuaded landladies to give them free food and board on the "pay later" promise before taking off with their property, as well as that of other lodgers. I expect the situation was worse in seaside resorts like Blackpool where Fred Brough, the well-known St Helens violinist, was employed as leader of the orchestra on the North Pier.
Fred had been the victim of what the St Helens Reporter called an "impudent robbery" at the guest house where the musician was staying and he had lost many items of property to Edward Brady. But they had all been recovered and this week the conman was sentenced to 3 months in prison.
When a 16-year-old youth appeared before the St Helens Juvenile Court on October 1st for stealing coal, he told the magistrates: "We were starving and we had no fire and I cannot get any money from the Labour now, and I have to keep them. I only work two or three days a week." The "them" were the lad's grandfather, aunt and uncle and a little girl aged four.
Because of his age the boy was not identified but he said his family had needed to leave their old homes in Haydock and move into the St Helens borough – which then excluded the township. They were not entitled to any Poor Law relief, as they had not been living in the town for a year. Like many other people in St Helens, he was on short-time at his work and the boy's family were living together in a single room in lodgings, which was serving as both a living room and communal bedroom.
Supt Dunn told the magistrates that four persons were sleeping in a single bed, which was in a "very filthy condition". He added that the conditions overall were shocking and the boy's average weekly earnings were a few coppers over 16 shillings, with the rent for the room being 2s 6d. The Bench said that under the circumstances they would dismiss the case with the defendant placed under the probation officer for 12 months and they would look to see if anything could be done to get the family help under the Poor Law.
Also in the Juvenile Court, two boys aged 10 and 11 were summoned for trespassing on the Blackbrook railway line. The court was told that despite warning notices being in place, crowds of people went onto the railway siding to watch the matches being played on the new St Helens Association Club field on Park Road.
PC Graham said he had seen the boys climb onto the embankment to watch the game and he had managed to surprise them before they could run off. But magistrate Mary Dodd said they would have preferred grownup offenders to be in court rather than children and upon the lads promising to keep away from the railway in future, the case was dismissed. Of course, it was a lot easier for the police to catch little boys than big men!
There were two court hearings this week concerning betting, which demonstrated the harsher sentencing of those taking in bets within their own home. Thomas Woodward from Vernon Street was only fined £5 after PC Spedding had seen him accept betting slips on the street – one from a 10-year-old girl. After being arrested Mr Woodward had said: "I might as well tell the truth, I was taking." He was found to have in his possession £2 18s 9d, as well as betting materials.
But in another case James Frame of Brook Street was fined £30 for using his father's home for the purpose of betting. His dad and wife had also been charged but Frame offered to plead guilty on condition that the other cases were withdrawn, which was agreed. As usual the police had spent much time keeping observation on the premises, almost certainly from a neighbouring house.
The bobbies had, in fact, been watching the comings and goings in Brook Street on the 3rd, 4th, 9th and 12th of September and counted a total of 318 people entering the premises. Like many persons involved in gambling during the 1920s, Mr Frame blamed his taking in bets on being unemployed, having been an apprentice moulder but lost his job through slackness of trade.
Last week I featured a letter criticising "doleites", men who were accused of living off their unemployment pay with little interest in finding work. Such individuals were probably a small minority of claimants as the dole payments were far from generous but cases like Francis Worrall of Railway Terrace in Sutton helped to fuel such perceptions.
He appeared in court this week charged with driving a motorcycle to the public danger and not having a licence. Well, the latter was not strictly true. Francis did have a licence on him that belonged to his brother Albert, with some people seemingly thinking that such licences were transferable. Francis had collided with a heavy steam lorry on the corner of Robins Lane and Marshalls Cross Road (pictured above), which left the young man needing to be taken to hospital.
He admitted to the court that he had been using the motorbike to visit the Labour Exchange in Church Street to collect his dole money. Perhaps the bike also belonged to his brother Albert but the headline in the Reporter of "Motoring to Draw the Dole" boosted some people's belief that many doleites were skivers living it up on their taxes.
Of course, that sentiment still exists today but 100 years ago unemployment benefits were far from generous. The magistrates said that taking into consideration the accident and the suffering of the defendant, Mr Worrall would only be fined £1, plus costs.
Walter Wilde from Nine Arches Farm in Earlestown was another Greenfield Road biker that had been caught in a police speed trap. The officers using stop-watches had calculated that his motorbike had been travelling at 23 mph. Like many other trapped motorists, Mr Wilde said he had not known what the speed limit was – but it was then 20 mph and he was fined 10 shillings.
The Chester Bakery had recently opened at 67 Duke Street and was described as a "high class confectioner". They had an advert in the Reporter on October 2nd which said in large letters "Cream Buns & Eclairs – Simply Delicious!" Telephone numbers for new subscribers in St Helens were getting longer, as more people (mainly businesses) got connected but they had yet to get into 4-figures, with Chester Bakery’s new number being St Helens 726.
In an 1895 trade directory Prestts of Duke Street are listed as ironmongers but by the 1920s they were specialising in prams, both real and toy. Perhaps the leap from ironmongery to prams was not so great, as the formidable looking baby carriages from the past would need repairing and a Prestts pram advert from 1923 said, "Wheels Retyred – Roofs Recovered".
In this week's Reporter, Prestts wrote in an ad: "Now On View. The Children's Xmas Toy Prams. Special Value. Weekly payments taken from now up to Xmas." Prestts would still be at the same address of 32 / 34 Duke Street fifty years later.
The recent RSPCA flag day in St Helens had been a bit of a washout – literally. Rain had greatly reduced their collections to a total of £69 and in the Reporter they were appealing for donations to make up the shortfall. And the society needed cash to fund their many prosecutions, with several having taken place this week.
Annie Hogan from Brynn Street was charged with cruelly ill-treating a cat by throwing over it hot water from her dolly tub. She told the court: "I had no intention of scalding the cat. I would not hurt a fly, never mind a cat." But the woman did admit chucking the water but said she had not realised it was quite so hot.
Mrs Hogan said cats were a terrible nuisance and they came into her yard in some numbers and entered her house: "They go upstairs and downstairs and have even broken my dishes. The stench is dreadful." It turned out that the cat that Mrs Hogan had thrown the water over belonged to her next-door neighbour, which she claimed she had not known at the time. The Bench said the defendant had evidently lost her temper but it was a cruel thing to have done and she was fined 7s 6d.
In another case brought by the RSPCA, James Makin from Ashcroft Street was fined 15 shillings for unlawfully keeping three birds in cages that were not large enough to allow them to freely stretch their wings.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the wooden blocks being laid in Hardshaw Street instead of concrete, the father who kicked his son out of the house for being unemployed and the Newton Road man that struck his wife with a pair of tongs.
With many people taking in lodgers in St Helens, smooth talking conmen often persuaded landladies to give them free food and board on the "pay later" promise before taking off with their property, as well as that of other lodgers. I expect the situation was worse in seaside resorts like Blackpool where Fred Brough, the well-known St Helens violinist, was employed as leader of the orchestra on the North Pier.
Fred had been the victim of what the St Helens Reporter called an "impudent robbery" at the guest house where the musician was staying and he had lost many items of property to Edward Brady. But they had all been recovered and this week the conman was sentenced to 3 months in prison.
When a 16-year-old youth appeared before the St Helens Juvenile Court on October 1st for stealing coal, he told the magistrates: "We were starving and we had no fire and I cannot get any money from the Labour now, and I have to keep them. I only work two or three days a week." The "them" were the lad's grandfather, aunt and uncle and a little girl aged four.
Because of his age the boy was not identified but he said his family had needed to leave their old homes in Haydock and move into the St Helens borough – which then excluded the township. They were not entitled to any Poor Law relief, as they had not been living in the town for a year. Like many other people in St Helens, he was on short-time at his work and the boy's family were living together in a single room in lodgings, which was serving as both a living room and communal bedroom.
Supt Dunn told the magistrates that four persons were sleeping in a single bed, which was in a "very filthy condition". He added that the conditions overall were shocking and the boy's average weekly earnings were a few coppers over 16 shillings, with the rent for the room being 2s 6d. The Bench said that under the circumstances they would dismiss the case with the defendant placed under the probation officer for 12 months and they would look to see if anything could be done to get the family help under the Poor Law.
Also in the Juvenile Court, two boys aged 10 and 11 were summoned for trespassing on the Blackbrook railway line. The court was told that despite warning notices being in place, crowds of people went onto the railway siding to watch the matches being played on the new St Helens Association Club field on Park Road.
PC Graham said he had seen the boys climb onto the embankment to watch the game and he had managed to surprise them before they could run off. But magistrate Mary Dodd said they would have preferred grownup offenders to be in court rather than children and upon the lads promising to keep away from the railway in future, the case was dismissed. Of course, it was a lot easier for the police to catch little boys than big men!
There were two court hearings this week concerning betting, which demonstrated the harsher sentencing of those taking in bets within their own home. Thomas Woodward from Vernon Street was only fined £5 after PC Spedding had seen him accept betting slips on the street – one from a 10-year-old girl. After being arrested Mr Woodward had said: "I might as well tell the truth, I was taking." He was found to have in his possession £2 18s 9d, as well as betting materials.
But in another case James Frame of Brook Street was fined £30 for using his father's home for the purpose of betting. His dad and wife had also been charged but Frame offered to plead guilty on condition that the other cases were withdrawn, which was agreed. As usual the police had spent much time keeping observation on the premises, almost certainly from a neighbouring house.
The bobbies had, in fact, been watching the comings and goings in Brook Street on the 3rd, 4th, 9th and 12th of September and counted a total of 318 people entering the premises. Like many persons involved in gambling during the 1920s, Mr Frame blamed his taking in bets on being unemployed, having been an apprentice moulder but lost his job through slackness of trade.
Last week I featured a letter criticising "doleites", men who were accused of living off their unemployment pay with little interest in finding work. Such individuals were probably a small minority of claimants as the dole payments were far from generous but cases like Francis Worrall of Railway Terrace in Sutton helped to fuel such perceptions.
He admitted to the court that he had been using the motorbike to visit the Labour Exchange in Church Street to collect his dole money. Perhaps the bike also belonged to his brother Albert but the headline in the Reporter of "Motoring to Draw the Dole" boosted some people's belief that many doleites were skivers living it up on their taxes.
Of course, that sentiment still exists today but 100 years ago unemployment benefits were far from generous. The magistrates said that taking into consideration the accident and the suffering of the defendant, Mr Worrall would only be fined £1, plus costs.
Walter Wilde from Nine Arches Farm in Earlestown was another Greenfield Road biker that had been caught in a police speed trap. The officers using stop-watches had calculated that his motorbike had been travelling at 23 mph. Like many other trapped motorists, Mr Wilde said he had not known what the speed limit was – but it was then 20 mph and he was fined 10 shillings.
The Chester Bakery had recently opened at 67 Duke Street and was described as a "high class confectioner". They had an advert in the Reporter on October 2nd which said in large letters "Cream Buns & Eclairs – Simply Delicious!" Telephone numbers for new subscribers in St Helens were getting longer, as more people (mainly businesses) got connected but they had yet to get into 4-figures, with Chester Bakery’s new number being St Helens 726.
In an 1895 trade directory Prestts of Duke Street are listed as ironmongers but by the 1920s they were specialising in prams, both real and toy. Perhaps the leap from ironmongery to prams was not so great, as the formidable looking baby carriages from the past would need repairing and a Prestts pram advert from 1923 said, "Wheels Retyred – Roofs Recovered".
In this week's Reporter, Prestts wrote in an ad: "Now On View. The Children's Xmas Toy Prams. Special Value. Weekly payments taken from now up to Xmas." Prestts would still be at the same address of 32 / 34 Duke Street fifty years later.
The recent RSPCA flag day in St Helens had been a bit of a washout – literally. Rain had greatly reduced their collections to a total of £69 and in the Reporter they were appealing for donations to make up the shortfall. And the society needed cash to fund their many prosecutions, with several having taken place this week.
Annie Hogan from Brynn Street was charged with cruelly ill-treating a cat by throwing over it hot water from her dolly tub. She told the court: "I had no intention of scalding the cat. I would not hurt a fly, never mind a cat." But the woman did admit chucking the water but said she had not realised it was quite so hot.
Mrs Hogan said cats were a terrible nuisance and they came into her yard in some numbers and entered her house: "They go upstairs and downstairs and have even broken my dishes. The stench is dreadful." It turned out that the cat that Mrs Hogan had thrown the water over belonged to her next-door neighbour, which she claimed she had not known at the time. The Bench said the defendant had evidently lost her temper but it was a cruel thing to have done and she was fined 7s 6d.
In another case brought by the RSPCA, James Makin from Ashcroft Street was fined 15 shillings for unlawfully keeping three birds in cages that were not large enough to allow them to freely stretch their wings.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the wooden blocks being laid in Hardshaw Street instead of concrete, the father who kicked his son out of the house for being unemployed and the Newton Road man that struck his wife with a pair of tongs.
This week's stories include the St Helens violinist who was robbed in Blackpool, the heavy fine for taking in bets in Brook Street, the Brynn Street woman who scalded a cat but claimed she could not harm a fly, the boys trespassing on the Blackbrook railway line to watch a football match, the man criticised for using a motorbike to visit the Labour Exchange and the starving family reliant on the part-time earnings of a 16-year-old boy.
With many people taking in lodgers in St Helens, smooth talking conmen often persuaded landladies to give them free food and board on the "pay later" promise before taking off with their property, as well as that of other lodgers.
I expect the situation was worse in seaside resorts like Blackpool where Fred Brough, the well-known St Helens violinist, was employed as leader of the orchestra on the North Pier.
Fred had been the victim of what the St Helens Reporter called an "impudent robbery" at the guest house where the musician was staying and he had lost many items of property to Edward Brady.
But they had all been recovered and this week the conman was sentenced to 3 months in prison.
When a 16-year-old youth appeared before the St Helens Juvenile Court on October 1st for stealing coal, he told the magistrates:
"We were starving and we had no fire and I cannot get any money from the Labour now, and I have to keep them. I only work two or three days a week."
The "them" were the lad's grandfather, aunt and uncle and a little girl aged four.
Because of his age the boy was not identified but he said his family had needed to leave their old homes in Haydock and move into the St Helens borough – which then excluded the township.
They were not entitled to any Poor Law relief, as they had not been living in the town for a year.
Like many other people in St Helens, he was on short-time at his work and the boy's family were living together in a single room in lodgings, which was serving as both a living room and communal bedroom.
Supt Dunn told the magistrates that four persons were sleeping in a single bed, which was in a "very filthy condition".
He added that the conditions overall were shocking and the boy's average weekly earnings were a few coppers over 16 shillings, with the rent for the room being 2s 6d.
The Bench said that under the circumstances they would dismiss the case with the defendant placed under the probation officer for 12 months and they would look to see if anything could be done to get the family help under the Poor Law.
Also in the Juvenile Court, two boys aged 10 and 11 were summoned for trespassing on the Blackbrook railway line.
The court was told that despite warning notices being in place, crowds of people went onto the railway siding to watch the matches being played on the new St Helens Association Club field on Park Road.
PC Graham said he had seen the boys climb onto the embankment to watch the game and he had managed to surprise them before they could run off.
But magistrate Mary Dodd said they would have preferred grownup offenders to be in court rather than children and upon the lads promising to keep away from the railway in future, the case was dismissed.
Of course, it was a lot easier for the police to catch little boys than big men!
There were two court hearings this week concerning betting, which demonstrated the harsher sentencing of those taking in bets within their own home.
Thomas Woodward from Vernon Street was only fined £5 after PC Spedding had seen him accept betting slips on the street – one from a 10-year-old girl.
After being arrested Mr Woodward had said: "I might as well tell the truth, I was taking." He was found to have in his possession £2 18s 9d, as well as betting materials.
But in another case James Frame of Brook Street was fined £30 for using his father's home for the purpose of betting.
His dad and wife had also been charged but Frame offered to plead guilty on condition that the other cases were withdrawn, which was agreed.
As usual the police had spent much time keeping observation on the premises, almost certainly from a neighbouring house.
The bobbies had, in fact, been watching the comings and goings in Brook Street on the 3rd, 4th, 9th and 12th of September and counted a total of 318 people entering the premises.
Like many persons involved in gambling during the 1920s, Mr Frame blamed his taking in bets on being unemployed, having been an apprentice moulder but lost his job through slackness of trade.
Last week I featured a letter criticising "doleites", men who were accused of living off their unemployment pay with little interest in finding work.
Such individuals were probably a small minority of claimants as the dole payments were far from generous but cases like Francis Worrall of Railway Terrace in Sutton helped to fuel such perceptions.
He appeared in court this week charged with driving a motorcycle to the public danger and not having a licence.
Well, the latter was not strictly true. Francis did have a licence on him that belonged to his brother Albert, with some people seemingly thinking that such licences were transferable.
Francis had collided with a heavy steam lorry on the corner of Robins Lane and Marshalls Cross Road (pictured above), which left the young man needing to be taken to hospital.
He admitted to the court that he had been using the motorbike to visit the Labour Exchange in Church Street to collect his dole money.
Perhaps the bike also belonged to his brother Albert but the headline in the Reporter of "Motoring to Draw the Dole" boosted some people's belief that many doleites were skivers living it up on their taxes.
Of course, that sentiment still exists today but 100 years ago unemployment benefits were far from generous.
The magistrates said that taking into consideration the accident and the suffering of the defendant, Mr Worrall would only be fined £1, plus costs.
Walter Wilde from Nine Arches Farm in Earlestown was another Greenfield Road biker that had been caught in a police speed trap.
The officers using stop-watches had calculated that his motorbike had been travelling at 23 mph.
Like many other trapped motorists, Mr Wilde said he had not known what the speed limit was – but it was then 20 mph and he was fined 10 shillings.
The Chester Bakery had recently opened at 67 Duke Street and was described as a "high class confectioner".
They had an advert in the Reporter on October 2nd which said in large letters "Cream Buns & Eclairs – Simply Delicious!"
Telephone numbers for new subscribers in St Helens were getting longer, as more people (mainly businesses) got connected but they had yet to get into 4-figures, with Chester Bakery’s new number being St Helens 726.
In an 1895 trade directory Prestts of Duke Street are listed as ironmongers but by the 1920s they were specialising in prams, both real and toy.
Perhaps the leap from ironmongery to prams was not so great, as the formidable looking baby carriages from the past would need repairing and a Prestts pram advert from 1923 said, "Wheels Retyred – Roofs Recovered".
In this week's Reporter, Prestts wrote in an ad: "Now On View. The Children's Xmas Toy Prams. Special Value. Weekly payments taken from now up to Xmas."
Prestts would still be at the same address of 32 / 34 Duke Street fifty years later.
The recent RSPCA flag day in St Helens had been a bit of a washout – literally. Rain had greatly reduced their collections to a total of £69 and in the Reporter they were appealing for donations to make up the shortfall.
And the society needed cash to fund their many prosecutions, with several having taken place this week.
Annie Hogan from Brynn Street was charged with cruelly ill-treating a cat by throwing over it hot water from her dolly tub.
She told the court: "I had no intention of scalding the cat. I would not hurt a fly, never mind a cat."
But the woman did admit chucking the water but said she had not realised it was quite so hot.
Mrs Hogan said cats were a terrible nuisance and they came into her yard in some numbers and entered her house:
"They go upstairs and downstairs and have even broken my dishes. The stench is dreadful."
It turned out that the cat that Mrs Hogan had thrown the water over belonged to her next-door neighbour, which she claimed she had not known at the time.
The Bench said the defendant had evidently lost her temper but it was a cruel thing to have done and she was fined 7s 6d.
In another case brought by the RSPCA, James Makin from Ashcroft Street was fined 15 shillings for unlawfully keeping three birds in cages that were not large enough to allow them to freely stretch their wings.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the wooden blocks being laid in Hardshaw Street instead of concrete, the father who kicked his son out of the house for being unemployed and the Newton Road man that struck his wife with a pair of tongs.
With many people taking in lodgers in St Helens, smooth talking conmen often persuaded landladies to give them free food and board on the "pay later" promise before taking off with their property, as well as that of other lodgers.
I expect the situation was worse in seaside resorts like Blackpool where Fred Brough, the well-known St Helens violinist, was employed as leader of the orchestra on the North Pier.
Fred had been the victim of what the St Helens Reporter called an "impudent robbery" at the guest house where the musician was staying and he had lost many items of property to Edward Brady.
But they had all been recovered and this week the conman was sentenced to 3 months in prison.
When a 16-year-old youth appeared before the St Helens Juvenile Court on October 1st for stealing coal, he told the magistrates:
"We were starving and we had no fire and I cannot get any money from the Labour now, and I have to keep them. I only work two or three days a week."
The "them" were the lad's grandfather, aunt and uncle and a little girl aged four.
Because of his age the boy was not identified but he said his family had needed to leave their old homes in Haydock and move into the St Helens borough – which then excluded the township.
They were not entitled to any Poor Law relief, as they had not been living in the town for a year.
Like many other people in St Helens, he was on short-time at his work and the boy's family were living together in a single room in lodgings, which was serving as both a living room and communal bedroom.
Supt Dunn told the magistrates that four persons were sleeping in a single bed, which was in a "very filthy condition".
He added that the conditions overall were shocking and the boy's average weekly earnings were a few coppers over 16 shillings, with the rent for the room being 2s 6d.
The Bench said that under the circumstances they would dismiss the case with the defendant placed under the probation officer for 12 months and they would look to see if anything could be done to get the family help under the Poor Law.
Also in the Juvenile Court, two boys aged 10 and 11 were summoned for trespassing on the Blackbrook railway line.
The court was told that despite warning notices being in place, crowds of people went onto the railway siding to watch the matches being played on the new St Helens Association Club field on Park Road.
PC Graham said he had seen the boys climb onto the embankment to watch the game and he had managed to surprise them before they could run off.
But magistrate Mary Dodd said they would have preferred grownup offenders to be in court rather than children and upon the lads promising to keep away from the railway in future, the case was dismissed.
Of course, it was a lot easier for the police to catch little boys than big men!
There were two court hearings this week concerning betting, which demonstrated the harsher sentencing of those taking in bets within their own home.
Thomas Woodward from Vernon Street was only fined £5 after PC Spedding had seen him accept betting slips on the street – one from a 10-year-old girl.
After being arrested Mr Woodward had said: "I might as well tell the truth, I was taking." He was found to have in his possession £2 18s 9d, as well as betting materials.
But in another case James Frame of Brook Street was fined £30 for using his father's home for the purpose of betting.
His dad and wife had also been charged but Frame offered to plead guilty on condition that the other cases were withdrawn, which was agreed.
As usual the police had spent much time keeping observation on the premises, almost certainly from a neighbouring house.
The bobbies had, in fact, been watching the comings and goings in Brook Street on the 3rd, 4th, 9th and 12th of September and counted a total of 318 people entering the premises.
Like many persons involved in gambling during the 1920s, Mr Frame blamed his taking in bets on being unemployed, having been an apprentice moulder but lost his job through slackness of trade.
Last week I featured a letter criticising "doleites", men who were accused of living off their unemployment pay with little interest in finding work.
Such individuals were probably a small minority of claimants as the dole payments were far from generous but cases like Francis Worrall of Railway Terrace in Sutton helped to fuel such perceptions.
He appeared in court this week charged with driving a motorcycle to the public danger and not having a licence.
Well, the latter was not strictly true. Francis did have a licence on him that belonged to his brother Albert, with some people seemingly thinking that such licences were transferable.
He admitted to the court that he had been using the motorbike to visit the Labour Exchange in Church Street to collect his dole money.
Perhaps the bike also belonged to his brother Albert but the headline in the Reporter of "Motoring to Draw the Dole" boosted some people's belief that many doleites were skivers living it up on their taxes.
Of course, that sentiment still exists today but 100 years ago unemployment benefits were far from generous.
The magistrates said that taking into consideration the accident and the suffering of the defendant, Mr Worrall would only be fined £1, plus costs.
Walter Wilde from Nine Arches Farm in Earlestown was another Greenfield Road biker that had been caught in a police speed trap.
The officers using stop-watches had calculated that his motorbike had been travelling at 23 mph.
Like many other trapped motorists, Mr Wilde said he had not known what the speed limit was – but it was then 20 mph and he was fined 10 shillings.
The Chester Bakery had recently opened at 67 Duke Street and was described as a "high class confectioner".
They had an advert in the Reporter on October 2nd which said in large letters "Cream Buns & Eclairs – Simply Delicious!"
Telephone numbers for new subscribers in St Helens were getting longer, as more people (mainly businesses) got connected but they had yet to get into 4-figures, with Chester Bakery’s new number being St Helens 726.
In an 1895 trade directory Prestts of Duke Street are listed as ironmongers but by the 1920s they were specialising in prams, both real and toy.
Perhaps the leap from ironmongery to prams was not so great, as the formidable looking baby carriages from the past would need repairing and a Prestts pram advert from 1923 said, "Wheels Retyred – Roofs Recovered".
In this week's Reporter, Prestts wrote in an ad: "Now On View. The Children's Xmas Toy Prams. Special Value. Weekly payments taken from now up to Xmas."
Prestts would still be at the same address of 32 / 34 Duke Street fifty years later.
The recent RSPCA flag day in St Helens had been a bit of a washout – literally. Rain had greatly reduced their collections to a total of £69 and in the Reporter they were appealing for donations to make up the shortfall.
And the society needed cash to fund their many prosecutions, with several having taken place this week.
Annie Hogan from Brynn Street was charged with cruelly ill-treating a cat by throwing over it hot water from her dolly tub.
She told the court: "I had no intention of scalding the cat. I would not hurt a fly, never mind a cat."
But the woman did admit chucking the water but said she had not realised it was quite so hot.
Mrs Hogan said cats were a terrible nuisance and they came into her yard in some numbers and entered her house:
"They go upstairs and downstairs and have even broken my dishes. The stench is dreadful."
It turned out that the cat that Mrs Hogan had thrown the water over belonged to her next-door neighbour, which she claimed she had not known at the time.
The Bench said the defendant had evidently lost her temper but it was a cruel thing to have done and she was fined 7s 6d.
In another case brought by the RSPCA, James Makin from Ashcroft Street was fined 15 shillings for unlawfully keeping three birds in cages that were not large enough to allow them to freely stretch their wings.
St Helens Reporter courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the wooden blocks being laid in Hardshaw Street instead of concrete, the father who kicked his son out of the house for being unemployed and the Newton Road man that struck his wife with a pair of tongs.