150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (6th - 12th JUNE 1872)
This week's stories include a highway robbery in Pocket Nook, the violent assaults on police in Parr and Thatto Heath, the feckless Feigh family, the child star performing in St Helens and the judge who claimed that the St Helens working class were the most well-off in the country.
We begin on the 6th with the ancient custom of proclaiming the opening of Prescot Fair. As well as the proclamation reading from the Town Hall steps, the so-called "perrying" of coppers from the windows of the building took place, as the St Helens Newspaper described: "For numbers, dirt, and rags, the crowd of children assembled on this occasion has not been beaten for many years. The children rolled over each other while scrambling for the coppers, like bundles of rugs falling into a marine-store dealer's cellar." The latter was a popular form of junk shop in the 19 century, and the newspaper was of the opinion that the unedifying spectacle should lead to the ceremony's abolition.
On the 8th the St Helens Newspaper published this short article about a curious claim made by the judge that sat in St Helens County Court in East Street (pictured above):
"At the sitting of the county court on Tuesday, the succeeding instances of the utter unwillingness of working class debtors to pay their legitimate debts induced Mr. Sergeant Wheeler to make the following observations:– “I never saw such people as you are in St. Helens. It is all drink – drink – drink – for the working people. They might live in the greatest comfort, and have all the wants of life supplied, with reasonable enjoyments besides. Instead of that the most ordinary debts are left unpaid, law costs are run up, judgement summonses issued, and warrants ordered. Then, perhaps, payment will be made; but they will sometimes go to Lancaster [gaol] rather than pay. The working people of this district, so far [as] I know, are better off than the working classes of any other place in the country, and there never was a time when they were better off than now.”"
As least the judge (technically known as a sergeant) added the caveat "so far as I know" – and he clearly didn't know very much! Judge Wheeler may have had a point about the boozing – although some might say that with the shocking working conditions, the men had a right to have a few drinks. He might also have been right about unpaid debts; but to claim that the St Helens working class were better off than in any other place in the country, displayed considerable ignorance.
The Newspaper also reported on a meeting of the council's Library Committee in which the expression "You first get a cage before you catch your bird" was said. It was used in the context of a discussion over whether they should re-open the small public library in the fire-damaged Town Hall before or after improving the facility and buying new books. Lads, in particular, would often catch pigeons to sell to the organisers of bird shoots. But it was a tricky business dealing with live birds and that gave rise to a number of expressions, which have long since died out, with "Catch your bird first" being another.
The St Helens Newspaper also described a number of cases that had taken place in the local Petty Sessions. One had involved Margaret Cowan who had been taken into custody on suspicion of stealing a watch from a house in Liverpool Road. However, St Helens police could find no evidence of her being responsible for the theft but found a witness who said the woman had been begging in the street. And so poor Margaret was instead prosecuted on that charge and sent to prison for a week.
Such crimes as begging and clothes stealing would normally lead to a term of imprisonment in Liverpool's Kirkdale Gaol – but not violence, unless the act was extreme. The Newspaper related how Joseph Poole had also appeared in the Sessions after having committed a "brutal assault" on a police sergeant in Thatto Heath. However, he had only been fined – despite having been convicted previously of a similar offence against another St Helens bobby.
The Newspaper described Poole as a "decent looking workingman" and just how defendants appeared and behaved in court would influence the magistrates when sentencing them. Poole had broken Sgt. Robinson's nose and "kicked him brutally, and then tried to choke him", as the paper put it. But the Chairman of the Bench said the prisoner's good conduct when sober meant he would only be given a fine.
However, the violence of John Ramsey was deemed sufficient to have passed the "extreme" threshold, leading to the man receiving a prison term. The miner had been charged in a separate incident with assaulting PC Gill in Coal Pit Lane at Parr (now Merton Bank) after throwing a large piece of slag at him. That had struck the officer on his leg and led to him being off duty for some time.
As well as being influenced by the appearance of defendants, the comments of the police superintendent could also affect magistrates when sentencing. Supt. James Ludlam was the boss of St Helens Police and he told the Bench that it had been the second occasion that PC Gill had been assaulted by the roughs of that neighbourhood. "The fellows living about Island's brow went about in gangs", he said. "And whenever any of them got into trouble, a shilling each from the others relieved him and paid the fine."
John Ramsey's offence did not seem worse than Joseph Poole's – but the former was not deemed decent looking and he'd had the critical words of a police boss counting against him without any evidence provided to support Supt. Ludlam's claim. And so Ramsey was sent to prison for three weeks.
Denis Feigh made his 57th court appearance in the St Helens Petty Sessions this week. He was a bit of a comical character whose offences were mainly drunkenness and minor theft, although there was a serious consequence to his activities. Denis's notoriety meant his two sons had no chance in life and they would often be brought to court charged with begging or stealing. And their mother Margaret was not much better, making her 18th appearance in the dock herself this week. The Newspaper wrote: "Both are as well known in the court as the magistrates themselves, or the clerk, or the superintendent of police."
However, it was unusual for the couple to be in court together facing the same charge. But every time one of them was before the Bench, there always seemed to be some colourful tale that was told – and I shall let the Newspaper relate this week's in its own words:
"On this occasion Denis had a most melancholy black eye – an eye that seemed to mourn for the misfortunes which its owner was continually meeting with. He leaned against the box like a man thoroughly at his ease in official society, and too accustomed to the position to feel the slightest novelty. The wife took things less coolly. Her face was very considerably scratched, and the marks were as fresh as if they had been inflicted within half an hour, while her outer clothing, scanty in quantity – hung about her like ruffled plumage, or a number of jagged wings.
"Denis, when the clerk addressed him, pleaded “Guilty, your reverence,” without a moment's hesitation, but Mr. Spencely was less successful with the female. When she was in the police cell (she said) – and she kept patting the scratches with a handful of the ruffled plumage – a woman whom the officers had considerately left with her for the sake of company – attacked her, tore her face, removed some of her hair, spoiled her cap, and reduced her plumage to the ragged condition in which it appeared. She pointed out her assailant in court, and then stopped. The clerk took advantage of the breathing space to push on the evidence, and no defence being offered, the congenial pair were sent to prison for seven days."
When Lydia Howard performed in Liverpool in January 1872, the Liverpool Courier called the eight-year-old singer and actress a "wondrously gifted child" and "a God's gift". Its rival newspaper the Mercury said: "The marvellous genius of this wonderful little artist has created an impression in Liverpool never to be forgotten". So when the so-called "fairy actress" performed in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens on the 10th, it must have been like Shirley Temple had come to town. There were other artistes performing too – but their role was to assist the child star with ticket prices fairly steep, costing up to 2 shillings.
When we think of a highway robbery, an image of a masked bandit pointing his pistols at passengers on a horse-driven stagecoach and saying "Stand and deliver" springs to mind. But the 19th century version of a highway robbery was far more likely to be what we would call a mugging, when the poorly lit streets of St Helens were used to waylay victims. George Robinson's "impudent highway robbery" – as described by the Newspaper – had taken place around 5am one morning in Pocket Nook Street.
The victim was Edward Doran who had been walking along the street but had decided to stop and count his money. That was not a very wise thing to do as Robinson suddenly appeared on the scene and knocked the man's cash out of his hand and fled with 30 shillings. Durin searched for his attacker and when he found Robinson, asked him to return his money but was instead struck several times.
Rosanna Gillen supported the latter part of his account but George Robinson emphatically denied his involvement in the crime. The magistrates decided to send the prisoner for trial at the next quarter sessions, which were held at Kirkdale in July, and the 29-year-old miner was found guilty and sentenced to 9 months hard labour.
Next week's stories will include the Pocket Nook stabbing case, the Sutton freak of nature, the day Moses in Bridge Street tried to part Abel's head, the smoke nuisance in St Helens and Pilkington's annual treat for their boys.
We begin on the 6th with the ancient custom of proclaiming the opening of Prescot Fair. As well as the proclamation reading from the Town Hall steps, the so-called "perrying" of coppers from the windows of the building took place, as the St Helens Newspaper described: "For numbers, dirt, and rags, the crowd of children assembled on this occasion has not been beaten for many years. The children rolled over each other while scrambling for the coppers, like bundles of rugs falling into a marine-store dealer's cellar." The latter was a popular form of junk shop in the 19 century, and the newspaper was of the opinion that the unedifying spectacle should lead to the ceremony's abolition.
"At the sitting of the county court on Tuesday, the succeeding instances of the utter unwillingness of working class debtors to pay their legitimate debts induced Mr. Sergeant Wheeler to make the following observations:– “I never saw such people as you are in St. Helens. It is all drink – drink – drink – for the working people. They might live in the greatest comfort, and have all the wants of life supplied, with reasonable enjoyments besides. Instead of that the most ordinary debts are left unpaid, law costs are run up, judgement summonses issued, and warrants ordered. Then, perhaps, payment will be made; but they will sometimes go to Lancaster [gaol] rather than pay. The working people of this district, so far [as] I know, are better off than the working classes of any other place in the country, and there never was a time when they were better off than now.”"
As least the judge (technically known as a sergeant) added the caveat "so far as I know" – and he clearly didn't know very much! Judge Wheeler may have had a point about the boozing – although some might say that with the shocking working conditions, the men had a right to have a few drinks. He might also have been right about unpaid debts; but to claim that the St Helens working class were better off than in any other place in the country, displayed considerable ignorance.
The Newspaper also reported on a meeting of the council's Library Committee in which the expression "You first get a cage before you catch your bird" was said. It was used in the context of a discussion over whether they should re-open the small public library in the fire-damaged Town Hall before or after improving the facility and buying new books. Lads, in particular, would often catch pigeons to sell to the organisers of bird shoots. But it was a tricky business dealing with live birds and that gave rise to a number of expressions, which have long since died out, with "Catch your bird first" being another.
The St Helens Newspaper also described a number of cases that had taken place in the local Petty Sessions. One had involved Margaret Cowan who had been taken into custody on suspicion of stealing a watch from a house in Liverpool Road. However, St Helens police could find no evidence of her being responsible for the theft but found a witness who said the woman had been begging in the street. And so poor Margaret was instead prosecuted on that charge and sent to prison for a week.
Such crimes as begging and clothes stealing would normally lead to a term of imprisonment in Liverpool's Kirkdale Gaol – but not violence, unless the act was extreme. The Newspaper related how Joseph Poole had also appeared in the Sessions after having committed a "brutal assault" on a police sergeant in Thatto Heath. However, he had only been fined – despite having been convicted previously of a similar offence against another St Helens bobby.
The Newspaper described Poole as a "decent looking workingman" and just how defendants appeared and behaved in court would influence the magistrates when sentencing them. Poole had broken Sgt. Robinson's nose and "kicked him brutally, and then tried to choke him", as the paper put it. But the Chairman of the Bench said the prisoner's good conduct when sober meant he would only be given a fine.
However, the violence of John Ramsey was deemed sufficient to have passed the "extreme" threshold, leading to the man receiving a prison term. The miner had been charged in a separate incident with assaulting PC Gill in Coal Pit Lane at Parr (now Merton Bank) after throwing a large piece of slag at him. That had struck the officer on his leg and led to him being off duty for some time.
As well as being influenced by the appearance of defendants, the comments of the police superintendent could also affect magistrates when sentencing. Supt. James Ludlam was the boss of St Helens Police and he told the Bench that it had been the second occasion that PC Gill had been assaulted by the roughs of that neighbourhood. "The fellows living about Island's brow went about in gangs", he said. "And whenever any of them got into trouble, a shilling each from the others relieved him and paid the fine."
John Ramsey's offence did not seem worse than Joseph Poole's – but the former was not deemed decent looking and he'd had the critical words of a police boss counting against him without any evidence provided to support Supt. Ludlam's claim. And so Ramsey was sent to prison for three weeks.
Denis Feigh made his 57th court appearance in the St Helens Petty Sessions this week. He was a bit of a comical character whose offences were mainly drunkenness and minor theft, although there was a serious consequence to his activities. Denis's notoriety meant his two sons had no chance in life and they would often be brought to court charged with begging or stealing. And their mother Margaret was not much better, making her 18th appearance in the dock herself this week. The Newspaper wrote: "Both are as well known in the court as the magistrates themselves, or the clerk, or the superintendent of police."
However, it was unusual for the couple to be in court together facing the same charge. But every time one of them was before the Bench, there always seemed to be some colourful tale that was told – and I shall let the Newspaper relate this week's in its own words:
"On this occasion Denis had a most melancholy black eye – an eye that seemed to mourn for the misfortunes which its owner was continually meeting with. He leaned against the box like a man thoroughly at his ease in official society, and too accustomed to the position to feel the slightest novelty. The wife took things less coolly. Her face was very considerably scratched, and the marks were as fresh as if they had been inflicted within half an hour, while her outer clothing, scanty in quantity – hung about her like ruffled plumage, or a number of jagged wings.
"Denis, when the clerk addressed him, pleaded “Guilty, your reverence,” without a moment's hesitation, but Mr. Spencely was less successful with the female. When she was in the police cell (she said) – and she kept patting the scratches with a handful of the ruffled plumage – a woman whom the officers had considerately left with her for the sake of company – attacked her, tore her face, removed some of her hair, spoiled her cap, and reduced her plumage to the ragged condition in which it appeared. She pointed out her assailant in court, and then stopped. The clerk took advantage of the breathing space to push on the evidence, and no defence being offered, the congenial pair were sent to prison for seven days."
When Lydia Howard performed in Liverpool in January 1872, the Liverpool Courier called the eight-year-old singer and actress a "wondrously gifted child" and "a God's gift". Its rival newspaper the Mercury said: "The marvellous genius of this wonderful little artist has created an impression in Liverpool never to be forgotten". So when the so-called "fairy actress" performed in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens on the 10th, it must have been like Shirley Temple had come to town. There were other artistes performing too – but their role was to assist the child star with ticket prices fairly steep, costing up to 2 shillings.
When we think of a highway robbery, an image of a masked bandit pointing his pistols at passengers on a horse-driven stagecoach and saying "Stand and deliver" springs to mind. But the 19th century version of a highway robbery was far more likely to be what we would call a mugging, when the poorly lit streets of St Helens were used to waylay victims. George Robinson's "impudent highway robbery" – as described by the Newspaper – had taken place around 5am one morning in Pocket Nook Street.
The victim was Edward Doran who had been walking along the street but had decided to stop and count his money. That was not a very wise thing to do as Robinson suddenly appeared on the scene and knocked the man's cash out of his hand and fled with 30 shillings. Durin searched for his attacker and when he found Robinson, asked him to return his money but was instead struck several times.
Rosanna Gillen supported the latter part of his account but George Robinson emphatically denied his involvement in the crime. The magistrates decided to send the prisoner for trial at the next quarter sessions, which were held at Kirkdale in July, and the 29-year-old miner was found guilty and sentenced to 9 months hard labour.
Next week's stories will include the Pocket Nook stabbing case, the Sutton freak of nature, the day Moses in Bridge Street tried to part Abel's head, the smoke nuisance in St Helens and Pilkington's annual treat for their boys.
This week's stories include a highway robbery in Pocket Nook, the violent assaults on police in Parr and Thatto Heath, the feckless Feigh family, the child star performing in St Helens and the judge who claimed that the St Helens working class were the most well-off in the country.
We begin on the 6th with the ancient custom of proclaiming the opening of Prescot Fair.
As well as the proclamation reading from the Town Hall steps, the so-called "perrying" of coppers from the windows of the building took place, as the St Helens Newspaper described:
"For numbers, dirt, and rags, the crowd of children assembled on this occasion has not been beaten for many years. The children rolled over each other while scrambling for the coppers, like bundles of rugs falling into a marine-store dealer's cellar."
The latter was a popular form of junk shop in the 19 century, and the newspaper was of the opinion that the unedifying spectacle should lead to the ceremony's abolition.
On the 8th the St Helens Newspaper published this short article about a curious claim made by the judge that sat in St Helens County Court in East Street (pictured above):
"At the sitting of the county court on Tuesday, the succeeding instances of the utter unwillingness of working class debtors to pay their legitimate debts induced Mr. Sergeant Wheeler to make the following observations:–
"“I never saw such people as you are in St. Helens. It is all drink – drink – drink – for the working people. They might live in the greatest comfort, and have all the wants of life supplied, with reasonable enjoyments besides. Instead of that the most ordinary debts are left unpaid, law costs are run up, judgement summonses issued, and warrants ordered.
"“Then, perhaps, payment will be made; but they will sometimes go to Lancaster [gaol] rather than pay. The working people of this district, so far [as] I know, are better off than the working classes of any other place in the country, and there never was a time when they were better off than now.”"
As least the judge (technically known as a sergeant) added the caveat "so far as I know" – and he clearly didn't know very much!
Judge Wheeler may have had a point about the boozing – although some might say that with the shocking working conditions, the men had a right to have a few drinks.
He might also have been right about unpaid debts; but to claim that the St Helens working class were better off than in any other place in the country, displayed considerable ignorance.
The Newspaper also reported on a meeting of the council's Library Committee in which the expression "You first get a cage before you catch your bird" was said.
It was used in the context of a discussion over whether they should re-open the small public library in the fire-damaged Town Hall before or after improving the facility and buying new books.
Lads, in particular, would often catch pigeons to sell to the organisers of bird shoots.
But it was a tricky business dealing with live birds and that gave rise to a number of expressions, which have long since died out, with "Catch your bird first" being another.
The St Helens Newspaper also described a number of cases that had taken place in the local Petty Sessions.
One had involved Margaret Cowan who had been taken into custody on suspicion of stealing a watch from a house in Liverpool Road.
However, St Helens police could find no evidence of her being responsible for the theft but found a witness who said the woman had been begging in the street.
And so poor Margaret was instead prosecuted on that charge and sent to prison for a week.
Such crimes as begging and clothes stealing would normally lead to a term of imprisonment in Liverpool's Kirkdale Gaol – but not violence, unless the act was extreme.
The Newspaper related how Joseph Poole had also appeared in the Sessions after having committed a "brutal assault" on a police sergeant in Thatto Heath.
However, he had only been fined – despite having been convicted previously of a similar offence against another St Helens bobby.
The Newspaper described Poole as a "decent looking workingman" and just how defendants appeared and behaved in court would influence the magistrates when sentencing them.
Poole had broken Sgt. Robinson's nose and "kicked him brutally, and then tried to choke him", as the paper put it.
But the Chairman of the Bench said the prisoner's good conduct when sober meant he would only be given a fine.
However, the violence of John Ramsey was deemed sufficient to have passed the "extreme" threshold, leading to the man receiving a prison term.
The miner had been charged in a separate incident with assaulting PC Gill in Coal Pit Lane at Parr (now Merton Bank) after throwing a large piece of slag at him.
That had struck the officer on his leg and led to him being off duty for some time.
As well as being influenced by the appearance of defendants, the comments of the police superintendent could also affect magistrates when sentencing.
Supt. James Ludlam was the boss of St Helens Police and he told the Bench that it had been the second occasion that PC Gill had been assaulted by the roughs of that neighbourhood.
"The fellows living about Island's brow went about in gangs", he said. "And whenever any of them got into trouble, a shilling each from the others relieved him and paid the fine."
John Ramsey's offence did not seem worse than Joseph Poole's – but the former was not deemed decent looking and he'd had the critical words of a police boss counting against him without any evidence provided to support Supt. Ludlam's claim.
And so Ramsey was sent to prison for three weeks.
Denis Feigh made his 57th court appearance in the St Helens Petty Sessions this week.
He was a bit of a comical character whose offences were mainly drunkenness and minor theft, although there was a serious consequence to his activities.
Denis's notoriety meant his two sons had no chance in life and they would often be brought to court charged with begging or stealing.
And their mother Margaret was not much better, making her 18th appearance in the dock herself this week.
The Newspaper wrote: "Both are as well known in the court as the magistrates themselves, or the clerk, or the superintendent of police."
However, it was unusual for the couple to be in court together facing the same charge.
But every time one of them was before the Bench, there always seemed to be some colourful tale that was told – and I shall let the Newspaper relate this week's in its own words:
"On this occasion Denis had a most melancholy black eye – an eye that seemed to mourn for the misfortunes which its owner was continually meeting with.
"He leaned against the box like a man thoroughly at his ease in official society, and too accustomed to the position to feel the slightest novelty.
"The wife took things less coolly. Her face was very considerably scratched, and the marks were as fresh as if they had been inflicted within half an hour, while her outer clothing, scanty in quantity – hung about her like ruffled plumage, or a number of jagged wings.
"Denis, when the clerk addressed him, pleaded “Guilty, your reverence,” without a moment's hesitation, but Mr. Spencely was less successful with the female.
"When she was in the police cell (she said) – and she kept patting the scratches with a handful of the ruffled plumage – a woman whom the officers had considerately left with her for the sake of company – attacked her, tore her face, removed some of her hair, spoiled her cap, and reduced her plumage to the ragged condition in which it appeared.
"She pointed out her assailant in court, and then stopped. The clerk took advantage of the breathing space to push on the evidence, and no defence being offered, the congenial pair were sent to prison for seven days."
When Lydia Howard performed in Liverpool in January 1872, the Liverpool Courier called the eight-year-old singer and actress a "wondrously gifted child" and "a God's gift".
Its rival newspaper the Mercury said: "The marvellous genius of this wonderful little artist has created an impression in Liverpool never to be forgotten".
So when the so-called "fairy actress" performed in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens on the 10th, it must have been like Shirley Temple had come to town.
There were other artistes performing too – but their role was to assist the child star with ticket prices fairly steep, costing up to 2 shillings.
When we think of a highway robbery, an image of a masked bandit pointing his pistols at passengers on a horse-driven stagecoach and saying "Stand and deliver" springs to mind.
But the 19th century version of a highway robbery was far more likely to be what we would call a mugging, when the poorly lit streets of St Helens were used to waylay victims.
George Robinson's "impudent highway robbery" – as described by the Newspaper – had taken place around 5am one morning in Pocket Nook Street.
The victim was Edward Doran who had been walking along the street but had decided to stop and count his money.
That was not a very wise thing to do as Robinson suddenly appeared on the scene and knocked the man's cash out of his hand and fled with 30 shillings.
Durin searched for his attacker and when he found Robinson, asked him to return his money but was instead struck several times.
Rosanna Gillen supported the latter part of his account but George Robinson emphatically denied his involvement in the crime.
The magistrates decided to send the prisoner for trial at the next quarter sessions, which were held at Kirkdale in July, and the 29-year-old miner was found guilty and sentenced to 9 months hard labour.
Next week's stories will include the Pocket Nook stabbing case, the Sutton freak of nature, the day Moses in Bridge Street tried to part Abel's head, the smoke nuisance in St Helens and Pilkington's annual treat for their boys.
We begin on the 6th with the ancient custom of proclaiming the opening of Prescot Fair.
As well as the proclamation reading from the Town Hall steps, the so-called "perrying" of coppers from the windows of the building took place, as the St Helens Newspaper described:
"For numbers, dirt, and rags, the crowd of children assembled on this occasion has not been beaten for many years. The children rolled over each other while scrambling for the coppers, like bundles of rugs falling into a marine-store dealer's cellar."
The latter was a popular form of junk shop in the 19 century, and the newspaper was of the opinion that the unedifying spectacle should lead to the ceremony's abolition.
"At the sitting of the county court on Tuesday, the succeeding instances of the utter unwillingness of working class debtors to pay their legitimate debts induced Mr. Sergeant Wheeler to make the following observations:–
"“I never saw such people as you are in St. Helens. It is all drink – drink – drink – for the working people. They might live in the greatest comfort, and have all the wants of life supplied, with reasonable enjoyments besides. Instead of that the most ordinary debts are left unpaid, law costs are run up, judgement summonses issued, and warrants ordered.
"“Then, perhaps, payment will be made; but they will sometimes go to Lancaster [gaol] rather than pay. The working people of this district, so far [as] I know, are better off than the working classes of any other place in the country, and there never was a time when they were better off than now.”"
As least the judge (technically known as a sergeant) added the caveat "so far as I know" – and he clearly didn't know very much!
Judge Wheeler may have had a point about the boozing – although some might say that with the shocking working conditions, the men had a right to have a few drinks.
He might also have been right about unpaid debts; but to claim that the St Helens working class were better off than in any other place in the country, displayed considerable ignorance.
The Newspaper also reported on a meeting of the council's Library Committee in which the expression "You first get a cage before you catch your bird" was said.
It was used in the context of a discussion over whether they should re-open the small public library in the fire-damaged Town Hall before or after improving the facility and buying new books.
Lads, in particular, would often catch pigeons to sell to the organisers of bird shoots.
But it was a tricky business dealing with live birds and that gave rise to a number of expressions, which have long since died out, with "Catch your bird first" being another.
The St Helens Newspaper also described a number of cases that had taken place in the local Petty Sessions.
One had involved Margaret Cowan who had been taken into custody on suspicion of stealing a watch from a house in Liverpool Road.
However, St Helens police could find no evidence of her being responsible for the theft but found a witness who said the woman had been begging in the street.
And so poor Margaret was instead prosecuted on that charge and sent to prison for a week.
Such crimes as begging and clothes stealing would normally lead to a term of imprisonment in Liverpool's Kirkdale Gaol – but not violence, unless the act was extreme.
The Newspaper related how Joseph Poole had also appeared in the Sessions after having committed a "brutal assault" on a police sergeant in Thatto Heath.
However, he had only been fined – despite having been convicted previously of a similar offence against another St Helens bobby.
The Newspaper described Poole as a "decent looking workingman" and just how defendants appeared and behaved in court would influence the magistrates when sentencing them.
Poole had broken Sgt. Robinson's nose and "kicked him brutally, and then tried to choke him", as the paper put it.
But the Chairman of the Bench said the prisoner's good conduct when sober meant he would only be given a fine.
However, the violence of John Ramsey was deemed sufficient to have passed the "extreme" threshold, leading to the man receiving a prison term.
The miner had been charged in a separate incident with assaulting PC Gill in Coal Pit Lane at Parr (now Merton Bank) after throwing a large piece of slag at him.
That had struck the officer on his leg and led to him being off duty for some time.
As well as being influenced by the appearance of defendants, the comments of the police superintendent could also affect magistrates when sentencing.
Supt. James Ludlam was the boss of St Helens Police and he told the Bench that it had been the second occasion that PC Gill had been assaulted by the roughs of that neighbourhood.
"The fellows living about Island's brow went about in gangs", he said. "And whenever any of them got into trouble, a shilling each from the others relieved him and paid the fine."
John Ramsey's offence did not seem worse than Joseph Poole's – but the former was not deemed decent looking and he'd had the critical words of a police boss counting against him without any evidence provided to support Supt. Ludlam's claim.
And so Ramsey was sent to prison for three weeks.
Denis Feigh made his 57th court appearance in the St Helens Petty Sessions this week.
He was a bit of a comical character whose offences were mainly drunkenness and minor theft, although there was a serious consequence to his activities.
Denis's notoriety meant his two sons had no chance in life and they would often be brought to court charged with begging or stealing.
And their mother Margaret was not much better, making her 18th appearance in the dock herself this week.
The Newspaper wrote: "Both are as well known in the court as the magistrates themselves, or the clerk, or the superintendent of police."
However, it was unusual for the couple to be in court together facing the same charge.
But every time one of them was before the Bench, there always seemed to be some colourful tale that was told – and I shall let the Newspaper relate this week's in its own words:
"On this occasion Denis had a most melancholy black eye – an eye that seemed to mourn for the misfortunes which its owner was continually meeting with.
"He leaned against the box like a man thoroughly at his ease in official society, and too accustomed to the position to feel the slightest novelty.
"The wife took things less coolly. Her face was very considerably scratched, and the marks were as fresh as if they had been inflicted within half an hour, while her outer clothing, scanty in quantity – hung about her like ruffled plumage, or a number of jagged wings.
"Denis, when the clerk addressed him, pleaded “Guilty, your reverence,” without a moment's hesitation, but Mr. Spencely was less successful with the female.
"When she was in the police cell (she said) – and she kept patting the scratches with a handful of the ruffled plumage – a woman whom the officers had considerately left with her for the sake of company – attacked her, tore her face, removed some of her hair, spoiled her cap, and reduced her plumage to the ragged condition in which it appeared.
"She pointed out her assailant in court, and then stopped. The clerk took advantage of the breathing space to push on the evidence, and no defence being offered, the congenial pair were sent to prison for seven days."
When Lydia Howard performed in Liverpool in January 1872, the Liverpool Courier called the eight-year-old singer and actress a "wondrously gifted child" and "a God's gift".
Its rival newspaper the Mercury said: "The marvellous genius of this wonderful little artist has created an impression in Liverpool never to be forgotten".
So when the so-called "fairy actress" performed in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens on the 10th, it must have been like Shirley Temple had come to town.
There were other artistes performing too – but their role was to assist the child star with ticket prices fairly steep, costing up to 2 shillings.
When we think of a highway robbery, an image of a masked bandit pointing his pistols at passengers on a horse-driven stagecoach and saying "Stand and deliver" springs to mind.
But the 19th century version of a highway robbery was far more likely to be what we would call a mugging, when the poorly lit streets of St Helens were used to waylay victims.
George Robinson's "impudent highway robbery" – as described by the Newspaper – had taken place around 5am one morning in Pocket Nook Street.
The victim was Edward Doran who had been walking along the street but had decided to stop and count his money.
That was not a very wise thing to do as Robinson suddenly appeared on the scene and knocked the man's cash out of his hand and fled with 30 shillings.
Durin searched for his attacker and when he found Robinson, asked him to return his money but was instead struck several times.
Rosanna Gillen supported the latter part of his account but George Robinson emphatically denied his involvement in the crime.
The magistrates decided to send the prisoner for trial at the next quarter sessions, which were held at Kirkdale in July, and the 29-year-old miner was found guilty and sentenced to 9 months hard labour.
Next week's stories will include the Pocket Nook stabbing case, the Sutton freak of nature, the day Moses in Bridge Street tried to part Abel's head, the smoke nuisance in St Helens and Pilkington's annual treat for their boys.