150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (6th - 12th JULY 1870)
This week's stories include an abominable sentence for an abominable crime, road rage in Eccleston, the lack of water in Parr, the Prescot Floral & Horticultural Society's annual exhibition and a theft by an ungrateful man in the Gerard Arms.
We begin at a St Helens Town Council meeting on the 6th when the water supply for the town was discussed. This was turned off at night in order to keep up the pressure and save on supply. Councillor Johnson argued that the water should be left on all night, saying there were complaints throughout the town that people could not get any water before eight o’clock in the morning.
Also much water was wasted as householders turned on their taps during the night, only to find there was no supply. Some then left their taps in an open position and so water was needlessly run off when the supply restarted in the morning. The council Surveyor explained that in the past their waterworks had run dry and until the new works at Whiston was in operation there was little that could be done.
Councillor Hibbert said things were worse for the people of Parr who had no water at all to drink and during the summer months had to fetch water to their homes. He added that many people had become seriously ill through a "scarcity of wholesome water". A motion was passed that pipes be laid in Fleet Lane as long as the owners of cottages and works paid the cost. That was not always straightforward as some property owners simply refused to pay for water pipes to be laid for their tenants.
On the 7th John Dennett appeared before St Helens magistrates charged with "Having, at Eccleston, on the 5th July, 1870, feloniously committed a certain abominable crime". The details of the 34-year-old glass finisher's offence were not stated in newspapers. But checking court records I have discovered that Dennett was found "Guilty of attempting to commit the crime of buggery with a pig."
The man had been drunk at the time but was still given a very severe sentence of ten years in prison. The Chairman commented how it was "perfectly terrible" to see the effects of drink but made no allowance when imposing the maximum penalty permissible for the offence of bestiality.
The Prescot Floral and Horticultural Society held their 17th annual exhibition on the 7th, as described by the St Helens Newspaper: "The show was held in a spacious marquee, the top of which, and the entrance to the grounds, were liberally decorated with bunting. As the afternoon advanced, the visitors began to pour in rapidly from the surrounding neighbourhood, and by half-past four the crowd was so great that it was scarcely possible to get near the stands to view the choice selections."
The Newspaper added that the women in their summer outfits were attracting admiring glances from men on the look out for wives: "The ladies, of course, came out strongly in summer habiliments, and, as the weather was fine, the most of them were “fixed in their best.” Indeed, the remark might be frequently overheard – emanating, it is presumed, from would-be Benedicts – that the ladies were the most attractive part of the “show”."
On the 9th a woman called Hannah Reah was seriously injured at Rainhill Railway station while attempting to get out of a train that was still moving. That – or attempting to board a moving train – often caused injury or death and the long skirts that women wore then made such foolish acts particularly hazardous. Hannah came from Everton and had only been married for six weeks and was thrown between the platform and the wheels of the train and badly crushed. Her injuries included a broken leg and several ribs and she was taken to Liverpool Royal.
On the 11th the annual excursion to Southport of the schoolchildren of Holy Cross and Lowe House schools took place. The special train of 32 carriages carried over 1,000 passengers and the Newspaper wrote: "The weather was extremely favourable, and as a natural sequence, the children and their friends enjoyed themselves heartily at the sea side. The whole of the excursionists arrived safe at St. Helens about nine o’clock in the evening, all highly delighted with the manner in which they had spent their holiday."
For most of the children that would have been the only time they would have left St Helens during the whole year. That said some of the youngsters might well have spent some time in Liverpool after being committed to Kirkdale Gaol. Eliza Burrows was sent there for seven days on the 11th by magistrates in the St Helens Petty Sessions after admitting stealing coal. The girl was aged about 12 and had previously been warned about taking coal from Ravenhead Colliery.
Superintendent Myers said thefts had become so frequent that a policeman had to be stationed at the mine. The very poor seem to have had little choice but to take a little coal from railway wagons or from similar places. Although clearly some of the more unscrupulous adults sent their children to do their dirty work and take the punishment once caught.
There was another example of road rage 19th century style described in the Sessions. Pokers made very handy weapons when passions became enflamed in the home and when out on the road, horsewhips served a similar purpose. A combination of narrow streets and a wide variety of road users – from lads driving animals to men walking with handcarts or riding in a horse and cart – made collisions inevitable.
Bernard Moran was undertaking work for the Corporation at Eccleston on the road between St Helens and Prescot. The young man was driving a cart laden with cinders when he came across an obstruction caused by another cart. Joseph Roughsedge was a builder from St Anns and he was driving a trap in the direction of Prescot and his vehicle came into contact with a wheel on the obstructive cart.
The 59-year-old blamed Moran for what had happened and leapt out of his trap brandishing his whip and struck the young man with it, "using both the lash and the stook". Roughsedge's solicitor agued that the assault had not been a serious one and the Bench imposed a fine of ten shilling, cautioning the builder not to take the law into his own hands in future.
The stealing of items by domestic help was another fairly common crime. Fanny Swan appeared in the court charged with stealing £2 10s – along with a few items such as boots – from the house of George Barrow. The 41-year-old draper lived in Liverpool Road along with his wife Elizabeth, their four children, a servant and a so-called nurse, who cared for the children.
Fanny Swan had only been working for the Barrows for just over three weeks before she started stealing from them. It was another example of a brainless crime that poorly educated people appeared more prone to commit. Mrs Barrow had given Fanny a cash box to take upstairs and then later missed money from it. Did it not dawn on the woman that she would be the prime suspect when the cash was missed?
Perhaps she thought taking small quantities of money would not be noticed. But it was and in those days employers had no qualms about searching their servants – with or without their permission. Elizabeth Barrow found a key that fitted the cash box in a pocket of one of Fanny's clothes and eventually discovered the cash and stolen property. Fanny Swan admitted taking some of the cash but not all of it and was sent to prison for a month.
It sounds like James Swift had a lucky escape from prison. He was charged with stealing 18 shillings from John Naylor at the old Gerard Arms in Dentons Green (pictured above). The farm labourer from Kirkby had kindly paid for five men to sup some beer with him in the hotel taproom. In fact he bought a gallon of beer, which cost him two shillings. That left Naylor with the sum of 18 shillings inside his pocket made up of half-a-sovereign and some silver. As he had been drinking all day, Naylor fell asleep. Upon waking up fifteen minutes later he found his new friends had disappeared and so had his cash – in fact his pocket had been cut out.
Later that evening James Swift entered what was described as the Windleshaw Abbey Arms with three other men and paid for some drink with a half-sovereign. Swift was arrested in the Abbey's skittle alley with silver in his pocket. However the evidence against the man was purely circumstantial as no one had seen him take the money from Naylor and so the case was dismissed.
It was the "annual treat" of the schoolchildren of the Sutton and Peasley Cross Catholic Schools on the 12th. Later these would be known as field days or walking days. The treat involved a church service and band-led processions to Peasley Cross and then back to Sutton where games were held in a field lent by a Mr Fisher. The Newspaper wrote: "The weather being extremely fine, the children enjoyed themselves well, and, despite the heat, entered with much spirit into various games. In the afternoon they were regaled with a substantial tea."
During the evening there was an eclipse of the moon, which the Newspaper said had been looked forward to by the inhabitants of St Helens "with no little interest". However the evening was cloudy and a good view of the eclipse could only be seen at times. Isn't that always the case!
Next week's stories will include the mysterious flight of the Prescot businessman charged with an unnatural offence, a police raid at Clock Face on a bare-knuckle prize-fight, there's trouble between the ladies of Moss Nook and why they were holding celebrations at Lea Green over a railway line.
We begin at a St Helens Town Council meeting on the 6th when the water supply for the town was discussed. This was turned off at night in order to keep up the pressure and save on supply. Councillor Johnson argued that the water should be left on all night, saying there were complaints throughout the town that people could not get any water before eight o’clock in the morning.
Also much water was wasted as householders turned on their taps during the night, only to find there was no supply. Some then left their taps in an open position and so water was needlessly run off when the supply restarted in the morning. The council Surveyor explained that in the past their waterworks had run dry and until the new works at Whiston was in operation there was little that could be done.
Councillor Hibbert said things were worse for the people of Parr who had no water at all to drink and during the summer months had to fetch water to their homes. He added that many people had become seriously ill through a "scarcity of wholesome water". A motion was passed that pipes be laid in Fleet Lane as long as the owners of cottages and works paid the cost. That was not always straightforward as some property owners simply refused to pay for water pipes to be laid for their tenants.
On the 7th John Dennett appeared before St Helens magistrates charged with "Having, at Eccleston, on the 5th July, 1870, feloniously committed a certain abominable crime". The details of the 34-year-old glass finisher's offence were not stated in newspapers. But checking court records I have discovered that Dennett was found "Guilty of attempting to commit the crime of buggery with a pig."
The man had been drunk at the time but was still given a very severe sentence of ten years in prison. The Chairman commented how it was "perfectly terrible" to see the effects of drink but made no allowance when imposing the maximum penalty permissible for the offence of bestiality.
The Prescot Floral and Horticultural Society held their 17th annual exhibition on the 7th, as described by the St Helens Newspaper: "The show was held in a spacious marquee, the top of which, and the entrance to the grounds, were liberally decorated with bunting. As the afternoon advanced, the visitors began to pour in rapidly from the surrounding neighbourhood, and by half-past four the crowd was so great that it was scarcely possible to get near the stands to view the choice selections."
The Newspaper added that the women in their summer outfits were attracting admiring glances from men on the look out for wives: "The ladies, of course, came out strongly in summer habiliments, and, as the weather was fine, the most of them were “fixed in their best.” Indeed, the remark might be frequently overheard – emanating, it is presumed, from would-be Benedicts – that the ladies were the most attractive part of the “show”."
On the 9th a woman called Hannah Reah was seriously injured at Rainhill Railway station while attempting to get out of a train that was still moving. That – or attempting to board a moving train – often caused injury or death and the long skirts that women wore then made such foolish acts particularly hazardous. Hannah came from Everton and had only been married for six weeks and was thrown between the platform and the wheels of the train and badly crushed. Her injuries included a broken leg and several ribs and she was taken to Liverpool Royal.
On the 11th the annual excursion to Southport of the schoolchildren of Holy Cross and Lowe House schools took place. The special train of 32 carriages carried over 1,000 passengers and the Newspaper wrote: "The weather was extremely favourable, and as a natural sequence, the children and their friends enjoyed themselves heartily at the sea side. The whole of the excursionists arrived safe at St. Helens about nine o’clock in the evening, all highly delighted with the manner in which they had spent their holiday."
For most of the children that would have been the only time they would have left St Helens during the whole year. That said some of the youngsters might well have spent some time in Liverpool after being committed to Kirkdale Gaol. Eliza Burrows was sent there for seven days on the 11th by magistrates in the St Helens Petty Sessions after admitting stealing coal. The girl was aged about 12 and had previously been warned about taking coal from Ravenhead Colliery.
Superintendent Myers said thefts had become so frequent that a policeman had to be stationed at the mine. The very poor seem to have had little choice but to take a little coal from railway wagons or from similar places. Although clearly some of the more unscrupulous adults sent their children to do their dirty work and take the punishment once caught.
There was another example of road rage 19th century style described in the Sessions. Pokers made very handy weapons when passions became enflamed in the home and when out on the road, horsewhips served a similar purpose. A combination of narrow streets and a wide variety of road users – from lads driving animals to men walking with handcarts or riding in a horse and cart – made collisions inevitable.
Bernard Moran was undertaking work for the Corporation at Eccleston on the road between St Helens and Prescot. The young man was driving a cart laden with cinders when he came across an obstruction caused by another cart. Joseph Roughsedge was a builder from St Anns and he was driving a trap in the direction of Prescot and his vehicle came into contact with a wheel on the obstructive cart.
The 59-year-old blamed Moran for what had happened and leapt out of his trap brandishing his whip and struck the young man with it, "using both the lash and the stook". Roughsedge's solicitor agued that the assault had not been a serious one and the Bench imposed a fine of ten shilling, cautioning the builder not to take the law into his own hands in future.
The stealing of items by domestic help was another fairly common crime. Fanny Swan appeared in the court charged with stealing £2 10s – along with a few items such as boots – from the house of George Barrow. The 41-year-old draper lived in Liverpool Road along with his wife Elizabeth, their four children, a servant and a so-called nurse, who cared for the children.
Fanny Swan had only been working for the Barrows for just over three weeks before she started stealing from them. It was another example of a brainless crime that poorly educated people appeared more prone to commit. Mrs Barrow had given Fanny a cash box to take upstairs and then later missed money from it. Did it not dawn on the woman that she would be the prime suspect when the cash was missed?
Perhaps she thought taking small quantities of money would not be noticed. But it was and in those days employers had no qualms about searching their servants – with or without their permission. Elizabeth Barrow found a key that fitted the cash box in a pocket of one of Fanny's clothes and eventually discovered the cash and stolen property. Fanny Swan admitted taking some of the cash but not all of it and was sent to prison for a month.
Later that evening James Swift entered what was described as the Windleshaw Abbey Arms with three other men and paid for some drink with a half-sovereign. Swift was arrested in the Abbey's skittle alley with silver in his pocket. However the evidence against the man was purely circumstantial as no one had seen him take the money from Naylor and so the case was dismissed.
It was the "annual treat" of the schoolchildren of the Sutton and Peasley Cross Catholic Schools on the 12th. Later these would be known as field days or walking days. The treat involved a church service and band-led processions to Peasley Cross and then back to Sutton where games were held in a field lent by a Mr Fisher. The Newspaper wrote: "The weather being extremely fine, the children enjoyed themselves well, and, despite the heat, entered with much spirit into various games. In the afternoon they were regaled with a substantial tea."
During the evening there was an eclipse of the moon, which the Newspaper said had been looked forward to by the inhabitants of St Helens "with no little interest". However the evening was cloudy and a good view of the eclipse could only be seen at times. Isn't that always the case!
Next week's stories will include the mysterious flight of the Prescot businessman charged with an unnatural offence, a police raid at Clock Face on a bare-knuckle prize-fight, there's trouble between the ladies of Moss Nook and why they were holding celebrations at Lea Green over a railway line.
This week's stories include an abominable sentence for an abominable crime, road rage in Eccleston, the lack of water in Parr, the Prescot Floral & Horticultural Society's annual exhibition and a theft by an ungrateful man in the Gerard Arms.
We begin at a St Helens Town Council meeting on the 6th when the water supply for the town was discussed.
This was turned off at night in order to keep up the pressure and save on supply.
Councillor Johnson argued that the water should be left on all night, saying there were complaints throughout the town that people could not get any water before eight o’clock in the morning.
Also much water was wasted as householders turned on their taps during the night, only to find there was no supply.
Some then left their taps in an open position and so water was needlessly run off when the supply restarted in the morning.
The council Surveyor explained that in the past their waterworks had run dry and until the new works at Whiston was in operation there was little that could be done.
Councillor Hibbert said things were worse for the people of Parr who had no water at all to drink and during the summer months had to fetch water to their homes.
He added that many people had become seriously ill through a "scarcity of wholesome water".
A motion was passed that pipes be laid in Fleet Lane as long as the owners of cottages and works paid the cost.
That was not always straightforward as some property owners simply refused to pay for water pipes to be laid for their tenants.
On the 7th John Dennett appeared before St Helens magistrates charged with "Having, at Eccleston, on the 5th July, 1870, feloniously committed a certain abominable crime".
The details of the 34-year-old glass finisher's offence were not stated in newspapers.
But checking court records I have discovered that Dennett was found "Guilty of attempting to commit the crime of buggery with a pig."
The man had been drunk at the time but was still given a very severe sentence of ten years in prison.
The Chairman commented how it was "perfectly terrible" to see the effects of drink but made no allowance when imposing the maximum penalty permissible for the offence of bestiality.
The Prescot Floral and Horticultural Society held their 17th annual exhibition on the 7th, as described by the St Helens Newspaper:
"The show was held in a spacious marquee, the top of which, and the entrance to the grounds, were liberally decorated with bunting. As the afternoon advanced, the visitors began to pour in rapidly from the surrounding neighbourhood, and by half-past four the crowd was so great that it was scarcely possible to get near the stands to view the choice selections."
The Newspaper added that the women in their summer outfits were attracting admiring glances from men on the look out for wives:
"The ladies, of course, came out strongly in summer habiliments, and, as the weather was fine, the most of them were “fixed in their best.” Indeed, the remark might be frequently overheard – emanating, it is presumed, from would-be Benedicts – that the ladies were the most attractive part of the “show”."
On the 9th a woman called Hannah Reah was seriously injured at Rainhill Railway station while attempting to get out of a train that was still moving.
That – or attempting to board a moving train – often caused injury or death and the long skirts that women wore then made such foolish acts particularly hazardous.
Hannah came from Everton and had only been married for six weeks and was thrown between the platform and the wheels of the train and badly crushed.
Her injuries included a broken leg and several ribs and she was taken to Liverpool Royal.
On the 11th the annual excursion to Southport of the schoolchildren of Holy Cross and Lowe House schools took place.
The special train of 32 carriages carried over 1,000 passengers and the Newspaper wrote:
"The weather was extremely favourable, and as a natural sequence, the children and their friends enjoyed themselves heartily at the sea side. The whole of the excursionists arrived safe at St. Helens about nine o’clock in the evening, all highly delighted with the manner in which they had spent their holiday."
For most of the children that would have been the only time they would have left St Helens during the whole year.
That said some of the youngsters might well have spent some time in Liverpool after being committed to Kirkdale Gaol.
Eliza Burrows was sent there for seven days on the 11th by magistrates in the St Helens Petty Sessions after admitting stealing coal.
The girl was aged about 12 and had previously been warned about taking coal from Ravenhead Colliery.
Superintendent Myers said thefts had become so frequent that a policeman had to be stationed at the mine.
The very poor seem to have had little choice but to take a little coal from railway wagons or from similar places.
Although clearly some of the more unscrupulous adults sent their children to do their dirty work and take the punishment once caught.
There was another example of road rage 19th century style described in the Sessions.
Pokers made very handy weapons when passions became enflamed in the home and when out on the road, horsewhips served a similar purpose.
A combination of narrow streets and a wide variety of road users – from lads driving animals to men walking with handcarts or riding in a horse and cart – made collisions inevitable.
Bernard Moran was undertaking work for the Corporation at Eccleston on the road between St Helens and Prescot.
The young man was driving a cart laden with cinders when he came across an obstruction caused by another cart.
Joseph Roughsedge was a builder from St Anns and he was driving a trap in the direction of Prescot and his vehicle came into contact with a wheel on the obstructive cart.
The 59-year-old blamed Moran for what had happened and leapt out of his trap brandishing his whip and struck the young man with it, "using both the lash and the stook".
Roughsedge's solicitor agued that the assault had not been a serious one and the Bench imposed a fine of ten shilling, cautioning the builder not to take the law into his own hands in future.
The stealing of items by domestic help was another fairly common crime.
Fanny Swan appeared in the court charged with stealing £2 10s – along with a few items such as boots – from the house of George Barrow.
The 41-year-old draper lived in Liverpool Road along with his wife Elizabeth, their four children, a servant and a so-called nurse, who cared for the children.
Fanny Swan had only been working for the Barrows for just over three weeks before she started stealing from them.
It was another example of a brainless crime that poorly educated people appeared more prone to commit.
Mrs Barrow had given Fanny a cash box to take upstairs and then later missed money from it.
Did it not dawn on the woman that she would be the prime suspect when the cash was missed?
Perhaps she thought taking small quantities of money would not be noticed.
But it was and in those days employers had no qualms about searching their servants – with or without their permission.
Elizabeth Barrow found a key that fitted the cash box in a pocket of one of Fanny's clothes and eventually discovered the cash and stolen property.
Fanny Swan admitted taking some of the cash but not all of it and was sent to prison for a month.
It sounds like James Swift had a lucky escape from prison. He was charged with stealing 18 shillings from John Naylor at the old Gerard Arms in Dentons Green (pictured above).
The farm labourer from Kirkby had kindly paid for five men to sup some beer with him in the hotel taproom. In fact he bought a gallon of beer, which cost him two shillings.
That left Naylor with the sum of 18 shillings inside his pocket made up of half-a-sovereign and some silver. As he had been drinking all day, Naylor fell asleep.
Upon waking up fifteen minutes later he found his new friends had disappeared and so had his cash – in fact his pocket had been cut out.
Later that evening James Swift entered what was described as the Windleshaw Abbey Arms with three other men and paid for some drink with a half-sovereign.
Swift was arrested in the Abbey's skittle alley with silver in his pocket.
However the evidence against the man was circumstantial as no one had seen him take the money from Naylor and so the case was dismissed.
It was the "annual treat" of the schoolchildren of the Sutton and Peasley Cross Catholic Schools on the 12th. Later these would be known as field days or walking days.
The treat involved a church service and band-led processions to Peasley Cross and then back to Sutton where games were held in a field lent by a Mr Fisher.
The Newspaper wrote: "The weather being extremely fine, the children enjoyed themselves well, and, despite the heat, entered with much spirit into various games. In the afternoon they were regaled with a substantial tea."
During the evening there was an eclipse of the moon, which the Newspaper said had been looked forward to by the inhabitants of St Helens "with no little interest".
However the evening was cloudy and a good view of the eclipse could only be seen at times. Isn't that always the case!
Next week's stories will include the mysterious flight of the Prescot businessman charged with an unnatural offence, a police raid at Clock Face on a bare-knuckle prize-fight, there's trouble between the ladies of Moss Nook and why they were holding celebrations at Lea Green over a railway line.
We begin at a St Helens Town Council meeting on the 6th when the water supply for the town was discussed.
This was turned off at night in order to keep up the pressure and save on supply.
Councillor Johnson argued that the water should be left on all night, saying there were complaints throughout the town that people could not get any water before eight o’clock in the morning.
Also much water was wasted as householders turned on their taps during the night, only to find there was no supply.
Some then left their taps in an open position and so water was needlessly run off when the supply restarted in the morning.
The council Surveyor explained that in the past their waterworks had run dry and until the new works at Whiston was in operation there was little that could be done.
Councillor Hibbert said things were worse for the people of Parr who had no water at all to drink and during the summer months had to fetch water to their homes.
He added that many people had become seriously ill through a "scarcity of wholesome water".
A motion was passed that pipes be laid in Fleet Lane as long as the owners of cottages and works paid the cost.
That was not always straightforward as some property owners simply refused to pay for water pipes to be laid for their tenants.
On the 7th John Dennett appeared before St Helens magistrates charged with "Having, at Eccleston, on the 5th July, 1870, feloniously committed a certain abominable crime".
The details of the 34-year-old glass finisher's offence were not stated in newspapers.
But checking court records I have discovered that Dennett was found "Guilty of attempting to commit the crime of buggery with a pig."
The man had been drunk at the time but was still given a very severe sentence of ten years in prison.
The Chairman commented how it was "perfectly terrible" to see the effects of drink but made no allowance when imposing the maximum penalty permissible for the offence of bestiality.
The Prescot Floral and Horticultural Society held their 17th annual exhibition on the 7th, as described by the St Helens Newspaper:
"The show was held in a spacious marquee, the top of which, and the entrance to the grounds, were liberally decorated with bunting. As the afternoon advanced, the visitors began to pour in rapidly from the surrounding neighbourhood, and by half-past four the crowd was so great that it was scarcely possible to get near the stands to view the choice selections."
The Newspaper added that the women in their summer outfits were attracting admiring glances from men on the look out for wives:
"The ladies, of course, came out strongly in summer habiliments, and, as the weather was fine, the most of them were “fixed in their best.” Indeed, the remark might be frequently overheard – emanating, it is presumed, from would-be Benedicts – that the ladies were the most attractive part of the “show”."
On the 9th a woman called Hannah Reah was seriously injured at Rainhill Railway station while attempting to get out of a train that was still moving.
That – or attempting to board a moving train – often caused injury or death and the long skirts that women wore then made such foolish acts particularly hazardous.
Hannah came from Everton and had only been married for six weeks and was thrown between the platform and the wheels of the train and badly crushed.
Her injuries included a broken leg and several ribs and she was taken to Liverpool Royal.
On the 11th the annual excursion to Southport of the schoolchildren of Holy Cross and Lowe House schools took place.
The special train of 32 carriages carried over 1,000 passengers and the Newspaper wrote:
"The weather was extremely favourable, and as a natural sequence, the children and their friends enjoyed themselves heartily at the sea side. The whole of the excursionists arrived safe at St. Helens about nine o’clock in the evening, all highly delighted with the manner in which they had spent their holiday."
For most of the children that would have been the only time they would have left St Helens during the whole year.
That said some of the youngsters might well have spent some time in Liverpool after being committed to Kirkdale Gaol.
Eliza Burrows was sent there for seven days on the 11th by magistrates in the St Helens Petty Sessions after admitting stealing coal.
The girl was aged about 12 and had previously been warned about taking coal from Ravenhead Colliery.
Superintendent Myers said thefts had become so frequent that a policeman had to be stationed at the mine.
The very poor seem to have had little choice but to take a little coal from railway wagons or from similar places.
Although clearly some of the more unscrupulous adults sent their children to do their dirty work and take the punishment once caught.
There was another example of road rage 19th century style described in the Sessions.
Pokers made very handy weapons when passions became enflamed in the home and when out on the road, horsewhips served a similar purpose.
A combination of narrow streets and a wide variety of road users – from lads driving animals to men walking with handcarts or riding in a horse and cart – made collisions inevitable.
Bernard Moran was undertaking work for the Corporation at Eccleston on the road between St Helens and Prescot.
The young man was driving a cart laden with cinders when he came across an obstruction caused by another cart.
Joseph Roughsedge was a builder from St Anns and he was driving a trap in the direction of Prescot and his vehicle came into contact with a wheel on the obstructive cart.
The 59-year-old blamed Moran for what had happened and leapt out of his trap brandishing his whip and struck the young man with it, "using both the lash and the stook".
Roughsedge's solicitor agued that the assault had not been a serious one and the Bench imposed a fine of ten shilling, cautioning the builder not to take the law into his own hands in future.
The stealing of items by domestic help was another fairly common crime.
Fanny Swan appeared in the court charged with stealing £2 10s – along with a few items such as boots – from the house of George Barrow.
The 41-year-old draper lived in Liverpool Road along with his wife Elizabeth, their four children, a servant and a so-called nurse, who cared for the children.
Fanny Swan had only been working for the Barrows for just over three weeks before she started stealing from them.
It was another example of a brainless crime that poorly educated people appeared more prone to commit.
Mrs Barrow had given Fanny a cash box to take upstairs and then later missed money from it.
Did it not dawn on the woman that she would be the prime suspect when the cash was missed?
Perhaps she thought taking small quantities of money would not be noticed.
But it was and in those days employers had no qualms about searching their servants – with or without their permission.
Elizabeth Barrow found a key that fitted the cash box in a pocket of one of Fanny's clothes and eventually discovered the cash and stolen property.
Fanny Swan admitted taking some of the cash but not all of it and was sent to prison for a month.
The farm labourer from Kirkby had kindly paid for five men to sup some beer with him in the hotel taproom. In fact he bought a gallon of beer, which cost him two shillings.
That left Naylor with the sum of 18 shillings inside his pocket made up of half-a-sovereign and some silver. As he had been drinking all day, Naylor fell asleep.
Upon waking up fifteen minutes later he found his new friends had disappeared and so had his cash – in fact his pocket had been cut out.
Later that evening James Swift entered what was described as the Windleshaw Abbey Arms with three other men and paid for some drink with a half-sovereign.
Swift was arrested in the Abbey's skittle alley with silver in his pocket.
However the evidence against the man was circumstantial as no one had seen him take the money from Naylor and so the case was dismissed.
It was the "annual treat" of the schoolchildren of the Sutton and Peasley Cross Catholic Schools on the 12th. Later these would be known as field days or walking days.
The treat involved a church service and band-led processions to Peasley Cross and then back to Sutton where games were held in a field lent by a Mr Fisher.
The Newspaper wrote: "The weather being extremely fine, the children enjoyed themselves well, and, despite the heat, entered with much spirit into various games. In the afternoon they were regaled with a substantial tea."
During the evening there was an eclipse of the moon, which the Newspaper said had been looked forward to by the inhabitants of St Helens "with no little interest".
However the evening was cloudy and a good view of the eclipse could only be seen at times. Isn't that always the case!
Next week's stories will include the mysterious flight of the Prescot businessman charged with an unnatural offence, a police raid at Clock Face on a bare-knuckle prize-fight, there's trouble between the ladies of Moss Nook and why they were holding celebrations at Lea Green over a railway line.