150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 8 - 14 JUNE 1876
This week's many stories include the measures to deter vagrants from Whiston Workhouse, the rebuttal of a claim that the children of St Helens look sallow and pale, a new purveyor of false teeth comes to town, the St Helens Bicycle Club's captaincy race and the harsh punishment for accepting too much change after buying a pint.
Although Whiston Workhouse (pictured above) was obliged by law to take in vagrants – who usually stayed for just one night – they were not popular guests. And Whiston – like other workhouses – were always considering ways to deter tramps from coming to them. Last December a sub-committee of the Prescot Guardians who oversaw Whiston Workhouse had visited their equivalent at Toxteth Park.
They found that vagrants there were made to break stone on the morning after their night's lodging and since this rule had been introduced, it had had a "most wonderful effect". The word had soon got round and in two months Toxteth had only received two vagrant visitors. That compared to Whiston, which during the previous 12 weeks had received 949 vagrants.
The sub-committee had also learnt that other workhouses deterred vagrants by making them grind corn for up to 2 hours. Although it was decided that similar backbreaking work would be made compulsory at Whiston, there were not good enough facilities in place. And at a meeting of the Prescot Guardians held on the 8th of this week, it was revealed that they still did not have special wards established for stone-breaking and their immediate erection was strongly advised.
It was pointed out that the number of vagrants staying at Whiston was on the increase. On the previous day they had had 24 night-time guests and on the day before that there had been 23, "many of them being of the most unprepossessing appearance," as the St Helens Newspaper put it. Making the tramps have a bath was another means of deterring their visits and, I believe, it was a cold bath!
But they did not have sufficient water supply and the Master of the workhouse told the Guardians that at 8 pm on the previous evening he had 20 men waiting for a bath and not enough water for them all. The Master was told by the Chairman of the Guardians that he must "use all the efforts you can to get rid of these nuisances from the place", a reference, seemingly to the tramps.
The boys in the Workhouse Band had been among a number of ensembles that had played during the opening of the new town hall. And they had made a very good impression with both their music and general behaviour and the Rev Henry Vallencey of Sutton had given them a shilling each.
However, the paupers were not allowed to have any money in the workhouse and so a debate took place among the Guardians as to whether they should be allowed to retain their shillings or hand them over to the band fund that paid for their expenses. After a discussion it was decided that they would be permitted to keep the money.
The first St Helens Town Council meeting after the opening of the new Town Hall was held this week and there was much praise for the organisation of the event, especially the huge procession that had taken place. Alderman David Gamble said: "It was a great demonstration altogether and I think many of us had never seen so many happy faces as were to be seen on that day."
Gamble added that he disagreed with a recent report that their Medical Officer had released which stated that the children of St Helens were sallow and pale-looking and did not look like children living in a healthy town. He said: "For my part I had never seen so many rosy cheeks as I saw on Monday which said a good deal for the healthy character of the town."
Another councillor backed up Ald Gamble's statement on how healthy the marching children had looked. Of course, on checking upon the kids' health, the Medical Officer would have done a lot more than simply observe children walking along the street from a distance.
An advertisement in the St Helens Newspaper on the 10th said there was a new dentist in town. That was J. H. Parkinson who had taken premises in Church Street next door to the Raven Hotel. Although calling himself a dentist, Mr Parkinson's main treatment was the fitting of false teeth.
He was offering the latest "most wonderful system" which required no fastenings and provided an "unerring fit, no sharp edges, and a firmness supported entirely by the weight of the atmosphere." A single artificial tooth cost five shillings and a full set £5.
J. A. Penketh of Cotham Street was advertising the services of Lord Lyon. He was a "beautiful silver-grey horse" who would serve mares for £1 10 shillings a time, plus three shillings for the groom. "Has proved himself a sure foal getter, and has left excellent stock," said the advert.
The St Helens Bicycle Club had only been formed earlier in the year and in time it would become the largest club outside of London. But by June it did not have a captain and so on the 10th, thirteen of its members competed in a race for the honour of captaining the club. The 10-mile course was from the railway bridge near Sankey to the Bird i’ th’ Hand in Eccleston, travelling via Rainhill and Prescot. A man called W. Beecham was judged the winner.
A couple of weeks ago a boy called William Bowe had appeared in court charged with damaging a quantity of newly made bricks belonging to Pilkington's. However, the lad's father had claimed that his son was under seven years of age, which was then the minimum age of legal responsibility. But the authorities were suspicious and the case was adjourned so that a baptismal register could be produced.
This week on the 12th, William returned to court after discovering that he was indeed seven and the boy was fined 2 shillings and costs. The father would have been the one that had to cough the money up and may well have been trying it on, although some in the 19th century did not know exactly how old they were and when their birthdays fell.
If a shop assistant inadvertently gave you too much change today, I wouldn't have thought that you would be committing a criminal offence if you accepted it and left the premises. But you certainly were in the 19th century, as Thomas Gallagher learned to his cost. He had been in the Nancy Hotel in Parr where he had tendered one shilling for a pint of beer costing 3½d. But instead of receiving 8½d change, Gallagher was given 9 shillings 8½d.
That was because at the same time another customer had tendered half a sovereign (10 shillings) for his pint and the barmaid had confused the two persons. The mistake was soon realised after Gallagher had left the pub. When arrested by PC Sheriff, Gallagher had said, "If she gave me change for half a sovereign instead of a shilling, I was not to blame in taking it."
That was his defence in court on the 12th insisting he did not steal the money as it was given to him. However, the Chairman of the Bench told Gallagher that taking anything that did not belong to him was theft. But the pub did not wish to press the charge against Gallagher and the Newspaper in its report said the man was "let off but with the salutary caution of 14 days imprisonment with hard labour". That's not exactly what I would call being let off!
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Rainford wife beating case, the three pit sinkers who drowned in Ashton, criticism of the Town Hall opening ceremony, the gun firing at Brown Edge and the wife beating in the street that outraged neighbours.
They found that vagrants there were made to break stone on the morning after their night's lodging and since this rule had been introduced, it had had a "most wonderful effect". The word had soon got round and in two months Toxteth had only received two vagrant visitors. That compared to Whiston, which during the previous 12 weeks had received 949 vagrants.
The sub-committee had also learnt that other workhouses deterred vagrants by making them grind corn for up to 2 hours. Although it was decided that similar backbreaking work would be made compulsory at Whiston, there were not good enough facilities in place. And at a meeting of the Prescot Guardians held on the 8th of this week, it was revealed that they still did not have special wards established for stone-breaking and their immediate erection was strongly advised.
It was pointed out that the number of vagrants staying at Whiston was on the increase. On the previous day they had had 24 night-time guests and on the day before that there had been 23, "many of them being of the most unprepossessing appearance," as the St Helens Newspaper put it. Making the tramps have a bath was another means of deterring their visits and, I believe, it was a cold bath!
But they did not have sufficient water supply and the Master of the workhouse told the Guardians that at 8 pm on the previous evening he had 20 men waiting for a bath and not enough water for them all. The Master was told by the Chairman of the Guardians that he must "use all the efforts you can to get rid of these nuisances from the place", a reference, seemingly to the tramps.
The boys in the Workhouse Band had been among a number of ensembles that had played during the opening of the new town hall. And they had made a very good impression with both their music and general behaviour and the Rev Henry Vallencey of Sutton had given them a shilling each.
However, the paupers were not allowed to have any money in the workhouse and so a debate took place among the Guardians as to whether they should be allowed to retain their shillings or hand them over to the band fund that paid for their expenses. After a discussion it was decided that they would be permitted to keep the money.
The first St Helens Town Council meeting after the opening of the new Town Hall was held this week and there was much praise for the organisation of the event, especially the huge procession that had taken place. Alderman David Gamble said: "It was a great demonstration altogether and I think many of us had never seen so many happy faces as were to be seen on that day."
Gamble added that he disagreed with a recent report that their Medical Officer had released which stated that the children of St Helens were sallow and pale-looking and did not look like children living in a healthy town. He said: "For my part I had never seen so many rosy cheeks as I saw on Monday which said a good deal for the healthy character of the town."
Another councillor backed up Ald Gamble's statement on how healthy the marching children had looked. Of course, on checking upon the kids' health, the Medical Officer would have done a lot more than simply observe children walking along the street from a distance.
An advertisement in the St Helens Newspaper on the 10th said there was a new dentist in town. That was J. H. Parkinson who had taken premises in Church Street next door to the Raven Hotel. Although calling himself a dentist, Mr Parkinson's main treatment was the fitting of false teeth.
He was offering the latest "most wonderful system" which required no fastenings and provided an "unerring fit, no sharp edges, and a firmness supported entirely by the weight of the atmosphere." A single artificial tooth cost five shillings and a full set £5.
J. A. Penketh of Cotham Street was advertising the services of Lord Lyon. He was a "beautiful silver-grey horse" who would serve mares for £1 10 shillings a time, plus three shillings for the groom. "Has proved himself a sure foal getter, and has left excellent stock," said the advert.
The St Helens Bicycle Club had only been formed earlier in the year and in time it would become the largest club outside of London. But by June it did not have a captain and so on the 10th, thirteen of its members competed in a race for the honour of captaining the club. The 10-mile course was from the railway bridge near Sankey to the Bird i’ th’ Hand in Eccleston, travelling via Rainhill and Prescot. A man called W. Beecham was judged the winner.
A couple of weeks ago a boy called William Bowe had appeared in court charged with damaging a quantity of newly made bricks belonging to Pilkington's. However, the lad's father had claimed that his son was under seven years of age, which was then the minimum age of legal responsibility. But the authorities were suspicious and the case was adjourned so that a baptismal register could be produced.
This week on the 12th, William returned to court after discovering that he was indeed seven and the boy was fined 2 shillings and costs. The father would have been the one that had to cough the money up and may well have been trying it on, although some in the 19th century did not know exactly how old they were and when their birthdays fell.
If a shop assistant inadvertently gave you too much change today, I wouldn't have thought that you would be committing a criminal offence if you accepted it and left the premises. But you certainly were in the 19th century, as Thomas Gallagher learned to his cost. He had been in the Nancy Hotel in Parr where he had tendered one shilling for a pint of beer costing 3½d. But instead of receiving 8½d change, Gallagher was given 9 shillings 8½d.
That was because at the same time another customer had tendered half a sovereign (10 shillings) for his pint and the barmaid had confused the two persons. The mistake was soon realised after Gallagher had left the pub. When arrested by PC Sheriff, Gallagher had said, "If she gave me change for half a sovereign instead of a shilling, I was not to blame in taking it."
That was his defence in court on the 12th insisting he did not steal the money as it was given to him. However, the Chairman of the Bench told Gallagher that taking anything that did not belong to him was theft. But the pub did not wish to press the charge against Gallagher and the Newspaper in its report said the man was "let off but with the salutary caution of 14 days imprisonment with hard labour". That's not exactly what I would call being let off!
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Rainford wife beating case, the three pit sinkers who drowned in Ashton, criticism of the Town Hall opening ceremony, the gun firing at Brown Edge and the wife beating in the street that outraged neighbours.
This week's many stories include the measures to deter vagrants from Whiston Workhouse, the rebuttal of a claim that the children of St Helens look sallow and pale, a new purveyor of false teeth comes to town, the St Helens Bicycle Club's captaincy race and the harsh punishment for accepting too much change after buying a pint.
Although Whiston Workhouse (pictured above) was obliged by law to take in vagrants – who usually stayed for just one night – they were not popular guests.
And Whiston – like other workhouses – were always considering ways to deter tramps from coming to them.
Last December a sub-committee of the Prescot Guardians who oversaw Whiston Workhouse had visited their equivalent at Toxteth Park.
They found that vagrants there were made to break stone on the morning after their night's lodging and since this rule had been introduced, it had had a "most wonderful effect".
The word had soon got round and in two months Toxteth had only received two vagrant visitors.
That compared to Whiston, which during the previous 12 weeks had received 949 vagrants.
The sub-committee had also learnt that other workhouses deterred vagrants by making them grind corn for up to 2 hours.
Although it was decided that similar backbreaking work would be made compulsory at Whiston, there were not good enough facilities in place.
And at a meeting of the Prescot Guardians held on the 8th of this week, it was revealed that they still did not have special wards established for stone-breaking and their immediate erection was strongly advised.
It was pointed out that the number of vagrants staying at Whiston was on the increase.
On the previous day they had had 24 night-time guests and on the day before that there had been 23, "many of them being of the most unprepossessing appearance," as the St Helens Newspaper put it.
Making the tramps have a bath was another means of deterring their visits and, I believe, it was a cold bath!
But they did not have sufficient water supply and the Master of the workhouse told the Guardians that at 8 pm on the previous evening he had 20 men waiting for a bath and not enough water for them all.
The Master was told by the Chairman of the Guardians that he must "use all the efforts you can to get rid of these nuisances from the place", a reference, seemingly to the tramps.
The boys in the Workhouse Band had been among a number of ensembles that had played during the opening of the new town hall.
And they had made a very good impression with both their music and general behaviour and the Rev Henry Vallencey of Sutton had given them a shilling each.
However, the paupers were not allowed to have any money in the workhouse and so a debate took place among the Guardians as to whether they should be allowed to retain their shillings or hand them over to the band fund that paid for their expenses.
After a discussion it was decided that they would be permitted to keep the money.
The first St Helens Town Council meeting after the opening of the new Town Hall was held this week and there was much praise for the organisation of the event, especially the huge procession that had taken place.
Alderman David Gamble said: "It was a great demonstration altogether and I think many of us had never seen so many happy faces as were to be seen on that day."
Gamble added that he disagreed with a recent report that their Medical Officer had released which stated that the children of St Helens were sallow and pale-looking and did not look like children living in a healthy town. He said:
"For my part I had never seen so many rosy cheeks as I saw on Monday which said a good deal for the healthy character of the town."
Another councillor backed up Ald Gamble's statement on how healthy the marching children had looked.
Of course, on checking upon the kids' health, the Medical Officer would have done a lot more than simply observe children walking along the street from a distance.
An advertisement in the St Helens Newspaper on the 10th said there was a new dentist in town. That was J. H. Parkinson who had taken premises in Church Street next door to the Raven Hotel.
Although calling himself a dentist, Mr Parkinson's main treatment was the fitting of false teeth.
He was offering the latest "most wonderful system" which required no fastenings and provided an "unerring fit, no sharp edges, and a firmness supported entirely by the weight of the atmosphere."
A single artificial tooth cost five shillings and a full set £5.
J. A. Penketh of Cotham Street was advertising the services of Lord Lyon.
He was a "beautiful silver-grey horse" who would serve mares for £1 10 shillings a time, plus three shillings for the groom.
"Has proved himself a sure foal getter, and has left excellent stock," said the advert.
The St Helens Bicycle Club had only been formed earlier in the year and in time it would become the largest club outside of London.
But by June it did not have a captain and so on the 10th, thirteen of its members competed in a race for the honour of captaining the club.
The 10-mile course was from the railway bridge near Sankey to the Bird i’ th’ Hand in Eccleston, travelling via Rainhill and Prescot. A man called W. Beecham was judged the winner.
A couple of weeks ago a boy called William Bowe had appeared in court charged with damaging a quantity of newly made bricks belonging to Pilkington's.
However, the lad's father had claimed that his son was under seven years of age, which was then the minimum age of legal responsibility.
But the authorities were suspicious and the case was adjourned so that a baptismal register could be produced.
This week on the 12th, William returned to court after discovering that he was indeed seven and the boy was fined 2 shillings and costs.
The father would have been the one that had to cough the money up and may well have been trying it on, although some in the 19th century did not know exactly how old they were and when their birthdays fell.
If a shop assistant inadvertently gave you too much change today, I wouldn't have thought that you would be committing a criminal offence if you accepted it and left the premises.
But you certainly were in the 19th century, as Thomas Gallagher learned to his cost.
He had been in the Nancy Hotel in Parr where he had tendered one shilling for a pint of beer costing 3½d.
But instead of receiving 8½d change, Gallagher was given 9 shillings 8½d.
That was because at the same time another customer had tendered half a sovereign (10 shillings) for his pint and the barmaid had confused the two persons.
The mistake was soon realised after Gallagher had left the pub.
When arrested by PC Sheriff, Gallagher had said, "If she gave me change for half a sovereign instead of a shilling, I was not to blame in taking it."
That was his defence in court on the 12th insisting he did not steal the money as it was given to him.
However, the Chairman of the Bench told Gallagher that taking anything that did not belong to him was theft.
But the pub did not wish to press the charge against Gallagher and the Newspaper in its report said the man was "let off but with the salutary caution of 14 days imprisonment with hard labour". That's not exactly what I would call being let off!
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Rainford wife beating case, the three pit sinkers who drowned in Ashton, criticism of the Town Hall opening ceremony, the gun firing at Brown Edge and the wife beating in the street that outraged neighbours.
And Whiston – like other workhouses – were always considering ways to deter tramps from coming to them.
Last December a sub-committee of the Prescot Guardians who oversaw Whiston Workhouse had visited their equivalent at Toxteth Park.
They found that vagrants there were made to break stone on the morning after their night's lodging and since this rule had been introduced, it had had a "most wonderful effect".
The word had soon got round and in two months Toxteth had only received two vagrant visitors.
That compared to Whiston, which during the previous 12 weeks had received 949 vagrants.
The sub-committee had also learnt that other workhouses deterred vagrants by making them grind corn for up to 2 hours.
Although it was decided that similar backbreaking work would be made compulsory at Whiston, there were not good enough facilities in place.
And at a meeting of the Prescot Guardians held on the 8th of this week, it was revealed that they still did not have special wards established for stone-breaking and their immediate erection was strongly advised.
It was pointed out that the number of vagrants staying at Whiston was on the increase.
On the previous day they had had 24 night-time guests and on the day before that there had been 23, "many of them being of the most unprepossessing appearance," as the St Helens Newspaper put it.
Making the tramps have a bath was another means of deterring their visits and, I believe, it was a cold bath!
But they did not have sufficient water supply and the Master of the workhouse told the Guardians that at 8 pm on the previous evening he had 20 men waiting for a bath and not enough water for them all.
The Master was told by the Chairman of the Guardians that he must "use all the efforts you can to get rid of these nuisances from the place", a reference, seemingly to the tramps.
The boys in the Workhouse Band had been among a number of ensembles that had played during the opening of the new town hall.
And they had made a very good impression with both their music and general behaviour and the Rev Henry Vallencey of Sutton had given them a shilling each.
However, the paupers were not allowed to have any money in the workhouse and so a debate took place among the Guardians as to whether they should be allowed to retain their shillings or hand them over to the band fund that paid for their expenses.
After a discussion it was decided that they would be permitted to keep the money.
The first St Helens Town Council meeting after the opening of the new Town Hall was held this week and there was much praise for the organisation of the event, especially the huge procession that had taken place.
Alderman David Gamble said: "It was a great demonstration altogether and I think many of us had never seen so many happy faces as were to be seen on that day."
Gamble added that he disagreed with a recent report that their Medical Officer had released which stated that the children of St Helens were sallow and pale-looking and did not look like children living in a healthy town. He said:
"For my part I had never seen so many rosy cheeks as I saw on Monday which said a good deal for the healthy character of the town."
Another councillor backed up Ald Gamble's statement on how healthy the marching children had looked.
Of course, on checking upon the kids' health, the Medical Officer would have done a lot more than simply observe children walking along the street from a distance.
An advertisement in the St Helens Newspaper on the 10th said there was a new dentist in town. That was J. H. Parkinson who had taken premises in Church Street next door to the Raven Hotel.
Although calling himself a dentist, Mr Parkinson's main treatment was the fitting of false teeth.
He was offering the latest "most wonderful system" which required no fastenings and provided an "unerring fit, no sharp edges, and a firmness supported entirely by the weight of the atmosphere."
A single artificial tooth cost five shillings and a full set £5.
J. A. Penketh of Cotham Street was advertising the services of Lord Lyon.
He was a "beautiful silver-grey horse" who would serve mares for £1 10 shillings a time, plus three shillings for the groom.
"Has proved himself a sure foal getter, and has left excellent stock," said the advert.
The St Helens Bicycle Club had only been formed earlier in the year and in time it would become the largest club outside of London.
But by June it did not have a captain and so on the 10th, thirteen of its members competed in a race for the honour of captaining the club.
The 10-mile course was from the railway bridge near Sankey to the Bird i’ th’ Hand in Eccleston, travelling via Rainhill and Prescot. A man called W. Beecham was judged the winner.
A couple of weeks ago a boy called William Bowe had appeared in court charged with damaging a quantity of newly made bricks belonging to Pilkington's.
However, the lad's father had claimed that his son was under seven years of age, which was then the minimum age of legal responsibility.
But the authorities were suspicious and the case was adjourned so that a baptismal register could be produced.
This week on the 12th, William returned to court after discovering that he was indeed seven and the boy was fined 2 shillings and costs.
The father would have been the one that had to cough the money up and may well have been trying it on, although some in the 19th century did not know exactly how old they were and when their birthdays fell.
If a shop assistant inadvertently gave you too much change today, I wouldn't have thought that you would be committing a criminal offence if you accepted it and left the premises.
But you certainly were in the 19th century, as Thomas Gallagher learned to his cost.
He had been in the Nancy Hotel in Parr where he had tendered one shilling for a pint of beer costing 3½d.
But instead of receiving 8½d change, Gallagher was given 9 shillings 8½d.
That was because at the same time another customer had tendered half a sovereign (10 shillings) for his pint and the barmaid had confused the two persons.
The mistake was soon realised after Gallagher had left the pub.
When arrested by PC Sheriff, Gallagher had said, "If she gave me change for half a sovereign instead of a shilling, I was not to blame in taking it."
That was his defence in court on the 12th insisting he did not steal the money as it was given to him.
However, the Chairman of the Bench told Gallagher that taking anything that did not belong to him was theft.
But the pub did not wish to press the charge against Gallagher and the Newspaper in its report said the man was "let off but with the salutary caution of 14 days imprisonment with hard labour". That's not exactly what I would call being let off!
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Rainford wife beating case, the three pit sinkers who drowned in Ashton, criticism of the Town Hall opening ceremony, the gun firing at Brown Edge and the wife beating in the street that outraged neighbours.