150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (9th - 15th MAY 1872)
This week's stories include the giddy girl coal thief, the violent imbecile at Whiston Workhouse, the slandering down a Rainford coal mine, the Rainhill landlord who was fined for not being in two places at once and why the merry month of May was not so merry in St Helens.
"My daughter is giddy and peculiar". Those were the words of Ann Harvey's mother when addressing the magistrates in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 9th. The 14-year-old girl was charged with stealing 12 lbs of coal from a College Street brickmaker's yard. Often parents would send their children out to steal coal from collieries, railway sidings or from works' yards. However, Mrs Harvey insisted that she had not suggested any such thing to her daughter who, she claimed, had taken a basket from home to fill with coal without her knowledge.
Children were often sent to prison for coal stealing, although first-time offenders usually received a fine. And so Ann was fined 20 shillings and costs or a week's imprisonment in Kirkdale Prison if in default. The total amount would likely have been in the region of 30 shillings. That may have been ten days' wages for her father and so it would've been touch and go whether the girl went to gaol.
The Warrington Examiner wrote on the 11th: "We regret to state that smallpox has once more assumed a virulent form in Warrington. The disease has appeared in its worst form in Bank Quay, where it was imported from St. Helens by two women who attended the funeral of a person who had died of smallpox."
Catherine Whitfield appeared in the St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged – as the St Helens Newspaper put it on the 11th – "with setting the Pedlars' Act at defiance." The woman made a living by going from door to door with a portable knife and scissors grinding machine. However, Mrs Whitfield did not possess a pedlars' licence, seemingly believing that the law only applied to the sale of products on the street and not services. The Newspaper wrote: "His Worship ground 5s. and costs out of her for the offence."
The St Helens Newspaper often commented on what they called the "merry month of May". But this week wrote that the abnormal weather at present was making May 1872 a most unmerry one: "The “merry month” has been by no means cheerful so far as it has gone. The first few days had all the warmth and freshness of opening summer; but since then a most unusual change has come over the atmosphere.
"Wet seems to be the normal condition of things, rain has fallen so copiously this week; and there have been intervals of cold almost equalling that of an ordinary December in intensity. If there had been a rearrangement of the seasons we could scarcely have more abnormal weather."
As well as accommodating several hundred paupers from the St Helens and Prescot districts, Whiston Workhouse (pictured above) had a special ward for about forty "lunatics" and "imbeciles". In 1869 the institution's Medical Officer had complained that such individuals were not well cared for at Whiston. Dr Rayner said the men appointed to watch over them "show fear of the lunatics, who are sharp enough to find it out." Although violent lunatics / imbeciles were incarcerated in Rainhill Asylum instead of Whiston, there was some difficulty in assessing the most dangerous patients. In addition, places at Rainhill were not always available.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 13th, an imbecile called Thomas Gregson was charged with theft and assaults. Although the 72-year-old had attacked others in the workhouse, his case provoked much laughter in the courtroom – mainly through his contradictions – and the hearing demonstrated the difficulty in distinguishing between different categories of patient. This is how the St Helens Newspaper described the proceedings:
"Thomas Gregson, a well-known imbecile, was brought up on remand charged with assaulting two of the workhouse paupers, and absconding with a suit of union clothing. On being asked if he were guilty or not, Tom replied that he was not guilty, and then gave an assurance that if let off he would never do it again. George Kingston, porter at the workhouse, deposed that the prisoner absconded on the 6th inst., taking a complete suit of union clothing with him.
"The Chairman: Did you go away with the clothes? Prisoner (who still wore them): No, sir. (Laughter.) If you let me go this time, I will never do it again. [Police] Supt. Ludlam: He ought to be in a lunatic asylum. The Porter: He is under the observation of the medical officer, who can order him to the asylum at any time when necessary.
"One of the injured paupers, apparently another imbecile, deposed that Tom had struck him a violent blow in the face. The Chairman: He has been in gaol once? Prisoner: Never, sir. (Great laughter). Supt. Ludlam: He has been in gaol many times. The Chairman (addressing Tom): We shall let you off this time if you promise never to do it again.
"The Porter spoke to their worships about his violent character. The Chairman said that the workhouse officials would have to manage him as well as they could, as imprisoning him would not do any good."
Also in court was John Blackburn, who seemed to have had a peculiar sense of humour. The 27-year-old miner at Victoria Colliery in Old Lane in Rainford liked to wind up his workmate and neighbour Richard Rotheram by making nasty comments about his wife – including a claim he'd had an affair with her. It got to the point that Blackburn felt he could take no more and so took out a summons against Rotheram alleging the use of defamatory language against his wife.
Jane Rotherham told the court that the "slanders" had caused unhappiness between her and her husband. John Blackburn's defence throughout the hearing was that his comments made on a number of occasions were simply a joke. But nobody seemed to find it funny and the magistrates decided to bind him over to keep the peace for a month.
Two rival marine store dealers were also in court. Marine stores were a common sort of junk shop in the 19th century and Catherine Aspen and Bridget Hayes had fought over a boy customer who had a bag of rags to sell. Catherine was bound over.
The light summer evenings encouraged attendance at events. During the evening of the 13th, as many as 500 persons turned up for a meeting of the St Helens Parish Church Band of Hope, which was held in the local schoolroom. After the children were warned of the evils of intoxicating drinks, the entertainment began. Joseph Beecham of the pills firm conducted the affair and the Newspaper wrote: "The children took their parts with great spirit – upwards of twenty songs and recitations being very well given."
During the same evening another 500 people attended another event – which did involve alcohol. Greenalls had a virtual monopoly of brewing in St Helens and every six months held what was called their rent dinner at the Fleece Hotel in Church Street. It was a tradition for licensees to pay the rent on their houses twice a year and in return the brewery gave them a dinner. As well as a sumptuous meal, there were many toasts, including ingratiating ones to the host of the event, Gilbert Greenall. It always paid to suck up to the boss!
On the 14th the inquest on Bridget Connor was held at the Rainhill Lunatic Asylum, as the hospital was commonly known. The 50-year-old seamstress had been an inmate for a month and had committed suicide by tearing off the hem of her nightdress and using it to hang herself from a bedpost. Attendance by jurors at inquests was compulsory and the coroner would fine those who failed to show up. The police notified the landlord of the Black Horse Inn, close to the asylum, that he'd been selected to serve on Bridget Connor's jury.
Although inquests did not last very long, the landlord called Scott was unable to appear. He had a prior engagement, as he was required to appear at the Prescot Sessions in connection with the renewal of his pub licence. Scott told that to the constable who had called on him but the officer said he was still obliged to attend the inquest.
The man could not be in two places at once and was subsequently fined £2 by the coroner for his non-attendance. At the end of the inquest Scott appeared and explained the circumstances. The coroner accepted that the landlord had a genuine excuse but said he was unable to rescind the fine. But he would, as he put it, represent the matter to the proper authorities.
Next week's stories will include the cruel Sutton carter who used a strap on his daughter, the absconding Rainford apprentices face the music, Whit Monday in St Helens, an accident at St Helens railway station and the Kirkland Street pub without beer.
"My daughter is giddy and peculiar". Those were the words of Ann Harvey's mother when addressing the magistrates in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 9th. The 14-year-old girl was charged with stealing 12 lbs of coal from a College Street brickmaker's yard. Often parents would send their children out to steal coal from collieries, railway sidings or from works' yards. However, Mrs Harvey insisted that she had not suggested any such thing to her daughter who, she claimed, had taken a basket from home to fill with coal without her knowledge.
Children were often sent to prison for coal stealing, although first-time offenders usually received a fine. And so Ann was fined 20 shillings and costs or a week's imprisonment in Kirkdale Prison if in default. The total amount would likely have been in the region of 30 shillings. That may have been ten days' wages for her father and so it would've been touch and go whether the girl went to gaol.
Catherine Whitfield appeared in the St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged – as the St Helens Newspaper put it on the 11th – "with setting the Pedlars' Act at defiance." The woman made a living by going from door to door with a portable knife and scissors grinding machine. However, Mrs Whitfield did not possess a pedlars' licence, seemingly believing that the law only applied to the sale of products on the street and not services. The Newspaper wrote: "His Worship ground 5s. and costs out of her for the offence."
The St Helens Newspaper often commented on what they called the "merry month of May". But this week wrote that the abnormal weather at present was making May 1872 a most unmerry one: "The “merry month” has been by no means cheerful so far as it has gone. The first few days had all the warmth and freshness of opening summer; but since then a most unusual change has come over the atmosphere.
"Wet seems to be the normal condition of things, rain has fallen so copiously this week; and there have been intervals of cold almost equalling that of an ordinary December in intensity. If there had been a rearrangement of the seasons we could scarcely have more abnormal weather."
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 13th, an imbecile called Thomas Gregson was charged with theft and assaults. Although the 72-year-old had attacked others in the workhouse, his case provoked much laughter in the courtroom – mainly through his contradictions – and the hearing demonstrated the difficulty in distinguishing between different categories of patient. This is how the St Helens Newspaper described the proceedings:
"Thomas Gregson, a well-known imbecile, was brought up on remand charged with assaulting two of the workhouse paupers, and absconding with a suit of union clothing. On being asked if he were guilty or not, Tom replied that he was not guilty, and then gave an assurance that if let off he would never do it again. George Kingston, porter at the workhouse, deposed that the prisoner absconded on the 6th inst., taking a complete suit of union clothing with him.
"The Chairman: Did you go away with the clothes? Prisoner (who still wore them): No, sir. (Laughter.) If you let me go this time, I will never do it again. [Police] Supt. Ludlam: He ought to be in a lunatic asylum. The Porter: He is under the observation of the medical officer, who can order him to the asylum at any time when necessary.
"One of the injured paupers, apparently another imbecile, deposed that Tom had struck him a violent blow in the face. The Chairman: He has been in gaol once? Prisoner: Never, sir. (Great laughter). Supt. Ludlam: He has been in gaol many times. The Chairman (addressing Tom): We shall let you off this time if you promise never to do it again.
"The Porter spoke to their worships about his violent character. The Chairman said that the workhouse officials would have to manage him as well as they could, as imprisoning him would not do any good."
Also in court was John Blackburn, who seemed to have had a peculiar sense of humour. The 27-year-old miner at Victoria Colliery in Old Lane in Rainford liked to wind up his workmate and neighbour Richard Rotheram by making nasty comments about his wife – including a claim he'd had an affair with her. It got to the point that Blackburn felt he could take no more and so took out a summons against Rotheram alleging the use of defamatory language against his wife.
Jane Rotherham told the court that the "slanders" had caused unhappiness between her and her husband. John Blackburn's defence throughout the hearing was that his comments made on a number of occasions were simply a joke. But nobody seemed to find it funny and the magistrates decided to bind him over to keep the peace for a month.
Two rival marine store dealers were also in court. Marine stores were a common sort of junk shop in the 19th century and Catherine Aspen and Bridget Hayes had fought over a boy customer who had a bag of rags to sell. Catherine was bound over.
The light summer evenings encouraged attendance at events. During the evening of the 13th, as many as 500 persons turned up for a meeting of the St Helens Parish Church Band of Hope, which was held in the local schoolroom. After the children were warned of the evils of intoxicating drinks, the entertainment began. Joseph Beecham of the pills firm conducted the affair and the Newspaper wrote: "The children took their parts with great spirit – upwards of twenty songs and recitations being very well given."
During the same evening another 500 people attended another event – which did involve alcohol. Greenalls had a virtual monopoly of brewing in St Helens and every six months held what was called their rent dinner at the Fleece Hotel in Church Street. It was a tradition for licensees to pay the rent on their houses twice a year and in return the brewery gave them a dinner. As well as a sumptuous meal, there were many toasts, including ingratiating ones to the host of the event, Gilbert Greenall. It always paid to suck up to the boss!
On the 14th the inquest on Bridget Connor was held at the Rainhill Lunatic Asylum, as the hospital was commonly known. The 50-year-old seamstress had been an inmate for a month and had committed suicide by tearing off the hem of her nightdress and using it to hang herself from a bedpost. Attendance by jurors at inquests was compulsory and the coroner would fine those who failed to show up. The police notified the landlord of the Black Horse Inn, close to the asylum, that he'd been selected to serve on Bridget Connor's jury.
Although inquests did not last very long, the landlord called Scott was unable to appear. He had a prior engagement, as he was required to appear at the Prescot Sessions in connection with the renewal of his pub licence. Scott told that to the constable who had called on him but the officer said he was still obliged to attend the inquest.
The man could not be in two places at once and was subsequently fined £2 by the coroner for his non-attendance. At the end of the inquest Scott appeared and explained the circumstances. The coroner accepted that the landlord had a genuine excuse but said he was unable to rescind the fine. But he would, as he put it, represent the matter to the proper authorities.
Next week's stories will include the cruel Sutton carter who used a strap on his daughter, the absconding Rainford apprentices face the music, Whit Monday in St Helens, an accident at St Helens railway station and the Kirkland Street pub without beer.
This week's stories include the giddy girl coal thief, the violent imbecile at Whiston Workhouse, the slandering down a Rainford coal mine, the Rainhill landlord who was fined for not being in two places at once and why the merry month of May was not so merry in St Helens.
"My daughter is giddy and peculiar". Those were the words of Ann Harvey's mother when addressing the magistrates in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 9th.
The 14-year-old girl was charged with stealing 12 lbs of coal from a College Street brickmaker's yard.
Often parents would send their children out to steal coal from collieries, railway sidings or from works' yards.
However, Mrs Harvey insisted that she had not suggested any such thing to her daughter who, she claimed, had taken a basket from home to fill with coal without her knowledge.
Children were often sent to prison for coal stealing, although first-time offenders usually received a fine.
And so Ann was fined 20 shillings and costs or a week's imprisonment in Kirkdale Prison if in default.
The total amount would likely have been in the region of 30 shillings. That may have been ten days' wages for her father and so it would've been touch and go whether the girl went to gaol.
The Warrington Examiner wrote on the 11th:
"We regret to state that smallpox has once more assumed a virulent form in Warrington. The disease has appeared in its worst form in Bank Quay, where it was imported from St. Helens by two women who attended the funeral of a person who had died of smallpox."
Catherine Whitfield appeared in the St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged – as the St Helens Newspaper put it on the 11th – "with setting the Pedlars' Act at defiance."
The woman made a living by going from door to door with a portable knife and scissors grinding machine.
However, Mrs Whitfield did not possess a pedlars' licence, seemingly believing that the law only applied to the sale of products on the street and not services.
The Newspaper wrote: "His Worship ground 5s. and costs out of her for the offence."
The St Helens Newspaper often commented on what they called the "merry month of May".
But this week wrote that the abnormal weather at present was making May 1872 a most unmerry one:
"The “merry month” has been by no means cheerful so far as it has gone. The first few days had all the warmth and freshness of opening summer; but since then a most unusual change has come over the atmosphere.
"Wet seems to be the normal condition of things, rain has fallen so copiously this week; and there have been intervals of cold almost equalling that of an ordinary December in intensity.
"If there had been a rearrangement of the seasons we could scarcely have more abnormal weather."
As well as accommodating several hundred paupers from the St Helens and Prescot districts, Whiston Workhouse (pictured above) had a special ward for about forty "lunatics" and "imbeciles".
In 1869 the institution's Medical Officer had complained that such individuals were not well cared for at Whiston.
Dr Rayner said the men appointed to watch over them "show fear of the lunatics, who are sharp enough to find it out."
Although violent lunatics / imbeciles were incarcerated in Rainhill Asylum instead of Whiston, there was some difficulty in assessing the most dangerous patients. In addition, places at Rainhill were not always available.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 13th, an imbecile called Thomas Gregson was charged with theft and assaults.
Although the 72-year-old had attacked others in the workhouse, his case provoked much laughter in the courtroom – mainly through his contradictions – and the hearing demonstrated the difficulty in distinguishing between different categories of patient.
This is how the St Helens Newspaper described the proceedings:
"Thomas Gregson, a well-known imbecile, was brought up on remand charged with assaulting two of the workhouse paupers, and absconding with a suit of union clothing.
"On being asked if he were guilty or not, Tom replied that he was not guilty, and then gave an assurance that if let off he would never do it again.
"George Kingston, porter at the workhouse, deposed that the prisoner absconded on the 6th inst., taking a complete suit of union clothing with him.
"The Chairman: Did you go away with the clothes? Prisoner (who still wore them): No, sir. (Laughter.) If you let me go this time, I will never do it again.
"[Police] Supt. Ludlam: He ought to be in a lunatic asylum.
"The Porter: He is under the observation of the medical officer, who can order him to the asylum at any time when necessary.
"One of the injured paupers, apparently another imbecile, deposed that Tom had struck him a violent blow in the face.
"The Chairman: He has been in gaol once? Prisoner: Never, sir. (Great laughter).
"Supt. Ludlam: He has been in gaol many times.
"The Chairman (addressing Tom): We shall let you off this time if you promise never to do it again.
"The Porter spoke to their worships about his violent character. The Chairman said that the workhouse officials would have to manage him as well as they could, as imprisoning him would not do any good."
Also in court was John Blackburn, who seemed to have had a peculiar sense of humour.
The 27-year-old miner at Victoria Colliery in Old Lane in Rainford liked to wind up his workmate and neighbour Richard Rotheram by making nasty comments about his wife – including a claim he'd had an affair with her.
It got to the point that Blackburn felt he could take no more and so took out a summons against Rotheram alleging the use of defamatory language against his wife.
Jane Rotherham told the court that the "slanders" had caused unhappiness between her and her husband.
John Blackburn's defence throughout the hearing was that his comments made on a number of occasions were simply a joke.
But nobody seemed to find it funny and the magistrates decided to bind him over to keep the peace for a month.
Two rival marine store dealers were also in court. Marine stores were a common sort of junk shop in the 19th century and Catherine Aspen and Bridget Hayes had fought over a boy customer who had a bag of rags to sell. Catherine was bound over.
The light summer evenings encouraged attendance at events. During the evening of the 13th, as many as 500 persons turned up for a meeting of the St Helens Parish Church Band of Hope, which was held in the local schoolroom.
After the children were warned of the evils of intoxicating drinks, the entertainment began. Joseph Beecham of the pills firm conducted the affair and the Newspaper wrote:
"The children took their parts with great spirit – upwards of twenty songs and recitations being very well given."
During the same evening another 500 people attended another event – which did involve alcohol.
Greenalls had a virtual monopoly of brewing in St Helens and every six months held what was called their rent dinner at the Fleece Hotel in Church Street.
It was a tradition for licensees to pay the rent on their houses twice a year and in return the brewery gave them a dinner.
As well as a sumptuous meal, there were many toasts, including ingratiating ones to the host of the event, Gilbert Greenall. It always paid to suck up to the boss!
On the 14th the inquest on Bridget Connor was held at the Rainhill Lunatic Asylum, as the hospital was commonly known.
The 50-year-old seamstress had been an inmate for a month and had committed suicide by tearing off the hem of her nightdress and using it to hang herself from a bedpost.
Attendance by jurors at inquests was compulsory and the coroner would fine those who failed to show up.
The police notified the landlord of the Black Horse Inn, close to the asylum, that he'd been selected to serve on Bridget Connor's jury.
Although inquests did not last very long, the landlord called Scott was unable to appear.
He had a prior engagement, as he was required to appear at the Prescot Sessions in connection with the renewal of his pub licence.
Scott told that to the constable who had called on him but the officer said he was still obliged to attend the inquest.
The man could not be in two places at once and was subsequently fined £2 by the coroner for his non-attendance.
At the end of the inquest Scott appeared and explained the circumstances.
The coroner accepted that the landlord had a genuine excuse but said he was unable to rescind the fine. But he would, as he put it, represent the matter to the proper authorities.
Next week's stories will include the cruel Sutton carter who used a strap on his daughter, the absconding Rainford apprentices face the music, Whit Monday in St Helens, an accident at St Helens railway station and the Kirkland Street pub without beer.
"My daughter is giddy and peculiar". Those were the words of Ann Harvey's mother when addressing the magistrates in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 9th.
The 14-year-old girl was charged with stealing 12 lbs of coal from a College Street brickmaker's yard.
Often parents would send their children out to steal coal from collieries, railway sidings or from works' yards.
However, Mrs Harvey insisted that she had not suggested any such thing to her daughter who, she claimed, had taken a basket from home to fill with coal without her knowledge.
Children were often sent to prison for coal stealing, although first-time offenders usually received a fine.
And so Ann was fined 20 shillings and costs or a week's imprisonment in Kirkdale Prison if in default.
The total amount would likely have been in the region of 30 shillings. That may have been ten days' wages for her father and so it would've been touch and go whether the girl went to gaol.
"We regret to state that smallpox has once more assumed a virulent form in Warrington. The disease has appeared in its worst form in Bank Quay, where it was imported from St. Helens by two women who attended the funeral of a person who had died of smallpox."
Catherine Whitfield appeared in the St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged – as the St Helens Newspaper put it on the 11th – "with setting the Pedlars' Act at defiance."
The woman made a living by going from door to door with a portable knife and scissors grinding machine.
However, Mrs Whitfield did not possess a pedlars' licence, seemingly believing that the law only applied to the sale of products on the street and not services.
The Newspaper wrote: "His Worship ground 5s. and costs out of her for the offence."
The St Helens Newspaper often commented on what they called the "merry month of May".
But this week wrote that the abnormal weather at present was making May 1872 a most unmerry one:
"The “merry month” has been by no means cheerful so far as it has gone. The first few days had all the warmth and freshness of opening summer; but since then a most unusual change has come over the atmosphere.
"Wet seems to be the normal condition of things, rain has fallen so copiously this week; and there have been intervals of cold almost equalling that of an ordinary December in intensity.
"If there had been a rearrangement of the seasons we could scarcely have more abnormal weather."
In 1869 the institution's Medical Officer had complained that such individuals were not well cared for at Whiston.
Dr Rayner said the men appointed to watch over them "show fear of the lunatics, who are sharp enough to find it out."
Although violent lunatics / imbeciles were incarcerated in Rainhill Asylum instead of Whiston, there was some difficulty in assessing the most dangerous patients. In addition, places at Rainhill were not always available.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 13th, an imbecile called Thomas Gregson was charged with theft and assaults.
Although the 72-year-old had attacked others in the workhouse, his case provoked much laughter in the courtroom – mainly through his contradictions – and the hearing demonstrated the difficulty in distinguishing between different categories of patient.
This is how the St Helens Newspaper described the proceedings:
"Thomas Gregson, a well-known imbecile, was brought up on remand charged with assaulting two of the workhouse paupers, and absconding with a suit of union clothing.
"On being asked if he were guilty or not, Tom replied that he was not guilty, and then gave an assurance that if let off he would never do it again.
"George Kingston, porter at the workhouse, deposed that the prisoner absconded on the 6th inst., taking a complete suit of union clothing with him.
"The Chairman: Did you go away with the clothes? Prisoner (who still wore them): No, sir. (Laughter.) If you let me go this time, I will never do it again.
"[Police] Supt. Ludlam: He ought to be in a lunatic asylum.
"The Porter: He is under the observation of the medical officer, who can order him to the asylum at any time when necessary.
"One of the injured paupers, apparently another imbecile, deposed that Tom had struck him a violent blow in the face.
"The Chairman: He has been in gaol once? Prisoner: Never, sir. (Great laughter).
"Supt. Ludlam: He has been in gaol many times.
"The Chairman (addressing Tom): We shall let you off this time if you promise never to do it again.
"The Porter spoke to their worships about his violent character. The Chairman said that the workhouse officials would have to manage him as well as they could, as imprisoning him would not do any good."
Also in court was John Blackburn, who seemed to have had a peculiar sense of humour.
The 27-year-old miner at Victoria Colliery in Old Lane in Rainford liked to wind up his workmate and neighbour Richard Rotheram by making nasty comments about his wife – including a claim he'd had an affair with her.
It got to the point that Blackburn felt he could take no more and so took out a summons against Rotheram alleging the use of defamatory language against his wife.
Jane Rotherham told the court that the "slanders" had caused unhappiness between her and her husband.
John Blackburn's defence throughout the hearing was that his comments made on a number of occasions were simply a joke.
But nobody seemed to find it funny and the magistrates decided to bind him over to keep the peace for a month.
Two rival marine store dealers were also in court. Marine stores were a common sort of junk shop in the 19th century and Catherine Aspen and Bridget Hayes had fought over a boy customer who had a bag of rags to sell. Catherine was bound over.
The light summer evenings encouraged attendance at events. During the evening of the 13th, as many as 500 persons turned up for a meeting of the St Helens Parish Church Band of Hope, which was held in the local schoolroom.
After the children were warned of the evils of intoxicating drinks, the entertainment began. Joseph Beecham of the pills firm conducted the affair and the Newspaper wrote:
"The children took their parts with great spirit – upwards of twenty songs and recitations being very well given."
During the same evening another 500 people attended another event – which did involve alcohol.
Greenalls had a virtual monopoly of brewing in St Helens and every six months held what was called their rent dinner at the Fleece Hotel in Church Street.
It was a tradition for licensees to pay the rent on their houses twice a year and in return the brewery gave them a dinner.
As well as a sumptuous meal, there were many toasts, including ingratiating ones to the host of the event, Gilbert Greenall. It always paid to suck up to the boss!
On the 14th the inquest on Bridget Connor was held at the Rainhill Lunatic Asylum, as the hospital was commonly known.
The 50-year-old seamstress had been an inmate for a month and had committed suicide by tearing off the hem of her nightdress and using it to hang herself from a bedpost.
Attendance by jurors at inquests was compulsory and the coroner would fine those who failed to show up.
The police notified the landlord of the Black Horse Inn, close to the asylum, that he'd been selected to serve on Bridget Connor's jury.
Although inquests did not last very long, the landlord called Scott was unable to appear.
He had a prior engagement, as he was required to appear at the Prescot Sessions in connection with the renewal of his pub licence.
Scott told that to the constable who had called on him but the officer said he was still obliged to attend the inquest.
The man could not be in two places at once and was subsequently fined £2 by the coroner for his non-attendance.
At the end of the inquest Scott appeared and explained the circumstances.
The coroner accepted that the landlord had a genuine excuse but said he was unable to rescind the fine. But he would, as he put it, represent the matter to the proper authorities.
Next week's stories will include the cruel Sutton carter who used a strap on his daughter, the absconding Rainford apprentices face the music, Whit Monday in St Helens, an accident at St Helens railway station and the Kirkland Street pub without beer.