150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (11th - 17th APRIL 1872)
This week's stories include the epileptic "imbecile" from Westfield Street who killed a boy with a stone, the electoral disabilities of women, the man who drank chloroform at the Raven, another drunken death in St Helens Canal, a dazzling display in St Helens of the Northern Lights and the controversy over education in the town.
We begin on the 11th with the annual meeting of the Newton Working Men's News Room. Some places – mainly public houses – had newsrooms in which people clubbed together to read a number of newspapers, magazines and sometimes books. They only had sixty members at Newton but the club's income of £25 over the past year had paid for the cost of the publications and the hire of their unspecified premises – with a balance remaining of almost £5. The newspapers bought included The Times, Guardian, etc. and nearly £5 was made by reselling the papers after members had pored over them – although we were not told who'd bought the old papers, possibly farmers.
Also on that day, the body of Ann Rotherham from Parr was discovered in the canal adjacent to Daglish's Iron Foundry (shown above). The death of the 48-year-old was yet another example of a drowning in the deep St Helens Canal, the cause of which could only be speculated. It was supposed that the woman had got drunk and in the dark had fallen into the water. The number of drunken people who drowned into the canal was extraordinary and even more amazing was how it was allowed to go unfenced – but that would have cost brass.
A special sitting of St Helens County Court on the 11th considered an action for compensation after an accident in the town. William Lawless was a horse dealer and farmer from Green End in Sutton and his trap had collided with Charles Reichardt's horse and cart near the Raven Hotel. Lawless's horse was said to have been travelling very fast and being "urged with a whip" and the animal's swerving was claimed to have caused the accident. Reichardt was a provision dealer with premises in Church Street and his horse had been killed in the collision. Lawless contended that it had been a pure accident but the jury was not convinced and awarded the plaintiff £12 compensation.
The St Helens Newspaper reported on the 13th that the Newton Improvement Commissioners had held their monthly meeting this week. The paper wrote: "A communication was read from the Secretary to the Women's Suffrage Association, asking the Board to adopt a position to Parliament for the removal of the electoral disabilities of women. Mr. Appleton thought women had already quite enough power, and moved that the petition lie on the table. The proposition was agreed to."
"Lie on the table" was then the regularly used euphemism for "let's completely ignore it", with its modern-day version being "kick into the long grass". Some women had not long ago been allowed to vote in some local elections. That was enough power for George Appleton, a 46-year-old registrar of births and deaths from Church Street in Newton. He had three daughters and clearly did not want them to be able to make any decisions in life.
This next report in the Newspaper contains the first reference to leeches being used in medical treatment in St Helens that I've come across. The blood-sucking creatures were used in a failed attempt to save the life of Thomas Pollock of Raglan Street. That was after the 15-year-old had been struck on the head by a stone thrown by John Hartley – who was described as an "epileptic imbecile" from Westfield Street.
Matilda Pollock told her son's inquest at the Ring O’Bells in Westfield Street that Thomas had been employed as an office boy at Bishop's glassworks. He complained of having been struck by the stone while out playing on Saturday afternoon and said it had caused him great pain. During the evening Thomas vomited three times and was unconscious by the time Dr Jamison arrived. The doctor ordered leeches to be applied to the boy's head but he died soon afterwards.
The inquest heard his attacker, John Hartley, was not in his right mind and was subject to fits. It was said if anyone "plagued" the 14-year-old he would pick up a stone and throw it at the first person he met. The boy was subsequently put before the magistrates who sent him for trial at the next Liverpool Assizes on a charge of wilful murder. John was remanded to Kirkdale Gaol but did not face trial. Prison records state that he was instead transferred to Rainhill Lunatic Asylum on April 25th for an unspecified period. The documents also reveal that he was 13, not 14.
Millions of children did not attend school in 1872. So the Government was attempting to boost educational provision by encouraging the creation of what would in time be called council schools. The concept of secular education through school boards enraged many church leaders – and would prove a highly controversial topic for the next 30 years. This week the St Helens Newspaper wrote of a planned meeting by the National Education League:
"The advocates of a secular system of education in St. Helens are organising their forces in view of the crisis which is approaching, and an address is to be delivered on Tuesday evening next, in the Tontine-street chapel, by a rev. gentleman from Leeds." Three members of the St Helens Branch of the League were ministers – but most church leaders in the town were adamantly opposed to the new plans.
In 1870 the Rev. Thomas Ullathorne of Lowe House in St Helens had even ridiculously compared the Prussian army's brutal invasion of France with "the crisis" that education was facing. In the end the venue for the National Education League's meeting had to be switched to the Independent Chapel in Ormskirk Street, seemingly because of the controversy.
An example of the resistance that the National Education League was facing took place this week at the annual tea party at Windle Schools. The acting chairman, the Reverend Wilson, made the claim that religious education was about to be excluded from the schools of the country, which was untrue. It was simply that some new schools were going to be created that would not be run by churches.
The Newspaper also wrote: "The danger attendant on taking medicine without exercising continuous vigilance, was painfully illustrated on Friday night." I've written about this subject on a few occasions. In the 1870s people were incredibly casual about medicine, with bottles often badly labelled. As a result harmless and poisonous liquid could easily get mixed up. This week's victim was a Mr J. Weldon who was staying at the Raven Hotel in St Helens. He was in the habit of taking a sedative called chloral but immediately after swallowing some liquid, realised he had mistakenly consumed chloroform – which looked like chloral.
Mr Weldon rushed from his bedroom and shouted loudly for help. The proprietor of the Raven, John Young, reached the man just before he sank into what the Newspaper called the "most perfect" unconsciousness and he was able to explain what had happened. Two doctors were summoned and after many hours of treatment, Weldon was returned "to motion", as the paper put it.
The Newspaper also wrote of another dazzling display of the Northern Lights in St Helens: "On Wednesday night there was a brilliant display of the aurora borealis. Shortly before half past eleven the northern portion of the sky was covered with bright streaks of light, apparently proceeding from a bank of dark clouds. The rays shot towards the zenith, and quickly changed from white to a deep crimson hue. The display ceased before midnight."
I've never thought of different types of envelopes as being fashionable or unfashionable. However, the paper carried an advert for "the new fashionable style of envelopes – square high flap envelopes – in various sizes". These were available from Dromgoole's of Hardshaw Street and Liverpool Road.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 15th, Mary Williams was charged with cruelly ill-treating an ass. The woman owned three donkeys, which people could pay to ride at the recently held St Helens Fair. A police officer standing in Salisbury Street saw an unnamed man, who was driving one of her donkeys, beating it so badly with a stick that much of its hair came off and the animal was bleeding.
Mrs Williams was stood nearby but did nothing to stop the savage treatment. The man had previously been fined 10 shillings for his assault and the owner was now told to pay 2s 6d. She told the court that the man was employed by her to look after the donkeys and she did not sanction cruelty. "Being an old woman I cannot follow the donkeys round the fair ground", Mrs Williams protested.
William Tulip from Eccleston Street in St Helens was fined 50 shillings and costs for neglecting his job at Pilkingtons. The glass gatherer had decided to take a week off, which meant that the glassblower that he worked alongside had to be laid off. Tulip claimed a sore hand had been the reason for his absence but he'd failed to tell anyone at the firm.
And finally, prisoners clearly did not then have the right to refuse to answer questions from the police. George Wall had tried that but was brought into the Sessions on the 16th charged with feigning insanity. Supt. James Ludlam told the Bench that the glassworker gave no reply to questions. And so, in his opinion, Wall was either insane or feigning insanity. The magistrates ordered Wall to be taken to Whiston Workhouse where he would be medically examined.
Next week's stories will include the riotous conduct in Blackbrook's Ship Inn, the disappearance of a St Helens rates collector, the destruction of the new Parr knacker's yard and the town’s chemical works fight attempts to limit their filthy discharges.
We begin on the 11th with the annual meeting of the Newton Working Men's News Room. Some places – mainly public houses – had newsrooms in which people clubbed together to read a number of newspapers, magazines and sometimes books. They only had sixty members at Newton but the club's income of £25 over the past year had paid for the cost of the publications and the hire of their unspecified premises – with a balance remaining of almost £5. The newspapers bought included The Times, Guardian, etc. and nearly £5 was made by reselling the papers after members had pored over them – although we were not told who'd bought the old papers, possibly farmers.
A special sitting of St Helens County Court on the 11th considered an action for compensation after an accident in the town. William Lawless was a horse dealer and farmer from Green End in Sutton and his trap had collided with Charles Reichardt's horse and cart near the Raven Hotel. Lawless's horse was said to have been travelling very fast and being "urged with a whip" and the animal's swerving was claimed to have caused the accident. Reichardt was a provision dealer with premises in Church Street and his horse had been killed in the collision. Lawless contended that it had been a pure accident but the jury was not convinced and awarded the plaintiff £12 compensation.
The St Helens Newspaper reported on the 13th that the Newton Improvement Commissioners had held their monthly meeting this week. The paper wrote: "A communication was read from the Secretary to the Women's Suffrage Association, asking the Board to adopt a position to Parliament for the removal of the electoral disabilities of women. Mr. Appleton thought women had already quite enough power, and moved that the petition lie on the table. The proposition was agreed to."
"Lie on the table" was then the regularly used euphemism for "let's completely ignore it", with its modern-day version being "kick into the long grass". Some women had not long ago been allowed to vote in some local elections. That was enough power for George Appleton, a 46-year-old registrar of births and deaths from Church Street in Newton. He had three daughters and clearly did not want them to be able to make any decisions in life.
This next report in the Newspaper contains the first reference to leeches being used in medical treatment in St Helens that I've come across. The blood-sucking creatures were used in a failed attempt to save the life of Thomas Pollock of Raglan Street. That was after the 15-year-old had been struck on the head by a stone thrown by John Hartley – who was described as an "epileptic imbecile" from Westfield Street.
Matilda Pollock told her son's inquest at the Ring O’Bells in Westfield Street that Thomas had been employed as an office boy at Bishop's glassworks. He complained of having been struck by the stone while out playing on Saturday afternoon and said it had caused him great pain. During the evening Thomas vomited three times and was unconscious by the time Dr Jamison arrived. The doctor ordered leeches to be applied to the boy's head but he died soon afterwards.
The inquest heard his attacker, John Hartley, was not in his right mind and was subject to fits. It was said if anyone "plagued" the 14-year-old he would pick up a stone and throw it at the first person he met. The boy was subsequently put before the magistrates who sent him for trial at the next Liverpool Assizes on a charge of wilful murder. John was remanded to Kirkdale Gaol but did not face trial. Prison records state that he was instead transferred to Rainhill Lunatic Asylum on April 25th for an unspecified period. The documents also reveal that he was 13, not 14.
Millions of children did not attend school in 1872. So the Government was attempting to boost educational provision by encouraging the creation of what would in time be called council schools. The concept of secular education through school boards enraged many church leaders – and would prove a highly controversial topic for the next 30 years. This week the St Helens Newspaper wrote of a planned meeting by the National Education League:
"The advocates of a secular system of education in St. Helens are organising their forces in view of the crisis which is approaching, and an address is to be delivered on Tuesday evening next, in the Tontine-street chapel, by a rev. gentleman from Leeds." Three members of the St Helens Branch of the League were ministers – but most church leaders in the town were adamantly opposed to the new plans.
In 1870 the Rev. Thomas Ullathorne of Lowe House in St Helens had even ridiculously compared the Prussian army's brutal invasion of France with "the crisis" that education was facing. In the end the venue for the National Education League's meeting had to be switched to the Independent Chapel in Ormskirk Street, seemingly because of the controversy.
An example of the resistance that the National Education League was facing took place this week at the annual tea party at Windle Schools. The acting chairman, the Reverend Wilson, made the claim that religious education was about to be excluded from the schools of the country, which was untrue. It was simply that some new schools were going to be created that would not be run by churches.
The Newspaper also wrote: "The danger attendant on taking medicine without exercising continuous vigilance, was painfully illustrated on Friday night." I've written about this subject on a few occasions. In the 1870s people were incredibly casual about medicine, with bottles often badly labelled. As a result harmless and poisonous liquid could easily get mixed up. This week's victim was a Mr J. Weldon who was staying at the Raven Hotel in St Helens. He was in the habit of taking a sedative called chloral but immediately after swallowing some liquid, realised he had mistakenly consumed chloroform – which looked like chloral.
Mr Weldon rushed from his bedroom and shouted loudly for help. The proprietor of the Raven, John Young, reached the man just before he sank into what the Newspaper called the "most perfect" unconsciousness and he was able to explain what had happened. Two doctors were summoned and after many hours of treatment, Weldon was returned "to motion", as the paper put it.
The Newspaper also wrote of another dazzling display of the Northern Lights in St Helens: "On Wednesday night there was a brilliant display of the aurora borealis. Shortly before half past eleven the northern portion of the sky was covered with bright streaks of light, apparently proceeding from a bank of dark clouds. The rays shot towards the zenith, and quickly changed from white to a deep crimson hue. The display ceased before midnight."
I've never thought of different types of envelopes as being fashionable or unfashionable. However, the paper carried an advert for "the new fashionable style of envelopes – square high flap envelopes – in various sizes". These were available from Dromgoole's of Hardshaw Street and Liverpool Road.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 15th, Mary Williams was charged with cruelly ill-treating an ass. The woman owned three donkeys, which people could pay to ride at the recently held St Helens Fair. A police officer standing in Salisbury Street saw an unnamed man, who was driving one of her donkeys, beating it so badly with a stick that much of its hair came off and the animal was bleeding.
Mrs Williams was stood nearby but did nothing to stop the savage treatment. The man had previously been fined 10 shillings for his assault and the owner was now told to pay 2s 6d. She told the court that the man was employed by her to look after the donkeys and she did not sanction cruelty. "Being an old woman I cannot follow the donkeys round the fair ground", Mrs Williams protested.
William Tulip from Eccleston Street in St Helens was fined 50 shillings and costs for neglecting his job at Pilkingtons. The glass gatherer had decided to take a week off, which meant that the glassblower that he worked alongside had to be laid off. Tulip claimed a sore hand had been the reason for his absence but he'd failed to tell anyone at the firm.
And finally, prisoners clearly did not then have the right to refuse to answer questions from the police. George Wall had tried that but was brought into the Sessions on the 16th charged with feigning insanity. Supt. James Ludlam told the Bench that the glassworker gave no reply to questions. And so, in his opinion, Wall was either insane or feigning insanity. The magistrates ordered Wall to be taken to Whiston Workhouse where he would be medically examined.
Next week's stories will include the riotous conduct in Blackbrook's Ship Inn, the disappearance of a St Helens rates collector, the destruction of the new Parr knacker's yard and the town’s chemical works fight attempts to limit their filthy discharges.
This week's stories include the epileptic "imbecile" from Westfield Street who killed a boy with a stone, the electoral disabilities of women, the man who drank chloroform at the Raven, another drunken death in St Helens Canal, a dazzling display of the Northern Lights in St Helens and the controversy over education in the town.
We begin on the 11th with the annual meeting of the Newton Working Men's News Room.
Some places – mainly public houses – had newsrooms in which people clubbed together to read a number of newspapers, magazines and sometimes books.
They only had sixty members at Newton but the club's income of £25 over the past year had paid for the cost of the publications and the hire of their unspecified premises – with a balance remaining of almost £5.
The newspapers bought included The Times, Guardian, etc. and nearly £5 was made by reselling the papers after members had pored over them – although we were not told who'd bought the old papers, possibly farmers.
Also on that day, the body of Ann Rotherham from Parr was discovered in the canal adjacent to Daglish's Iron Foundry (shown above).
The death of the 48-year-old was yet another example of a drowning in the deep St Helens Canal, the cause of which could only be speculated.
It was supposed that the woman had got drunk and in the dark had fallen into the water.
The number of drunken people who drowned into the canal was extraordinary and even more amazing was how it was allowed to go unfenced – but that would have cost brass.
A special sitting of St Helens County Court on the 11th considered an action for compensation after an accident in the town.
William Lawless was a horse dealer and farmer from Green End in Sutton and his trap had collided with Charles Reichardt's horse and cart near the Raven Hotel.
Lawless's horse was said to have been travelling very fast and being "urged with a whip" and the animal's swerving was claimed to have caused the accident.
Reichardt was a provision dealer with premises in Church Street and his horse had been killed in the collision.
Lawless contended that it had been a pure accident but the jury was not convinced and awarded the plaintiff £12 compensation.
The St Helens Newspaper reported on the 13th that the Newton Improvement Commissioners had held their monthly meeting this week. The paper wrote:
"A communication was read from the Secretary to the Women's Suffrage Association, asking the Board to adopt a position to Parliament for the removal of the electoral disabilities of women.
"Mr. Appleton thought women had already quite enough power, and moved that the petition lie on the table. The proposition was agreed to."
"Lie on the table" was then the regularly used euphemism for "let's completely ignore it", with its modern-day version being "kick into the long grass".
Some women had not long ago been allowed to vote in some local elections. That was enough power for George Appleton, a 46-year-old registrar of births and deaths from Church Street in Newton.
He had three daughters and clearly did not want them to be able to make any decisions in life.
This next report in the Newspaper contains the first reference to leeches being used in medical treatment in St Helens that I've come across.
The blood-sucking creatures were used in a failed attempt to save the life of Thomas Pollock of Raglan Street.
That was after the 15-year-old had been struck on the head by a stone thrown by John Hartley – who was described as an "epileptic imbecile" from Westfield Street.
Matilda Pollock told her son's inquest at the Ring O’Bells in Westfield Street that Thomas had been employed as an office boy at Bishop's glassworks.
He complained of having been struck by the stone while out playing on Saturday afternoon and said it had caused him great pain.
During the evening Thomas vomited three times and was unconscious by the time Dr Jamison arrived.
The doctor ordered leeches to be applied to the boy's head but he died soon afterwards.
The inquest heard his attacker, John Hartley, was not in his right mind and was subject to fits.
It was said if anyone "plagued" the 14-year-old he would pick up a stone and throw it at the first person he met.
The boy was subsequently put before the magistrates who sent him for trial at the next Liverpool Assizes on a charge of wilful murder.
John was remanded to Kirkdale Gaol but did not face trial. Prison records state that he was instead transferred to Rainhill Lunatic Asylum on April 25th for an unspecified period. The documents also reveal that he was 13, not 14.
Millions of children did not attend school in 1872. So the Government was attempting to boost educational provision by encouraging the creation of what would in time be called council schools.
The concept of secular education through school boards enraged many church leaders – and would prove a highly controversial topic for the next 30 years.
This week the St Helens Newspaper wrote of a planned meeting by the National Education League:
"The advocates of a secular system of education in St. Helens are organising their forces in view of the crisis which is approaching, and an address is to be delivered on Tuesday evening next, in the Tontine-street chapel, by a rev. gentleman from Leeds."
Three members of the St Helens Branch of the League were ministers – but most church leaders in the town were adamantly opposed to the new plans.
In 1870 the Rev. Thomas Ullathorne of Lowe House in St Helens had even ridiculously compared the Prussian army's brutal invasion of France with "the crisis" that education was facing.
In the end the venue for the National Education League's meeting had to be switched to the Independent Chapel in Ormskirk Street, seemingly because of the controversy.
An example of the resistance that the National Education League was facing took place this week at the annual tea party at Windle Schools.
The acting chairman, the Reverend Wilson, made the claim that religious education was about to be excluded from the schools of the country, which was untrue.
It was simply that some new schools were going to be created that would not be run by churches.
The Newspaper also wrote: "The danger attendant on taking medicine without exercising continuous vigilance, was painfully illustrated on Friday night."
I've written about this subject on a few occasions. In the 1870s people were incredibly casual about medicine, with bottles often badly labelled. As a result harmless and poisonous liquid could easily get mixed up.
This week's victim was a Mr J. Weldon who was staying at the Raven Hotel in St Helens.
He was in the habit of taking a sedative called chloral but immediately after swallowing some liquid, realised he had mistakenly consumed chloroform – which looked like chloral.
Mr Weldon rushed from his bedroom and shouted loudly for help.
The proprietor of the Raven, John Young, reached the man just before he sank into what the Newspaper called the "most perfect" unconsciousness and he was able to explain what had happened.
Two doctors were summoned and after many hours of treatment, Weldon was returned "to motion", as the paper put it.
The Newspaper also wrote of another dazzling display of the Northern Lights in St Helens:
"On Wednesday night there was a brilliant display of the aurora borealis.
"Shortly before half past eleven the northern portion of the sky was covered with bright streaks of light, apparently proceeding from a bank of dark clouds.
"The rays shot towards the zenith, and quickly changed from white to a deep crimson hue. The display ceased before midnight."
I've never thought of different types of envelopes as being fashionable or unfashionable.
However, the paper carried an advert for "the new fashionable style of envelopes – square high flap envelopes – in various sizes".
These were available from Dromgoole's of Hardshaw Street and Liverpool Road.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 15th, Mary Williams was charged with cruelly ill-treating an ass.
The woman owned three donkeys, which people could pay to ride at the recently held St Helens Fair.
A police officer standing in Salisbury Street saw an unnamed man, who was driving one of her donkeys, beating it so badly with a stick that much of its hair came off and the animal was bleeding.
Mrs Williams was stood nearby but did nothing to stop the savage treatment. The man had previously been fined 10 shillings for his assault and the owner was now told to pay 2s 6d.
She told the court that the man was employed by her to look after the donkeys and she did not sanction cruelty.
"Being an old woman I cannot follow the donkeys round the fair ground", Mrs Williams protested.
William Tulip from Eccleston Street in St Helens was fined 50 shillings and costs for neglecting his job at Pilkingtons.
The glass gatherer had decided to take a week off, which meant that the glassblower that he worked alongside had to be laid off.
Tulip claimed a sore hand had been the reason for his absence but he'd failed to tell anyone at the firm.
And finally, prisoners clearly did not then have the right to refuse to answer questions from the police.
George Wall had tried that but was brought into the Sessions on the 16th charged with feigning insanity.
Supt. James Ludlam told the Bench that the glassworker gave no reply to questions. And so, in his opinion, Wall was either insane or feigning insanity.
The magistrates ordered Wall to be taken to Whiston Workhouse where he would be medically examined.
Next week's stories will include the riotous conduct in Blackbrook's Ship Inn, the disappearance of a St Helens rates collector, the destruction of the new Parr knacker's yard and the town’s chemical works fight attempts to limit their filthy discharges.
We begin on the 11th with the annual meeting of the Newton Working Men's News Room.
Some places – mainly public houses – had newsrooms in which people clubbed together to read a number of newspapers, magazines and sometimes books.
They only had sixty members at Newton but the club's income of £25 over the past year had paid for the cost of the publications and the hire of their unspecified premises – with a balance remaining of almost £5.
The newspapers bought included The Times, Guardian, etc. and nearly £5 was made by reselling the papers after members had pored over them – although we were not told who'd bought the old papers, possibly farmers.
The death of the 48-year-old was yet another example of a drowning in the deep St Helens Canal, the cause of which could only be speculated.
It was supposed that the woman had got drunk and in the dark had fallen into the water.
The number of drunken people who drowned into the canal was extraordinary and even more amazing was how it was allowed to go unfenced – but that would have cost brass.
A special sitting of St Helens County Court on the 11th considered an action for compensation after an accident in the town.
William Lawless was a horse dealer and farmer from Green End in Sutton and his trap had collided with Charles Reichardt's horse and cart near the Raven Hotel.
Lawless's horse was said to have been travelling very fast and being "urged with a whip" and the animal's swerving was claimed to have caused the accident.
Reichardt was a provision dealer with premises in Church Street and his horse had been killed in the collision.
Lawless contended that it had been a pure accident but the jury was not convinced and awarded the plaintiff £12 compensation.
The St Helens Newspaper reported on the 13th that the Newton Improvement Commissioners had held their monthly meeting this week. The paper wrote:
"A communication was read from the Secretary to the Women's Suffrage Association, asking the Board to adopt a position to Parliament for the removal of the electoral disabilities of women.
"Mr. Appleton thought women had already quite enough power, and moved that the petition lie on the table. The proposition was agreed to."
"Lie on the table" was then the regularly used euphemism for "let's completely ignore it", with its modern-day version being "kick into the long grass".
Some women had not long ago been allowed to vote in some local elections. That was enough power for George Appleton, a 46-year-old registrar of births and deaths from Church Street in Newton.
He had three daughters and clearly did not want them to be able to make any decisions in life.
This next report in the Newspaper contains the first reference to leeches being used in medical treatment in St Helens that I've come across.
The blood-sucking creatures were used in a failed attempt to save the life of Thomas Pollock of Raglan Street.
That was after the 15-year-old had been struck on the head by a stone thrown by John Hartley – who was described as an "epileptic imbecile" from Westfield Street.
Matilda Pollock told her son's inquest at the Ring O’Bells in Westfield Street that Thomas had been employed as an office boy at Bishop's glassworks.
He complained of having been struck by the stone while out playing on Saturday afternoon and said it had caused him great pain.
During the evening Thomas vomited three times and was unconscious by the time Dr Jamison arrived.
The doctor ordered leeches to be applied to the boy's head but he died soon afterwards.
The inquest heard his attacker, John Hartley, was not in his right mind and was subject to fits.
It was said if anyone "plagued" the 14-year-old he would pick up a stone and throw it at the first person he met.
The boy was subsequently put before the magistrates who sent him for trial at the next Liverpool Assizes on a charge of wilful murder.
John was remanded to Kirkdale Gaol but did not face trial. Prison records state that he was instead transferred to Rainhill Lunatic Asylum on April 25th for an unspecified period. The documents also reveal that he was 13, not 14.
Millions of children did not attend school in 1872. So the Government was attempting to boost educational provision by encouraging the creation of what would in time be called council schools.
The concept of secular education through school boards enraged many church leaders – and would prove a highly controversial topic for the next 30 years.
This week the St Helens Newspaper wrote of a planned meeting by the National Education League:
"The advocates of a secular system of education in St. Helens are organising their forces in view of the crisis which is approaching, and an address is to be delivered on Tuesday evening next, in the Tontine-street chapel, by a rev. gentleman from Leeds."
Three members of the St Helens Branch of the League were ministers – but most church leaders in the town were adamantly opposed to the new plans.
In 1870 the Rev. Thomas Ullathorne of Lowe House in St Helens had even ridiculously compared the Prussian army's brutal invasion of France with "the crisis" that education was facing.
In the end the venue for the National Education League's meeting had to be switched to the Independent Chapel in Ormskirk Street, seemingly because of the controversy.
An example of the resistance that the National Education League was facing took place this week at the annual tea party at Windle Schools.
The acting chairman, the Reverend Wilson, made the claim that religious education was about to be excluded from the schools of the country, which was untrue.
It was simply that some new schools were going to be created that would not be run by churches.
The Newspaper also wrote: "The danger attendant on taking medicine without exercising continuous vigilance, was painfully illustrated on Friday night."
I've written about this subject on a few occasions. In the 1870s people were incredibly casual about medicine, with bottles often badly labelled. As a result harmless and poisonous liquid could easily get mixed up.
This week's victim was a Mr J. Weldon who was staying at the Raven Hotel in St Helens.
He was in the habit of taking a sedative called chloral but immediately after swallowing some liquid, realised he had mistakenly consumed chloroform – which looked like chloral.
Mr Weldon rushed from his bedroom and shouted loudly for help.
The proprietor of the Raven, John Young, reached the man just before he sank into what the Newspaper called the "most perfect" unconsciousness and he was able to explain what had happened.
Two doctors were summoned and after many hours of treatment, Weldon was returned "to motion", as the paper put it.
The Newspaper also wrote of another dazzling display of the Northern Lights in St Helens:
"On Wednesday night there was a brilliant display of the aurora borealis.
"Shortly before half past eleven the northern portion of the sky was covered with bright streaks of light, apparently proceeding from a bank of dark clouds.
"The rays shot towards the zenith, and quickly changed from white to a deep crimson hue. The display ceased before midnight."
I've never thought of different types of envelopes as being fashionable or unfashionable.
However, the paper carried an advert for "the new fashionable style of envelopes – square high flap envelopes – in various sizes".
These were available from Dromgoole's of Hardshaw Street and Liverpool Road.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 15th, Mary Williams was charged with cruelly ill-treating an ass.
The woman owned three donkeys, which people could pay to ride at the recently held St Helens Fair.
A police officer standing in Salisbury Street saw an unnamed man, who was driving one of her donkeys, beating it so badly with a stick that much of its hair came off and the animal was bleeding.
Mrs Williams was stood nearby but did nothing to stop the savage treatment. The man had previously been fined 10 shillings for his assault and the owner was now told to pay 2s 6d.
She told the court that the man was employed by her to look after the donkeys and she did not sanction cruelty.
"Being an old woman I cannot follow the donkeys round the fair ground", Mrs Williams protested.
William Tulip from Eccleston Street in St Helens was fined 50 shillings and costs for neglecting his job at Pilkingtons.
The glass gatherer had decided to take a week off, which meant that the glassblower that he worked alongside had to be laid off.
Tulip claimed a sore hand had been the reason for his absence but he'd failed to tell anyone at the firm.
And finally, prisoners clearly did not then have the right to refuse to answer questions from the police.
George Wall had tried that but was brought into the Sessions on the 16th charged with feigning insanity.
Supt. James Ludlam told the Bench that the glassworker gave no reply to questions. And so, in his opinion, Wall was either insane or feigning insanity.
The magistrates ordered Wall to be taken to Whiston Workhouse where he would be medically examined.
Next week's stories will include the riotous conduct in Blackbrook's Ship Inn, the disappearance of a St Helens rates collector, the destruction of the new Parr knacker's yard and the town’s chemical works fight attempts to limit their filthy discharges.