150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (16th - 22nd September 1869)
This week's stories include the conclusion of the Parr vicar sex scandal, St Helens's enormous cucumbers, the donkey stone assault in Eccleston, the 'Grand Display of Fireworks' in Thatto Heath, a distraction theft in the Shakespeare Inn in Bridge Street and two old offenders are back on the streets.
We begin on the 18th with an article entitled "Enormous Cucumbers" that was published in the St Helens Newspaper: "St. Helens and its environs have become famous for the production of cucumbers of fine growth and in large quantities. We have frequently had to chronicle extraordinary productions of various growers of this favourite esculent.
"Great quantities are weekly, almost all the year round, but especially during the season, sent to Liverpool, Birkenhead, Manchester and other markets. On Wednesday Mr. Thomas Houlton brought to our office the finest couple of cucumbers we remember to have seen; they were exceedingly well grown, and of good form; the largest measured 25 inches in length."
Like most local newspapers of the time, the St Helens Newspaper also covered national and international stories. In their edition of the 18th they wrote how two men in Chalon-sur-Saône had just been tried for murder: "A couple of more hardened villains than the accused could not be easily imagined, and the cold-blooded manner in which this and other crimes were committed reads like a page of some low sensational romance." Nine-five years later Chalon-sur-Saône would be twinned with St Helens.
They also wrote: "Several men of experience in African exploration have offered to lead an expedition to Gazembe in search of traces of Dr. Livingstone." The great explorer had been missing for some time with recent reports suggesting that Livingstone could be a prisoner in the jungle. The Newspaper also stated that there had been 29 shipwrecks last week, which brought the total for the year so far to 1,549.
There was a large advert in the paper for a 'Grand Display of Fireworks' that was set to take place in a week's time at the Victoria Pleasure Gardens in Thatto Heath. The gardens' location was close to present day Whittle Street, which appears to have been named after Charles Whittle, the owner of the gardens. The ad said:
"There will be some of the newest and most novel designs ever presented to the public. Firing of Rockets exploding at an immense altitude, shedding carmine, green, and purple fixed and floating stars, golden rain, silver meteors, &c. Grand discharge of shells of immense size, a most beautiful and effective sight. The gardens will be gorgeously illuminated with verdant, blue, and red fires. The vast saloon, recently enlarged, will be thrown open for dancing, and will be brilliantly lighted with a profusion of variegated lamps. An excellent brass band will be engaged for the occasion. Gardens open at three o’clock. Admission one shilling."
Although November 5th might be considered a more appropriate date for the fireworks display, last year the St Helens Newspaper had written: "The Fifth of November. The celebration of this famous anniversary is losing much of its interest yearly, and has now almost died out."
The Newspaper also described a recent court appearance by Catherine Yates, whose antics I have mentioned three times before in these articles: "Breaches of the Peace – Catherine Yates, shouting and making a great noise on Saturday night, in Liverpool-road (shown above). This woman, a most notorious character, had been twenty-seven times in custody, on various charges, and on the last occasion was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, a term she had completed a couple of days before.
"Doubtless the low diet allowed in Kirkdale [prison] had unfitted her system for alcohol, for when she accepted some congratulatory drinks, they completely upset her. She was ordered to find sureties to keep the peace for fourteen days, or go to prison in default."
The Newspaper also commented on the forthcoming Grand Concert in aid of the families of the victims of the recent Haydock Colliery explosion that had taken 60 lives. They described next week's performance in the Volunteer Hall – which would feature a choir of 150 – as being a "monster musical festival …a concert of greater magnitude and impressiveness than any ever organised in St Helens before". On the same day the Penny Illustrated Paper wrote a scathing article on the Haydock tragedy and the indifference of mine owners:
"Such accidents have so frequently been regarded as a necessary part of the mining business that we have only lately insisted on searching investigations. What do these investigations teach us but that almost every such terrible catastrophe may be traced to an unthinking negligence or the foolish daring which trusts to previous impunity and takes its chance?"
A violent storm raged over the St Helens district during the 19th, which the St Helens Newspaper said made pedestrianism anything but a pleasure. During that day a notice was nailed to the door of Holy Trinity Church in Traverse Street in Parr informing parishioners of the suspension of their vicar.
Last month a commission of inquiry had sat at the Lion Hotel Assembly Rooms in Warrington to consider a serious charge against the Rev. James Cheel. A woman called Ellen Abbott gave evidence that the vicar had had adulterous sex with her on several occasions during September and October of 1867. This had resulted in the birth of two children, one of which had died in infancy. The commission had reported back to the Bishop of Chester who considered the charge proved and the decision was taken to suspend Rev. Cheel from the Church of England for three years.
In the 1861 census Cheel described himself as "Clergyman Without Cure Of Souls", which I believe means that he was doing something else then, such as being a teacher. I can't find him in the 1871 census but in 1881 and aged 69, Cheel was listed as a curate in Wiltshire, having married a woman 26 years younger than him.
Mary Richards appeared in the Petty Sessions on the 20th charged with shouting and making a great disturbance in Bridge Street (pictured above). The "old offender" – as Mary was described in the St Helens Newspaper – had just served a month in prison after being bound over for a similar offence. She had not been able to find the necessary sureties to guarantee her good behaviour and so was imprisoned. Mary was bound over again for her new offence and no doubt the revolving door letting recidivist offenders in and out of prison would continue to swing.
Ann Hulton summoned Mary Donnegan to the Sessions for assaulting her in Eccleston. The Newspaper said this was based on a trivial quarrel between the women which resulted in the accused using some rubbing stone on Mrs Hulton's face, "which had anything but a tendency to produce a polish."! Rubbing stones became known as donkey stones that housewives would use on their doorsteps. "Donkey brand" was originally the trade name of a Manchester firm but donkey eventually became the stone's generic name.
Henry Duckisey and William Monk appeared in court charged with stealing money from Edward Sherry. The latter had treated the two men to a drink in the Shakespeare Inn in Bridge Street and while Sherry was distracted, the ungrateful Duckisey pilfered his purse. This contained 15 shillings and Elizabeth Henwright gave evidence that she had seen Duckisey extracting coins from the purse while "talking briskly" to Sherry. Monks was discharged because of insufficient evidence against him but Duckisey was committed for trial at Kirkdale.
John Bracken was imprisoned for 21 days for stealing a shawl from Elizabeth Tither, while she had been in the Liverpool Inn in Liverpool Road.
Mary Donoghue made application to the court for the transfer of the licence of a beerhouse in Victoria Street, near Elephant Lane. However the police objected to her application on the sole ground that the woman was living with a man who was not her husband. The Newspaper wrote: "Mrs. Donoghue, who was respectably dressed, uttered some observation in a half inaudible tone, upon which Mr. Ludlam told her if she were married the application would have to be made in the name of her husband. She then turned away and walked out of the court."
The Prescot Petty Sessions were held on the 21st in which the Bench stated that the town had "earned a notoriety as being the most disorderly and noisy in the kingdom".
A table of train ticket prices appeared in the Tuesday edition of the St Helens Newspaper on the 21st with options for first, second and third-class travel. From St Helens Railway Station to St Helens Junction cost a tanner first-class but slumming it third-class meant you saved threepence. A trip to Liverpool from St Helens cost from a shilling to two bob and tickets to Manchester cost from 1s 9d (3rd class) to 3s 6d (first class).
Throughout this week Professor Morgan had been appearing in the Town Hall demonstrating what the St Helens Newspaper called his "extraordinary mesmeric powers". The paper added that the entertainment had been of the "most astonishing and instructive character".
Next week's stories will include the gang of burglars that had "infested" the town, the slanderous women's whispering in Parr, a Liverpool Road assault, the utterly reckless girl thief from Parr Flat, agitation by local miners, a concert in aid of the Haydock Colliery explosion victims and the first dedicated Baptist Chapel in St Helens.
We begin on the 18th with an article entitled "Enormous Cucumbers" that was published in the St Helens Newspaper: "St. Helens and its environs have become famous for the production of cucumbers of fine growth and in large quantities. We have frequently had to chronicle extraordinary productions of various growers of this favourite esculent.
"Great quantities are weekly, almost all the year round, but especially during the season, sent to Liverpool, Birkenhead, Manchester and other markets. On Wednesday Mr. Thomas Houlton brought to our office the finest couple of cucumbers we remember to have seen; they were exceedingly well grown, and of good form; the largest measured 25 inches in length."
Like most local newspapers of the time, the St Helens Newspaper also covered national and international stories. In their edition of the 18th they wrote how two men in Chalon-sur-Saône had just been tried for murder: "A couple of more hardened villains than the accused could not be easily imagined, and the cold-blooded manner in which this and other crimes were committed reads like a page of some low sensational romance." Nine-five years later Chalon-sur-Saône would be twinned with St Helens.
They also wrote: "Several men of experience in African exploration have offered to lead an expedition to Gazembe in search of traces of Dr. Livingstone." The great explorer had been missing for some time with recent reports suggesting that Livingstone could be a prisoner in the jungle. The Newspaper also stated that there had been 29 shipwrecks last week, which brought the total for the year so far to 1,549.
There was a large advert in the paper for a 'Grand Display of Fireworks' that was set to take place in a week's time at the Victoria Pleasure Gardens in Thatto Heath. The gardens' location was close to present day Whittle Street, which appears to have been named after Charles Whittle, the owner of the gardens. The ad said:
"There will be some of the newest and most novel designs ever presented to the public. Firing of Rockets exploding at an immense altitude, shedding carmine, green, and purple fixed and floating stars, golden rain, silver meteors, &c. Grand discharge of shells of immense size, a most beautiful and effective sight. The gardens will be gorgeously illuminated with verdant, blue, and red fires. The vast saloon, recently enlarged, will be thrown open for dancing, and will be brilliantly lighted with a profusion of variegated lamps. An excellent brass band will be engaged for the occasion. Gardens open at three o’clock. Admission one shilling."
Although November 5th might be considered a more appropriate date for the fireworks display, last year the St Helens Newspaper had written: "The Fifth of November. The celebration of this famous anniversary is losing much of its interest yearly, and has now almost died out."
"Doubtless the low diet allowed in Kirkdale [prison] had unfitted her system for alcohol, for when she accepted some congratulatory drinks, they completely upset her. She was ordered to find sureties to keep the peace for fourteen days, or go to prison in default."
The Newspaper also commented on the forthcoming Grand Concert in aid of the families of the victims of the recent Haydock Colliery explosion that had taken 60 lives. They described next week's performance in the Volunteer Hall – which would feature a choir of 150 – as being a "monster musical festival …a concert of greater magnitude and impressiveness than any ever organised in St Helens before". On the same day the Penny Illustrated Paper wrote a scathing article on the Haydock tragedy and the indifference of mine owners:
"Such accidents have so frequently been regarded as a necessary part of the mining business that we have only lately insisted on searching investigations. What do these investigations teach us but that almost every such terrible catastrophe may be traced to an unthinking negligence or the foolish daring which trusts to previous impunity and takes its chance?"
A violent storm raged over the St Helens district during the 19th, which the St Helens Newspaper said made pedestrianism anything but a pleasure. During that day a notice was nailed to the door of Holy Trinity Church in Traverse Street in Parr informing parishioners of the suspension of their vicar.
Last month a commission of inquiry had sat at the Lion Hotel Assembly Rooms in Warrington to consider a serious charge against the Rev. James Cheel. A woman called Ellen Abbott gave evidence that the vicar had had adulterous sex with her on several occasions during September and October of 1867. This had resulted in the birth of two children, one of which had died in infancy. The commission had reported back to the Bishop of Chester who considered the charge proved and the decision was taken to suspend Rev. Cheel from the Church of England for three years.
In the 1861 census Cheel described himself as "Clergyman Without Cure Of Souls", which I believe means that he was doing something else then, such as being a teacher. I can't find him in the 1871 census but in 1881 and aged 69, Cheel was listed as a curate in Wiltshire, having married a woman 26 years younger than him.
Ann Hulton summoned Mary Donnegan to the Sessions for assaulting her in Eccleston. The Newspaper said this was based on a trivial quarrel between the women which resulted in the accused using some rubbing stone on Mrs Hulton's face, "which had anything but a tendency to produce a polish."! Rubbing stones became known as donkey stones that housewives would use on their doorsteps. "Donkey brand" was originally the trade name of a Manchester firm but donkey eventually became the stone's generic name.
Henry Duckisey and William Monk appeared in court charged with stealing money from Edward Sherry. The latter had treated the two men to a drink in the Shakespeare Inn in Bridge Street and while Sherry was distracted, the ungrateful Duckisey pilfered his purse. This contained 15 shillings and Elizabeth Henwright gave evidence that she had seen Duckisey extracting coins from the purse while "talking briskly" to Sherry. Monks was discharged because of insufficient evidence against him but Duckisey was committed for trial at Kirkdale.
John Bracken was imprisoned for 21 days for stealing a shawl from Elizabeth Tither, while she had been in the Liverpool Inn in Liverpool Road.
Mary Donoghue made application to the court for the transfer of the licence of a beerhouse in Victoria Street, near Elephant Lane. However the police objected to her application on the sole ground that the woman was living with a man who was not her husband. The Newspaper wrote: "Mrs. Donoghue, who was respectably dressed, uttered some observation in a half inaudible tone, upon which Mr. Ludlam told her if she were married the application would have to be made in the name of her husband. She then turned away and walked out of the court."
The Prescot Petty Sessions were held on the 21st in which the Bench stated that the town had "earned a notoriety as being the most disorderly and noisy in the kingdom".
A table of train ticket prices appeared in the Tuesday edition of the St Helens Newspaper on the 21st with options for first, second and third-class travel. From St Helens Railway Station to St Helens Junction cost a tanner first-class but slumming it third-class meant you saved threepence. A trip to Liverpool from St Helens cost from a shilling to two bob and tickets to Manchester cost from 1s 9d (3rd class) to 3s 6d (first class).
Throughout this week Professor Morgan had been appearing in the Town Hall demonstrating what the St Helens Newspaper called his "extraordinary mesmeric powers". The paper added that the entertainment had been of the "most astonishing and instructive character".
Next week's stories will include the gang of burglars that had "infested" the town, the slanderous women's whispering in Parr, a Liverpool Road assault, the utterly reckless girl thief from Parr Flat, agitation by local miners, a concert in aid of the Haydock Colliery explosion victims and the first dedicated Baptist Chapel in St Helens.