150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (1st - 7th MARCH 1871)
This week's stories include the Parr mother of six who wanted a separation from her cruel husband, the violent row between neighbours in Glover Street and the man arrested at the station for suspiciously wearing an army uniform.
We begin on the 2nd when the miners of St Helens held a meeting on the fairground in Salisbury Street to call for a 10% increase in wages. The mining "masters" in the Bolton and Rochdale areas had already conceded to the demand but the St Helens bosses were proving more stubborn.
On the following day the St Helens Petty Sessions were held and under the headline "A Cruel Husband", this is how the St Helens Newspaper described one case: "James Mooney was charged with assaulting his wife on the 26th February. From the woman's statement it appeared that he had asked her for half a sovereign, and on her refusing to give it, struck her and knocked her down. She was so frightened from his violent character, that she stayed away from him until last Wednesday.
"The defendant said his wife wanted a separate maintenance, and he was quite willing to allow her it. The suggestion was taken up by the wife, who declared that she wished to be clear of him altogether, and that it was simply through having six children she would accept any assistance from him. Superintendent Ludlam, in reply to the Bench gave the defendant a very bad character, and he was ordered to pay 10s. and costs, which the unfortunate wife agreed to find, in order to have him released."
Catherine Mooney was clearly a pragmatic woman. Her husband could not be earning money and making maintenance payments to her while he was in custody. The 1871 census would be taken at the start of April and James is listed as boarding in a beerhouse in Pocket Nook. Meanwhile Catherine and her six kids were living with another man in Langtree Street but under what circumstances I can't say.
The police really were a law unto themselves – able to arrest anyone on the slightest suspicion and keeping them in a cell until they could prove their innocence. James Byron appeared in the Petty Sessions upon suspicion of being an army deserter. All the man had done was step out of a train at St Helens railway station during the previous evening while wearing an army uniform. He told the police that he had been discharged from the forces but had lost his discharge papers at Lime Street Station.
The Bench remanded the man in custody while further enquiries were made. But fortunately for the ex-soldier, his papers were found in Liverpool and the police agreed to release him. That was after they had held Byron in a cell for the best part of 24 hours and I bet he didn't get an apology!
The St Helens police were very strict about shopkeepers allowing their stock to stray onto the footpath. The Wigan Observer wrote on the 3rd that ironmongers Booth and Jordan of St Helens had recently been fined eight shillings for allowing twelve garden riddles to obstruct the pavement in Hardshaw Street (pictured above, a few years later).
The paper also described a case in St Helens County Court in East Street with regard to a funeral. Of particular interest to me was the undertaker's charge for putting somebody to rest – just £3 14 shillings. Clearly the cost of dying – like the cost of living – has risen a bit since then! The case involved a man called Pye who had left his widow property but no cash and so she had asked her stepson for a loan to pay the funeral expenses.
Well that was his version but the widow claimed he had made her a "present of the money". A sister corroborated the plaintiff, although the undertaker claimed that different family members had agreed to cough up the £3 14 shillings between them. However the judge believed the stepson and ordered the full amount with costs to be repaid.
On the 4th the St Helens Newspaper wrote in its leader column: "There is peace at last. The dreadful slaughter which has so long stained the fair fields of France, and was gradually destroying the chivalry of two great and civilised nations, goes on no longer…France is deeply humiliated." The paper was referring to the end of the Franco-Prussian war, which had begun last July and caused around 180,000 deaths in total – a third of them from sickness.
This advert appeared in the Liverpool Echo on the 4th: "WANTED, A General Servant (Protestant), aged 35 to 40. Family of two. Must wash and iron. – State wages and references, R. A. D. Postoffice, St. Helen's." Such discrimination against Catholics was then quite common. The narrow age range for applicants perhaps suggests that the woman of the house did not want a young girl putting temptation in the way of her husband.
John Carney made an appearance in the Petty Sessions on the 6th. He was described as a "small lad" and was sent to prison for a week after being caught rifling the till of a beerhouse in Park Road. I can't say which one, as I have records of at least ten beerhouses having existed at one time in that long street.
The St Helens Newspaper described how in another case, fun and games had taken place between neighbours in Glover Street (off Liverpool Road): "Mary Loughlin charged Stephen Farmer with assaulting her on the 1st March. The complainant, who lives in Glover-street, stated in effect that on the date in question, while she was sitting in her own kitchen, she saw Stephen Farmer beating her little son in the yard outside. Her maternal feelings induced her to interfere, and her interference was very roughly resented by Farmer, who entered her house and knocked her down.
"She got up in a rather violent temper, and seizing a cup, hurled it at his head; but the man was quick at ducking, and the cup passed over him and out into the yard, where it was broken. He then knocked her down a second time, and as he swore he would take her life, she thought it time to give up fighting and try the effect of screaming. By adopting that course she collected a number of her neighbours, and put a termination to his violence. Several female neighbours substantially corroborated her tale as far as they were able. In defence, Farmer said the woman had abused and assaulted him without reason. She threw a cup and a bottle at him, and finally pursued him with a poker, declaring she desired just one crack at his head. He was fined 2s. 6d. and costs."
However that wasn't quite the end of the story. Mary Loughlin now moved into the dock – or the defendant's box, as it was known – to face a charge of assaulting Stephen Farmer's wife. After exchanging some harsh words with Maria Farmer, it was stated that Mary had later thrown a stone that hit her neighbour on the head. Although Mary's unlikely version was that she had chucked the stone at a dog and it had accidentally struck Mrs Farmer. Oh yeah! Mary Loughlin was also fined 2s 6d and costs.
Another Mary called Mary Woodward charged Elizabeth Renshaw with assaulting her in St Helens market. Mary was the wife of Joseph Woodward who kept the Tanner Arms in Peasley Cross Lane. She claimed that Mrs Renshaw had approached them and proceeded to "blackguard" her. Mrs Woodward said she politely told the woman that if she wanted to have a "shindy", she should come to their vaults in Peasley Cross and not make a scene in the market.
Then Mrs Woodward told the court that as she walked away, Mrs Renshaw followed her and proceeded to knock her down. The defendant, of course, denied everything and blamed Mrs Woodward for the whole affair, adding she had "made me so ashamed that I hardly knew what had passed". Who would be a magistrate with such selective evidence thrown at them by people passing themselves off as angels? Elizabeth Renshaw was fined 2s 6d and costs.
And finally "I want my ferrets back" might not have been the exact words of Henry Lawrenson in Prescot Petty Sessions on the 7th – however he was certainly not happy being ferretless. Apparently the name "ferret" is derived from a Latin word meaning "little thief" and Mr Lawrenson was accused of being a big thief after being nabbed on Halsnead Park in Whiston in "pursuit of game". The police had confiscated his ferrets and after being fined 10 shillings and costs, Lawrenson told the court that he would be taking proceedings for the return of his critters. Ferrets can spend up to 18 hours a day asleep – so don't have a bad life!
Next week's stories will include the retirement of the outspoken guardian of Whiston Workhouse, the Cheap Jack in Ormskirk Street, the ravages of rabies and a tough penalty for ill-treating a horse in Rainford.
We begin on the 2nd when the miners of St Helens held a meeting on the fairground in Salisbury Street to call for a 10% increase in wages. The mining "masters" in the Bolton and Rochdale areas had already conceded to the demand but the St Helens bosses were proving more stubborn.
On the following day the St Helens Petty Sessions were held and under the headline "A Cruel Husband", this is how the St Helens Newspaper described one case: "James Mooney was charged with assaulting his wife on the 26th February. From the woman's statement it appeared that he had asked her for half a sovereign, and on her refusing to give it, struck her and knocked her down. She was so frightened from his violent character, that she stayed away from him until last Wednesday.
"The defendant said his wife wanted a separate maintenance, and he was quite willing to allow her it. The suggestion was taken up by the wife, who declared that she wished to be clear of him altogether, and that it was simply through having six children she would accept any assistance from him. Superintendent Ludlam, in reply to the Bench gave the defendant a very bad character, and he was ordered to pay 10s. and costs, which the unfortunate wife agreed to find, in order to have him released."
Catherine Mooney was clearly a pragmatic woman. Her husband could not be earning money and making maintenance payments to her while he was in custody. The 1871 census would be taken at the start of April and James is listed as boarding in a beerhouse in Pocket Nook. Meanwhile Catherine and her six kids were living with another man in Langtree Street but under what circumstances I can't say.
The police really were a law unto themselves – able to arrest anyone on the slightest suspicion and keeping them in a cell until they could prove their innocence. James Byron appeared in the Petty Sessions upon suspicion of being an army deserter. All the man had done was step out of a train at St Helens railway station during the previous evening while wearing an army uniform. He told the police that he had been discharged from the forces but had lost his discharge papers at Lime Street Station.
The Bench remanded the man in custody while further enquiries were made. But fortunately for the ex-soldier, his papers were found in Liverpool and the police agreed to release him. That was after they had held Byron in a cell for the best part of 24 hours and I bet he didn't get an apology!
The paper also described a case in St Helens County Court in East Street with regard to a funeral. Of particular interest to me was the undertaker's charge for putting somebody to rest – just £3 14 shillings. Clearly the cost of dying – like the cost of living – has risen a bit since then! The case involved a man called Pye who had left his widow property but no cash and so she had asked her stepson for a loan to pay the funeral expenses.
Well that was his version but the widow claimed he had made her a "present of the money". A sister corroborated the plaintiff, although the undertaker claimed that different family members had agreed to cough up the £3 14 shillings between them. However the judge believed the stepson and ordered the full amount with costs to be repaid.
On the 4th the St Helens Newspaper wrote in its leader column: "There is peace at last. The dreadful slaughter which has so long stained the fair fields of France, and was gradually destroying the chivalry of two great and civilised nations, goes on no longer…France is deeply humiliated." The paper was referring to the end of the Franco-Prussian war, which had begun last July and caused around 180,000 deaths in total – a third of them from sickness.
This advert appeared in the Liverpool Echo on the 4th: "WANTED, A General Servant (Protestant), aged 35 to 40. Family of two. Must wash and iron. – State wages and references, R. A. D. Postoffice, St. Helen's." Such discrimination against Catholics was then quite common. The narrow age range for applicants perhaps suggests that the woman of the house did not want a young girl putting temptation in the way of her husband.
John Carney made an appearance in the Petty Sessions on the 6th. He was described as a "small lad" and was sent to prison for a week after being caught rifling the till of a beerhouse in Park Road. I can't say which one, as I have records of at least ten beerhouses having existed at one time in that long street.
The St Helens Newspaper described how in another case, fun and games had taken place between neighbours in Glover Street (off Liverpool Road): "Mary Loughlin charged Stephen Farmer with assaulting her on the 1st March. The complainant, who lives in Glover-street, stated in effect that on the date in question, while she was sitting in her own kitchen, she saw Stephen Farmer beating her little son in the yard outside. Her maternal feelings induced her to interfere, and her interference was very roughly resented by Farmer, who entered her house and knocked her down.
"She got up in a rather violent temper, and seizing a cup, hurled it at his head; but the man was quick at ducking, and the cup passed over him and out into the yard, where it was broken. He then knocked her down a second time, and as he swore he would take her life, she thought it time to give up fighting and try the effect of screaming. By adopting that course she collected a number of her neighbours, and put a termination to his violence. Several female neighbours substantially corroborated her tale as far as they were able. In defence, Farmer said the woman had abused and assaulted him without reason. She threw a cup and a bottle at him, and finally pursued him with a poker, declaring she desired just one crack at his head. He was fined 2s. 6d. and costs."
However that wasn't quite the end of the story. Mary Loughlin now moved into the dock – or the defendant's box, as it was known – to face a charge of assaulting Stephen Farmer's wife. After exchanging some harsh words with Maria Farmer, it was stated that Mary had later thrown a stone that hit her neighbour on the head. Although Mary's unlikely version was that she had chucked the stone at a dog and it had accidentally struck Mrs Farmer. Oh yeah! Mary Loughlin was also fined 2s 6d and costs.
Another Mary called Mary Woodward charged Elizabeth Renshaw with assaulting her in St Helens market. Mary was the wife of Joseph Woodward who kept the Tanner Arms in Peasley Cross Lane. She claimed that Mrs Renshaw had approached them and proceeded to "blackguard" her. Mrs Woodward said she politely told the woman that if she wanted to have a "shindy", she should come to their vaults in Peasley Cross and not make a scene in the market.
Then Mrs Woodward told the court that as she walked away, Mrs Renshaw followed her and proceeded to knock her down. The defendant, of course, denied everything and blamed Mrs Woodward for the whole affair, adding she had "made me so ashamed that I hardly knew what had passed". Who would be a magistrate with such selective evidence thrown at them by people passing themselves off as angels? Elizabeth Renshaw was fined 2s 6d and costs.
And finally "I want my ferrets back" might not have been the exact words of Henry Lawrenson in Prescot Petty Sessions on the 7th – however he was certainly not happy being ferretless. Apparently the name "ferret" is derived from a Latin word meaning "little thief" and Mr Lawrenson was accused of being a big thief after being nabbed on Halsnead Park in Whiston in "pursuit of game". The police had confiscated his ferrets and after being fined 10 shillings and costs, Lawrenson told the court that he would be taking proceedings for the return of his critters. Ferrets can spend up to 18 hours a day asleep – so don't have a bad life!
Next week's stories will include the retirement of the outspoken guardian of Whiston Workhouse, the Cheap Jack in Ormskirk Street, the ravages of rabies and a tough penalty for ill-treating a horse in Rainford.
This week's stories include the Parr mother of six who wanted a separation from her cruel husband, the violent row between neighbours in Glover Street and the man arrested at the station for suspiciously wearing an army uniform.
We begin on the 2nd when the miners of St Helens held a meeting on the fairground in Salisbury Street to call for a 10% increase in wages.
The mining "masters" in the Bolton and Rochdale areas had already conceded to the demand but the St Helens bosses were proving more stubborn.
On the following day the St Helens Petty Sessions were held and under the headline "A Cruel Husband", this is how the St Helens Newspaper described one case:
"James Mooney was charged with assaulting his wife on the 26th February. From the woman's statement it appeared that he had asked her for half a sovereign, and on her refusing to give it, struck her and knocked her down.
"She was so frightened from his violent character, that she stayed away from him until last Wednesday.
"The defendant said his wife wanted a separate maintenance, and he was quite willing to allow her it.
"The suggestion was taken up by the wife, who declared that she wished to be clear of him altogether, and that it was simply through having six children she would accept any assistance from him.
"Superintendent Ludlam, in reply to the Bench gave the defendant a very bad character, and he was ordered to pay 10s. and costs, which the unfortunate wife agreed to find, in order to have him released."
Catherine Mooney was clearly a pragmatic woman. Her husband could not be earning money and making maintenance payments to her while he was in custody.
The 1871 census would be taken at the start of April and James is listed as boarding in a beerhouse in Pocket Nook.
Meanwhile Catherine and her six kids were living with another man in Langtree Street but under what circumstances I can't say.
The police really were a law unto themselves – able to arrest anyone on the slightest suspicion and keeping them in a cell until they could prove their innocence.
James Byron appeared in the Petty Sessions upon suspicion of being an army deserter. All the man had done was step out of a train at St Helens railway station during the previous evening while wearing an army uniform.
He told the police that he had been discharged from the forces but had lost his discharge papers at Lime Street Station.
The Bench remanded the man in custody while further enquiries were made. But fortunately for the ex-soldier, his papers were found in Liverpool and the police agreed to release him.
That was after they had held Byron in a cell for the best part of 24 hours and I bet he didn't get an apology!
The St Helens police were very strict about shopkeepers allowing their stock to stray onto the footpath.
The Wigan Observer wrote on the 3rd that ironmongers Booth and Jordan of St Helens had recently been fined eight shillings for allowing twelve garden riddles to obstruct the pavement in Hardshaw Street (pictured above, a few years later).
The paper also described a case in St Helens County Court in East Street with regard to a funeral.
Of particular interest to me was the undertaker's charge for putting somebody to rest – just £3 14 shillings. Clearly the cost of dying – like the cost of living – has risen a bit since then!
The case involved a man called Pye who had left his widow property but no cash and so she had asked her stepson for a loan to pay the funeral expenses.
Well that was his version but the widow claimed he had made her a "present of the money".
A sister corroborated the plaintiff, although the undertaker claimed that different family members had agreed to cough up the £3 14 shillings between them.
However the judge believed the stepson and ordered the full amount with costs to be repaid.
On the 4th the St Helens Newspaper wrote in its leader column:
"There is peace at last. The dreadful slaughter which has so long stained the fair fields of France, and was gradually destroying the chivalry of two great and civilised nations, goes on no longer…France is deeply humiliated."
The paper was referring to the end of the Franco-Prussian war, which had begun last July and caused around 180,000 deaths in total – a third of them from sickness.
This advert appeared in the Liverpool Echo on the 4th: "WANTED, A General Servant (Protestant), aged 35 to 40. Family of two. Must wash and iron. – State wages and references, R. A. D. Postoffice, St. Helen's."
Such discrimination against Catholics was then quite common. The narrow age range for applicants perhaps suggests that the woman of the house did not want a young girl putting temptation in the way of her husband.
John Carney made an appearance in the Petty Sessions on the 6th.
He was described as a "small lad" and was sent to prison for a week after being caught rifling the till of a beerhouse in Park Road.
I can't say which one, as I have records of at least ten beerhouses having existed at one time in that long street.
The St Helens Newspaper described how in another case, fun and games had taken place between neighbours in Glover Street (off Liverpool Road):
"Mary Loughlin charged Stephen Farmer with assaulting her on the 1st March.
"The complainant, who lives in Glover-street, stated in effect that on the date in question, while she was sitting in her own kitchen, she saw Stephen Farmer beating her little son in the yard outside.
"Her maternal feelings induced her to interfere, and her interference was very roughly resented by Farmer, who entered her house and knocked her down.
"She got up in a rather violent temper, and seizing a cup, hurled it at his head; but the man was quick at ducking, and the cup passed over him and out into the yard, where it was broken.
"He then knocked her down a second time, and as he swore he would take her life, she thought it time to give up fighting and try the effect of screaming.
"By adopting that course she collected a number of her neighbours, and put a termination to his violence.
"Several female neighbours substantially corroborated her tale as far as they were able.
"In defence, Farmer said the woman had abused and assaulted him without reason. She threw a cup and a bottle at him, and finally pursued him with a poker, declaring she desired just one crack at his head. He was fined 2s. 6d. and costs."
However that wasn't quite the end of the story. Mary Loughlin now moved into the dock – or the defendant's box, as it was known – to face a charge of assaulting Stephen Farmer's wife.
After exchanging some harsh words with Maria Farmer, it was stated that Mary had later thrown a stone that hit her neighbour on the head.
Although Mary's unlikely version was that she had chucked the stone at a dog and it had accidentally struck Mrs Farmer. Oh yeah! Mary Loughlin was also fined 2s 6d and costs.
Another Mary called Mary Woodward charged Elizabeth Renshaw with assaulting her in St Helens market.
Mary was the wife of Joseph Woodward who kept the Tanner Arms in Peasley Cross Lane.
She claimed that Mrs Renshaw had approached them and proceeded to "blackguard" her.
Mrs Woodward said she politely told the woman that if she wanted to have a "shindy", she should come to their vaults in Peasley Cross and not make a scene in the market.
Then Mrs Woodward told the court that as she walked away, Mrs Renshaw followed her and proceeded to knock her down.
The defendant, of course, denied everything and blamed Mrs Woodward for the whole affair, adding she had "made me so ashamed that I hardly knew what had passed".
Who would be a magistrate with such selective evidence thrown at them by people passing themselves off as angels? Elizabeth Renshaw was fined 2s 6d and costs.
And finally "I want my ferrets back" might not have been the exact words of Henry Lawrenson in Prescot Petty Sessions on the 7th – however he was certainly not happy being ferretless.
Apparently the name "ferret" is derived from a Latin word meaning "little thief" and Mr Lawrenson was accused of being a big thief after being nabbed on Halsnead Park in Whiston in "pursuit of game".
The police had confiscated his ferrets and after being fined 10 shillings and costs, Lawrenson told the court that he would be taking proceedings for the return of his critters.
Ferrets can spend up to 18 hours a day asleep – so don't have a bad life!
Next week's stories will include the retirement of the outspoken guardian of Whiston Workhouse, the Cheap Jack in Ormskirk Street, the ravages of rabies and a tough penalty for ill-treating a horse in Rainford.
We begin on the 2nd when the miners of St Helens held a meeting on the fairground in Salisbury Street to call for a 10% increase in wages.
The mining "masters" in the Bolton and Rochdale areas had already conceded to the demand but the St Helens bosses were proving more stubborn.
On the following day the St Helens Petty Sessions were held and under the headline "A Cruel Husband", this is how the St Helens Newspaper described one case:
"James Mooney was charged with assaulting his wife on the 26th February. From the woman's statement it appeared that he had asked her for half a sovereign, and on her refusing to give it, struck her and knocked her down.
"She was so frightened from his violent character, that she stayed away from him until last Wednesday.
"The defendant said his wife wanted a separate maintenance, and he was quite willing to allow her it.
"The suggestion was taken up by the wife, who declared that she wished to be clear of him altogether, and that it was simply through having six children she would accept any assistance from him.
"Superintendent Ludlam, in reply to the Bench gave the defendant a very bad character, and he was ordered to pay 10s. and costs, which the unfortunate wife agreed to find, in order to have him released."
Catherine Mooney was clearly a pragmatic woman. Her husband could not be earning money and making maintenance payments to her while he was in custody.
The 1871 census would be taken at the start of April and James is listed as boarding in a beerhouse in Pocket Nook.
Meanwhile Catherine and her six kids were living with another man in Langtree Street but under what circumstances I can't say.
The police really were a law unto themselves – able to arrest anyone on the slightest suspicion and keeping them in a cell until they could prove their innocence.
James Byron appeared in the Petty Sessions upon suspicion of being an army deserter. All the man had done was step out of a train at St Helens railway station during the previous evening while wearing an army uniform.
He told the police that he had been discharged from the forces but had lost his discharge papers at Lime Street Station.
The Bench remanded the man in custody while further enquiries were made. But fortunately for the ex-soldier, his papers were found in Liverpool and the police agreed to release him.
That was after they had held Byron in a cell for the best part of 24 hours and I bet he didn't get an apology!
The St Helens police were very strict about shopkeepers allowing their stock to stray onto the footpath.
The paper also described a case in St Helens County Court in East Street with regard to a funeral.
Of particular interest to me was the undertaker's charge for putting somebody to rest – just £3 14 shillings. Clearly the cost of dying – like the cost of living – has risen a bit since then!
The case involved a man called Pye who had left his widow property but no cash and so she had asked her stepson for a loan to pay the funeral expenses.
Well that was his version but the widow claimed he had made her a "present of the money".
A sister corroborated the plaintiff, although the undertaker claimed that different family members had agreed to cough up the £3 14 shillings between them.
However the judge believed the stepson and ordered the full amount with costs to be repaid.
On the 4th the St Helens Newspaper wrote in its leader column:
"There is peace at last. The dreadful slaughter which has so long stained the fair fields of France, and was gradually destroying the chivalry of two great and civilised nations, goes on no longer…France is deeply humiliated."
The paper was referring to the end of the Franco-Prussian war, which had begun last July and caused around 180,000 deaths in total – a third of them from sickness.
This advert appeared in the Liverpool Echo on the 4th: "WANTED, A General Servant (Protestant), aged 35 to 40. Family of two. Must wash and iron. – State wages and references, R. A. D. Postoffice, St. Helen's."
Such discrimination against Catholics was then quite common. The narrow age range for applicants perhaps suggests that the woman of the house did not want a young girl putting temptation in the way of her husband.
John Carney made an appearance in the Petty Sessions on the 6th.
He was described as a "small lad" and was sent to prison for a week after being caught rifling the till of a beerhouse in Park Road.
I can't say which one, as I have records of at least ten beerhouses having existed at one time in that long street.
The St Helens Newspaper described how in another case, fun and games had taken place between neighbours in Glover Street (off Liverpool Road):
"Mary Loughlin charged Stephen Farmer with assaulting her on the 1st March.
"The complainant, who lives in Glover-street, stated in effect that on the date in question, while she was sitting in her own kitchen, she saw Stephen Farmer beating her little son in the yard outside.
"Her maternal feelings induced her to interfere, and her interference was very roughly resented by Farmer, who entered her house and knocked her down.
"She got up in a rather violent temper, and seizing a cup, hurled it at his head; but the man was quick at ducking, and the cup passed over him and out into the yard, where it was broken.
"He then knocked her down a second time, and as he swore he would take her life, she thought it time to give up fighting and try the effect of screaming.
"By adopting that course she collected a number of her neighbours, and put a termination to his violence.
"Several female neighbours substantially corroborated her tale as far as they were able.
"In defence, Farmer said the woman had abused and assaulted him without reason. She threw a cup and a bottle at him, and finally pursued him with a poker, declaring she desired just one crack at his head. He was fined 2s. 6d. and costs."
However that wasn't quite the end of the story. Mary Loughlin now moved into the dock – or the defendant's box, as it was known – to face a charge of assaulting Stephen Farmer's wife.
After exchanging some harsh words with Maria Farmer, it was stated that Mary had later thrown a stone that hit her neighbour on the head.
Although Mary's unlikely version was that she had chucked the stone at a dog and it had accidentally struck Mrs Farmer. Oh yeah! Mary Loughlin was also fined 2s 6d and costs.
Another Mary called Mary Woodward charged Elizabeth Renshaw with assaulting her in St Helens market.
Mary was the wife of Joseph Woodward who kept the Tanner Arms in Peasley Cross Lane.
She claimed that Mrs Renshaw had approached them and proceeded to "blackguard" her.
Mrs Woodward said she politely told the woman that if she wanted to have a "shindy", she should come to their vaults in Peasley Cross and not make a scene in the market.
Then Mrs Woodward told the court that as she walked away, Mrs Renshaw followed her and proceeded to knock her down.
The defendant, of course, denied everything and blamed Mrs Woodward for the whole affair, adding she had "made me so ashamed that I hardly knew what had passed".
Who would be a magistrate with such selective evidence thrown at them by people passing themselves off as angels? Elizabeth Renshaw was fined 2s 6d and costs.
And finally "I want my ferrets back" might not have been the exact words of Henry Lawrenson in Prescot Petty Sessions on the 7th – however he was certainly not happy being ferretless.
Apparently the name "ferret" is derived from a Latin word meaning "little thief" and Mr Lawrenson was accused of being a big thief after being nabbed on Halsnead Park in Whiston in "pursuit of game".
The police had confiscated his ferrets and after being fined 10 shillings and costs, Lawrenson told the court that he would be taking proceedings for the return of his critters.
Ferrets can spend up to 18 hours a day asleep – so don't have a bad life!
Next week's stories will include the retirement of the outspoken guardian of Whiston Workhouse, the Cheap Jack in Ormskirk Street, the ravages of rabies and a tough penalty for ill-treating a horse in Rainford.