150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 9 - 15 SEPTEMBER 1874
This week's many stories include the controversial formation of a workhouse boys' band, the blackguard market traders that passed blasphemous remarks, the Water Street fight that became a pointless and expensive court case, the doomed Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society and a chemical factory in Pocket Nook denies polluting sewers with noxious matter.
We start at the Prescot Board of Guardians meeting on the 10th when a long discussion was held on whether a fife and drum band should be formed amongst the boys in Whiston Workhouse. The ensemble would be based on the successful band that operated out of Warrington Workhouse and which was largely self-supporting by bringing in £2 to £3 for each engagement that they played. It was argued that some of the boys at Whiston might forge a musical career through learning how to play their instruments, although purchasing them would cost £20.
As with the meetings of St Helens council, the fortnightly Prescot Union sessions always had many absent members and more guardians failed to attend this week's meeting than those that showed up. Of those that attended there were a number of opponents to the scheme, mainly based on the money needed to form the band having to come out of the rates. It was also stated that it would be a big step up from playing in a fife and drum band to mastering brass instruments if any of the boys thought of making a career out of music.
Many children also did not stay in the workhouse for that long, although a Mr R Kent had this curious objection to make: "Bearing in mind the limited education given to the boys in the workhouse, the teaching of music would be fraught with injury rather than good. It would lead the boys into bad company, and into acquiring a love for intoxicating drink, and that being the case, in some instances the boys would fail instead of rising by being taught music."
However, a Mr J Miller said music had an elevating influence, and was particularly suited to boys, such as theirs, adding: "The district is remarkable for ruffianism of the lowest type, and we guardians are bound to do all we can to refine and further the interests of the children placed under our care, so that they might not fall into the vices around them hereafter." The motion calling for the creation of the band was put to the vote and was passed by 9 votes to 4.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 12th contained extracts from the minutes of some recent council committee meetings and those of the Parliamentary Committee contained this short piece:
"The Market – Mr. Fidler gave a moving picture of the blackguard conduct and blasphemous remarks which characterise many of the market dealers, and suggested that some step should be taken to improve the state of affairs. Mr. Grace gave an assurance that the Parliamentary Committee was quite alive to the matter."
The polluting firms of St Helens would usually deny all responsibility for specific acts of pollution and with so many environmental culprits in the town it could be difficult to prove culpability. The St Helens Chemical Company had written to the Health Committee denying that "any noxious matter" ever flowed from their factory in Pocket Nook into public sewers. But the Borough Surveyor had evidence, as he had been taking samples from the sewer connected to their works. The St Helens Medical Officer of Health had tested the samples and detected acid but the committee decided to defer their consideration of the matter until their next meeting.
The members did decide to issue the so-called "night soil scavengers" with a lamp that was to be used for the purpose of warning residents when their ashpits were being emptied. The ashpits were the dumps that contained human waste and which were mixed with ashes to reduce the smell and keep away pests.
One might have thought that the badly-paid night soil men undertaking a horrible job would long have been carrying lights in order to see where they were going. But it sounds like the reason that lights were now being issued was that their nocturnal work in the darkness of St Helens might have led them to be mistaken for trespassers or burglars.
The first co-operative retail venture in St Helens had been formed in 1850 in Worsley Brow, with the creation of the Sutton Co-operative Friendly Society. A number of other co-operative societies soon followed, although they were generally short-lived. One of these was the Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society, which had a shop on the corner of Warrington New Road but in 1872 had been forced to close. At the time of its closure the St Helens Newspaper wrote:
"The Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society, generally known as “Kurtz's,” has at length got into trouble. It was originally started in connection with the large body of men employed at Mr. Kurtz's works, and in its early and prosperous days the management was under the supervision of the managers and foremen connected with the works.
"By degrees jealousies crept in, and “factions” were formed, and competent men had to give place to the loud-mouthed and the clannish; and by degrees palavering schemes crept in as paid officials and leading shareholders, who sought more to work the “concern” for their own benefit and aggrandisement and that of their friends, than for the general good of the shareholders and customers.
"The usual result of such dishonesty has at length come – ruin! and many a poor man who thought his shares in the “co-operative stores” were as good as gold, has now to regret that he ever placed his little savings in the concern. Few societies ever had a better prospect or a surer field for success, and few ever come to a more disgraceful, and, as the end will most likely show, a more disastrous termination."
In this week's edition of the Newspaper notice was given that a meeting was going to be held on October 20th in the Fleece Hotel in Church Street in which the liquidator's final account would be disclosed. Presumably, its shareholders would then learn how much of their investment in the doomed venture they would be getting back.
Also in the Newspaper on the 12th was an advert by grocer Robert Coates from Naylor Street in St Helens who was selling Bradley's "original and celebrated" Warrington Ointment. Exactly what it was used to treat was not specified in the advert but "needs no puffing" was highlighted and the ointment was claimed to have achieved "wonderful cures" for the past twenty years.
When people had a fight it was common for one party to issue a summons against the other. They only cost 6 or 7 shillings and although that made the court system more accessible to poorer people, it meant lots of petty squabbles got aired. It was a pointless act as the defendant in the case would often issue their own counter-summons and both sets of protagonists would end up getting fined.
This was illustrated in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 14th when Samuel Fillingham was charged with assaulting Phillip Hayes and the latter was accused of assaulting Elizabeth Fillingham, Samuel's wife. Hayes and his wife lived in Water Street and he described how Fillingham had knocked on his door late one night. When it was opened he claimed Fillingham had rushed into his house, knocked him down and kicked him with his clogs. Hayes told how he had begged his attacker not to kill him and insisted he had not retaliated with any violence of his own.
William Anders was a witness to what had occurred and he provided a fuller account. He said when the door had been opened Fillingham had accused Hayes of assaulting his wife earlier that day and wanted to know the reason why. Hayes had replied that Fillingham would get worse treatment and the pair then started grappling with each other. Mr Anders said Hayes had shouted to his wife to bring a poker but when she did so Fillingham intercepted it and put it to one side.
The witness told the court that there had been a lot of rough play between the pair but he insisted that no blows had actually been struck. When Elizabeth Fillingham took the stand she explained how the trouble had begun. She said she had been on her way to her mother's house when Mrs Hayes had called her a "bad name". They got into an altercation and then Philip Hayes had appeared on the scene and given Mrs Fillingham a "thorough thrashing".
Elizabeth accused Hayes of striking her in the eyes and on the nose and even kicking her when she fell down. After hearing both sides the magistrates fined the two men 20 shillings and costs each. There was also the cost of taking out the summonses and hiring solicitors and so the whole thing was an expensive and completely pointless business.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the naked baby left alone on wet straw, the introduction of exchange and mart in newspapers, the dangers of accidentally walking into heaps of nightsoil and two firms deny allowing acid to flow into public sewers.
We start at the Prescot Board of Guardians meeting on the 10th when a long discussion was held on whether a fife and drum band should be formed amongst the boys in Whiston Workhouse. The ensemble would be based on the successful band that operated out of Warrington Workhouse and which was largely self-supporting by bringing in £2 to £3 for each engagement that they played. It was argued that some of the boys at Whiston might forge a musical career through learning how to play their instruments, although purchasing them would cost £20.
As with the meetings of St Helens council, the fortnightly Prescot Union sessions always had many absent members and more guardians failed to attend this week's meeting than those that showed up. Of those that attended there were a number of opponents to the scheme, mainly based on the money needed to form the band having to come out of the rates. It was also stated that it would be a big step up from playing in a fife and drum band to mastering brass instruments if any of the boys thought of making a career out of music.
Many children also did not stay in the workhouse for that long, although a Mr R Kent had this curious objection to make: "Bearing in mind the limited education given to the boys in the workhouse, the teaching of music would be fraught with injury rather than good. It would lead the boys into bad company, and into acquiring a love for intoxicating drink, and that being the case, in some instances the boys would fail instead of rising by being taught music."
However, a Mr J Miller said music had an elevating influence, and was particularly suited to boys, such as theirs, adding: "The district is remarkable for ruffianism of the lowest type, and we guardians are bound to do all we can to refine and further the interests of the children placed under our care, so that they might not fall into the vices around them hereafter." The motion calling for the creation of the band was put to the vote and was passed by 9 votes to 4.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 12th contained extracts from the minutes of some recent council committee meetings and those of the Parliamentary Committee contained this short piece:
The polluting firms of St Helens would usually deny all responsibility for specific acts of pollution and with so many environmental culprits in the town it could be difficult to prove culpability. The St Helens Chemical Company had written to the Health Committee denying that "any noxious matter" ever flowed from their factory in Pocket Nook into public sewers. But the Borough Surveyor had evidence, as he had been taking samples from the sewer connected to their works. The St Helens Medical Officer of Health had tested the samples and detected acid but the committee decided to defer their consideration of the matter until their next meeting.
The members did decide to issue the so-called "night soil scavengers" with a lamp that was to be used for the purpose of warning residents when their ashpits were being emptied. The ashpits were the dumps that contained human waste and which were mixed with ashes to reduce the smell and keep away pests.
One might have thought that the badly-paid night soil men undertaking a horrible job would long have been carrying lights in order to see where they were going. But it sounds like the reason that lights were now being issued was that their nocturnal work in the darkness of St Helens might have led them to be mistaken for trespassers or burglars.
The first co-operative retail venture in St Helens had been formed in 1850 in Worsley Brow, with the creation of the Sutton Co-operative Friendly Society. A number of other co-operative societies soon followed, although they were generally short-lived. One of these was the Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society, which had a shop on the corner of Warrington New Road but in 1872 had been forced to close. At the time of its closure the St Helens Newspaper wrote:
"The Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society, generally known as “Kurtz's,” has at length got into trouble. It was originally started in connection with the large body of men employed at Mr. Kurtz's works, and in its early and prosperous days the management was under the supervision of the managers and foremen connected with the works.
"By degrees jealousies crept in, and “factions” were formed, and competent men had to give place to the loud-mouthed and the clannish; and by degrees palavering schemes crept in as paid officials and leading shareholders, who sought more to work the “concern” for their own benefit and aggrandisement and that of their friends, than for the general good of the shareholders and customers.
"The usual result of such dishonesty has at length come – ruin! and many a poor man who thought his shares in the “co-operative stores” were as good as gold, has now to regret that he ever placed his little savings in the concern. Few societies ever had a better prospect or a surer field for success, and few ever come to a more disgraceful, and, as the end will most likely show, a more disastrous termination."
In this week's edition of the Newspaper notice was given that a meeting was going to be held on October 20th in the Fleece Hotel in Church Street in which the liquidator's final account would be disclosed. Presumably, its shareholders would then learn how much of their investment in the doomed venture they would be getting back.
Also in the Newspaper on the 12th was an advert by grocer Robert Coates from Naylor Street in St Helens who was selling Bradley's "original and celebrated" Warrington Ointment. Exactly what it was used to treat was not specified in the advert but "needs no puffing" was highlighted and the ointment was claimed to have achieved "wonderful cures" for the past twenty years.
When people had a fight it was common for one party to issue a summons against the other. They only cost 6 or 7 shillings and although that made the court system more accessible to poorer people, it meant lots of petty squabbles got aired. It was a pointless act as the defendant in the case would often issue their own counter-summons and both sets of protagonists would end up getting fined.
This was illustrated in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 14th when Samuel Fillingham was charged with assaulting Phillip Hayes and the latter was accused of assaulting Elizabeth Fillingham, Samuel's wife. Hayes and his wife lived in Water Street and he described how Fillingham had knocked on his door late one night. When it was opened he claimed Fillingham had rushed into his house, knocked him down and kicked him with his clogs. Hayes told how he had begged his attacker not to kill him and insisted he had not retaliated with any violence of his own.
William Anders was a witness to what had occurred and he provided a fuller account. He said when the door had been opened Fillingham had accused Hayes of assaulting his wife earlier that day and wanted to know the reason why. Hayes had replied that Fillingham would get worse treatment and the pair then started grappling with each other. Mr Anders said Hayes had shouted to his wife to bring a poker but when she did so Fillingham intercepted it and put it to one side.
The witness told the court that there had been a lot of rough play between the pair but he insisted that no blows had actually been struck. When Elizabeth Fillingham took the stand she explained how the trouble had begun. She said she had been on her way to her mother's house when Mrs Hayes had called her a "bad name". They got into an altercation and then Philip Hayes had appeared on the scene and given Mrs Fillingham a "thorough thrashing".
Elizabeth accused Hayes of striking her in the eyes and on the nose and even kicking her when she fell down. After hearing both sides the magistrates fined the two men 20 shillings and costs each. There was also the cost of taking out the summonses and hiring solicitors and so the whole thing was an expensive and completely pointless business.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the naked baby left alone on wet straw, the introduction of exchange and mart in newspapers, the dangers of accidentally walking into heaps of nightsoil and two firms deny allowing acid to flow into public sewers.
This week's many stories include the controversial formation of a workhouse boys' band, the blackguard market traders that passed blasphemous remarks, the Water Street fight that became a pointless and expensive court case, the doomed Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society and a chemical factory in Pocket Nook denies polluting sewers with noxious matter.
We start at the Prescot Board of Guardians meeting on the 10th when a long discussion was held on whether a fife and drum band should be formed amongst the boys in Whiston Workhouse.
The ensemble would be based on the successful band that operated out of Warrington Workhouse and which was largely self-supporting by bringing in £2 to £3 for each engagement that they played.
It was argued that some of the boys at Whiston might forge a musical career through learning how to play their instruments, although purchasing them would cost £20.
As with the meetings of St Helens council, the fortnightly Prescot Union sessions always had many absent members and more guardians failed to attend this week's meeting than those that showed up.
Of those that attended there were a number of opponents to the scheme, mainly based on the money needed to form the band having to come out of the rates.
It was also stated that it would be a big step up from playing in a fife and drum band to mastering brass instruments if any of the boys thought of making a career out of music.
Many children also did not stay in the workhouse for that long, although a Mr R Kent had this curious objection to make:
"Bearing in mind the limited education given to the boys in the workhouse, the teaching of music would be fraught with injury rather than good.
"It would lead the boys into bad company, and into acquiring a love for intoxicating drink, and that being the case, in some instances the boys would fail instead of rising by being taught music."
However, a Mr J Miller said music had an elevating influence, and was particularly suited to boys, such as theirs, adding:
"The district is remarkable for ruffianism of the lowest type, and we guardians are bound to do all we can to refine and further the interests of the children placed under our care, so that they might not fall into the vices around them hereafter."
The motion calling for the creation of the band was put to the vote and was passed by 9 votes to 4.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 12th contained extracts from the minutes of some recent council committee meetings and those of the Parliamentary Committee contained this short piece:
"The Market – Mr. Fidler gave a moving picture of the blackguard conduct and blasphemous remarks which characterise many of the market dealers, and suggested that some step should be taken to improve the state of affairs.
"Mr. Grace gave an assurance that the Parliamentary Committee was quite alive to the matter."
The polluting firms of St Helens would usually deny all responsibility for specific acts of pollution and with so many environmental culprits in the town it could be difficult to prove culpability.
The St Helens Chemical Company had written to the Health Committee denying that "any noxious matter" ever flowed from their factory in Pocket Nook into public sewers.
But the Borough Surveyor had evidence, as he had been taking samples from the sewer connected to their works.
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health had tested the samples and detected acid but the committee decided to defer their consideration of the matter until their next meeting.
The members did decide to issue the so-called "night soil scavengers" with a lamp that was to be used for the purpose of warning residents when their ashpits were being emptied.
The ashpits were the dumps that contained human waste and which were mixed with ashes to reduce the smell and keep away pests.
One might have thought that the badly-paid night soil men undertaking a horrible job would long have been carrying lights in order to see where they were going.
But it sounds like the reason that lights were now being issued was that their nocturnal work in the darkness of St Helens might have led them to be mistaken for trespassers or burglars.
The first co-operative retail venture in St Helens had been formed in 1850 in Worsley Brow, with the creation of the Sutton Co-operative Friendly Society.
A number of other co-operative societies soon followed, although they were generally short-lived.
One of these was the Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society, which had a shop on the corner of Warrington New Road but in 1872 had been forced to close. At the time of its closure the St Helens Newspaper wrote:
"The Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society, generally known as “Kurtz's,” has at length got into trouble. It was originally started in connection with the large body of men employed at Mr. Kurtz's works, and in its early and prosperous days the management was under the supervision of the managers and foremen connected with the works.
"By degrees jealousies crept in, and “factions” were formed, and competent men had to give place to the loud-mouthed and the clannish; and by degrees palavering schemes crept in as paid officials and leading shareholders, who sought more to work the “concern” for their own benefit and aggrandisement and that of their friends, than for the general good of the shareholders and customers.
"The usual result of such dishonesty has at length come – ruin! and many a poor man who thought his shares in the “co-operative stores” were as good as gold, has now to regret that he ever placed his little savings in the concern.
"Few societies ever had a better prospect or a surer field for success, and few ever come to a more disgraceful, and, as the end will most likely show, a more disastrous termination."
In this week's edition of the Newspaper notice was given that a meeting was going to be held on October 20th in the Fleece Hotel in Church Street in which the liquidator's final account would be disclosed.
Presumably, its shareholders would then learn how much of their investment in the doomed venture they would be getting back.
Also in the Newspaper on the 12th was an advert by grocer Robert Coates from Naylor Street in St Helens who was selling Bradley's "original and celebrated" Warrington Ointment.
Exactly what it was used to treat was not specified in the advert but "needs no puffing" was highlighted and the ointment was claimed to have achieved "wonderful cures" for the past twenty years.
When people had a fight it was common for one party to issue a summons against the other.
They only cost 6 or 7 shillings and although that made the court system more accessible to poorer people, it meant lots of petty squabbles got aired.
It was a pointless act as the defendant in the case would often issue their own counter-summons and both sets of protagonists would end up getting fined.
This was illustrated in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 14th when Samuel Fillingham was charged with assaulting Phillip Hayes and the latter was accused of assaulting Elizabeth Fillingham, Samuel's wife.
Hayes and his wife lived in Water Street and he described how Fillingham had knocked on his door late one night.
When it was opened he claimed Fillingham had rushed into his house, knocked him down and kicked him with his clogs.
Hayes told how he had begged his attacker not to kill him and insisted he had not retaliated with any violence of his own.
William Anders was a witness to what had occurred and he provided a fuller account.
He said when the door had been opened Fillingham had accused Hayes of assaulting his wife earlier that day and wanted to know the reason why.
Hayes had replied that Fillingham would get worse treatment and the pair then started grappling with each other.
Mr Anders said Hayes had shouted to his wife to bring a poker but when she did so Fillingham intercepted it and put it to one side.
The witness told the court that there had been a lot of rough play between the pair but he insisted that no blows had actually been struck.
When Elizabeth Fillingham took the stand she explained how the trouble had begun.
She said she had been on her way to her mother's house when Mrs Hayes had called her a "bad name".
They got into an altercation and then Philip Hayes had appeared on the scene and given Mrs Fillingham a "thorough thrashing".
Elizabeth accused Hayes of striking her in the eyes and on the nose and even kicking her when she fell down.
After hearing both sides the magistrates fined the two men 20 shillings and costs each.
There was also the cost of taking out the summonses and hiring solicitors and so the whole thing was an expensive and completely pointless business.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the naked baby left alone on wet straw, the introduction of exchange and mart in newspapers, the dangers of accidentally walking into heaps of nightsoil and two firms deny allowing acid to flow into public sewers.
We start at the Prescot Board of Guardians meeting on the 10th when a long discussion was held on whether a fife and drum band should be formed amongst the boys in Whiston Workhouse.
The ensemble would be based on the successful band that operated out of Warrington Workhouse and which was largely self-supporting by bringing in £2 to £3 for each engagement that they played.
It was argued that some of the boys at Whiston might forge a musical career through learning how to play their instruments, although purchasing them would cost £20.
As with the meetings of St Helens council, the fortnightly Prescot Union sessions always had many absent members and more guardians failed to attend this week's meeting than those that showed up.
Of those that attended there were a number of opponents to the scheme, mainly based on the money needed to form the band having to come out of the rates.
It was also stated that it would be a big step up from playing in a fife and drum band to mastering brass instruments if any of the boys thought of making a career out of music.
Many children also did not stay in the workhouse for that long, although a Mr R Kent had this curious objection to make:
"Bearing in mind the limited education given to the boys in the workhouse, the teaching of music would be fraught with injury rather than good.
"It would lead the boys into bad company, and into acquiring a love for intoxicating drink, and that being the case, in some instances the boys would fail instead of rising by being taught music."
However, a Mr J Miller said music had an elevating influence, and was particularly suited to boys, such as theirs, adding:
"The district is remarkable for ruffianism of the lowest type, and we guardians are bound to do all we can to refine and further the interests of the children placed under our care, so that they might not fall into the vices around them hereafter."
The motion calling for the creation of the band was put to the vote and was passed by 9 votes to 4.
"The Market – Mr. Fidler gave a moving picture of the blackguard conduct and blasphemous remarks which characterise many of the market dealers, and suggested that some step should be taken to improve the state of affairs.
"Mr. Grace gave an assurance that the Parliamentary Committee was quite alive to the matter."
The polluting firms of St Helens would usually deny all responsibility for specific acts of pollution and with so many environmental culprits in the town it could be difficult to prove culpability.
The St Helens Chemical Company had written to the Health Committee denying that "any noxious matter" ever flowed from their factory in Pocket Nook into public sewers.
But the Borough Surveyor had evidence, as he had been taking samples from the sewer connected to their works.
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health had tested the samples and detected acid but the committee decided to defer their consideration of the matter until their next meeting.
The members did decide to issue the so-called "night soil scavengers" with a lamp that was to be used for the purpose of warning residents when their ashpits were being emptied.
The ashpits were the dumps that contained human waste and which were mixed with ashes to reduce the smell and keep away pests.
One might have thought that the badly-paid night soil men undertaking a horrible job would long have been carrying lights in order to see where they were going.
But it sounds like the reason that lights were now being issued was that their nocturnal work in the darkness of St Helens might have led them to be mistaken for trespassers or burglars.
The first co-operative retail venture in St Helens had been formed in 1850 in Worsley Brow, with the creation of the Sutton Co-operative Friendly Society.
A number of other co-operative societies soon followed, although they were generally short-lived.
One of these was the Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society, which had a shop on the corner of Warrington New Road but in 1872 had been forced to close. At the time of its closure the St Helens Newspaper wrote:
"The Sutton Alkali Co-operative Society, generally known as “Kurtz's,” has at length got into trouble. It was originally started in connection with the large body of men employed at Mr. Kurtz's works, and in its early and prosperous days the management was under the supervision of the managers and foremen connected with the works.
"By degrees jealousies crept in, and “factions” were formed, and competent men had to give place to the loud-mouthed and the clannish; and by degrees palavering schemes crept in as paid officials and leading shareholders, who sought more to work the “concern” for their own benefit and aggrandisement and that of their friends, than for the general good of the shareholders and customers.
"The usual result of such dishonesty has at length come – ruin! and many a poor man who thought his shares in the “co-operative stores” were as good as gold, has now to regret that he ever placed his little savings in the concern.
"Few societies ever had a better prospect or a surer field for success, and few ever come to a more disgraceful, and, as the end will most likely show, a more disastrous termination."
In this week's edition of the Newspaper notice was given that a meeting was going to be held on October 20th in the Fleece Hotel in Church Street in which the liquidator's final account would be disclosed.
Presumably, its shareholders would then learn how much of their investment in the doomed venture they would be getting back.
Also in the Newspaper on the 12th was an advert by grocer Robert Coates from Naylor Street in St Helens who was selling Bradley's "original and celebrated" Warrington Ointment.
Exactly what it was used to treat was not specified in the advert but "needs no puffing" was highlighted and the ointment was claimed to have achieved "wonderful cures" for the past twenty years.
When people had a fight it was common for one party to issue a summons against the other.
They only cost 6 or 7 shillings and although that made the court system more accessible to poorer people, it meant lots of petty squabbles got aired.
It was a pointless act as the defendant in the case would often issue their own counter-summons and both sets of protagonists would end up getting fined.
This was illustrated in St Helens Petty Sessions on the 14th when Samuel Fillingham was charged with assaulting Phillip Hayes and the latter was accused of assaulting Elizabeth Fillingham, Samuel's wife.
Hayes and his wife lived in Water Street and he described how Fillingham had knocked on his door late one night.
When it was opened he claimed Fillingham had rushed into his house, knocked him down and kicked him with his clogs.
Hayes told how he had begged his attacker not to kill him and insisted he had not retaliated with any violence of his own.
William Anders was a witness to what had occurred and he provided a fuller account.
He said when the door had been opened Fillingham had accused Hayes of assaulting his wife earlier that day and wanted to know the reason why.
Hayes had replied that Fillingham would get worse treatment and the pair then started grappling with each other.
Mr Anders said Hayes had shouted to his wife to bring a poker but when she did so Fillingham intercepted it and put it to one side.
The witness told the court that there had been a lot of rough play between the pair but he insisted that no blows had actually been struck.
When Elizabeth Fillingham took the stand she explained how the trouble had begun.
She said she had been on her way to her mother's house when Mrs Hayes had called her a "bad name".
They got into an altercation and then Philip Hayes had appeared on the scene and given Mrs Fillingham a "thorough thrashing".
Elizabeth accused Hayes of striking her in the eyes and on the nose and even kicking her when she fell down.
After hearing both sides the magistrates fined the two men 20 shillings and costs each.
There was also the cost of taking out the summonses and hiring solicitors and so the whole thing was an expensive and completely pointless business.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the naked baby left alone on wet straw, the introduction of exchange and mart in newspapers, the dangers of accidentally walking into heaps of nightsoil and two firms deny allowing acid to flow into public sewers.