150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (10 - 16 JULY 1873)
This week's many stories include the boy dress thieves in St Helens Market, the Royal panorama in the Volunteer Hall, the contract to build the new Town Hall is re-awarded, the thieving tramp in Eccleston that called a coachbuilder a liar, the young boys that stole a one-pound weight from a grocer's shop and the St Helens Newspaper accuses councillors of being incompetent.
We begin with a special picture show in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens (pictured above in later years). We might call it a double-header with 'Royal Panorama – The Thanksgiving Day' being the star attraction. In 1872 a special day of thanksgiving was held in London to mark the recovery from typhoid of the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII.
A huge moving painting of the event had been created with the St Helens Newspaper's advert stating that the panorama captured: "Its gorgeous procession and grand illuminations, with wonderful mechanical effects." The panorama had been exhibited before Queen Victoria and Royal Family at Balmoral in October last year, which was why it was being called a "Royal Panorama". Accompanying the picture was a panorama of the Franco-Prussian War.
The editor of the St Helens Newspaper did not mince his words. Bernard Dromgoole was also the owner of the paper and was extremely outspoken. This week he said St Helens councillors were:
"…doubtless the most incompetent and reckless that have ever occupied the Council chamber. In nearly every department of the Corporation’s administration this spirit of recklessness may be observed, and the most effective means are taken to stifle public opinion, and to keep the people completely in the dark, as to the financial doings of the Corporation. It may flatter the vanity of aldermen and town-councillors, and it may amuse the public to read the long-winded, wordy, and too frequently empty and self-laudatory speeches delivered at the meetings of the Council, and some of the committees."
Two boys appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with stealing a one-pound weight from the shop of Mr Sephton, a grocer in the market place. The lads called Edward Bellis and John Duckworth were only aged eight or nine and had taken the weight to Henshall's grocer's shop in Church Street where they attempted to sell it.
They told a suspicious assistant that they'd found the weight and he reported them to the police and the boys were arrested. In court Edward and John were both fined one shilling and seven shillings costs with the Chairman of the Bench telling their parents he hoped they would punish their children well. If they had been a year or two older, the boys might well have been sent to prison.
The ease and modest cost of obtaining a court summons led to family squabbles being played out in court – which probably did nothing to heal the rift. This week Richard White accused his brother John of assault after he'd knocked him down during a row. The punch was because Richard had accused John of being a liar. The latter had said: "If you call me that again I'll hit you". But he repeated the accusation and so got punched. The magistrates seemed to think fair warning had been given and so dismissed the case.
A tramp in court had little credibility. If they were up against a well-off businessman like John Marsh then they knew they had virtually no chance of being believed. Marsh was a coachbuilder and lived in the well-off St Ann's / West Park area of Eccleston. In court this week a tramp called John McGuire was charged with two counts of theft. John Marsh told the hearing that he has seen the man take away a horsecloth that had been hanging out to dry in his washhouse.
Marsh said he called to the man to stop and he threw down the horsecloth and ran off. He said he eventually caught up with the tramp on the Liverpool road and handed him to the police. A magistrate asked the 56-year-old Mr Marsh: "Did you run?" To which he replied: "Well, as well as I could". The magistrate then replied: "I should have liked to see you." PC Bradshaw gave evidence of receiving John McGuire from Mr Marsh and taking him to the police station.
He said: "I charged him with the theft and he said “He's a liar, I never stole anything in my life.”" The tramp was also charged with stealing a padlock and key, valued at 6d, that belonged to George Pickavance of the Eccleston Arms Inn. PC Bradshaw told the court that when he charged the man with that offence he said: "Who saw me do it?" John McGuire was found guilty and sent to prison for a total of four months.
Two 14-year-old boys called Michael Judge and William McNevin appeared in court this week charged with stealing from Alice Sharrock in St Helens Market. Mrs Sharrock gave evidence of a dress and other items going missing from her stall but the main witness was a boy called John Donoghue. He said he had seen William and Michael in Bridge Street with the latter carrying a parcel that he said had come from the market.
They walked down Foundry Street together and Michael then asked John to pawn the goods for him – which he refused to do. A man called Joseph Aspinall told the court that he overheard the boys talking about pawning the stolen items. He said he'd chased after them and as he ran off, Michael Judge threw away the dress and the other things. The boys were sent for trial at Kirkdale Assizes where they were sent to prison for a month and then onto to a reformatory for five years.
This was the second time Michael Judge had been given such a sentence. In 1868 he was one of three boys sent to prison for a month – followed by five years in a reformatory – for stealing a loaf of bread from Richard Jones's shop in Church Street. Just a few weeks earlier the threesome had been ordered to be "well whipped" and imprisoned at Kirkdale Gaol for three days for stealing toys from John Williams's stall on St Helens Market. I don’t believe Michael Judge served his first reformatory sentence because as an 8-year-old he was considered too young to attend a reformatory – although not too young to be sent to prison!
In December 1872 Thomas Urmson had been awarded the contract to build the new St Helens Town Hall in what was then called Cotham Street. At a meeting of St Helens Town Council in May it was revealed that the Liverpool master builder was having financial trouble. Sub-contractors were undertaking some of the work and they wanted advance payments in order to buy materials etc.
That was something Urmson had not seemingly bargained for and so he had asked the council for a 6½% advance on his £28,000 fee so that he could make similar payments to the sub-contracted firms. The council's Improvement Committee had told the man that he must stick to his contract and threatened to ask all the firms who'd tendered to build the Town Hall to resubmit their bids. The full council meeting ratified this action and the tendering process was re-opened.
This week on the 14th a special meeting of St Helens Town Council awarded the contract to George Rome, another Liverpool master builder. His bid of £21,316 was easily the lowest of the nine builders with the original winner, Thomas Urmson, coming second with his bid of £28,609. The architect of the new Town Hall, Henry Sumner, assuaged any concerns as to how Rome could construct the grand building so cheaply by giving him a good reference. The fact that George Rome had built the Royal Southern Hospital in Liverpool was also to his credit.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the mixed-sex fight that took place in St Helens, the Whiston coalmine that was turned into an inferno, the coat-tails stocking theft from a market stall and the Oldfield Street burglar and his paramour.
A huge moving painting of the event had been created with the St Helens Newspaper's advert stating that the panorama captured: "Its gorgeous procession and grand illuminations, with wonderful mechanical effects." The panorama had been exhibited before Queen Victoria and Royal Family at Balmoral in October last year, which was why it was being called a "Royal Panorama". Accompanying the picture was a panorama of the Franco-Prussian War.
The editor of the St Helens Newspaper did not mince his words. Bernard Dromgoole was also the owner of the paper and was extremely outspoken. This week he said St Helens councillors were:
"…doubtless the most incompetent and reckless that have ever occupied the Council chamber. In nearly every department of the Corporation’s administration this spirit of recklessness may be observed, and the most effective means are taken to stifle public opinion, and to keep the people completely in the dark, as to the financial doings of the Corporation. It may flatter the vanity of aldermen and town-councillors, and it may amuse the public to read the long-winded, wordy, and too frequently empty and self-laudatory speeches delivered at the meetings of the Council, and some of the committees."
Two boys appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with stealing a one-pound weight from the shop of Mr Sephton, a grocer in the market place. The lads called Edward Bellis and John Duckworth were only aged eight or nine and had taken the weight to Henshall's grocer's shop in Church Street where they attempted to sell it.
They told a suspicious assistant that they'd found the weight and he reported them to the police and the boys were arrested. In court Edward and John were both fined one shilling and seven shillings costs with the Chairman of the Bench telling their parents he hoped they would punish their children well. If they had been a year or two older, the boys might well have been sent to prison.
The ease and modest cost of obtaining a court summons led to family squabbles being played out in court – which probably did nothing to heal the rift. This week Richard White accused his brother John of assault after he'd knocked him down during a row. The punch was because Richard had accused John of being a liar. The latter had said: "If you call me that again I'll hit you". But he repeated the accusation and so got punched. The magistrates seemed to think fair warning had been given and so dismissed the case.
A tramp in court had little credibility. If they were up against a well-off businessman like John Marsh then they knew they had virtually no chance of being believed. Marsh was a coachbuilder and lived in the well-off St Ann's / West Park area of Eccleston. In court this week a tramp called John McGuire was charged with two counts of theft. John Marsh told the hearing that he has seen the man take away a horsecloth that had been hanging out to dry in his washhouse.
Marsh said he called to the man to stop and he threw down the horsecloth and ran off. He said he eventually caught up with the tramp on the Liverpool road and handed him to the police. A magistrate asked the 56-year-old Mr Marsh: "Did you run?" To which he replied: "Well, as well as I could". The magistrate then replied: "I should have liked to see you." PC Bradshaw gave evidence of receiving John McGuire from Mr Marsh and taking him to the police station.
He said: "I charged him with the theft and he said “He's a liar, I never stole anything in my life.”" The tramp was also charged with stealing a padlock and key, valued at 6d, that belonged to George Pickavance of the Eccleston Arms Inn. PC Bradshaw told the court that when he charged the man with that offence he said: "Who saw me do it?" John McGuire was found guilty and sent to prison for a total of four months.
Two 14-year-old boys called Michael Judge and William McNevin appeared in court this week charged with stealing from Alice Sharrock in St Helens Market. Mrs Sharrock gave evidence of a dress and other items going missing from her stall but the main witness was a boy called John Donoghue. He said he had seen William and Michael in Bridge Street with the latter carrying a parcel that he said had come from the market.
They walked down Foundry Street together and Michael then asked John to pawn the goods for him – which he refused to do. A man called Joseph Aspinall told the court that he overheard the boys talking about pawning the stolen items. He said he'd chased after them and as he ran off, Michael Judge threw away the dress and the other things. The boys were sent for trial at Kirkdale Assizes where they were sent to prison for a month and then onto to a reformatory for five years.
This was the second time Michael Judge had been given such a sentence. In 1868 he was one of three boys sent to prison for a month – followed by five years in a reformatory – for stealing a loaf of bread from Richard Jones's shop in Church Street. Just a few weeks earlier the threesome had been ordered to be "well whipped" and imprisoned at Kirkdale Gaol for three days for stealing toys from John Williams's stall on St Helens Market. I don’t believe Michael Judge served his first reformatory sentence because as an 8-year-old he was considered too young to attend a reformatory – although not too young to be sent to prison!
In December 1872 Thomas Urmson had been awarded the contract to build the new St Helens Town Hall in what was then called Cotham Street. At a meeting of St Helens Town Council in May it was revealed that the Liverpool master builder was having financial trouble. Sub-contractors were undertaking some of the work and they wanted advance payments in order to buy materials etc.
That was something Urmson had not seemingly bargained for and so he had asked the council for a 6½% advance on his £28,000 fee so that he could make similar payments to the sub-contracted firms. The council's Improvement Committee had told the man that he must stick to his contract and threatened to ask all the firms who'd tendered to build the Town Hall to resubmit their bids. The full council meeting ratified this action and the tendering process was re-opened.
This week on the 14th a special meeting of St Helens Town Council awarded the contract to George Rome, another Liverpool master builder. His bid of £21,316 was easily the lowest of the nine builders with the original winner, Thomas Urmson, coming second with his bid of £28,609. The architect of the new Town Hall, Henry Sumner, assuaged any concerns as to how Rome could construct the grand building so cheaply by giving him a good reference. The fact that George Rome had built the Royal Southern Hospital in Liverpool was also to his credit.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the mixed-sex fight that took place in St Helens, the Whiston coalmine that was turned into an inferno, the coat-tails stocking theft from a market stall and the Oldfield Street burglar and his paramour.
This week's many stories include the boy dress thieves in St Helens Market, the Royal panorama in the Volunteer Hall, the contract to build the new Town Hall is re-awarded, the thieving tramp in Eccleston that called a coachbuilder a liar, the young boys that stole a one-pound weight from a grocer's shop and the St Helens Newspaper accuses councillors of being incompetent.
We begin with a special picture show in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens (pictured above in later years). We might call it a double-header with 'Royal Panorama – The Thanksgiving Day' being the star attraction.
In 1872 a special day of thanksgiving was held in London to mark the recovery from typhoid of the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII.
A huge moving painting of the event had been created with the St Helens Newspaper's advert stating that the panorama captured:
"Its gorgeous procession and grand illuminations, with wonderful mechanical effects."
The panorama had been exhibited before Queen Victoria and Royal Family at Balmoral in October last year, which was why it was being called a "Royal Panorama".
Accompanying the picture was a panorama of the Franco-Prussian War.
The editor of the St Helens Newspaper did not mince his words. Bernard Dromgoole was also the owner of the paper and was extremely outspoken. This week he said St Helens councillors were:
"…doubtless the most incompetent and reckless that have ever occupied the Council chamber. In nearly every department of the Corporation’s administration this spirit of recklessness may be observed, and the most effective means are taken to stifle public opinion, and to keep the people completely in the dark, as to the financial doings of the Corporation.
"It may flatter the vanity of aldermen and town-councillors, and it may amuse the public to read the long-winded, wordy, and too frequently empty and self-laudatory speeches delivered at the meetings of the Council, and some of the committees."
Two boys appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with stealing a one-pound weight from the shop of Mr Sephton, a grocer in the market place.
The lads called Edward Bellis and John Duckworth were only aged eight or nine and had taken the weight to Henshall's grocer's shop in Church Street where they attempted to sell it.
They told a suspicious assistant that they'd found the weight and he reported them to the police and the boys were arrested.
In court Edward and John were both fined one shilling and seven shillings costs with the Chairman of the Bench telling their parents he hoped they would punish their children well.
If they had been a year or two older, the boys might well have been sent to prison.
The ease and modest cost of obtaining a court summons led to family squabbles being played out in court – which probably did nothing to heal the rift.
This week Richard White accused his brother John of assault after he'd knocked him down during a row.
The punch was because Richard had accused John of being a liar. The latter had said: "If you call me that again I'll hit you". But he repeated the accusation and so got punched.
The magistrates seemed to think fair warning had been given and so dismissed the case.
A tramp in court had little credibility. If they were up against a well-off businessman like John Marsh then they knew they had virtually no chance of being believed.
Marsh was a coachbuilder and lived in the well-off St Ann's / West Park area of Eccleston.
In court this week a tramp called John McGuire was charged with two counts of theft.
John Marsh told the hearing that he has seen the man take away a horsecloth that had been hanging out to dry in his washhouse.
Marsh said he called to the man to stop and he threw down the horsecloth and ran off. He said he eventually caught up with the tramp on the Liverpool road and handed him to the police.
A magistrate asked the 56-year-old Mr Marsh: "Did you run?" To which he replied: "Well, as well as I could". The magistrate then replied: "I should have liked to see you."
PC Bradshaw gave evidence of receiving John McGuire from Mr Marsh and taking him to the police station. He said:
"I charged him with the theft and he said “He's a liar, I never stole anything in my life.”"
The tramp was also charged with stealing a padlock and key, valued at 6d, that belonged to George Pickavance of the Eccleston Arms Inn.
PC Bradshaw told the court that when he charged the man with that offence he said: "Who saw me do it?"
John McGuire was found guilty and sent to prison for a total of four months.
Two 14-year-old boys called Michael Judge and William McNevin appeared in court this week charged with stealing from Alice Sharrock in St Helens Market.
Mrs Sharrock gave evidence of a dress and other items going missing from her stall but the main witness was a boy called John Donoghue.
He said he had seen William and Michael in Bridge Street with the latter carrying a parcel that he said had come from the market.
They walked down Foundry Street together and Michael then asked John to pawn the goods for him – which he refused to do.
A man called Joseph Aspinall told the court that he overheard the boys talking about pawning the stolen items.
He said he'd chased after them and as he ran off, Michael Judge threw away the dress and the other things.
The boys were sent for trial at Kirkdale Assizes where they were sent to prison for a month and then onto to a reformatory for five years.
This was the second time Michael Judge had been given such a sentence. In 1868 he was one of three boys sent to prison for a month – followed by five years in a reformatory – for stealing a loaf of bread from Richard Jones's shop in Church Street.
Just a few weeks earlier the threesome had been ordered to be "well whipped" and imprisoned at Kirkdale Gaol for three days for stealing toys from John Williams's stall on St Helens Market.
I don’t believe Michael Judge served his first reformatory sentence because as an 8-year-old he was considered too young to attend a reformatory – although not too young to be sent to prison!
In December 1872 Thomas Urmson had been awarded the contract to build the new St Helens Town Hall in what was then called Cotham Street.
At a meeting of St Helens Town Council in May it was revealed that the Liverpool master builder was having financial trouble.
Sub-contractors were undertaking some of the work and they wanted advance payments in order to buy materials etc.
That was something Urmson had not seemingly bargained for and so he had asked the council for a 6½% advance on his £28,000 fee so that he could make similar payments to the sub-contracted firms.
The council's Improvement Committee had told the man that he must stick to his contract and threatened to ask all the firms who'd tendered to build the Town Hall to resubmit their bids.
The full council meeting ratified this action and the tendering process was re-opened.
This week on the 14th a special meeting of St Helens Town Council awarded the contract to George Rome, another Liverpool master builder.
His bid of £21,316 was easily the lowest of the nine builders with the original winner, Thomas Urmson, coming second with his bid of £28,609.
The architect of the new Town Hall, Henry Sumner, assuaged any concerns as to how Rome could construct the grand building so cheaply by giving him a good reference.
The fact that George Rome had built the Royal Southern Hospital in Liverpool was also to his credit.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the mixed-sex fight that took place in St Helens, the Whiston coalmine that was turned into an inferno, the coat-tails stocking theft from a market stall and the Oldfield Street burglar and his paramour.
In 1872 a special day of thanksgiving was held in London to mark the recovery from typhoid of the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII.
A huge moving painting of the event had been created with the St Helens Newspaper's advert stating that the panorama captured:
"Its gorgeous procession and grand illuminations, with wonderful mechanical effects."
The panorama had been exhibited before Queen Victoria and Royal Family at Balmoral in October last year, which was why it was being called a "Royal Panorama".
Accompanying the picture was a panorama of the Franco-Prussian War.
The editor of the St Helens Newspaper did not mince his words. Bernard Dromgoole was also the owner of the paper and was extremely outspoken. This week he said St Helens councillors were:
"…doubtless the most incompetent and reckless that have ever occupied the Council chamber. In nearly every department of the Corporation’s administration this spirit of recklessness may be observed, and the most effective means are taken to stifle public opinion, and to keep the people completely in the dark, as to the financial doings of the Corporation.
"It may flatter the vanity of aldermen and town-councillors, and it may amuse the public to read the long-winded, wordy, and too frequently empty and self-laudatory speeches delivered at the meetings of the Council, and some of the committees."
Two boys appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week charged with stealing a one-pound weight from the shop of Mr Sephton, a grocer in the market place.
The lads called Edward Bellis and John Duckworth were only aged eight or nine and had taken the weight to Henshall's grocer's shop in Church Street where they attempted to sell it.
They told a suspicious assistant that they'd found the weight and he reported them to the police and the boys were arrested.
In court Edward and John were both fined one shilling and seven shillings costs with the Chairman of the Bench telling their parents he hoped they would punish their children well.
If they had been a year or two older, the boys might well have been sent to prison.
The ease and modest cost of obtaining a court summons led to family squabbles being played out in court – which probably did nothing to heal the rift.
This week Richard White accused his brother John of assault after he'd knocked him down during a row.
The punch was because Richard had accused John of being a liar. The latter had said: "If you call me that again I'll hit you". But he repeated the accusation and so got punched.
The magistrates seemed to think fair warning had been given and so dismissed the case.
A tramp in court had little credibility. If they were up against a well-off businessman like John Marsh then they knew they had virtually no chance of being believed.
Marsh was a coachbuilder and lived in the well-off St Ann's / West Park area of Eccleston.
In court this week a tramp called John McGuire was charged with two counts of theft.
John Marsh told the hearing that he has seen the man take away a horsecloth that had been hanging out to dry in his washhouse.
Marsh said he called to the man to stop and he threw down the horsecloth and ran off. He said he eventually caught up with the tramp on the Liverpool road and handed him to the police.
A magistrate asked the 56-year-old Mr Marsh: "Did you run?" To which he replied: "Well, as well as I could". The magistrate then replied: "I should have liked to see you."
PC Bradshaw gave evidence of receiving John McGuire from Mr Marsh and taking him to the police station. He said:
"I charged him with the theft and he said “He's a liar, I never stole anything in my life.”"
The tramp was also charged with stealing a padlock and key, valued at 6d, that belonged to George Pickavance of the Eccleston Arms Inn.
PC Bradshaw told the court that when he charged the man with that offence he said: "Who saw me do it?"
John McGuire was found guilty and sent to prison for a total of four months.
Two 14-year-old boys called Michael Judge and William McNevin appeared in court this week charged with stealing from Alice Sharrock in St Helens Market.
Mrs Sharrock gave evidence of a dress and other items going missing from her stall but the main witness was a boy called John Donoghue.
He said he had seen William and Michael in Bridge Street with the latter carrying a parcel that he said had come from the market.
They walked down Foundry Street together and Michael then asked John to pawn the goods for him – which he refused to do.
A man called Joseph Aspinall told the court that he overheard the boys talking about pawning the stolen items.
He said he'd chased after them and as he ran off, Michael Judge threw away the dress and the other things.
The boys were sent for trial at Kirkdale Assizes where they were sent to prison for a month and then onto to a reformatory for five years.
This was the second time Michael Judge had been given such a sentence. In 1868 he was one of three boys sent to prison for a month – followed by five years in a reformatory – for stealing a loaf of bread from Richard Jones's shop in Church Street.
Just a few weeks earlier the threesome had been ordered to be "well whipped" and imprisoned at Kirkdale Gaol for three days for stealing toys from John Williams's stall on St Helens Market.
I don’t believe Michael Judge served his first reformatory sentence because as an 8-year-old he was considered too young to attend a reformatory – although not too young to be sent to prison!
In December 1872 Thomas Urmson had been awarded the contract to build the new St Helens Town Hall in what was then called Cotham Street.
At a meeting of St Helens Town Council in May it was revealed that the Liverpool master builder was having financial trouble.
Sub-contractors were undertaking some of the work and they wanted advance payments in order to buy materials etc.
That was something Urmson had not seemingly bargained for and so he had asked the council for a 6½% advance on his £28,000 fee so that he could make similar payments to the sub-contracted firms.
The council's Improvement Committee had told the man that he must stick to his contract and threatened to ask all the firms who'd tendered to build the Town Hall to resubmit their bids.
The full council meeting ratified this action and the tendering process was re-opened.
This week on the 14th a special meeting of St Helens Town Council awarded the contract to George Rome, another Liverpool master builder.
His bid of £21,316 was easily the lowest of the nine builders with the original winner, Thomas Urmson, coming second with his bid of £28,609.
The architect of the new Town Hall, Henry Sumner, assuaged any concerns as to how Rome could construct the grand building so cheaply by giving him a good reference.
The fact that George Rome had built the Royal Southern Hospital in Liverpool was also to his credit.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the mixed-sex fight that took place in St Helens, the Whiston coalmine that was turned into an inferno, the coat-tails stocking theft from a market stall and the Oldfield Street burglar and his paramour.