150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (11th - 17th February 1869)
This week's stories include the Prescot mother who promised to give her son a "first-class whipping", a backlash against steam whistles in St Helens, a "ventilatist" gives a lecture in Ormskirk Street, there's a fire at a candle works, a Greenall's painter comes to grief on Newton Common and the Parr man treated in court more leniently than a woman who'd committed the same offence.
Recently a letter writer in the St Helens Newspaper had called for more works in the town to use steam whistles (a.k.a. buzzers or hooters) instead of bells to summon people to work. In the paper on the 13th someone using the pseudonym "Anti-Humbug" called this recommendation "insane" adding that Rainhill Asylum would have to be enlarged to cope with the many townsfolk driven mad by the noise. The person wrote:
"Just fancy what a perfect bedlam our town would resemble, supposing all the works (50 or 60) used the “Buzz”. I have, during this winter, been often startled from my slumbers at 20 minutes to 6 in the morning by the hideous din of that infernal “buzz”. Why, sir, if we had 50 more roaring at the same time, I feel sure I should start from my bed, and spring through the ceiling of my chamber, some dark morning."
As stated often in these articles the theft of clothing 150 years ago was considered a serious offence and almost always resulted in a custodial sentence. On the 15th in the St Helens Petty Sessions Sarah Harrison was charged with stealing a small neckerchief belonging to Margaret Rourke of Smithy Brow and was sent to Kirkdale Prison for seven days.
The St Helens Newspaper noted that the Sessions had the shortest list of cases that they had known for a long time. However there were still the usual arrests for drunkenness and breaches of the peace that the magistrates had to deal with.
Michael Noonan was charged with taking off his jacket in Hall Street and making a great disturbance by challenging people to a fight. The magistrates must have been in a good mood as they let him off and they bound over David Wayne for doing something similar in Parr.
Thomas Gateley couldn't be bothered to turn up for his hearing. The man had been charged with a breach of the peace by challenging his wife to a fight and "striking her to show he was in earnest." The absent wife beater was bound over to keep the peace.
Another popular misdemeanour in court was the leaving of a horse and cart in the street. The police would allow a short period of time for loading and unloading. However many roads were narrow and unpaved and so obstructions could easily be caused if carts were left too long. Edward Lyder had left his vehicle in the street opposite the Eccleston Gasworks and was fined one shilling and costs.
William Ramsey had had a distraint order made against him by his landlord that entitled the man to enter his tenant's home in Parr and seize goods in lieu of rent. People had few possessions in those days and Ramsey's were mainly furniture, which he foolishly decided to remove from the house to prevent them from being sold.
This was a serious offence and the landlady of the Clarence beerhouse in Duke Street had recently been imprisoned for six months for committing it. Women did often appear to be treated more harshly than men and William Ramsey was simply allowed to come to a settlement with his landlord in paying off his arrears.
During the evening of the 15th the St Helens' lodge of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows held their annual anniversary dinner at the Fleece Hotel. About seventy members and guests attended and enjoyed a "substantial and well-served dinner", followed by the usual toasts to the Queen, clergy, army, town and trade of St Helens etc. etc. I do wonder what the hungry poor of the town made of these grand dinners?
On the following day at the Prescot Petty Sessions Edward Sefton was summoned by his wife for forcibly putting her out of their house and threatening to take her life. Jane Sefton told the magistrates that she was "decidedly" afraid of her husband. However he told the court that his wife was addicted to drink and he had been a police officer for eight months but had to quit because of her conduct.
Edward claimed that he had recently found his wife drunk in a pub and when he tried to bring her home, he was grabbed by the throat by some men and thrown to the ground. The magistrates considered that there were faults on both sides and dismissed the case but cautioned the defendant as to his future conduct.
14-year-old Patrick Murphy was charged with stealing a cocoanut from Elizabeth Sephton's stall in the Prescot market. The boy pleaded guilty and as his mother promised to give him a "first-class whipping" in the presence of a police officer, Patrick was let off without further punishment.
Another youngster in trouble was Joseph Stock. The lad of about fifteen was charged with committing a breach of the peace in Prescot by shouting and making a great noise. Superintendent Fowler told the court that the Prescot postmaster had threatened to complain to the Lancashire Chief Constable unless something was done about the nuisance that boys were causing at his post office.
Joseph Stock's father told the court that he had "chastised" his son for the trouble he had caused and so was told to only pay the court costs.
Michael Higgins appeared in the court charged with stealing a coat, a flannel shirt and a pair of shoes from beerhouse keeper Thomas Walsh. For a month last year Higgins had lodged at Walsh's house but suddenly disappeared taking the missing clothes with him.
A few days prior to the hearing he reappeared and was seen in the street by Mrs Walsh while returning from chapel. Higgins was wearing her husband's clothes and so she had the man arrested. In defence Higgins said that when he had gone away he had left behind a shirt and a shovel, which he claimed were almost of the same value of the stolen items.
He also claimed that he had returned to Prescot with the sole intention of paying off what he owed. However the magistrates were unimpressed and with the taking of clothing treated as a serious crime, they jailed the man for six weeks with hard labour.
During the evening of the 16th a lecture on house ventilation was held in the Independent Chapel in Ormskirk Street. The talk was by a Mr Reid, who was known as the "ventilatist of Prescot". It is not a subject that is likely to generate much interest today but the ventilatist had quite a large audience listening to his lecture.
The cottages at that time were constructed with little thought to the health of the occupiers. Even fifty later some soldiers in St Helens, who had returned from the war, were said to be complaining about their poorly ventilated houses. The men had got used to fresh air while at the Front and now they were home they found they could not sleep in poorly ventilated homes.
In the early hours of the 17th there was a fire at Blinkhorn and Cook's Lancashire Patent Candle Works. For a few years St Helens was a major candle maker and the company produced a wide variety of "patent snuffless dip" candles, as well as oil and soap.
The fire could have been much more serious if it had not been for the presence of mind of the manager who after arriving on the scene prevented the fire brigade from dangerously hosing down a blazing furnace. Instead he smothered the fire with iron plates and a large quantity of mortar and as a result only £200 of damage was caused.
However a more serious fire occurred in June 1869 and after extinguishing the blaze the horse-driven fire brigade accidentally backed their appliance into the St Helens Canal. Blinkhorn and Cook spent a small fortune on advertising and in one advert in a Glasgow newspaper they were offering Lancashire sperm for sale – something to do with candles apparently!
There was another death discovered on the 17th involving someone walking in the dark in a place they were unfamiliar with. William Smith was a painter from Peasley Cross employed by Greenalls and he had been working at the Swan Inn on Newton Common.
Thirty-six hours earlier the 23-year-old had finished his work and proceeded to walk to Earlestown from where he would take the train back home to St Helens. Instead of walking on the road as he'd been directed, William went over a field, probably thinking it to be a quicker way. He climbed over a fence and fell 12 yards into a pit, smashing in his skull and breaking a leg.
Also on the 17th a miner called Pimbley was killed down a Haydock pit when a very large stone fell on top of him.
The annual "soiree" of Pilkington's workers was held in the Volunteer Hall during the evening of the 17th. The event involved a tea followed by a musical programme performed by local amateurs, including Sutton Parish Church Choir.
Next week's stories will include a vicious assault on a woman in Rainford, a dispute over a cart in Ormskirk Street, the comic tale of the irrepressible drunkard Dennis Fay, more harsh prison sentences are handed out and there is a spooky childhood anecdote from the Vicar of Rainhill.
Recently a letter writer in the St Helens Newspaper had called for more works in the town to use steam whistles (a.k.a. buzzers or hooters) instead of bells to summon people to work. In the paper on the 13th someone using the pseudonym "Anti-Humbug" called this recommendation "insane" adding that Rainhill Asylum would have to be enlarged to cope with the many townsfolk driven mad by the noise. The person wrote:
"Just fancy what a perfect bedlam our town would resemble, supposing all the works (50 or 60) used the “Buzz”. I have, during this winter, been often startled from my slumbers at 20 minutes to 6 in the morning by the hideous din of that infernal “buzz”. Why, sir, if we had 50 more roaring at the same time, I feel sure I should start from my bed, and spring through the ceiling of my chamber, some dark morning."
As stated often in these articles the theft of clothing 150 years ago was considered a serious offence and almost always resulted in a custodial sentence. On the 15th in the St Helens Petty Sessions Sarah Harrison was charged with stealing a small neckerchief belonging to Margaret Rourke of Smithy Brow and was sent to Kirkdale Prison for seven days.
The St Helens Newspaper noted that the Sessions had the shortest list of cases that they had known for a long time. However there were still the usual arrests for drunkenness and breaches of the peace that the magistrates had to deal with.
Michael Noonan was charged with taking off his jacket in Hall Street and making a great disturbance by challenging people to a fight. The magistrates must have been in a good mood as they let him off and they bound over David Wayne for doing something similar in Parr.
Thomas Gateley couldn't be bothered to turn up for his hearing. The man had been charged with a breach of the peace by challenging his wife to a fight and "striking her to show he was in earnest." The absent wife beater was bound over to keep the peace.
Another popular misdemeanour in court was the leaving of a horse and cart in the street. The police would allow a short period of time for loading and unloading. However many roads were narrow and unpaved and so obstructions could easily be caused if carts were left too long. Edward Lyder had left his vehicle in the street opposite the Eccleston Gasworks and was fined one shilling and costs.
William Ramsey had had a distraint order made against him by his landlord that entitled the man to enter his tenant's home in Parr and seize goods in lieu of rent. People had few possessions in those days and Ramsey's were mainly furniture, which he foolishly decided to remove from the house to prevent them from being sold.
This was a serious offence and the landlady of the Clarence beerhouse in Duke Street had recently been imprisoned for six months for committing it. Women did often appear to be treated more harshly than men and William Ramsey was simply allowed to come to a settlement with his landlord in paying off his arrears.
During the evening of the 15th the St Helens' lodge of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows held their annual anniversary dinner at the Fleece Hotel. About seventy members and guests attended and enjoyed a "substantial and well-served dinner", followed by the usual toasts to the Queen, clergy, army, town and trade of St Helens etc. etc. I do wonder what the hungry poor of the town made of these grand dinners?
On the following day at the Prescot Petty Sessions Edward Sefton was summoned by his wife for forcibly putting her out of their house and threatening to take her life. Jane Sefton told the magistrates that she was "decidedly" afraid of her husband. However he told the court that his wife was addicted to drink and he had been a police officer for eight months but had to quit because of her conduct.
Edward claimed that he had recently found his wife drunk in a pub and when he tried to bring her home, he was grabbed by the throat by some men and thrown to the ground. The magistrates considered that there were faults on both sides and dismissed the case but cautioned the defendant as to his future conduct.
14-year-old Patrick Murphy was charged with stealing a cocoanut from Elizabeth Sephton's stall in the Prescot market. The boy pleaded guilty and as his mother promised to give him a "first-class whipping" in the presence of a police officer, Patrick was let off without further punishment.
Another youngster in trouble was Joseph Stock. The lad of about fifteen was charged with committing a breach of the peace in Prescot by shouting and making a great noise. Superintendent Fowler told the court that the Prescot postmaster had threatened to complain to the Lancashire Chief Constable unless something was done about the nuisance that boys were causing at his post office.
Joseph Stock's father told the court that he had "chastised" his son for the trouble he had caused and so was told to only pay the court costs.
Michael Higgins appeared in the court charged with stealing a coat, a flannel shirt and a pair of shoes from beerhouse keeper Thomas Walsh. For a month last year Higgins had lodged at Walsh's house but suddenly disappeared taking the missing clothes with him.
A few days prior to the hearing he reappeared and was seen in the street by Mrs Walsh while returning from chapel. Higgins was wearing her husband's clothes and so she had the man arrested. In defence Higgins said that when he had gone away he had left behind a shirt and a shovel, which he claimed were almost of the same value of the stolen items.
He also claimed that he had returned to Prescot with the sole intention of paying off what he owed. However the magistrates were unimpressed and with the taking of clothing treated as a serious crime, they jailed the man for six weeks with hard labour.
During the evening of the 16th a lecture on house ventilation was held in the Independent Chapel in Ormskirk Street. The talk was by a Mr Reid, who was known as the "ventilatist of Prescot". It is not a subject that is likely to generate much interest today but the ventilatist had quite a large audience listening to his lecture.
The cottages at that time were constructed with little thought to the health of the occupiers. Even fifty later some soldiers in St Helens, who had returned from the war, were said to be complaining about their poorly ventilated houses. The men had got used to fresh air while at the Front and now they were home they found they could not sleep in poorly ventilated homes.
Left: Blinkhorn and Cook Candle Makers advert; Right: The Independent Chapel in Ormskirk Street c.1810
Blinkhorn and Cook candle makers and Independent Chapel c.1810
Blinkhorn and Cook and Independent Chapel
The fire could have been much more serious if it had not been for the presence of mind of the manager who after arriving on the scene prevented the fire brigade from dangerously hosing down a blazing furnace. Instead he smothered the fire with iron plates and a large quantity of mortar and as a result only £200 of damage was caused.
However a more serious fire occurred in June 1869 and after extinguishing the blaze the horse-driven fire brigade accidentally backed their appliance into the St Helens Canal. Blinkhorn and Cook spent a small fortune on advertising and in one advert in a Glasgow newspaper they were offering Lancashire sperm for sale – something to do with candles apparently!
There was another death discovered on the 17th involving someone walking in the dark in a place they were unfamiliar with. William Smith was a painter from Peasley Cross employed by Greenalls and he had been working at the Swan Inn on Newton Common.
Thirty-six hours earlier the 23-year-old had finished his work and proceeded to walk to Earlestown from where he would take the train back home to St Helens. Instead of walking on the road as he'd been directed, William went over a field, probably thinking it to be a quicker way. He climbed over a fence and fell 12 yards into a pit, smashing in his skull and breaking a leg.
Also on the 17th a miner called Pimbley was killed down a Haydock pit when a very large stone fell on top of him.
The annual "soiree" of Pilkington's workers was held in the Volunteer Hall during the evening of the 17th. The event involved a tea followed by a musical programme performed by local amateurs, including Sutton Parish Church Choir.
Next week's stories will include a vicious assault on a woman in Rainford, a dispute over a cart in Ormskirk Street, the comic tale of the irrepressible drunkard Dennis Fay, more harsh prison sentences are handed out and there is a spooky childhood anecdote from the Vicar of Rainhill.