150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (11th - 17th JULY 1872)
This week's stories include the severe storm that caused immense flooding in St Helens and struck a train in Rainford, a Prescot curate is declared insane after claiming to be the Prince of Wales, the Sutton Heath explosions caused by careless miners and the Parr Flat girl called utterly reckless is sent to prison.
This week the Liverpool Courier published this story about a Prescot clergyman: "The curate of Prescot Parish Church, the Rev. John Acheson, who has only been a few months in Prescot, has become deranged in his intellect. The unfortunate gentleman was in a depressed state of mind for upwards of a fortnight before his lunacy became apparent, and the deepest sympathy is felt for him throughout the parish. He is now confined in an asylum."
The Prescot Reporter filled in the gaps, stating that the police had found the curate around 3am causing a disturbance in Derby Street, where he was in lodgings. The Rev. Acheson told them that his landlady had tried to rob and poison him and then claimed to be the Prince of Wales, asking that a telegram be sent to the Queen and a message delivered to the Earl of Derby. For some days beforehand the curate had been strange in his manner and the police decided to take him into custody for his own safety. After being examined by a couple of doctors, the reverend was despatched to an asylum in West Derby.
The summer of ‘72 had so far been an extraordinary one weather-wise in St Helens. There had been several thunderstorms which had made it difficult for any outdoor work to take place and farmers were consequently concerned about their crop yield. But the worst storm of the lot took place on the 11th and this is how the St Helens Newspaper described it:
"A thunderstorm of exceptional severity – even in this season of similar atmospheric phenomena – burst over this town and neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon. The morning was very wet with the traces of a very heavy downpour during the previous night, but up to noon there were some promises of a clearing up. However, about two o’clock the storm commenced with a terrific thunderclap, accompanied by dazzling flashes of lightning, and succeeded by a dense shower of rain.
“The thunder and lightning continued – now near, now distant – for about two hours, and throughout that period the rain continued to fall with most unusual intensity. The busiest streets were speedily cleared, and a regular suspension of out door business seemed to have taken place. The storm was too violent to last through the whole of the afternoon, and it seemed to pass away about four o’clock; but we were visited with others less violent at intervals afterwards."
The paper then went on to describe the damage that the storm had caused – mainly through flooding: "The effects of the rain show how unprecedented has been the fall. The sewers everywhere were filled, and in many cases, the water flooded over and along the highway." Duke Street was particularly badly affected; a beerhouse in Pocket Nook was described as flooded up to the seats of its chairs; a wall had washed away in Boundary Lane and the ground floor of a cottage adjacent to Thatto Heath railway station was flooded to the depth of a yard.
And this is how the Wigan Observer described the lightning strikes in Rainford: "Rainford was the scene of a most startling accident. When the storm was at its height the engine of a train from St. Helens to Rainford was struck and disabled, to the consternation of the passengers. At the same time the current caught the telegraph wires, rending them to pieces, and knocking them into fantastic shapes. Several persons were standing on a bridge, when a flash of lightening [sic] struck them, knocking them in different directions, but fortunately without doing serious injury to any."
There were numerous gas explosions down coalmines during the 1870s involving the loss of hundreds of lives. Safety precautions were basic to say the least but some miners – despite knowing the dangers – were careless in applying them. One important rule was that a brattice cloth needed to be in place, especially when blasting occurred. A brattice cloth was used to direct the ventilation of air in mines that only possessed one shaft and the heavy cloth helped to prevent explosions.
On the 13th, Thomas Pennington, John Bate, Frederick Long and Thomas Whitfield appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions charged with breaching the rules at Sutton Heath Colliery. On two separate occasions within days of each other, the men had allowed a brattice cloth to not be in place. That omission had led to two gas explosions but, fortunately, there had not been any loss of life but the men had all received burns, with Frederick Long's described as severe. As a result of their injuries, the fines that they received were not high, ranging from two shillings to a pound.
The Poor Law Unions throughout the country had their own weekly paper called 'The Gazette'. Its sole purpose was to publish details of sought after men who'd deserted their families or information on wanted women who'd walked out on their illegitimate children. These were serious crimes, although it wasn't the going away that offended the authorities, so much as the financial consequences of their family members being left in their care. This was made clear on the newspaper's front page, as they quoted sections from The Vagrant Act:
"Every person running away and leaving his wife, or his or her child or children chargeable to any parish, shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond. And every woman deserting her Bastard Child, whereby such Bastard Child becomes chargeable to any parish or union, shall be punished as a rogue and vagabond under the provisions of the said last recited Act."
In this week's edition of the Poor Law Unions Gazette published on the 13th, the Prescot Union was looking for four local men who had deserted their families and was offering a £1 reward for each of their apprehensions. One was Elijah Thomas who had deserted his wife and three children at Rainhill. If tracked down the 36-year-old gardener with brown and bushy whiskers and shaved chin could expect to be sent to prison for a few months. Another wife deserter was called Thomas Hardacre. The 27-year-old labourer was described as having "brown hair and grey eyes, sings at public houses and plays the piano, hawks pies, and frequents betting houses."
Three years ago in my '150 Years Ago' article I wrote this about Sarah Sutton: "The most interesting aspect of this next case was the revelation that just like today teenage girls 150 years ago wanted to go out during the evening and have fun! Of course, many parents would then have forbidden their daughters to be out on the dark streets without a chaperone. The case concerned 15-year-old Sarah Sutton from Parr Flat who appeared in court charged with stealing ten shillings from her father by breaking open a box.
"John Sutton apologised to the court for bringing the prosecution but said his daughter was “so utterly reckless in her conduct, and fond of going out at night” that he wanted something to be done to save her from harm. The Chairman of the Bench gave Sarah a warning as to her future conduct and then let her go. If she had not stolen the money from her Dad, then Sarah would probably have been sent to prison."
Sadly, Sarah had not learned her lesson as in May 1870 she was imprisoned for a month for stealing a dress. And this week the now 18-year-old factory hand was given six months with hard labour at Liverpool Assizes for having stolen a shawl, the property of Peter Sutton. I don't imagine that Peter from Parr Flat – who I expect was likely to have been Sarah's uncle – was in the habit of wearing a shawl. However, as far as the law was concerned, the husband owned his wife's possessions.
And finally, the word picnic was usually hyphenated in the 19th century and so what was listed as a "Public Pic-Nic" took place in Rainford on the 17th. It cost a shilling to attend the event, which was held in a field near Rainford Village railway station. "Efficient" was the underwhelming term routinely used in newspaper adverts to describe a good group that would be playing at such events. And so "An efficient Quadrille Band will be in attendance" was stated in promotions for the pic-nic, with the assembly room adjoining the Eagle and Child Inn booked as a backstop in case the summer rain returned to ruin the outdoor fun.
Next week's stories will include the fire at Bold Old Hall farm, a savage attack on a man at the Ravenhead reservoir, the Pilks apprentice doubly fined, St Helens Cricket Club's athletics festival and the death of a child in a quarry.
This week the Liverpool Courier published this story about a Prescot clergyman: "The curate of Prescot Parish Church, the Rev. John Acheson, who has only been a few months in Prescot, has become deranged in his intellect. The unfortunate gentleman was in a depressed state of mind for upwards of a fortnight before his lunacy became apparent, and the deepest sympathy is felt for him throughout the parish. He is now confined in an asylum."
The Prescot Reporter filled in the gaps, stating that the police had found the curate around 3am causing a disturbance in Derby Street, where he was in lodgings. The Rev. Acheson told them that his landlady had tried to rob and poison him and then claimed to be the Prince of Wales, asking that a telegram be sent to the Queen and a message delivered to the Earl of Derby. For some days beforehand the curate had been strange in his manner and the police decided to take him into custody for his own safety. After being examined by a couple of doctors, the reverend was despatched to an asylum in West Derby.
The summer of ‘72 had so far been an extraordinary one weather-wise in St Helens. There had been several thunderstorms which had made it difficult for any outdoor work to take place and farmers were consequently concerned about their crop yield. But the worst storm of the lot took place on the 11th and this is how the St Helens Newspaper described it:
"A thunderstorm of exceptional severity – even in this season of similar atmospheric phenomena – burst over this town and neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon. The morning was very wet with the traces of a very heavy downpour during the previous night, but up to noon there were some promises of a clearing up. However, about two o’clock the storm commenced with a terrific thunderclap, accompanied by dazzling flashes of lightning, and succeeded by a dense shower of rain.
“The thunder and lightning continued – now near, now distant – for about two hours, and throughout that period the rain continued to fall with most unusual intensity. The busiest streets were speedily cleared, and a regular suspension of out door business seemed to have taken place. The storm was too violent to last through the whole of the afternoon, and it seemed to pass away about four o’clock; but we were visited with others less violent at intervals afterwards."
The paper then went on to describe the damage that the storm had caused – mainly through flooding: "The effects of the rain show how unprecedented has been the fall. The sewers everywhere were filled, and in many cases, the water flooded over and along the highway." Duke Street was particularly badly affected; a beerhouse in Pocket Nook was described as flooded up to the seats of its chairs; a wall had washed away in Boundary Lane and the ground floor of a cottage adjacent to Thatto Heath railway station was flooded to the depth of a yard.
And this is how the Wigan Observer described the lightning strikes in Rainford: "Rainford was the scene of a most startling accident. When the storm was at its height the engine of a train from St. Helens to Rainford was struck and disabled, to the consternation of the passengers. At the same time the current caught the telegraph wires, rending them to pieces, and knocking them into fantastic shapes. Several persons were standing on a bridge, when a flash of lightening [sic] struck them, knocking them in different directions, but fortunately without doing serious injury to any."
There were numerous gas explosions down coalmines during the 1870s involving the loss of hundreds of lives. Safety precautions were basic to say the least but some miners – despite knowing the dangers – were careless in applying them. One important rule was that a brattice cloth needed to be in place, especially when blasting occurred. A brattice cloth was used to direct the ventilation of air in mines that only possessed one shaft and the heavy cloth helped to prevent explosions.
On the 13th, Thomas Pennington, John Bate, Frederick Long and Thomas Whitfield appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions charged with breaching the rules at Sutton Heath Colliery. On two separate occasions within days of each other, the men had allowed a brattice cloth to not be in place. That omission had led to two gas explosions but, fortunately, there had not been any loss of life but the men had all received burns, with Frederick Long's described as severe. As a result of their injuries, the fines that they received were not high, ranging from two shillings to a pound.
"Every person running away and leaving his wife, or his or her child or children chargeable to any parish, shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond. And every woman deserting her Bastard Child, whereby such Bastard Child becomes chargeable to any parish or union, shall be punished as a rogue and vagabond under the provisions of the said last recited Act."
In this week's edition of the Poor Law Unions Gazette published on the 13th, the Prescot Union was looking for four local men who had deserted their families and was offering a £1 reward for each of their apprehensions. One was Elijah Thomas who had deserted his wife and three children at Rainhill. If tracked down the 36-year-old gardener with brown and bushy whiskers and shaved chin could expect to be sent to prison for a few months. Another wife deserter was called Thomas Hardacre. The 27-year-old labourer was described as having "brown hair and grey eyes, sings at public houses and plays the piano, hawks pies, and frequents betting houses."
Three years ago in my '150 Years Ago' article I wrote this about Sarah Sutton: "The most interesting aspect of this next case was the revelation that just like today teenage girls 150 years ago wanted to go out during the evening and have fun! Of course, many parents would then have forbidden their daughters to be out on the dark streets without a chaperone. The case concerned 15-year-old Sarah Sutton from Parr Flat who appeared in court charged with stealing ten shillings from her father by breaking open a box.
"John Sutton apologised to the court for bringing the prosecution but said his daughter was “so utterly reckless in her conduct, and fond of going out at night” that he wanted something to be done to save her from harm. The Chairman of the Bench gave Sarah a warning as to her future conduct and then let her go. If she had not stolen the money from her Dad, then Sarah would probably have been sent to prison."
Sadly, Sarah had not learned her lesson as in May 1870 she was imprisoned for a month for stealing a dress. And this week the now 18-year-old factory hand was given six months with hard labour at Liverpool Assizes for having stolen a shawl, the property of Peter Sutton. I don't imagine that Peter from Parr Flat – who I expect was likely to have been Sarah's uncle – was in the habit of wearing a shawl. However, as far as the law was concerned, the husband owned his wife's possessions.
And finally, the word picnic was usually hyphenated in the 19th century and so what was listed as a "Public Pic-Nic" took place in Rainford on the 17th. It cost a shilling to attend the event, which was held in a field near Rainford Village railway station. "Efficient" was the underwhelming term routinely used in newspaper adverts to describe a good group that would be playing at such events. And so "An efficient Quadrille Band will be in attendance" was stated in promotions for the pic-nic, with the assembly room adjoining the Eagle and Child Inn booked as a backstop in case the summer rain returned to ruin the outdoor fun.
Next week's stories will include the fire at Bold Old Hall farm, a savage attack on a man at the Ravenhead reservoir, the Pilks apprentice doubly fined, St Helens Cricket Club's athletics festival and the death of a child in a quarry.
This week's stories include the severe storm that caused immense flooding in St Helens and struck a train in Rainford, a Prescot curate is declared insane after claiming to be the Prince of Wales, the Sutton Heath explosions caused by careless miners and the Parr Flat girl called utterly reckless is sent to prison.
This week the Liverpool Courier published this story about a Prescot clergyman:
"The curate of Prescot Parish Church, the Rev. John Acheson, who has only been a few months in Prescot, has become deranged in his intellect.
"The unfortunate gentleman was in a depressed state of mind for upwards of a fortnight before his lunacy became apparent, and the deepest sympathy is felt for him throughout the parish. He is now confined in an asylum."
The Prescot Reporter filled in the gaps, stating that the police had found the curate around 3am causing a disturbance in Derby Street, where he was in lodgings.
The Rev. Acheson told them that his landlady had tried to rob and poison him and then claimed to be the Prince of Wales, asking that a telegram be sent to the Queen and a message delivered to the Earl of Derby.
For some days beforehand the curate had been strange in his manner and the police decided to take him into custody for his own safety. After being examined by a couple of doctors, the reverend was despatched to an asylum in West Derby.
The summer of ‘72 had so far been an extraordinary one weather-wise in St Helens.
There had been several thunderstorms which had made it difficult for any outdoor work to take place and farmers were consequently concerned about their crop yield.
But the worst storm of the lot took place on the 11th and this is how the St Helens Newspaper described it:
"A thunderstorm of exceptional severity – even in this season of similar atmospheric phenomena – burst over this town and neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon. The morning was very wet with the traces of a very heavy downpour during the previous night, but up to noon there were some promises of a clearing up.
"However, about two o’clock the storm commenced with a terrific thunderclap, accompanied by dazzling flashes of lightning, and succeeded by a dense shower of rain. The thunder and lightning continued – now near, now distant – for about two hours, and throughout that period the rain continued to fall with most unusual intensity.
“The busiest streets were speedily cleared, and a regular suspension of out door business seemed to have taken place. The storm was too violent to last through the whole of the afternoon, and it seemed to pass away about four o’clock; but we were visited with others less violent at intervals afterwards."
The paper then went on to describe the damage that the storm had caused – mainly through flooding:
"The effects of the rain show how unprecedented has been the fall. The sewers everywhere were filled, and in many cases, the water flooded over and along the highway."
Duke Street was particularly badly affected; a beerhouse in Pocket Nook was described as flooded up to the seats of its chairs; a wall had washed away in Boundary Lane and the ground floor of a cottage adjacent to Thatto Heath railway station was flooded to the depth of a yard.
And this is how the Wigan Observer described the lightning strikes in Rainford:
"Rainford was the scene of a most startling accident. When the storm was at its height the engine of a train from St. Helens to Rainford was struck and disabled, to the consternation of the passengers.
"At the same time the current caught the telegraph wires, rending them to pieces, and knocking them into fantastic shapes. Several persons were standing on a bridge, when a flash of lightening [sic] struck them, knocking them in different directions, but fortunately without doing serious injury to any."
There were numerous gas explosions down coalmines during the 1870s involving the loss of hundreds of lives.
Safety precautions were basic to say the least but some miners – despite knowing the dangers – were careless in applying them.
One important rule was that a brattice cloth needed to be in place, especially when blasting occurred.
A brattice cloth was used to direct the ventilation of air in mines that only possessed one shaft and the heavy cloth helped to prevent explosions.
On the 13th, Thomas Pennington, John Bate, Frederick Long and Thomas Whitfield appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions charged with breaching the rules at Sutton Heath Colliery.
On two separate occasions within days of each other, the men had allowed a brattice cloth to not be in place.
That omission had led to two gas explosions but, fortunately, there had not been any loss of life but the men had all received burns, with Frederick Long's described as severe.
As a result of their injuries, the fines that they received were not high, ranging from two shillings to a pound.
The Poor Law Unions throughout the country had their own weekly paper called 'The Gazette'.
Its sole purpose was to publish details of sought after men who'd deserted their families or information on wanted women who'd walked out on their illegitimate children.
These were serious crimes, although it wasn't the going away that offended the authorities, so much as the financial consequences of their family members being left in their care.
This was made clear on the newspaper's front page, as they quoted sections from The Vagrant Act:
"Every person running away and leaving his wife, or his or her child or children chargeable to any parish, shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond.
"And every woman deserting her Bastard Child, whereby such Bastard Child becomes chargeable to any parish or union, shall be punished as a rogue and vagabond under the provisions of the said last recited Act."
In this week's edition of the Poor Law Unions Gazette published on the 13th, the Prescot Union was looking for four local men who had deserted their families and was offering a £1 reward for each of their apprehensions.
One was Elijah Thomas who had deserted his wife and three children at Rainhill. If tracked down the 36-year-old gardener with brown and bushy whiskers and shaved chin could expect to be sent to prison for a few months.
Another wife deserter was called Thomas Hardacre. The 27-year-old labourer was described as having "brown hair and grey eyes, sings at public houses and plays the piano, hawks pies, and frequents betting houses."
Three years ago in my '150 Years Ago' article I wrote this about Sarah Sutton:
"The most interesting aspect of this next case was the revelation that just like today teenage girls 150 years ago wanted to go out during the evening and have fun! Of course, many parents would then have forbidden their daughters to be out on the dark streets without a chaperone.
"The case concerned 15-year-old Sarah Sutton from Parr Flat who appeared in court charged with stealing ten shillings from her father by breaking open a box. John Sutton apologised to the court for bringing the prosecution but said his daughter was “so utterly reckless in her conduct, and fond of going out at night” that he wanted something to be done to save her from harm.
"The Chairman of the Bench gave Sarah a warning as to her future conduct and then let her go. If she had not stolen the money from her Dad, then Sarah would probably have been sent to prison."
Sadly, Sarah had not learned her lesson as in May 1870 she was imprisoned for a month for stealing a dress.
And this week the now 18-year-old factory hand was given six months with hard labour at Liverpool Assizes for having stolen a shawl, the property of Peter Sutton.
I don't imagine that Peter from Parr Flat – who I expect was likely to have been Sarah's uncle – was in the habit of wearing a shawl. However, as far as the law was concerned, the husband owned his wife's possessions.
And finally, the word picnic was usually hyphenated in the 19th century and so what was listed as a "Public Pic-Nic" took place in Rainford on the 17th.
It cost a shilling to attend the event, which was held in a field near Rainford Village railway station.
"Efficient" was the underwhelming term routinely used in newspaper adverts to describe a good group that would be playing at such events.
And so "An efficient Quadrille Band will be in attendance" was stated in promotions for the pic-nic, with the assembly room adjoining the Eagle and Child Inn booked as a backstop in case the summer rain returned to ruin the outdoor fun.
Next week's stories will include the fire at Bold Old Hall farm, a savage attack on a man at the Ravenhead reservoir, the Pilks apprentice doubly fined, St Helens Cricket Club's athletics festival and the death of a child in a quarry.
This week the Liverpool Courier published this story about a Prescot clergyman:
"The curate of Prescot Parish Church, the Rev. John Acheson, who has only been a few months in Prescot, has become deranged in his intellect.
"The unfortunate gentleman was in a depressed state of mind for upwards of a fortnight before his lunacy became apparent, and the deepest sympathy is felt for him throughout the parish. He is now confined in an asylum."
The Prescot Reporter filled in the gaps, stating that the police had found the curate around 3am causing a disturbance in Derby Street, where he was in lodgings.
The Rev. Acheson told them that his landlady had tried to rob and poison him and then claimed to be the Prince of Wales, asking that a telegram be sent to the Queen and a message delivered to the Earl of Derby.
For some days beforehand the curate had been strange in his manner and the police decided to take him into custody for his own safety. After being examined by a couple of doctors, the reverend was despatched to an asylum in West Derby.
The summer of ‘72 had so far been an extraordinary one weather-wise in St Helens.
There had been several thunderstorms which had made it difficult for any outdoor work to take place and farmers were consequently concerned about their crop yield.
But the worst storm of the lot took place on the 11th and this is how the St Helens Newspaper described it:
"A thunderstorm of exceptional severity – even in this season of similar atmospheric phenomena – burst over this town and neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon. The morning was very wet with the traces of a very heavy downpour during the previous night, but up to noon there were some promises of a clearing up.
"However, about two o’clock the storm commenced with a terrific thunderclap, accompanied by dazzling flashes of lightning, and succeeded by a dense shower of rain. The thunder and lightning continued – now near, now distant – for about two hours, and throughout that period the rain continued to fall with most unusual intensity.
“The busiest streets were speedily cleared, and a regular suspension of out door business seemed to have taken place. The storm was too violent to last through the whole of the afternoon, and it seemed to pass away about four o’clock; but we were visited with others less violent at intervals afterwards."
The paper then went on to describe the damage that the storm had caused – mainly through flooding:
"The effects of the rain show how unprecedented has been the fall. The sewers everywhere were filled, and in many cases, the water flooded over and along the highway."
Duke Street was particularly badly affected; a beerhouse in Pocket Nook was described as flooded up to the seats of its chairs; a wall had washed away in Boundary Lane and the ground floor of a cottage adjacent to Thatto Heath railway station was flooded to the depth of a yard.
And this is how the Wigan Observer described the lightning strikes in Rainford:
"Rainford was the scene of a most startling accident. When the storm was at its height the engine of a train from St. Helens to Rainford was struck and disabled, to the consternation of the passengers.
"At the same time the current caught the telegraph wires, rending them to pieces, and knocking them into fantastic shapes. Several persons were standing on a bridge, when a flash of lightening [sic] struck them, knocking them in different directions, but fortunately without doing serious injury to any."
There were numerous gas explosions down coalmines during the 1870s involving the loss of hundreds of lives.
Safety precautions were basic to say the least but some miners – despite knowing the dangers – were careless in applying them.
One important rule was that a brattice cloth needed to be in place, especially when blasting occurred.
A brattice cloth was used to direct the ventilation of air in mines that only possessed one shaft and the heavy cloth helped to prevent explosions.
On the 13th, Thomas Pennington, John Bate, Frederick Long and Thomas Whitfield appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions charged with breaching the rules at Sutton Heath Colliery.
On two separate occasions within days of each other, the men had allowed a brattice cloth to not be in place.
That omission had led to two gas explosions but, fortunately, there had not been any loss of life but the men had all received burns, with Frederick Long's described as severe.
As a result of their injuries, the fines that they received were not high, ranging from two shillings to a pound.
Its sole purpose was to publish details of sought after men who'd deserted their families or information on wanted women who'd walked out on their illegitimate children.
These were serious crimes, although it wasn't the going away that offended the authorities, so much as the financial consequences of their family members being left in their care.
This was made clear on the newspaper's front page, as they quoted sections from The Vagrant Act:
"Every person running away and leaving his wife, or his or her child or children chargeable to any parish, shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond.
"And every woman deserting her Bastard Child, whereby such Bastard Child becomes chargeable to any parish or union, shall be punished as a rogue and vagabond under the provisions of the said last recited Act."
In this week's edition of the Poor Law Unions Gazette published on the 13th, the Prescot Union was looking for four local men who had deserted their families and was offering a £1 reward for each of their apprehensions.
One was Elijah Thomas who had deserted his wife and three children at Rainhill. If tracked down the 36-year-old gardener with brown and bushy whiskers and shaved chin could expect to be sent to prison for a few months.
Another wife deserter was called Thomas Hardacre. The 27-year-old labourer was described as having "brown hair and grey eyes, sings at public houses and plays the piano, hawks pies, and frequents betting houses."
Three years ago in my '150 Years Ago' article I wrote this about Sarah Sutton:
"The most interesting aspect of this next case was the revelation that just like today teenage girls 150 years ago wanted to go out during the evening and have fun! Of course, many parents would then have forbidden their daughters to be out on the dark streets without a chaperone.
"The case concerned 15-year-old Sarah Sutton from Parr Flat who appeared in court charged with stealing ten shillings from her father by breaking open a box. John Sutton apologised to the court for bringing the prosecution but said his daughter was “so utterly reckless in her conduct, and fond of going out at night” that he wanted something to be done to save her from harm.
"The Chairman of the Bench gave Sarah a warning as to her future conduct and then let her go. If she had not stolen the money from her Dad, then Sarah would probably have been sent to prison."
Sadly, Sarah had not learned her lesson as in May 1870 she was imprisoned for a month for stealing a dress.
And this week the now 18-year-old factory hand was given six months with hard labour at Liverpool Assizes for having stolen a shawl, the property of Peter Sutton.
I don't imagine that Peter from Parr Flat – who I expect was likely to have been Sarah's uncle – was in the habit of wearing a shawl. However, as far as the law was concerned, the husband owned his wife's possessions.
And finally, the word picnic was usually hyphenated in the 19th century and so what was listed as a "Public Pic-Nic" took place in Rainford on the 17th.
It cost a shilling to attend the event, which was held in a field near Rainford Village railway station.
"Efficient" was the underwhelming term routinely used in newspaper adverts to describe a good group that would be playing at such events.
And so "An efficient Quadrille Band will be in attendance" was stated in promotions for the pic-nic, with the assembly room adjoining the Eagle and Child Inn booked as a backstop in case the summer rain returned to ruin the outdoor fun.
Next week's stories will include the fire at Bold Old Hall farm, a savage attack on a man at the Ravenhead reservoir, the Pilks apprentice doubly fined, St Helens Cricket Club's athletics festival and the death of a child in a quarry.