150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 12 - 18 MAY 1875
This week's many stories include the cases of smallpox in Whiston Workhouse, the celebrations of Whit Monday in St Helens, the Grand Gala held at Prescot, the boy sneak thief returns to court, the Prescot Reporter scotches rumours of war being about to break out and how firemen were accused of incompetence when they caused water damage in dealing with a small fire in a Church Street draper's.
We begin on the 13th at a meeting of the Prescot Guardians where it was disclosed that a one-year-old child had died in Whiston Workhouse through smallpox. Two other persons were also suffering from the disease. There were 396 persons currently in the workhouse of which 145 were children. At the same time last year there had been 333 inmates.As well as detailing those elected Guardians that had bothered to attend the fortnightly meetings, the Prescot Reporter also listed those who hadn't turned up. There were 14 in attendance and 17 who hadn't shown up.
On the 14th William Riley returned to court in St Helens. In 1873 the then 10-year-old had literally been found with his fingers in the till of a Raven Street pub. Although the amount was only five pence that was irrelevant to the court as it was the act of stealing that mattered. It had also not been the boy's first offence, as he had previously been imprisoned on a similar charge.
At the time Superintendent Ludlam told the Bench that the lad's parents seemed to have lost all control over him and the magistrates sent William to prison for 14 days after which he would be transferred to a reformatory for 5 years. But the latter punishment does not seem to have occurred.
I have come across other cases were boys of a similar age to William were after sentencing found to be too young to be placed in a reformatory – but old enough to be sent to prison. That's another of those inconsistencies of the 1870s and I expect was the reason the boy did not end up in the reformatory, as the magistrates had wanted.
This week William was accused of stealing money from Mary Sephton's butcher's shop in Church Street. The now 12-year-old took advantage of the common practice of a shop door being left open to encourage customers to come in, with the shopkeeper sat in a back room awaiting trade.
But such sneak stealing from tills or of items on display was risky as the shopkeeper had ways of keeping watch and Mary Sephton spotted William Riley lurking on her premises. Upon going to see what the boy wanted, he immediately left the shop and was joined by two companions. After checking her till Mrs Sephton found that she was 10 shillings 10d short and so sent for a policeman. Two of the boys were arrested, although the stolen cash was not found on them.
But a man called Edward Bulman operating a crane in the yard of Daglish's Foundry had seen one of the boys while being chased down Foundry Street stop and place something behind a pile of empty boxes. He informed the police and PC Fleetwood discovered it to be the stolen money. As a result both William Riley and a boy called Joseph Murray were sent to prison for three months.
On the 15th the much-advertised Grand Gala began at the Plough Hotel in Warrington Road in Prescot. Athletics was at the heart of the 3-day event, which included: "Various feats, such as Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling, Lancashire Wrestling, High Leap, Pole Jumping, Putting the Stones, Hammer Throwing, Picking up Stones and Eggs, one yard apart, Sack Racing, &c., &c., concluding each evening with a Grand Display of Fireworks."
The organisers had been expecting as many as 50,000 people to turn up and military bands were also in attendance, with dances held each evening and the value of prizes was £100. A "gigantic pyrotechnic display" ended the event. The St Helens Newspaper in its review said the arrangements were of a "very elaborate character" with both the exterior and interior of the grounds "profusely decorated with flags and banners of every possible devise and colour".
As many as 88 cups, goblets and watches were offered as prizes and on the opening day two military bands played – one a German ensemble. The attendance on the Saturday was described as moderately good but with few people having travelled from afar. There had been a similar sporting attraction held on the same day at Newcastle that was thought might have affected the attendance in Prescot of both spectators and competitors, the latter also being less than was expected.
The St Helens fire brigade was a part-time affair composed of police officers who acted as firemen when blazes broke out. With electricity yet to be invented and hoax calls by telephone not an issue, they were not called out very often. That, by the way, occurred through the sounding of a fire bell that anyone could ring and, as far as I know, was still located outside the old fire-damaged town hall.
The firemen did a bit of practice but not very much and as of late there had been much criticism of their performance. And their reputation was not enhanced by what happened this week in dealing with a small fire at Marsh's drapery store in Church Street. It was spotted by solicitor Henry Lindon Riley who had premises in Hardshaw Street. He had been walking past Marsh's premises when he observed what the Newspaper said was "flames and smook" issuing out of one of the grids in front of the shop.
Mr Riley quickly rang the fire bell and some police dashed to the scene – although these were not the ones that doubled as firemen. Some of the officers kept back the crowd that had gathered while other police assisted by volunteers carried buckets of water from the yard of the Fleece Hotel and poured it down the grid. The St Helens Newspaper takes up the rest of the story:
"This created a great deal of steam, which made its way upstairs and out of the second storey windows, causing doubts to be entertained that the fire had spread. All this time the fire brigade were at their usual practice in the neighbourhood of Boundary road, so that by the time they arrived the fire must have been out and all danger over, notwithstanding which, however, they broke one of the cellar windows, and pointed a hose and threw it into the underground warehouse, whilst another was laid down the stairs, and with both playing in full force the warehouse was speedily inundated [with water].
"In the performance of even this portion of the work the utmost confusion occurred amongst the brigade, there being apparently an utter want of system, as they were rushing about in one another's way like people altogether unacquainted with the work. When the smoke and steam cleared away in the cellar, it was seen that what fire there was had not been there at all, but in an outer cellar amongst old paper boxes, which were supposed to have become ignited through some person passing along the street having carelessly thrown a lighted match down the grid. The damage done by the fire was a mere trifle, whilst that done by the water will be considerable."
The Prescot Reporter on the 15th published this rather elaborate rebuttal to unfounded rumours that war was about to break out: "Nervous people have been in a state of great trepidation during the past fortnight owing to imaginary impending disasters in the anticipated outbreak of volcanic eruptions in continental politics calculated to ignite the torch of war and set the world in a blaze."
The 17th was Whit Monday and although not a Bank Holiday as such, the day was observed in the town as what the St Helens Newspaper called a general holiday. All places of business closed their doors – apart, of course, from the pubs. This is how the Newspaper described the day:
"This annual festival was observed in St. Helens on Monday, with more than the usual amount of gaiety and recreation. The weather was all that could be desired, the sun shining bright and warm, there being scarcely a cloud to be seen, whilst what would have been an oppressive heat was genially tempered by a light westerly wind which prevailed.
"The day was spent by the towns-people in various ways, many availing themselves of the fine weather to a trip to the Belle Vue Gardens, Manchester, Liverpool, New Brighton, Southport, and Blackpool. But the large emigration to these places seemed scarcely to diminish the crowd, as during the day some thousands of people were to be seen about the streets, either taking part in the several processions or as spectators of them.
"From as early as nine o’clock in the morning, bands of music were perambulating the streets, as though proclaiming the holiday, one of the earliest arrivals being the band of the Boys' Refuge, Kirkdale, who attracted considerable attention, no less from their artistic playing, than from their clean and healthy appearance. The various temperance societies and schools in the town had each their demonstration."
The Catholic Association for the Suppression of Drunkenness formed the longest procession numbering 2,000 people, with around 2,000 more having chosen to walk behind them.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the revenge of the 14-year-old street rough who liked to assault girls, some shocking death stats for 1874 are released and the strange reason a police officer was stationed in St Helens Cemetery.
We begin on the 13th at a meeting of the Prescot Guardians where it was disclosed that a one-year-old child had died in Whiston Workhouse through smallpox. Two other persons were also suffering from the disease. There were 396 persons currently in the workhouse of which 145 were children. At the same time last year there had been 333 inmates.As well as detailing those elected Guardians that had bothered to attend the fortnightly meetings, the Prescot Reporter also listed those who hadn't turned up. There were 14 in attendance and 17 who hadn't shown up.
On the 14th William Riley returned to court in St Helens. In 1873 the then 10-year-old had literally been found with his fingers in the till of a Raven Street pub. Although the amount was only five pence that was irrelevant to the court as it was the act of stealing that mattered. It had also not been the boy's first offence, as he had previously been imprisoned on a similar charge.
At the time Superintendent Ludlam told the Bench that the lad's parents seemed to have lost all control over him and the magistrates sent William to prison for 14 days after which he would be transferred to a reformatory for 5 years. But the latter punishment does not seem to have occurred.
I have come across other cases were boys of a similar age to William were after sentencing found to be too young to be placed in a reformatory – but old enough to be sent to prison. That's another of those inconsistencies of the 1870s and I expect was the reason the boy did not end up in the reformatory, as the magistrates had wanted.
This week William was accused of stealing money from Mary Sephton's butcher's shop in Church Street. The now 12-year-old took advantage of the common practice of a shop door being left open to encourage customers to come in, with the shopkeeper sat in a back room awaiting trade.
But such sneak stealing from tills or of items on display was risky as the shopkeeper had ways of keeping watch and Mary Sephton spotted William Riley lurking on her premises. Upon going to see what the boy wanted, he immediately left the shop and was joined by two companions. After checking her till Mrs Sephton found that she was 10 shillings 10d short and so sent for a policeman. Two of the boys were arrested, although the stolen cash was not found on them.
But a man called Edward Bulman operating a crane in the yard of Daglish's Foundry had seen one of the boys while being chased down Foundry Street stop and place something behind a pile of empty boxes. He informed the police and PC Fleetwood discovered it to be the stolen money. As a result both William Riley and a boy called Joseph Murray were sent to prison for three months.
On the 15th the much-advertised Grand Gala began at the Plough Hotel in Warrington Road in Prescot. Athletics was at the heart of the 3-day event, which included: "Various feats, such as Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling, Lancashire Wrestling, High Leap, Pole Jumping, Putting the Stones, Hammer Throwing, Picking up Stones and Eggs, one yard apart, Sack Racing, &c., &c., concluding each evening with a Grand Display of Fireworks."
The organisers had been expecting as many as 50,000 people to turn up and military bands were also in attendance, with dances held each evening and the value of prizes was £100. A "gigantic pyrotechnic display" ended the event. The St Helens Newspaper in its review said the arrangements were of a "very elaborate character" with both the exterior and interior of the grounds "profusely decorated with flags and banners of every possible devise and colour".
As many as 88 cups, goblets and watches were offered as prizes and on the opening day two military bands played – one a German ensemble. The attendance on the Saturday was described as moderately good but with few people having travelled from afar. There had been a similar sporting attraction held on the same day at Newcastle that was thought might have affected the attendance in Prescot of both spectators and competitors, the latter also being less than was expected.
The firemen did a bit of practice but not very much and as of late there had been much criticism of their performance. And their reputation was not enhanced by what happened this week in dealing with a small fire at Marsh's drapery store in Church Street. It was spotted by solicitor Henry Lindon Riley who had premises in Hardshaw Street. He had been walking past Marsh's premises when he observed what the Newspaper said was "flames and smook" issuing out of one of the grids in front of the shop.
Mr Riley quickly rang the fire bell and some police dashed to the scene – although these were not the ones that doubled as firemen. Some of the officers kept back the crowd that had gathered while other police assisted by volunteers carried buckets of water from the yard of the Fleece Hotel and poured it down the grid. The St Helens Newspaper takes up the rest of the story:
"This created a great deal of steam, which made its way upstairs and out of the second storey windows, causing doubts to be entertained that the fire had spread. All this time the fire brigade were at their usual practice in the neighbourhood of Boundary road, so that by the time they arrived the fire must have been out and all danger over, notwithstanding which, however, they broke one of the cellar windows, and pointed a hose and threw it into the underground warehouse, whilst another was laid down the stairs, and with both playing in full force the warehouse was speedily inundated [with water].
"In the performance of even this portion of the work the utmost confusion occurred amongst the brigade, there being apparently an utter want of system, as they were rushing about in one another's way like people altogether unacquainted with the work. When the smoke and steam cleared away in the cellar, it was seen that what fire there was had not been there at all, but in an outer cellar amongst old paper boxes, which were supposed to have become ignited through some person passing along the street having carelessly thrown a lighted match down the grid. The damage done by the fire was a mere trifle, whilst that done by the water will be considerable."
The Prescot Reporter on the 15th published this rather elaborate rebuttal to unfounded rumours that war was about to break out: "Nervous people have been in a state of great trepidation during the past fortnight owing to imaginary impending disasters in the anticipated outbreak of volcanic eruptions in continental politics calculated to ignite the torch of war and set the world in a blaze."
The 17th was Whit Monday and although not a Bank Holiday as such, the day was observed in the town as what the St Helens Newspaper called a general holiday. All places of business closed their doors – apart, of course, from the pubs. This is how the Newspaper described the day:
"This annual festival was observed in St. Helens on Monday, with more than the usual amount of gaiety and recreation. The weather was all that could be desired, the sun shining bright and warm, there being scarcely a cloud to be seen, whilst what would have been an oppressive heat was genially tempered by a light westerly wind which prevailed.
"The day was spent by the towns-people in various ways, many availing themselves of the fine weather to a trip to the Belle Vue Gardens, Manchester, Liverpool, New Brighton, Southport, and Blackpool. But the large emigration to these places seemed scarcely to diminish the crowd, as during the day some thousands of people were to be seen about the streets, either taking part in the several processions or as spectators of them.
"From as early as nine o’clock in the morning, bands of music were perambulating the streets, as though proclaiming the holiday, one of the earliest arrivals being the band of the Boys' Refuge, Kirkdale, who attracted considerable attention, no less from their artistic playing, than from their clean and healthy appearance. The various temperance societies and schools in the town had each their demonstration."
The Catholic Association for the Suppression of Drunkenness formed the longest procession numbering 2,000 people, with around 2,000 more having chosen to walk behind them.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the revenge of the 14-year-old street rough who liked to assault girls, some shocking death stats for 1874 are released and the strange reason a police officer was stationed in St Helens Cemetery.
This week's many stories include the cases of smallpox in Whiston Workhouse, the celebrations of Whit Monday in St Helens, the Grand Gala held at Prescot, the boy sneak thief returns to court, the Prescot Reporter scotches rumours of war being about to break out and how firemen were accused of incompetence when they caused water damage in dealing with a small fire in a Church Street draper's.
We begin on the 13th at a meeting of the Prescot Guardians where it was disclosed that a one-year-old child had died in Whiston Workhouse through smallpox. Two other persons were also suffering from the disease.
There were 396 persons currently in the workhouse of which 145 were children. At the same time last year there had been 333 inmates.
As well as detailing those elected Guardians that had bothered to attend the fortnightly meetings, the Prescot Reporter also listed those who hadn't turned up. There were 14 in attendance and 17 who hadn't shown up.
On the 14th William Riley returned to court in St Helens. In 1873 the then 10-year-old had literally been found with his fingers in the till of a Raven Street pub.
Although the amount was only five pence that was irrelevant to the court as it was the act of stealing that mattered.
It had also not been the boy's first offence, as he had previously been imprisoned on a similar charge.
At the time Superintendent Ludlam told the Bench that the lad's parents seemed to have lost all control over him and the magistrates sent William to prison for 14 days after which he would be transferred to a reformatory for 5 years.
But the latter punishment does not seem to have occurred. I have come across other cases were boys of a similar age to William were after sentencing found to be too young to be placed in a reformatory – but old enough to be sent to prison.
That's another of those inconsistencies of the 1870s and I expect was the reason the boy did not end up in the reformatory, as the magistrates had wanted.
This week William was accused of stealing money from Mary Sephton's butcher's shop in Church Street.
The now 12-year-old took advantage of the common practice of a shop door being left open to encourage customers to come in, with the shopkeeper sat in a back room awaiting trade.
But such sneak stealing from tills or of items on display was risky as the shopkeeper had ways of keeping watch and Mary Sephton spotted William Riley lurking on her premises.
Upon going to see what the boy wanted, he immediately left the shop and was joined by two companions.
After checking her till Mrs Sephton found that she was 10 shillings 10d short and so sent for a policeman.
Two of the boys were arrested, although the stolen cash was not found on them.
But a man called Edward Bulman operating a crane in the yard of Daglish's Foundry had seen one of the boys while being chased down Foundry Street stop and place something behind a pile of empty boxes.
He informed the police and PC Fleetwood discovered it to be the stolen money.
As a result both William Riley and a boy called Joseph Murray were sent to prison for three months.
On the 15th the much-advertised Grand Gala began at the Plough Hotel in Warrington Road in Prescot.
Athletics was at the heart of the 3-day event, which included: "Various feats, such as Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling, Lancashire Wrestling, High Leap, Pole Jumping, Putting the Stones, Hammer Throwing, Picking up Stones and Eggs, one yard apart, Sack Racing, &c., &c., concluding each evening with a Grand Display of Fireworks."
The organisers had been expecting as many as 50,000 people to turn up and military bands were also in attendance, with dances held each evening and the value of prizes was £100. A "gigantic pyrotechnic display" ended the event.
The St Helens Newspaper in its review said the arrangements were of a "very elaborate character" with both the exterior and interior of the grounds "profusely decorated with flags and banners of every possible devise and colour".
As many as 88 cups, goblets and watches were offered as prizes and on the opening day two military bands played – one a German ensemble.
The attendance on the Saturday was described as moderately good but with few people having travelled from afar.
There had been a similar sporting attraction held on the same day at Newcastle that was thought might have affected the attendance in Prescot of both spectators and competitors, the latter also being less than was expected.
The St Helens fire brigade was a part-time affair composed of police officers who acted as firemen when blazes broke out.
With electricity yet to be invented and hoax calls by telephone not an issue, they were not called out very often.
That, by the way, occurred through the sounding of a fire bell that anyone could ring and, as far as I know, was still located outside the old fire-damaged town hall.
The firemen did a bit of practice but not very much and as of late there had been much criticism of their performance.
And their reputation was not enhanced by what happened this week in dealing with a small fire at Marsh's drapery store in Church Street.
It was spotted by solicitor Henry Lindon Riley who had premises in Hardshaw Street.
He had been walking past Marsh's premises when he observed what the Newspaper said was "flames and smook" issuing out of one of the grids in front of the shop.
Mr Riley quickly rang the fire bell and some police dashed to the scene – although these were not the ones that doubled as firemen.
Some of the officers kept back the crowd that had gathered while other police assisted by volunteers carried buckets of water from the yard of the Fleece Hotel and poured it down the grid. The St Helens Newspaper takes up the rest of the story:
"This created a great deal of steam, which made its way upstairs and out of the second storey windows, causing doubts to be entertained that the fire had spread.
"All this time the fire brigade were at their usual practice in the neighbourhood of Boundary road, so that by the time they arrived the fire must have been out and all danger over, notwithstanding which, however, they broke one of the cellar windows, and pointed a hose and threw it into the underground warehouse, whilst another was laid down the stairs, and with both playing in full force the warehouse was speedily inundated [with water].
"In the performance of even this portion of the work the utmost confusion occurred amongst the brigade, there being apparently an utter want of system, as they were rushing about in one another's way like people altogether unacquainted with the work.
"When the smoke and steam cleared away in the cellar, it was seen that what fire there was had not been there at all, but in an outer cellar amongst old paper boxes, which were supposed to have become ignited through some person passing along the street having carelessly thrown a lighted match down the grid.
"The damage done by the fire was a mere trifle, whilst that done by the water will be considerable."
The Prescot Reporter on the 15th published this rather elaborate rebuttal to unfounded rumours that war was about to break out:
"Nervous people have been in a state of great trepidation during the past fortnight owing to imaginary impending disasters in the anticipated outbreak of volcanic eruptions in continental politics calculated to ignite the torch of war and set the world in a blaze."
The 17th was Whit Monday and although not a Bank Holiday as such, the day was observed in the town as what the St Helens Newspaper called a general holiday.
All places of business closed their doors – apart, of course, from the pubs. This is how the Newspaper described the day:
"This annual festival was observed in St. Helens on Monday, with more than the usual amount of gaiety and recreation.
"The weather was all that could be desired, the sun shining bright and warm, there being scarcely a cloud to be seen, whilst what would have been an oppressive heat was genially tempered by a light westerly wind which prevailed.
"The day was spent by the towns-people in various ways, many availing themselves of the fine weather to a trip to the Belle Vue Gardens, Manchester, Liverpool, New Brighton, Southport, and Blackpool.
"But the large emigration to these places seemed scarcely to diminish the crowd, as during the day some thousands of people were to be seen about the streets, either taking part in the several processions or as spectators of them.
"From as early as nine o’clock in the morning, bands of music were perambulating the streets, as though proclaiming the holiday, one of the earliest arrivals being the band of the Boys' Refuge, Kirkdale, who attracted considerable attention, no less from their artistic playing, than from their clean and healthy appearance.
"The various temperance societies and schools in the town had each their demonstration."
The Catholic Association for the Suppression of Drunkenness formed the longest procession numbering 2,000 people, with around 2,000 more having chosen to walk behind them.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the revenge of the 14-year-old street rough who liked to assault girls, some shocking death stats for 1874 are released and the strange reason a police officer was stationed in St Helens Cemetery.
We begin on the 13th at a meeting of the Prescot Guardians where it was disclosed that a one-year-old child had died in Whiston Workhouse through smallpox. Two other persons were also suffering from the disease.
There were 396 persons currently in the workhouse of which 145 were children. At the same time last year there had been 333 inmates.
As well as detailing those elected Guardians that had bothered to attend the fortnightly meetings, the Prescot Reporter also listed those who hadn't turned up. There were 14 in attendance and 17 who hadn't shown up.
On the 14th William Riley returned to court in St Helens. In 1873 the then 10-year-old had literally been found with his fingers in the till of a Raven Street pub.
Although the amount was only five pence that was irrelevant to the court as it was the act of stealing that mattered.
It had also not been the boy's first offence, as he had previously been imprisoned on a similar charge.
At the time Superintendent Ludlam told the Bench that the lad's parents seemed to have lost all control over him and the magistrates sent William to prison for 14 days after which he would be transferred to a reformatory for 5 years.
But the latter punishment does not seem to have occurred. I have come across other cases were boys of a similar age to William were after sentencing found to be too young to be placed in a reformatory – but old enough to be sent to prison.
That's another of those inconsistencies of the 1870s and I expect was the reason the boy did not end up in the reformatory, as the magistrates had wanted.
This week William was accused of stealing money from Mary Sephton's butcher's shop in Church Street.
The now 12-year-old took advantage of the common practice of a shop door being left open to encourage customers to come in, with the shopkeeper sat in a back room awaiting trade.
But such sneak stealing from tills or of items on display was risky as the shopkeeper had ways of keeping watch and Mary Sephton spotted William Riley lurking on her premises.
Upon going to see what the boy wanted, he immediately left the shop and was joined by two companions.
After checking her till Mrs Sephton found that she was 10 shillings 10d short and so sent for a policeman.
Two of the boys were arrested, although the stolen cash was not found on them.
But a man called Edward Bulman operating a crane in the yard of Daglish's Foundry had seen one of the boys while being chased down Foundry Street stop and place something behind a pile of empty boxes.
He informed the police and PC Fleetwood discovered it to be the stolen money.
As a result both William Riley and a boy called Joseph Murray were sent to prison for three months.
On the 15th the much-advertised Grand Gala began at the Plough Hotel in Warrington Road in Prescot.
Athletics was at the heart of the 3-day event, which included: "Various feats, such as Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling, Lancashire Wrestling, High Leap, Pole Jumping, Putting the Stones, Hammer Throwing, Picking up Stones and Eggs, one yard apart, Sack Racing, &c., &c., concluding each evening with a Grand Display of Fireworks."
The organisers had been expecting as many as 50,000 people to turn up and military bands were also in attendance, with dances held each evening and the value of prizes was £100. A "gigantic pyrotechnic display" ended the event.
The St Helens Newspaper in its review said the arrangements were of a "very elaborate character" with both the exterior and interior of the grounds "profusely decorated with flags and banners of every possible devise and colour".
As many as 88 cups, goblets and watches were offered as prizes and on the opening day two military bands played – one a German ensemble.
The attendance on the Saturday was described as moderately good but with few people having travelled from afar.
There had been a similar sporting attraction held on the same day at Newcastle that was thought might have affected the attendance in Prescot of both spectators and competitors, the latter also being less than was expected.
With electricity yet to be invented and hoax calls by telephone not an issue, they were not called out very often.
That, by the way, occurred through the sounding of a fire bell that anyone could ring and, as far as I know, was still located outside the old fire-damaged town hall.
The firemen did a bit of practice but not very much and as of late there had been much criticism of their performance.
And their reputation was not enhanced by what happened this week in dealing with a small fire at Marsh's drapery store in Church Street.
It was spotted by solicitor Henry Lindon Riley who had premises in Hardshaw Street.
He had been walking past Marsh's premises when he observed what the Newspaper said was "flames and smook" issuing out of one of the grids in front of the shop.
Mr Riley quickly rang the fire bell and some police dashed to the scene – although these were not the ones that doubled as firemen.
Some of the officers kept back the crowd that had gathered while other police assisted by volunteers carried buckets of water from the yard of the Fleece Hotel and poured it down the grid. The St Helens Newspaper takes up the rest of the story:
"This created a great deal of steam, which made its way upstairs and out of the second storey windows, causing doubts to be entertained that the fire had spread.
"All this time the fire brigade were at their usual practice in the neighbourhood of Boundary road, so that by the time they arrived the fire must have been out and all danger over, notwithstanding which, however, they broke one of the cellar windows, and pointed a hose and threw it into the underground warehouse, whilst another was laid down the stairs, and with both playing in full force the warehouse was speedily inundated [with water].
"In the performance of even this portion of the work the utmost confusion occurred amongst the brigade, there being apparently an utter want of system, as they were rushing about in one another's way like people altogether unacquainted with the work.
"When the smoke and steam cleared away in the cellar, it was seen that what fire there was had not been there at all, but in an outer cellar amongst old paper boxes, which were supposed to have become ignited through some person passing along the street having carelessly thrown a lighted match down the grid.
"The damage done by the fire was a mere trifle, whilst that done by the water will be considerable."
The Prescot Reporter on the 15th published this rather elaborate rebuttal to unfounded rumours that war was about to break out:
"Nervous people have been in a state of great trepidation during the past fortnight owing to imaginary impending disasters in the anticipated outbreak of volcanic eruptions in continental politics calculated to ignite the torch of war and set the world in a blaze."
The 17th was Whit Monday and although not a Bank Holiday as such, the day was observed in the town as what the St Helens Newspaper called a general holiday.
All places of business closed their doors – apart, of course, from the pubs. This is how the Newspaper described the day:
"This annual festival was observed in St. Helens on Monday, with more than the usual amount of gaiety and recreation.
"The weather was all that could be desired, the sun shining bright and warm, there being scarcely a cloud to be seen, whilst what would have been an oppressive heat was genially tempered by a light westerly wind which prevailed.
"The day was spent by the towns-people in various ways, many availing themselves of the fine weather to a trip to the Belle Vue Gardens, Manchester, Liverpool, New Brighton, Southport, and Blackpool.
"But the large emigration to these places seemed scarcely to diminish the crowd, as during the day some thousands of people were to be seen about the streets, either taking part in the several processions or as spectators of them.
"From as early as nine o’clock in the morning, bands of music were perambulating the streets, as though proclaiming the holiday, one of the earliest arrivals being the band of the Boys' Refuge, Kirkdale, who attracted considerable attention, no less from their artistic playing, than from their clean and healthy appearance.
"The various temperance societies and schools in the town had each their demonstration."
The Catholic Association for the Suppression of Drunkenness formed the longest procession numbering 2,000 people, with around 2,000 more having chosen to walk behind them.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the revenge of the 14-year-old street rough who liked to assault girls, some shocking death stats for 1874 are released and the strange reason a police officer was stationed in St Helens Cemetery.