150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (17th - 23rd JANUARY 1872)
This week's stories include the scandalous Parr defamation case, the roughs that smashed the windows of the Public Hall in Hardshaw Street, the attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl at Eccleston, the smallpox panic in Earlestown, the extraordinary funeral of a railway guard and the ten-year-old nuisance girl from Broad Oak who had a bucket of water thrown over her.
We begin on the 17th in the Volunteer Hall in Mill Street where the St Helens 47th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers held their annual ball. It was a posh late evening “do”, with dancing only starting at 9pm. All members of the services who attended were instructed to dress in military uniform, with their horse-drawn carriages arriving by Duke Street and leaving by North Road.
Professor Capron, a vent act, was performing at the St Helens Theatre Royal's "New Concert Hall" this week. Reviews of his performances at other venues state: "A really clever ventriloquist. The manner in which he throws his voice in different parts of the Theatre, and the representation of different animals, is really astonishing."
Also on the bill in St Helens in the building we know as the Citadel on the corner of Milk Street and Waterloo Street were: Mons. Etherdo ("Contortionist, gymnast, juggler, and balancer"); Frank Finch ("Comedian – his budget of comicalities is inexhaustible"); Professor Johnson ("The man of colour in his feats of strength"); Miss Nelly Bradley ("Serio-comic and dancer") and Miss Nino Hume ("Slack wire walker").
On the St Helens Newspaper's front page on the 20th, there was an advert for Pratt and Co. of Peasley Cross Lane. They silvered mirrors, plates, ornamental glass etc. and last summer had silvered what was claimed to be the largest mirror ever turned out in Lancashire.
Decades before the Co-operative Society became abbreviated as the "Co-op", those four letters were synonymous in St Helens with tailoring. John Coop had founded his business at 32 Church Street around the late 1830s and his tailor's and draper's shop was still trading at the same address some 75 years later. J. P. Coop's 'Borough Clothing Establishment' was advertising in the Newspaper that the enlargement of his premises was now complete – and it was also: "Replete with the newest and choicest designs in the various novelties of gentlemen's clothing for the season."
The Newspaper also reported that at a recent Warrington Board of Guardians meeting, it had been stated that the spread of smallpox in Earlestown was causing a panic amongst its inhabitants. The irresponsible behaviour of some residents was leading to the deadly disease increasing in prevalence. One man whose family was laid up with smallpox had gone to church as normal and then later contracted the disease. There were also two fresh cases of smallpox reported in Haydock.
On the 21st the funeral of longstanding and highly popular railway guard James Ramsdale was held. The 36-year-old had lived in Shaw Street and mainly worked the lines between St Helens Junction and Rainford Junction. Mr Ramsdale was described as having been "literally cut to pieces" after superintending the shunting of carriages near St Helens station.
The funeral was an extraordinary event, with thousands lining the streets to watch the procession. That numbered 300 persons at its start – but there were many more by the time the concourse of mourners arrived at the cemetery. At the head of the procession were sixteen police officers followed by a dozen members of the Fire Brigade. Many of the mourners were railway officials representing stations from all over the district.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 22nd, Ann Pilkington resumed her action against Betsy Holland accusing the widow of defamation. The latter had been a charwoman in Pilkington's beerhouse in Coal Pit Lane in Parr. However, Mrs Holland had been sacked and seemingly in revenge had been spreading stories about the landlady. This is how the St Helens Newspaper reported the resumed hearing:
"It was now stated that when the parties left the court a week before, the defendant attacked her opponent in the street, and continued to scandalise her all the way to Coalpit-lane. Mary Ann O’Neill deposed to having heard the defendant call the complainant very vile names in the house of a Mrs. Barrow, naming a man named Hoe in connection with her. Hoe was called and the complainant was called, and they both denied that any impropriety had ever taken place between them. The bench ordered the defendant to find two sureties of £5 each for six months."
Also in court was Ellen Unsworth from Broad Oak Road in Parr. The 25-year-old was accused of assaulting a ten-year-old girl called Mary Barton. However, the magistrates learnt that the assault comprised a bucket of water being thrown over the girl. That was after she and her friends had been making a nuisance of themselves by knocking and kicking at Mrs Unsworth's front door despite being warned to stay away. The case was dismissed.
James Killyleagh was another nuisance – having threatened to assault Ann Rogers. She appears to have only been sixteen and living in Liverpool Street in St Helens. Ann said James had called her vile names and other threatening language and she was scared he would do her some harm. He was ordered to find sureties for his good behaviour for a month.
Dromgoole's Public Hall was a multi-purpose building in Hardshaw Street in St Helens. It was owned by newspaper editor Bernard Dromgoole and served as a shop; a hall that could be hired for events and it was also where the St Helens Newspaper was produced. During the evening of the 22nd, the Public Hall hosted the St Helens Branch of the Irish Home Rule Association's inaugural meeting.
Anything to do with Ireland was highly controversial – even more so than today. On the previous day, placards had appeared in St Helens calling for loyal subjects to put down the gathering. So while the meeting was taking place, what were described as a number of "roughs" congregated in Hardshaw Street – but the police were ready for them. As soon as windows started being broken, the bobbies swooped and made three arrests and dispersed others.
On the following morning two Haydock men, John Addison and Daniel Dearden, appeared before the magistrates in the St Helens Petty Sessions. However, Bernard Dromgoole said he did not want to press the case against them, as he believed they bore no particular malice towards him and had been acting at the instigation of "persons more vicious than themselves". Addison and Dearden had spent the night in a police cell – and so did not completely escape punishment. A third man with stones in his pockets had been arrested for drunkenness and was fined 5 shillings.
On the 23rd Richard Wright appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions charged with the rape of a 16-year-old girl at Eccleston – and Joseph Mawdsley was charged with aiding and abetting the offence. Mary Grogan was the teenage victim and told the court that in company with her 14-year-old friend Elizabeth Mulhardy, she had left her home in Liverpool in order to visit Elizabeth's uncle in Bolton. The girls clearly did not have the money for train or omnibus fares and did what many poor people then did when travelling from A to B – they walked.
If they were lucky they might be able to hitch a lift – but there were few travellers on the dark, unlit roads at night. However, Mary and Elizabeth must have thought their luck was in, as they had only got as far as Kensington when they came across Joseph Mawdsley driving a cart. The 42-year-old gave them a lift to Eccleston Lane Ends and on the journey they met 27-year-old Richard Wright and a Mr Wilson, the actual owner of the cart.
The girls disembarked from their ride at the Wellington Hotel and began walking towards St Helens. Before they had gone very far, Mawdsley and Wright overtook them in their cart and after some conversation, the latter grabbed hold of Elizabeth. The 14-year-old screamed so loudly that Wright let her go but then he turned his attentions to Mary. As she was being raped, Joseph Mawdsley held on to Elizabeth to prevent her stopping the attack.
The sound of an approaching cart led to the two men fleeing the scene and the girls later met the cart owner Mr Wilson and he drove them to the police station at St Helens where they reported the offence. After hearing the evidence, the magistrates committed the two men for trial at the next assizes in March.
Next week's stories will include the narrow escape from a mauling at Manders' menagerie in St Helens, the shocking boiling death at Pocket Nook, the high priced railway fares to Liverpool and the girl who frightened a horse with a shuttlecock in Liverpool Road.
We begin on the 17th in the Volunteer Hall in Mill Street where the St Helens 47th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers held their annual ball. It was a posh late evening “do”, with dancing only starting at 9pm. All members of the services who attended were instructed to dress in military uniform, with their horse-drawn carriages arriving by Duke Street and leaving by North Road.
Professor Capron, a vent act, was performing at the St Helens Theatre Royal's "New Concert Hall" this week. Reviews of his performances at other venues state: "A really clever ventriloquist. The manner in which he throws his voice in different parts of the Theatre, and the representation of different animals, is really astonishing."
Also on the bill in St Helens in the building we know as the Citadel on the corner of Milk Street and Waterloo Street were: Mons. Etherdo ("Contortionist, gymnast, juggler, and balancer"); Frank Finch ("Comedian – his budget of comicalities is inexhaustible"); Professor Johnson ("The man of colour in his feats of strength"); Miss Nelly Bradley ("Serio-comic and dancer") and Miss Nino Hume ("Slack wire walker").
On the St Helens Newspaper's front page on the 20th, there was an advert for Pratt and Co. of Peasley Cross Lane. They silvered mirrors, plates, ornamental glass etc. and last summer had silvered what was claimed to be the largest mirror ever turned out in Lancashire.
Decades before the Co-operative Society became abbreviated as the "Co-op", those four letters were synonymous in St Helens with tailoring. John Coop had founded his business at 32 Church Street around the late 1830s and his tailor's and draper's shop was still trading at the same address some 75 years later. J. P. Coop's 'Borough Clothing Establishment' was advertising in the Newspaper that the enlargement of his premises was now complete – and it was also: "Replete with the newest and choicest designs in the various novelties of gentlemen's clothing for the season."
The Newspaper also reported that at a recent Warrington Board of Guardians meeting, it had been stated that the spread of smallpox in Earlestown was causing a panic amongst its inhabitants. The irresponsible behaviour of some residents was leading to the deadly disease increasing in prevalence. One man whose family was laid up with smallpox had gone to church as normal and then later contracted the disease. There were also two fresh cases of smallpox reported in Haydock.
On the 21st the funeral of longstanding and highly popular railway guard James Ramsdale was held. The 36-year-old had lived in Shaw Street and mainly worked the lines between St Helens Junction and Rainford Junction. Mr Ramsdale was described as having been "literally cut to pieces" after superintending the shunting of carriages near St Helens station.
The funeral was an extraordinary event, with thousands lining the streets to watch the procession. That numbered 300 persons at its start – but there were many more by the time the concourse of mourners arrived at the cemetery. At the head of the procession were sixteen police officers followed by a dozen members of the Fire Brigade. Many of the mourners were railway officials representing stations from all over the district.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 22nd, Ann Pilkington resumed her action against Betsy Holland accusing the widow of defamation. The latter had been a charwoman in Pilkington's beerhouse in Coal Pit Lane in Parr. However, Mrs Holland had been sacked and seemingly in revenge had been spreading stories about the landlady. This is how the St Helens Newspaper reported the resumed hearing:
"It was now stated that when the parties left the court a week before, the defendant attacked her opponent in the street, and continued to scandalise her all the way to Coalpit-lane. Mary Ann O’Neill deposed to having heard the defendant call the complainant very vile names in the house of a Mrs. Barrow, naming a man named Hoe in connection with her. Hoe was called and the complainant was called, and they both denied that any impropriety had ever taken place between them. The bench ordered the defendant to find two sureties of £5 each for six months."
Also in court was Ellen Unsworth from Broad Oak Road in Parr. The 25-year-old was accused of assaulting a ten-year-old girl called Mary Barton. However, the magistrates learnt that the assault comprised a bucket of water being thrown over the girl. That was after she and her friends had been making a nuisance of themselves by knocking and kicking at Mrs Unsworth's front door despite being warned to stay away. The case was dismissed.
James Killyleagh was another nuisance – having threatened to assault Ann Rogers. She appears to have only been sixteen and living in Liverpool Street in St Helens. Ann said James had called her vile names and other threatening language and she was scared he would do her some harm. He was ordered to find sureties for his good behaviour for a month.
Anything to do with Ireland was highly controversial – even more so than today. On the previous day, placards had appeared in St Helens calling for loyal subjects to put down the gathering. So while the meeting was taking place, what were described as a number of "roughs" congregated in Hardshaw Street – but the police were ready for them. As soon as windows started being broken, the bobbies swooped and made three arrests and dispersed others.
On the following morning two Haydock men, John Addison and Daniel Dearden, appeared before the magistrates in the St Helens Petty Sessions. However, Bernard Dromgoole said he did not want to press the case against them, as he believed they bore no particular malice towards him and had been acting at the instigation of "persons more vicious than themselves". Addison and Dearden had spent the night in a police cell – and so did not completely escape punishment. A third man with stones in his pockets had been arrested for drunkenness and was fined 5 shillings.
On the 23rd Richard Wright appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions charged with the rape of a 16-year-old girl at Eccleston – and Joseph Mawdsley was charged with aiding and abetting the offence. Mary Grogan was the teenage victim and told the court that in company with her 14-year-old friend Elizabeth Mulhardy, she had left her home in Liverpool in order to visit Elizabeth's uncle in Bolton. The girls clearly did not have the money for train or omnibus fares and did what many poor people then did when travelling from A to B – they walked.
If they were lucky they might be able to hitch a lift – but there were few travellers on the dark, unlit roads at night. However, Mary and Elizabeth must have thought their luck was in, as they had only got as far as Kensington when they came across Joseph Mawdsley driving a cart. The 42-year-old gave them a lift to Eccleston Lane Ends and on the journey they met 27-year-old Richard Wright and a Mr Wilson, the actual owner of the cart.
The girls disembarked from their ride at the Wellington Hotel and began walking towards St Helens. Before they had gone very far, Mawdsley and Wright overtook them in their cart and after some conversation, the latter grabbed hold of Elizabeth. The 14-year-old screamed so loudly that Wright let her go but then he turned his attentions to Mary. As she was being raped, Joseph Mawdsley held on to Elizabeth to prevent her stopping the attack.
The sound of an approaching cart led to the two men fleeing the scene and the girls later met the cart owner Mr Wilson and he drove them to the police station at St Helens where they reported the offence. After hearing the evidence, the magistrates committed the two men for trial at the next assizes in March.
Next week's stories will include the narrow escape from a mauling at Manders' menagerie in St Helens, the shocking boiling death at Pocket Nook, the high priced railway fares to Liverpool and the girl who frightened a horse with a shuttlecock in Liverpool Road.
This week's stories include the scandalous Parr defamation case, the roughs that smashed the windows of the Public Hall in Hardshaw Street, the attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl at Eccleston, the smallpox panic in Earlestown, the extraordinary funeral of a railway guard and the ten-year-old nuisance girl from Broad Oak who had a bucket of water thrown over her.
We begin on the 17th in the Volunteer Hall in Mill Street where the St Helens 47th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers held their annual ball.
It was a posh late evening “do”, with dancing only starting at 9pm.
All members of the services who attended were instructed to dress in military uniform, with their horse-drawn carriages arriving by Duke Street and leaving by North Road.
Professor Capron, a vent act, was performing at the St Helens Theatre Royal's "New Concert Hall" this week. Reviews of his performances at other venues state:
"A really clever ventriloquist. The manner in which he throws his voice in different parts of the Theatre, and the representation of different animals, is really astonishing."
Also on the bill in St Helens in the building we know as the Citadel on the corner of Milk Street and Waterloo Street were:
Mons. Etherdo ("Contortionist, gymnast, juggler, and balancer"); Frank Finch ("Comedian – his budget of comicalities is inexhaustible"); Professor Johnson ("The man of colour in his feats of strength"); Miss Nelly Bradley ("Serio-comic and dancer") and Miss Nino Hume ("Slack wire walker").
On the St Helens Newspaper's front page on the 20th, there was an advert for Pratt and Co. of Peasley Cross Lane.
They silvered mirrors, plates, ornamental glass etc. and last summer had silvered what was claimed to be the largest mirror ever turned out in Lancashire.
Decades before the Co-operative Society became abbreviated as the "Co-op", those four letters were synonymous in St Helens with tailoring.
John Coop had founded his business at 32 Church Street around the late 1830s and his tailor's and draper's shop was still trading at the same address some 75 years later.
J. P. Coop's 'Borough Clothing Establishment' was advertising in the Newspaper that the enlargement of his premises was now complete – and it was also:
"Replete with the newest and choicest designs in the various novelties of gentlemen's clothing for the season."
The Newspaper also reported that at a recent Warrington Board of Guardians meeting, it had been stated that the spread of smallpox in Earlestown was causing a panic amongst its inhabitants.
The irresponsible behaviour of some residents was leading to the deadly disease increasing in prevalence.
One man whose family was laid up with smallpox had gone to church as normal and then later contracted the disease. There were also two fresh cases of smallpox reported in Haydock.
On the 21st the funeral of longstanding and highly popular railway guard James Ramsdale was held.
The 36-year-old had lived in Shaw Street and mainly worked the lines between St Helens Junction and Rainford Junction.
Mr Ramsdale was described as having been "literally cut to pieces" after superintending the shunting of carriages near St Helens station.
The funeral was an extraordinary event, with thousands lining the streets to watch the procession.
That numbered 300 persons at its start – but there were many more by the time the concourse of mourners arrived at the cemetery.
At the head of the procession were sixteen police officers followed by a dozen members of the Fire Brigade.
Many of the mourners were railway officials representing stations from all over the district.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 22nd, Ann Pilkington resumed her action against Betsy Holland accusing the widow of defamation.
The latter had been a charwoman in Pilkington's beerhouse in Coal Pit Lane in Parr. However, Mrs Holland had been sacked and seemingly in revenge had been spreading stories about the landlady.
This is how the St Helens Newspaper reported the resumed hearing:
"It was now stated that when the parties left the court a week before, the defendant attacked her opponent in the street, and continued to scandalise her all the way to Coalpit-lane.
"Mary Ann O’Neill deposed to having heard the defendant call the complainant very vile names in the house of a Mrs. Barrow, naming a man named Hoe in connection with her.
"Hoe was called and the complainant was called, and they both denied that any impropriety had ever taken place between them.
"The bench ordered the defendant to find two sureties of £5 each for six months."
Also in court was Ellen Unsworth from Broad Oak Road in Parr. The 25-year-old was accused of assaulting a ten-year-old girl called Mary Barton.
However, the magistrates learnt that the assault comprised a bucket of water being thrown over the girl.
That was after she and her friends had been making a nuisance of themselves by knocking and kicking at Mrs Unsworth's front door despite being warned to stay away. The case was dismissed.
James Killyleagh was another nuisance – having threatened to assault Ann Rogers. She appears to have only been sixteen and living in Liverpool Street in St Helens.
Ann said James had called her vile names and other threatening language and she was scared he would do her some harm. He was ordered to find sureties for his good behaviour for a month.
Dromgoole's Public Hall was a multi-purpose building in Hardshaw Street in St Helens.
It was owned by newspaper editor Bernard Dromgoole and served as a shop; a hall that could be hired for events and it was also where the St Helens Newspaper was produced.
During the evening of the 22nd, the Public Hall hosted the St Helens Branch of the Irish Home Rule Association's inaugural meeting.
Anything to do with Ireland was highly controversial – even more so than today.
On the previous day, placards had appeared in St Helens calling for loyal subjects to put down the gathering.
So while the meeting was taking place, what were described as a number of "roughs" congregated in Hardshaw Street – but the police were ready for them.
As soon as windows started being broken, the bobbies swooped and made three arrests and dispersed others.
On the following morning two Haydock men, John Addison and Daniel Dearden, appeared before the magistrates in the St Helens Petty Sessions.
However, Bernard Dromgoole said he did not want to press the case against them, as he believed they bore no particular malice towards him and had been acting at the instigation of "persons more vicious than themselves".
Addison and Dearden had spent the night in a police cell – and so did not completely escape punishment.
A third man with stones in his pockets had been arrested for drunkenness and was fined 5 shillings.
On the 23rd Richard Wright appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions charged with the rape of a 16-year-old girl at Eccleston – and Joseph Mawdsley was charged with aiding and abetting the offence.
Mary Grogan was the teenage victim and told the court that in company with her 14-year-old friend Elizabeth Mulhardy, she had left her home in Liverpool in order to visit Elizabeth's uncle in Bolton.
The girls clearly did not have the money for train or omnibus fares and did what many poor people then did when travelling from A to B – they walked.
If they were lucky they might be able to hitch a lift – but there were few travellers on the dark, unlit roads at night.
However, Mary and Elizabeth must have thought their luck was in, as they had only got as far as Kensington when they came across Joseph Mawdsley driving a cart.
The 42-year-old gave them a lift to Eccleston Lane Ends and on the journey they met 27-year-old Richard Wright and a Mr Wilson, the actual owner of the cart.
The girls disembarked from their ride at the Wellington Hotel and began walking towards St Helens.
Before they had gone very far, Mawdsley and Wright overtook them in their cart and after some conversation, the latter grabbed hold of Elizabeth.
The 14-year-old screamed so loudly that Wright let her go but then he turned his attentions to Mary.
As she was being raped, Joseph Mawdsley held on to Elizabeth to prevent her stopping the attack.
The sound of an approaching cart led to the two men fleeing the scene and the girls later met the cart owner Mr Wilson and he drove them to the police station at St Helens where they reported the offence.
After hearing the evidence, the magistrates committed the two men for trial at the next assizes in March.
Next week's stories will include the narrow escape from a mauling at Manders' menagerie in St Helens, the shocking boiling death at Pocket Nook, the high priced railway fares to Liverpool and the girl who frightened a horse with a shuttlecock in Liverpool Road.
We begin on the 17th in the Volunteer Hall in Mill Street where the St Helens 47th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers held their annual ball.
It was a posh late evening “do”, with dancing only starting at 9pm.
All members of the services who attended were instructed to dress in military uniform, with their horse-drawn carriages arriving by Duke Street and leaving by North Road.
Professor Capron, a vent act, was performing at the St Helens Theatre Royal's "New Concert Hall" this week. Reviews of his performances at other venues state:
"A really clever ventriloquist. The manner in which he throws his voice in different parts of the Theatre, and the representation of different animals, is really astonishing."
Also on the bill in St Helens in the building we know as the Citadel on the corner of Milk Street and Waterloo Street were:
Mons. Etherdo ("Contortionist, gymnast, juggler, and balancer"); Frank Finch ("Comedian – his budget of comicalities is inexhaustible"); Professor Johnson ("The man of colour in his feats of strength"); Miss Nelly Bradley ("Serio-comic and dancer") and Miss Nino Hume ("Slack wire walker").
On the St Helens Newspaper's front page on the 20th, there was an advert for Pratt and Co. of Peasley Cross Lane.
They silvered mirrors, plates, ornamental glass etc. and last summer had silvered what was claimed to be the largest mirror ever turned out in Lancashire.
Decades before the Co-operative Society became abbreviated as the "Co-op", those four letters were synonymous in St Helens with tailoring.
John Coop had founded his business at 32 Church Street around the late 1830s and his tailor's and draper's shop was still trading at the same address some 75 years later.
J. P. Coop's 'Borough Clothing Establishment' was advertising in the Newspaper that the enlargement of his premises was now complete – and it was also:
"Replete with the newest and choicest designs in the various novelties of gentlemen's clothing for the season."
The Newspaper also reported that at a recent Warrington Board of Guardians meeting, it had been stated that the spread of smallpox in Earlestown was causing a panic amongst its inhabitants.
The irresponsible behaviour of some residents was leading to the deadly disease increasing in prevalence.
One man whose family was laid up with smallpox had gone to church as normal and then later contracted the disease. There were also two fresh cases of smallpox reported in Haydock.
On the 21st the funeral of longstanding and highly popular railway guard James Ramsdale was held.
The 36-year-old had lived in Shaw Street and mainly worked the lines between St Helens Junction and Rainford Junction.
Mr Ramsdale was described as having been "literally cut to pieces" after superintending the shunting of carriages near St Helens station.
The funeral was an extraordinary event, with thousands lining the streets to watch the procession.
That numbered 300 persons at its start – but there were many more by the time the concourse of mourners arrived at the cemetery.
At the head of the procession were sixteen police officers followed by a dozen members of the Fire Brigade.
Many of the mourners were railway officials representing stations from all over the district.
In St Helens Petty Sessions on the 22nd, Ann Pilkington resumed her action against Betsy Holland accusing the widow of defamation.
The latter had been a charwoman in Pilkington's beerhouse in Coal Pit Lane in Parr. However, Mrs Holland had been sacked and seemingly in revenge had been spreading stories about the landlady.
This is how the St Helens Newspaper reported the resumed hearing:
"It was now stated that when the parties left the court a week before, the defendant attacked her opponent in the street, and continued to scandalise her all the way to Coalpit-lane.
"Mary Ann O’Neill deposed to having heard the defendant call the complainant very vile names in the house of a Mrs. Barrow, naming a man named Hoe in connection with her.
"Hoe was called and the complainant was called, and they both denied that any impropriety had ever taken place between them.
"The bench ordered the defendant to find two sureties of £5 each for six months."
Also in court was Ellen Unsworth from Broad Oak Road in Parr. The 25-year-old was accused of assaulting a ten-year-old girl called Mary Barton.
However, the magistrates learnt that the assault comprised a bucket of water being thrown over the girl.
That was after she and her friends had been making a nuisance of themselves by knocking and kicking at Mrs Unsworth's front door despite being warned to stay away. The case was dismissed.
James Killyleagh was another nuisance – having threatened to assault Ann Rogers. She appears to have only been sixteen and living in Liverpool Street in St Helens.
Ann said James had called her vile names and other threatening language and she was scared he would do her some harm. He was ordered to find sureties for his good behaviour for a month.
It was owned by newspaper editor Bernard Dromgoole and served as a shop; a hall that could be hired for events and it was also where the St Helens Newspaper was produced.
During the evening of the 22nd, the Public Hall hosted the St Helens Branch of the Irish Home Rule Association's inaugural meeting.
Anything to do with Ireland was highly controversial – even more so than today.
On the previous day, placards had appeared in St Helens calling for loyal subjects to put down the gathering.
So while the meeting was taking place, what were described as a number of "roughs" congregated in Hardshaw Street – but the police were ready for them.
As soon as windows started being broken, the bobbies swooped and made three arrests and dispersed others.
On the following morning two Haydock men, John Addison and Daniel Dearden, appeared before the magistrates in the St Helens Petty Sessions.
However, Bernard Dromgoole said he did not want to press the case against them, as he believed they bore no particular malice towards him and had been acting at the instigation of "persons more vicious than themselves".
Addison and Dearden had spent the night in a police cell – and so did not completely escape punishment.
A third man with stones in his pockets had been arrested for drunkenness and was fined 5 shillings.
On the 23rd Richard Wright appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions charged with the rape of a 16-year-old girl at Eccleston – and Joseph Mawdsley was charged with aiding and abetting the offence.
Mary Grogan was the teenage victim and told the court that in company with her 14-year-old friend Elizabeth Mulhardy, she had left her home in Liverpool in order to visit Elizabeth's uncle in Bolton.
The girls clearly did not have the money for train or omnibus fares and did what many poor people then did when travelling from A to B – they walked.
If they were lucky they might be able to hitch a lift – but there were few travellers on the dark, unlit roads at night.
However, Mary and Elizabeth must have thought their luck was in, as they had only got as far as Kensington when they came across Joseph Mawdsley driving a cart.
The 42-year-old gave them a lift to Eccleston Lane Ends and on the journey they met 27-year-old Richard Wright and a Mr Wilson, the actual owner of the cart.
The girls disembarked from their ride at the Wellington Hotel and began walking towards St Helens.
Before they had gone very far, Mawdsley and Wright overtook them in their cart and after some conversation, the latter grabbed hold of Elizabeth.
The 14-year-old screamed so loudly that Wright let her go but then he turned his attentions to Mary.
As she was being raped, Joseph Mawdsley held on to Elizabeth to prevent her stopping the attack.
The sound of an approaching cart led to the two men fleeing the scene and the girls later met the cart owner Mr Wilson and he drove them to the police station at St Helens where they reported the offence.
After hearing the evidence, the magistrates committed the two men for trial at the next assizes in March.
Next week's stories will include the narrow escape from a mauling at Manders' menagerie in St Helens, the shocking boiling death at Pocket Nook, the high priced railway fares to Liverpool and the girl who frightened a horse with a shuttlecock in Liverpool Road.