150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 17 - 23 NOVEMBER 1875
This week's many stories include the efforts to deter tramps from staying overnight at Whiston Workhouse, the landlady with a dozen lodgers living in her house in Liverpool Street, the inquiry held after the master of Whiston Workhouse was accused of fathering a child, James Brockbank's new boot and shoe manufactory and the pit sinking deaths at a new coal mine at Collins Green caused by a simple mistake.
We begin on the 17th when Edward Cartwright from Bishop Street in Parr lost his life down Peasley Cross Colliery. Underground roof collapses were the number 1 cause of fatal accidents down pits (not counting gas explosions). The second most common type was connected to the wagons that were hauled around the mine.
Whether full of coal or empty, if they came off the rails and struck you there was a high chance of being killed. That was what occurred to Edward as the 58-year-old was waiting with some others to be drawn up the pit shaft. Several wagons came off the rails and crushed the married man with four children severely against a wall and instantly killed him.
During the evening of the 17th, a concert was given in the Wesleyan Methodist schoolroom in Waterloo Street on behalf of the Cotham Street chapel's choir fund. The Newspaper wrote: "Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather the room was crowded by a fashionable and appreciative audience."
The St Helens Newspaper on the 20th carried a report on a recent meeting of the Prescot Guardians – the folk that managed Whiston Workhouse (pictured above) and distributed poor law relief to paupers in the community. The workhouse master was a man called Archer and his wife had accused him of being the father of a girl's child. The woman had even gone so far as to write a letter about the alleged affair to the Local Government Board, who the Prescot Guardians reported to.
Going over their heads had, seemingly, not gone down well with the guardians when they carried out their inquiry into the matter. Mrs Archer did not, apparently, have any actual evidence that her husband was the father of Ann Newton's child. And when Ann was interviewed about the claim, she stated that she did not want to say who the father of her child was. However, she said she would on oath clear Mr Archer of being the father and insisted that the workhouse master had never behaved improperly towards her.
Archer also strongly denied being the father of Ann Newton's child or that he had ever attempted to "take any liberties with her." The master was subsequently cleared of the charge but it was decided that his wife, who had made the claim, would no longer be allowed to enter the workhouse. She had previously been the matron there but was now banned from visiting. That could be seen as retribution for embarrassing the guardians through writing to the Local Government Board.
Although workhouses were obliged by law to take in vagrants, who usually stayed for just one night, they were not very popular guests. And the workhouses were always considering ways to deter tramps from coming to them. The Prescot Guardians had set up a sub-committee to visit workhouses in Manchester, Liverpool and Toxteth Park to see how they dealt with the problematic vagrants and they reported back to the meeting.
Although tramps and other temporary guests were supposed to undertake some work on the following morning before leaving Whiston, the rule was not always enforced. That was in order to get rid of them as soon as possible. But the report stated that the other workhouses did strictly enforce the rule. At Toxteth Park the vagrants were made to break stone and the guardians were informed that since this had been introduced, it had had a "most wonderful effect".
The word had soon got round and in two months Toxteth had had only two vagrant visitors. That compared to Whiston, which during the last 12 weeks had received 949 vagrants, an increase of 260 on the same period of last year! And other workhouses had their vagrants grinding corn for up to 2 hours. The guardians decided that they would increase the amount of time that their tramps and vagrants broke stone and milled corn to try and deter them from coming to Whiston.
Three years ago I wrote: "An advert in the Newspaper on the 30th [November 1872] stated that every Saturday a dentist would be in attendance at Brockbank's bootmakers premises in Church Street. And so you could get your teeth and your clogs fixed at the same time! Now that's convenience for you! You might also learn a bit of local history too – as James Brockbank would later author the book 'History of St. Helens'."
In this week's Newspaper, Brockbank stated that he "begs to inform the inhabitants of St Helens and neighbourhood that in consequence of the increased demand for Boots and Shoes of his own make, he has taken the premises 48, Naylor Street, (Opposite the Wellington Hotel), for a Shoe Manufactory." Brockbank claimed that he was the only maker in town of American shaped boots with spring waist and was a noted maker of running and jumping pumps.
Every now and then the Corporation's Nuisance Inspector would check up on lodging houses in St Helens, particularly ones that were unregistered. The man called Henry Turner would turn up at such places very late at night and count how many people he found sleeping there. This week several persons appeared in court for breaking the rules, including Bridget Ward, who was summoned for having 12 lodgers in her house in Liverpool Street. Just how many of them would have been sleeping in the same bed was not stated – but I doubt there would have been more than two or three beds in the place.
Often such landladies were unaware of the law and were treated quite generously. Mrs Ward was a widow and her solicitor claimed that some of the persons sleeping in her house at the time of the inspector's visit had been her sons who had come from Bolton to see their mother. The man said if his client were leniently dealt with, she would at once register her house. Mrs Ward was fined 5 shillings plus costs.
The Theatre Royal in the building we know as the Citadel had recently reopened for the winter season, "redecorated and beautified". From the 22nd a play called 'The Sin And The Sorrow' was performed by Churchill and Young Pete "in their negro entertainment", as it was advertised in the Newspaper. The use of the word negro is now, of course, quite offensive. Although not as offensive as the other "N-word", which was still quite often used in newspaper adverts and reviews. It cost 4d to watch the show from the gallery and 8d from the pit.
The sinking of new pits – or the elongating of existing ones – was extremely dangerous work and mistakes could prove fatal. On the 22nd during the sinking of a new coal mine at Collins Green, two men lost their lives through a very simple error. The two main enemies of pit sinkers were gas and water, both of which could suddenly accumulate and present danger.
During the sinking of the Collins Green shaft, water was found and it was being continually wound up the shaft in a large bucket to a man on the surface known as a brow man. At 4:30pm the brow man received another bucket of water, which he was supposed to empty into a trough. But, somehow, perhaps through slipping on wet ground, the man missed the trough and the whole of the contents of the bucket went down the shaft, carrying away a considerable portion of brickwork.
Loose bricks were hurled downwards and considerable damage was done. Nine men were working down the shaft at the time and the falling debris injured them all, with two so severely hurt that they died on the following day. One of them was Matthew Hampson of Ramford Street in Parr and the other was James McDonald of Garden Street in Greenbank.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the annual inspection of the highways, the Ragged School's annual gathering, the revenge after a County Court case, the ringing of the changes in St Helens pubs and the fire at Sutton Heath Colliery.
We begin on the 17th when Edward Cartwright from Bishop Street in Parr lost his life down Peasley Cross Colliery. Underground roof collapses were the number 1 cause of fatal accidents down pits (not counting gas explosions). The second most common type was connected to the wagons that were hauled around the mine.
Whether full of coal or empty, if they came off the rails and struck you there was a high chance of being killed. That was what occurred to Edward as the 58-year-old was waiting with some others to be drawn up the pit shaft. Several wagons came off the rails and crushed the married man with four children severely against a wall and instantly killed him.
During the evening of the 17th, a concert was given in the Wesleyan Methodist schoolroom in Waterloo Street on behalf of the Cotham Street chapel's choir fund. The Newspaper wrote: "Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather the room was crowded by a fashionable and appreciative audience."
Going over their heads had, seemingly, not gone down well with the guardians when they carried out their inquiry into the matter. Mrs Archer did not, apparently, have any actual evidence that her husband was the father of Ann Newton's child. And when Ann was interviewed about the claim, she stated that she did not want to say who the father of her child was. However, she said she would on oath clear Mr Archer of being the father and insisted that the workhouse master had never behaved improperly towards her.
Archer also strongly denied being the father of Ann Newton's child or that he had ever attempted to "take any liberties with her." The master was subsequently cleared of the charge but it was decided that his wife, who had made the claim, would no longer be allowed to enter the workhouse. She had previously been the matron there but was now banned from visiting. That could be seen as retribution for embarrassing the guardians through writing to the Local Government Board.
Although workhouses were obliged by law to take in vagrants, who usually stayed for just one night, they were not very popular guests. And the workhouses were always considering ways to deter tramps from coming to them. The Prescot Guardians had set up a sub-committee to visit workhouses in Manchester, Liverpool and Toxteth Park to see how they dealt with the problematic vagrants and they reported back to the meeting.
Although tramps and other temporary guests were supposed to undertake some work on the following morning before leaving Whiston, the rule was not always enforced. That was in order to get rid of them as soon as possible. But the report stated that the other workhouses did strictly enforce the rule. At Toxteth Park the vagrants were made to break stone and the guardians were informed that since this had been introduced, it had had a "most wonderful effect".
The word had soon got round and in two months Toxteth had had only two vagrant visitors. That compared to Whiston, which during the last 12 weeks had received 949 vagrants, an increase of 260 on the same period of last year! And other workhouses had their vagrants grinding corn for up to 2 hours. The guardians decided that they would increase the amount of time that their tramps and vagrants broke stone and milled corn to try and deter them from coming to Whiston.
Three years ago I wrote: "An advert in the Newspaper on the 30th [November 1872] stated that every Saturday a dentist would be in attendance at Brockbank's bootmakers premises in Church Street. And so you could get your teeth and your clogs fixed at the same time! Now that's convenience for you! You might also learn a bit of local history too – as James Brockbank would later author the book 'History of St. Helens'."
In this week's Newspaper, Brockbank stated that he "begs to inform the inhabitants of St Helens and neighbourhood that in consequence of the increased demand for Boots and Shoes of his own make, he has taken the premises 48, Naylor Street, (Opposite the Wellington Hotel), for a Shoe Manufactory." Brockbank claimed that he was the only maker in town of American shaped boots with spring waist and was a noted maker of running and jumping pumps.
Every now and then the Corporation's Nuisance Inspector would check up on lodging houses in St Helens, particularly ones that were unregistered. The man called Henry Turner would turn up at such places very late at night and count how many people he found sleeping there. This week several persons appeared in court for breaking the rules, including Bridget Ward, who was summoned for having 12 lodgers in her house in Liverpool Street. Just how many of them would have been sleeping in the same bed was not stated – but I doubt there would have been more than two or three beds in the place.
Often such landladies were unaware of the law and were treated quite generously. Mrs Ward was a widow and her solicitor claimed that some of the persons sleeping in her house at the time of the inspector's visit had been her sons who had come from Bolton to see their mother. The man said if his client were leniently dealt with, she would at once register her house. Mrs Ward was fined 5 shillings plus costs.
The Theatre Royal in the building we know as the Citadel had recently reopened for the winter season, "redecorated and beautified". From the 22nd a play called 'The Sin And The Sorrow' was performed by Churchill and Young Pete "in their negro entertainment", as it was advertised in the Newspaper. The use of the word negro is now, of course, quite offensive. Although not as offensive as the other "N-word", which was still quite often used in newspaper adverts and reviews. It cost 4d to watch the show from the gallery and 8d from the pit.
The sinking of new pits – or the elongating of existing ones – was extremely dangerous work and mistakes could prove fatal. On the 22nd during the sinking of a new coal mine at Collins Green, two men lost their lives through a very simple error. The two main enemies of pit sinkers were gas and water, both of which could suddenly accumulate and present danger.
During the sinking of the Collins Green shaft, water was found and it was being continually wound up the shaft in a large bucket to a man on the surface known as a brow man. At 4:30pm the brow man received another bucket of water, which he was supposed to empty into a trough. But, somehow, perhaps through slipping on wet ground, the man missed the trough and the whole of the contents of the bucket went down the shaft, carrying away a considerable portion of brickwork.
Loose bricks were hurled downwards and considerable damage was done. Nine men were working down the shaft at the time and the falling debris injured them all, with two so severely hurt that they died on the following day. One of them was Matthew Hampson of Ramford Street in Parr and the other was James McDonald of Garden Street in Greenbank.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the annual inspection of the highways, the Ragged School's annual gathering, the revenge after a County Court case, the ringing of the changes in St Helens pubs and the fire at Sutton Heath Colliery.
This week's many stories include the efforts to deter tramps from staying overnight at Whiston Workhouse, the landlady with a dozen lodgers living in her house in Liverpool Street, the inquiry held after the master of Whiston Workhouse was accused of fathering a child, James Brockbank's new boot and shoe manufactory and the pit sinking deaths at a new coal mine at Collins Green caused by a simple mistake.
We begin on the 17th when Edward Cartwright from Bishop Street in Parr lost his life down Peasley Cross Colliery.
Underground roof collapses were the number 1 cause of fatal accidents down pits (not counting gas explosions).
The second most common type was connected to the wagons that were hauled around the mine.
Whether full of coal or empty, if they came off the rails and struck you there was a high chance of being killed.
That was what occurred to Edward as the 58-year-old was waiting with some others to be drawn up the pit shaft.
Several wagons came off the rails and crushed the married man with four children severely against a wall and instantly killed him.
During the evening of the 17th, a concert was given in the Wesleyan Methodist schoolroom in Waterloo Street on behalf of the Cotham Street chapel's choir fund. The Newspaper wrote:
"Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather the room was crowded by a fashionable and appreciative audience."
The St Helens Newspaper on the 20th carried a report on a recent meeting of the Prescot Guardians – the folk that managed Whiston Workhouse (pictured above) and distributed poor law relief to paupers in the community.
The workhouse master was a man called Archer and his wife had accused him of being the father of a girl's child.
The woman had even gone so far as to write a letter about the alleged affair to the Local Government Board, who the Prescot Guardians reported to.
Going over their heads had, seemingly, not gone down well with the guardians when they carried out their inquiry into the matter.
Mrs Archer did not, apparently, have any actual evidence that her husband was the father of Ann Newton's child.
And when Ann was interviewed about the claim, she stated that she did not want to say who the father of her child was.
However, she said she would on oath clear Mr Archer of being the father and insisted that the workhouse master had never behaved improperly towards her.
Archer also strongly denied being the father of Ann Newton's child or that he had ever attempted to "take any liberties with her."
The master was subsequently cleared of the charge but it was decided that his wife, who had made the claim, would no longer be allowed to enter the workhouse.
She had previously been the matron there but was now banned from visiting. That could be seen as retribution for embarrassing the guardians through writing to the Local Government Board.
Although workhouses were obliged by law to take in vagrants, who usually stayed for just one night, they were not very popular guests.
And the workhouses were always considering ways to deter tramps from coming to them.
The Prescot Guardians had set up a sub-committee to visit workhouses in Manchester, Liverpool and Toxteth Park to see how they dealt with the problematic vagrants and they reported back to the meeting.
Although tramps and other temporary guests were supposed to undertake some work on the following morning before leaving Whiston, the rule was not always enforced.
That was in order to get rid of them as soon as possible. But the report stated that the other workhouses did strictly enforce the rule.
At Toxteth Park the vagrants were made to break stone and the guardians were informed that since this had been introduced, it had had a "most wonderful effect".
The word had soon got round and in two months Toxteth had had only two vagrant visitors.
That compared to Whiston, which during the last 12 weeks had received 949 vagrants, an increase of 260 on the same period of last year!
And other workhouses had their vagrants grinding corn for up to 2 hours.
The guardians decided that they would increase the amount of time that their tramps and vagrants broke stone and milled corn to try and deter them from coming to Whiston.
Three years ago I wrote: "An advert in the Newspaper on the 30th [November 1872] stated that every Saturday a dentist would be in attendance at Brockbank's bootmakers premises in Church Street.
"And so you could get your teeth and your clogs fixed at the same time! Now that's convenience for you! You might also learn a bit of local history too – as James Brockbank would later author the book 'History of St. Helens'."
In this week's Newspaper, Brockbank stated that he "begs to inform the inhabitants of St Helens and neighbourhood that in consequence of the increased demand for Boots and Shoes of his own make, he has taken the premises 48, Naylor Street, (Opposite the Wellington Hotel), for a Shoe Manufactory."
Brockbank claimed that he was the only maker in town of American shaped boots with spring waist and was a noted maker of running and jumping pumps.
Every now and then the Corporation's Nuisance Inspector would check up on lodging houses in St Helens, particularly ones that were unregistered.
The man called Henry Turner would turn up at such places very late at night and count how many people he found sleeping there.
This week several persons appeared in court for breaking the rules, including Bridget Ward, who was summoned for having 12 lodgers in her house in Liverpool Street.
Just how many of them would have been sleeping in the same bed was not stated – but I doubt there would have been more than two or three beds in the place.
Often such landladies were unaware of the law and were treated quite generously.
Mrs Ward was a widow and her solicitor claimed that some of the persons sleeping in her house at the time of the inspector's visit had been her sons who had come from Bolton to see their mother.
The man said if his client were leniently dealt with, she would at once register her house. Mrs Ward was fined 5 shillings plus costs.
The Theatre Royal in the building we know as the Citadel had recently reopened for the winter season, "redecorated and beautified".
From the 22nd a play called 'The Sin And The Sorrow' was performed by Churchill and Young Pete "in their negro entertainment", as it was advertised in the Newspaper.
The use of the word negro is now, of course, quite offensive. Although not as offensive as the other "N-word", which was still quite often used in newspaper adverts and reviews.
It cost 4d to watch the show from the gallery and 8d from the pit.
The sinking of new pits – or the elongating of existing ones – was extremely dangerous work and mistakes could prove fatal.
On the 22nd during the sinking of a new coal mine at Collins Green, two men lost their lives through a very simple error.
The two main enemies of pit sinkers were gas and water, both of which could suddenly accumulate and present danger.
During the sinking of the Collins Green shaft, water was found and it was being continually wound up the shaft in a large bucket to a man on the surface known as a brow man.
At 4:30pm the brow man received another bucket of water, which he was supposed to empty into a trough.
But, somehow, perhaps through slipping on wet ground, the man missed the trough and the whole of the contents of the bucket went down the shaft, carrying away a considerable portion of brickwork.
Loose bricks were hurled downwards and considerable damage was done.
Nine men were working down the shaft at the time and the falling debris injured them all, with two so severely hurt that they died on the following day.
One of them was Matthew Hampson of Ramford Street in Parr and the other was James McDonald of Garden Street in Greenbank.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the annual inspection of the highways, the Ragged School's annual gathering, the revenge after a County Court case, the ringing of the changes in St Helens pubs and the fire at Sutton Heath Colliery.
We begin on the 17th when Edward Cartwright from Bishop Street in Parr lost his life down Peasley Cross Colliery.
Underground roof collapses were the number 1 cause of fatal accidents down pits (not counting gas explosions).
The second most common type was connected to the wagons that were hauled around the mine.
Whether full of coal or empty, if they came off the rails and struck you there was a high chance of being killed.
That was what occurred to Edward as the 58-year-old was waiting with some others to be drawn up the pit shaft.
Several wagons came off the rails and crushed the married man with four children severely against a wall and instantly killed him.
During the evening of the 17th, a concert was given in the Wesleyan Methodist schoolroom in Waterloo Street on behalf of the Cotham Street chapel's choir fund. The Newspaper wrote:
"Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather the room was crowded by a fashionable and appreciative audience."
The workhouse master was a man called Archer and his wife had accused him of being the father of a girl's child.
The woman had even gone so far as to write a letter about the alleged affair to the Local Government Board, who the Prescot Guardians reported to.
Going over their heads had, seemingly, not gone down well with the guardians when they carried out their inquiry into the matter.
Mrs Archer did not, apparently, have any actual evidence that her husband was the father of Ann Newton's child.
And when Ann was interviewed about the claim, she stated that she did not want to say who the father of her child was.
However, she said she would on oath clear Mr Archer of being the father and insisted that the workhouse master had never behaved improperly towards her.
Archer also strongly denied being the father of Ann Newton's child or that he had ever attempted to "take any liberties with her."
The master was subsequently cleared of the charge but it was decided that his wife, who had made the claim, would no longer be allowed to enter the workhouse.
She had previously been the matron there but was now banned from visiting. That could be seen as retribution for embarrassing the guardians through writing to the Local Government Board.
Although workhouses were obliged by law to take in vagrants, who usually stayed for just one night, they were not very popular guests.
And the workhouses were always considering ways to deter tramps from coming to them.
The Prescot Guardians had set up a sub-committee to visit workhouses in Manchester, Liverpool and Toxteth Park to see how they dealt with the problematic vagrants and they reported back to the meeting.
Although tramps and other temporary guests were supposed to undertake some work on the following morning before leaving Whiston, the rule was not always enforced.
That was in order to get rid of them as soon as possible. But the report stated that the other workhouses did strictly enforce the rule.
At Toxteth Park the vagrants were made to break stone and the guardians were informed that since this had been introduced, it had had a "most wonderful effect".
The word had soon got round and in two months Toxteth had had only two vagrant visitors.
That compared to Whiston, which during the last 12 weeks had received 949 vagrants, an increase of 260 on the same period of last year!
And other workhouses had their vagrants grinding corn for up to 2 hours.
The guardians decided that they would increase the amount of time that their tramps and vagrants broke stone and milled corn to try and deter them from coming to Whiston.
Three years ago I wrote: "An advert in the Newspaper on the 30th [November 1872] stated that every Saturday a dentist would be in attendance at Brockbank's bootmakers premises in Church Street.
"And so you could get your teeth and your clogs fixed at the same time! Now that's convenience for you! You might also learn a bit of local history too – as James Brockbank would later author the book 'History of St. Helens'."
In this week's Newspaper, Brockbank stated that he "begs to inform the inhabitants of St Helens and neighbourhood that in consequence of the increased demand for Boots and Shoes of his own make, he has taken the premises 48, Naylor Street, (Opposite the Wellington Hotel), for a Shoe Manufactory."
Brockbank claimed that he was the only maker in town of American shaped boots with spring waist and was a noted maker of running and jumping pumps.
Every now and then the Corporation's Nuisance Inspector would check up on lodging houses in St Helens, particularly ones that were unregistered.
The man called Henry Turner would turn up at such places very late at night and count how many people he found sleeping there.
This week several persons appeared in court for breaking the rules, including Bridget Ward, who was summoned for having 12 lodgers in her house in Liverpool Street.
Just how many of them would have been sleeping in the same bed was not stated – but I doubt there would have been more than two or three beds in the place.
Often such landladies were unaware of the law and were treated quite generously.
Mrs Ward was a widow and her solicitor claimed that some of the persons sleeping in her house at the time of the inspector's visit had been her sons who had come from Bolton to see their mother.
The man said if his client were leniently dealt with, she would at once register her house. Mrs Ward was fined 5 shillings plus costs.
The Theatre Royal in the building we know as the Citadel had recently reopened for the winter season, "redecorated and beautified".
From the 22nd a play called 'The Sin And The Sorrow' was performed by Churchill and Young Pete "in their negro entertainment", as it was advertised in the Newspaper.
The use of the word negro is now, of course, quite offensive. Although not as offensive as the other "N-word", which was still quite often used in newspaper adverts and reviews.
It cost 4d to watch the show from the gallery and 8d from the pit.
The sinking of new pits – or the elongating of existing ones – was extremely dangerous work and mistakes could prove fatal.
On the 22nd during the sinking of a new coal mine at Collins Green, two men lost their lives through a very simple error.
The two main enemies of pit sinkers were gas and water, both of which could suddenly accumulate and present danger.
During the sinking of the Collins Green shaft, water was found and it was being continually wound up the shaft in a large bucket to a man on the surface known as a brow man.
At 4:30pm the brow man received another bucket of water, which he was supposed to empty into a trough.
But, somehow, perhaps through slipping on wet ground, the man missed the trough and the whole of the contents of the bucket went down the shaft, carrying away a considerable portion of brickwork.
Loose bricks were hurled downwards and considerable damage was done.
Nine men were working down the shaft at the time and the falling debris injured them all, with two so severely hurt that they died on the following day.
One of them was Matthew Hampson of Ramford Street in Parr and the other was James McDonald of Garden Street in Greenbank.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the annual inspection of the highways, the Ragged School's annual gathering, the revenge after a County Court case, the ringing of the changes in St Helens pubs and the fire at Sutton Heath Colliery.