150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 18 - 24 NOVEMBER 1874
This week's many stories include the schoolteachers who were raped as they walked to school, the long working hours of a Bridge Street barber's apprentice, the death of the man for whom Neills Road in Bold is named, the election campaigners accused of dirty scheming, the strange stealing by finding case and the 11-year-old boy who was operating a dangerous printing press in Liverpool Road.
We begin on the 21st with the publication of the St Helens Newspaper, which contained a notice requesting creditors of William Neill to come forward with any claims against his estate. The founder of what was initially known as the Bold Iron Works had died in September.
The firm had been founded in 1859 and initially specialised in making machinery for soap manufacturers, alkali firms and the mining industry. They also appear to have manufactured soap themselves around this time and later specialised in the production of iron castings. It was not until the early 20th century that Neills Road in Bold was so named and the firm later became part of the Capper Neill group.
A council by-election had recently taken place in the Windle ward of St Helens – which then covered much of the town centre. The winner was chemical manufacturer Josias Gamble (always known as J. C. Gamble) who had soundly beaten William Morton. The latter was someone the St Helens Newspaper did not think much of. At a local election in 1870 the paper had accused Morton of corruptly buying drinks for votes. That act had allegedly taken place at the Star Inn in Liverpool Road which had served as a polling station. This week the Newspaper had this to say about Morton's associates:
"We would refrain from speaking of Mr. Morton, but the conduct of the friends in whose hands he appears to have placed himself, cannot be too strongly condemned. Mr. Morton is made the stalking horse of a clique who have neither honour nor honesty; whose sole ambition is to cut a figure in the Council chamber, but are destitute alike of the manners or abilities of gentlemen."
These people were accused of a "paltry trick" by adding six other names to the bona fide nominations of J. C. Gamble and William Morton. None of those "bogus ones" that were nominated had given their consent for their names to be listed on the ballot, with the Newspaper believing its purpose had been to fragment the vote for J. C. Gamble – and to confuse voters.
That was because three of the six that had been added bore the name of Gamble. But they had nothing to do with J. C., with all three of them being ordinary working men. "Such mean, unmanly, and paltry tricks are hateful in the eyes of all honest men," wrote the paper. "Let them win in a fair, upright and manly contest, or admit they are beaten. The result has shown that the people, seeing this dirty scheming, set their faces against Mr. Morton's plotting friends."
Also on the 21st the Prescot Reporter described how two apparently unconnected rapes had taken place within half a mile of each other as two schoolteachers had journeyed to their respective schools. Elizabeth Moss had been attacked as she walked three miles to the colliery school at Haydock.
And a further "outrage" had supposedly taken place on the same morning when another young schoolmistress had been raped while going through a field on her way to her school in Parr. One man had been arrested for the first attack but the second was yet to be identified.
There were often prosecutions for setting off fireworks on November 5th. However, John Eccleston and William Travers who appeared in the Petty Sessions this week had celebrated Guy Fawkes Night by firing off pistols into the air on the streets of Thatto Heath. Eccleston was fined 5 shillings and Travers 2s 6d.
The next case gives an insight into the very long hours bound apprentices were expected to work. Barber Thomas Ward from Bridge Street had taken out a summons against John Barr under the Master and Servant Act. The lad had become Ward's apprentice in 1872 and six days a week was expected to work in the barber's shop from 7am to 9pm. That the boy had done for two years but recently he had only been commencing work at 8 am.
And last week John had declared that from now on he was only prepared to work from 8 am to 8 pm. So Thomas Ward had gone to court to ask the magistrates to enforce his young employee's set working hours. However, the prosecution – that might ultimately have resulted in a prison sentence – had clearly been a shot across the bows for John Barr, as his solicitor told the court that his client was now prepared to work from 7am to 9pm and on that basis the case was withdrawn.
Several times recently I have referred to cases of stealing by finding in which lost money or goods had been discovered and kept. But there was a twist in the case of Charles Brown, who was charged this week with committing such an offence. Winifred Churchill was a marine store dealer in Liverpool Road who had gone out one evening with a purse in her possession containing the huge sum of £19. Why was not explained but the purse was lost and several persons including Charles Brown offered to form a search party.
The volunteers all claimed to have not seen any trace of the missing money but two days later Mrs Churchill heard that Brown had, in fact, found her purse. At first he denied it but later admitted to Mrs Churchill that he had discovered the money on the street and kept it. But Brown claimed that he had been robbed and only had £3 left which he gave her.
A man called James Potter told the court that on the night the money went missing he had seen Brown spending cash freely and Thomas Joy of Glover Street said the same. Charles Brown now pleaded guilty to the theft but his solicitor said in extenuation that persons in such a class as his client did not understand their responsibility upon finding money. However, the magistrates thought differently and sent Brown to prison for three months with hard labour.
The Factory Act of 1833 stated that children under thirteen years of age could only undertake what was known as "half-time" working – that is no more than 6½ hours a day, as the average working week for adults was 70 hours. They were also not permitted to work before 6am or after 6pm. Additionally the employer had to ensure that the child possessed certificates stating they were attending school and that he or she had been passed fit to work by a doctor.
There were many abuses and this week printer Henry Lowe appeared in court charged with employing an 11-year-old without either certificate. A factory inspector told the magistrates that when he had visited the Liverpool Road print works he found Henry Plumley operating a printing press. The employer Henry Lowe told the court that young Plumley had been taken on to run errands and it had been in his absence that the lad had been told to undertake printing work.
There were exemptions to the rules and one concerned boys employed as errand lads. But the factory inspector told the court that boys were often made to undertake such dangerous and unpleasant printing work and similar excuses by their employers that they were only errand lads were often made when they were caught. The employer was fined £2 and costs.
And finally, on the 24th what was advertised as "Working Men's Entertainment – Cheap Amusement for the People" took place in St Bartholomew's schoolroom in Rainhill. An unnamed band from Warrington "consisting of fiddles, double-bass, cornet, dum [sic – presumably drum?]" provided the music for The Lover Working Men's Society from Manchester who, presumably, provided the vocals. No admission fee was stated.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Church Street fire, the man accused of raping a Parr schoolmistress appears in court, the girl who stole bread in Earlestown and a call to prevent the build up of obnoxious sewage gas.
The firm had been founded in 1859 and initially specialised in making machinery for soap manufacturers, alkali firms and the mining industry. They also appear to have manufactured soap themselves around this time and later specialised in the production of iron castings. It was not until the early 20th century that Neills Road in Bold was so named and the firm later became part of the Capper Neill group.
A council by-election had recently taken place in the Windle ward of St Helens – which then covered much of the town centre. The winner was chemical manufacturer Josias Gamble (always known as J. C. Gamble) who had soundly beaten William Morton. The latter was someone the St Helens Newspaper did not think much of. At a local election in 1870 the paper had accused Morton of corruptly buying drinks for votes. That act had allegedly taken place at the Star Inn in Liverpool Road which had served as a polling station. This week the Newspaper had this to say about Morton's associates:
"We would refrain from speaking of Mr. Morton, but the conduct of the friends in whose hands he appears to have placed himself, cannot be too strongly condemned. Mr. Morton is made the stalking horse of a clique who have neither honour nor honesty; whose sole ambition is to cut a figure in the Council chamber, but are destitute alike of the manners or abilities of gentlemen."
These people were accused of a "paltry trick" by adding six other names to the bona fide nominations of J. C. Gamble and William Morton. None of those "bogus ones" that were nominated had given their consent for their names to be listed on the ballot, with the Newspaper believing its purpose had been to fragment the vote for J. C. Gamble – and to confuse voters.
That was because three of the six that had been added bore the name of Gamble. But they had nothing to do with J. C., with all three of them being ordinary working men. "Such mean, unmanly, and paltry tricks are hateful in the eyes of all honest men," wrote the paper. "Let them win in a fair, upright and manly contest, or admit they are beaten. The result has shown that the people, seeing this dirty scheming, set their faces against Mr. Morton's plotting friends."
Also on the 21st the Prescot Reporter described how two apparently unconnected rapes had taken place within half a mile of each other as two schoolteachers had journeyed to their respective schools. Elizabeth Moss had been attacked as she walked three miles to the colliery school at Haydock.
And a further "outrage" had supposedly taken place on the same morning when another young schoolmistress had been raped while going through a field on her way to her school in Parr. One man had been arrested for the first attack but the second was yet to be identified.
There were often prosecutions for setting off fireworks on November 5th. However, John Eccleston and William Travers who appeared in the Petty Sessions this week had celebrated Guy Fawkes Night by firing off pistols into the air on the streets of Thatto Heath. Eccleston was fined 5 shillings and Travers 2s 6d.
The next case gives an insight into the very long hours bound apprentices were expected to work. Barber Thomas Ward from Bridge Street had taken out a summons against John Barr under the Master and Servant Act. The lad had become Ward's apprentice in 1872 and six days a week was expected to work in the barber's shop from 7am to 9pm. That the boy had done for two years but recently he had only been commencing work at 8 am.
And last week John had declared that from now on he was only prepared to work from 8 am to 8 pm. So Thomas Ward had gone to court to ask the magistrates to enforce his young employee's set working hours. However, the prosecution – that might ultimately have resulted in a prison sentence – had clearly been a shot across the bows for John Barr, as his solicitor told the court that his client was now prepared to work from 7am to 9pm and on that basis the case was withdrawn.
Several times recently I have referred to cases of stealing by finding in which lost money or goods had been discovered and kept. But there was a twist in the case of Charles Brown, who was charged this week with committing such an offence. Winifred Churchill was a marine store dealer in Liverpool Road who had gone out one evening with a purse in her possession containing the huge sum of £19. Why was not explained but the purse was lost and several persons including Charles Brown offered to form a search party.
The volunteers all claimed to have not seen any trace of the missing money but two days later Mrs Churchill heard that Brown had, in fact, found her purse. At first he denied it but later admitted to Mrs Churchill that he had discovered the money on the street and kept it. But Brown claimed that he had been robbed and only had £3 left which he gave her.
A man called James Potter told the court that on the night the money went missing he had seen Brown spending cash freely and Thomas Joy of Glover Street said the same. Charles Brown now pleaded guilty to the theft but his solicitor said in extenuation that persons in such a class as his client did not understand their responsibility upon finding money. However, the magistrates thought differently and sent Brown to prison for three months with hard labour.
The Factory Act of 1833 stated that children under thirteen years of age could only undertake what was known as "half-time" working – that is no more than 6½ hours a day, as the average working week for adults was 70 hours. They were also not permitted to work before 6am or after 6pm. Additionally the employer had to ensure that the child possessed certificates stating they were attending school and that he or she had been passed fit to work by a doctor.
There were many abuses and this week printer Henry Lowe appeared in court charged with employing an 11-year-old without either certificate. A factory inspector told the magistrates that when he had visited the Liverpool Road print works he found Henry Plumley operating a printing press. The employer Henry Lowe told the court that young Plumley had been taken on to run errands and it had been in his absence that the lad had been told to undertake printing work.
There were exemptions to the rules and one concerned boys employed as errand lads. But the factory inspector told the court that boys were often made to undertake such dangerous and unpleasant printing work and similar excuses by their employers that they were only errand lads were often made when they were caught. The employer was fined £2 and costs.
And finally, on the 24th what was advertised as "Working Men's Entertainment – Cheap Amusement for the People" took place in St Bartholomew's schoolroom in Rainhill. An unnamed band from Warrington "consisting of fiddles, double-bass, cornet, dum [sic – presumably drum?]" provided the music for The Lover Working Men's Society from Manchester who, presumably, provided the vocals. No admission fee was stated.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Church Street fire, the man accused of raping a Parr schoolmistress appears in court, the girl who stole bread in Earlestown and a call to prevent the build up of obnoxious sewage gas.
This week's many stories include the schoolteachers who were raped as they walked to school, the long working hours of a Bridge Street barber's apprentice, the death of the man for whom Neills Road in Bold is named, the election campaigners accused of dirty scheming, the strange stealing by finding case and the 11-year-old boy who was operating a dangerous printing press in Liverpool Road.
We begin on the 21st with the publication of the St Helens Newspaper, which contained a notice requesting creditors of William Neill to come forward with any claims against his estate.
The founder of what was initially known as the Bold Iron Works had died in September.
The firm had been founded in 1859 and initially specialised in making machinery for soap manufacturers, alkali firms and the mining industry.
They also appear to have manufactured soap themselves around this time and later specialised in the production of iron castings.
It was not until the early 20th century that Neills Road in Bold was so named and the firm later became part of the Capper Neill group.
A council by-election had recently taken place in the Windle ward of St Helens – which then covered much of the town centre.
The winner was chemical manufacturer Josias Gamble (always known as J. C. Gamble) who had soundly beaten William Morton.
The latter was someone the St Helens Newspaper did not think much of.
At a local election in 1870 the paper had accused Morton of corruptly buying drinks for votes.
That act had allegedly taken place at the Star Inn in Liverpool Road which had served as a polling station. This week the Newspaper had this to say about Morton's associates:
"We would refrain from speaking of Mr. Morton, but the conduct of the friends in whose hands he appears to have placed himself, cannot be too strongly condemned.
"Mr. Morton is made the stalking horse of a clique who have neither honour nor honesty; whose sole ambition is to cut a figure in the Council chamber, but are destitute alike of the manners or abilities of gentlemen."
These people were accused of a "paltry trick" by adding six other names to the bona fide nominations of J. C. Gamble and William Morton.
None of those "bogus ones" that were nominated had given their consent for their names to be listed on the ballot, with the Newspaper believing its purpose had been to fragment the vote for J. C. Gamble – and to confuse voters.
That was because three of the six that had been added bore the name of Gamble. But they had nothing to do with J. C., with all three of them being ordinary working men.
"Such mean, unmanly, and paltry tricks are hateful in the eyes of all honest men," wrote the paper.
"Let them win in a fair, upright and manly contest, or admit they are beaten. The result has shown that the people, seeing this dirty scheming, set their faces against Mr. Morton's plotting friends."
Also on the 21st the Prescot Reporter described how two apparently unconnected rapes had taken place within half a mile of each other as two schoolteachers had journeyed to their respective schools.
Elizabeth Moss had been attacked as she walked three miles to the colliery school at Haydock.
And a further "outrage" had supposedly taken place on the same morning when another young schoolmistress had been raped while going through a field on her way to her school in Parr.
One man had been arrested for the first attack but the second was yet to be identified.
There were often prosecutions for setting off fireworks on November 5th.
However, John Eccleston and William Travers who appeared in the Petty Sessions this week had celebrated Guy Fawkes Night by firing off pistols into the air on the streets of Thatto Heath.
Eccleston was fined 5 shillings and Travers 2s 6d.
The next case gives an insight into the very long hours bound apprentices were expected to work.
Barber Thomas Ward from Bridge Street had taken out a summons against John Barr under the Master and Servant Act.
The lad had become Ward's apprentice in 1872 and six days a week was expected to work in the barber's shop from 7am to 9pm.
That the boy had done for two years but recently he had only been commencing work at 8 am.
And last week John had declared that from now on he was only prepared to work from 8 am to 8 pm.
So Thomas Ward had gone to court to ask the magistrates to enforce his young employee's set working hours.
However, the prosecution – that might ultimately have resulted in a prison sentence – had clearly been a shot across the bows for John Barr, as his solicitor told the court that his client was now prepared to work from 7am to 9pm and on that basis the case was withdrawn.
Several times recently I have referred to cases of stealing by finding in which lost money or goods had been discovered and kept.
But there was a twist in the case of Charles Brown, who was charged this week with committing such an offence.
Winifred Churchill was a marine store dealer in Liverpool Road who had gone out one evening with a purse in her possession containing the huge sum of £19.
Why was not explained but the purse was lost and several persons including Charles Brown offered to form a search party.
The volunteers all claimed to have not seen any trace of the missing money but two days later Mrs Churchill heard that Brown had, in fact, found her purse.
At first he denied it but later admitted to Mrs Churchill that he had discovered the money on the street and kept it.
But Brown claimed that he had been robbed and only had £3 left which he gave her.
A man called James Potter told the court that on the night the money went missing he had seen Brown spending cash freely and Thomas Joy of Glover Street said the same.
Charles Brown now pleaded guilty to the theft but his solicitor said in extenuation that persons in such a class as his client did not understand their responsibility upon finding money.
However, the magistrates thought differently and sent Brown to prison for three months with hard labour.
The Factory Act of 1833 stated that children under thirteen years of age could only undertake what was known as "half-time" working – that is no more than 6½ hours a day, as the average working week for adults was 70 hours.
They were also not permitted to work before 6am or after 6pm. Additionally the employer had to ensure that the child possessed certificates stating they were attending school and that he or she had been passed fit to work by a doctor.
There were many abuses and this week printer Henry Lowe appeared in court charged with employing an 11-year-old without either certificate.
A factory inspector told the magistrates that when he had visited the Liverpool Road print works he found Henry Plumley operating a printing press.
The employer Henry Lowe told the court that young Plumley had been taken on to run errands and it had been in his absence that the lad had been told to undertake printing work.
There were exemptions to the rules and one concerned boys employed as errand lads.
But the factory inspector told the court that boys were often made to undertake such dangerous and unpleasant printing work and similar excuses by their employers that they were only errand lads were often made when they were caught.
The employer was fined £2 and costs.
And finally, on the 24th what was advertised as "Working Men's Entertainment – Cheap Amusement for the People" took place in St Bartholomew's schoolroom in Rainhill.
An unnamed band from Warrington "consisting of fiddles, double-bass, cornet, dum [sic – presumably drum?]" provided the music for The Lover Working Men's Society from Manchester who, presumably, provided the vocals. No admission fee was stated.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Church Street fire, the man accused of raping a Parr schoolmistress appears in court, the girl who stole bread in Earlestown and a call to prevent the build up of obnoxious sewage gas.
The founder of what was initially known as the Bold Iron Works had died in September.
The firm had been founded in 1859 and initially specialised in making machinery for soap manufacturers, alkali firms and the mining industry.
They also appear to have manufactured soap themselves around this time and later specialised in the production of iron castings.
It was not until the early 20th century that Neills Road in Bold was so named and the firm later became part of the Capper Neill group.
A council by-election had recently taken place in the Windle ward of St Helens – which then covered much of the town centre.
The winner was chemical manufacturer Josias Gamble (always known as J. C. Gamble) who had soundly beaten William Morton.
The latter was someone the St Helens Newspaper did not think much of.
At a local election in 1870 the paper had accused Morton of corruptly buying drinks for votes.
That act had allegedly taken place at the Star Inn in Liverpool Road which had served as a polling station. This week the Newspaper had this to say about Morton's associates:
"We would refrain from speaking of Mr. Morton, but the conduct of the friends in whose hands he appears to have placed himself, cannot be too strongly condemned.
"Mr. Morton is made the stalking horse of a clique who have neither honour nor honesty; whose sole ambition is to cut a figure in the Council chamber, but are destitute alike of the manners or abilities of gentlemen."
These people were accused of a "paltry trick" by adding six other names to the bona fide nominations of J. C. Gamble and William Morton.
None of those "bogus ones" that were nominated had given their consent for their names to be listed on the ballot, with the Newspaper believing its purpose had been to fragment the vote for J. C. Gamble – and to confuse voters.
That was because three of the six that had been added bore the name of Gamble. But they had nothing to do with J. C., with all three of them being ordinary working men.
"Such mean, unmanly, and paltry tricks are hateful in the eyes of all honest men," wrote the paper.
"Let them win in a fair, upright and manly contest, or admit they are beaten. The result has shown that the people, seeing this dirty scheming, set their faces against Mr. Morton's plotting friends."
Also on the 21st the Prescot Reporter described how two apparently unconnected rapes had taken place within half a mile of each other as two schoolteachers had journeyed to their respective schools.
Elizabeth Moss had been attacked as she walked three miles to the colliery school at Haydock.
And a further "outrage" had supposedly taken place on the same morning when another young schoolmistress had been raped while going through a field on her way to her school in Parr.
One man had been arrested for the first attack but the second was yet to be identified.
There were often prosecutions for setting off fireworks on November 5th.
However, John Eccleston and William Travers who appeared in the Petty Sessions this week had celebrated Guy Fawkes Night by firing off pistols into the air on the streets of Thatto Heath.
Eccleston was fined 5 shillings and Travers 2s 6d.
The next case gives an insight into the very long hours bound apprentices were expected to work.
Barber Thomas Ward from Bridge Street had taken out a summons against John Barr under the Master and Servant Act.
The lad had become Ward's apprentice in 1872 and six days a week was expected to work in the barber's shop from 7am to 9pm.
That the boy had done for two years but recently he had only been commencing work at 8 am.
And last week John had declared that from now on he was only prepared to work from 8 am to 8 pm.
So Thomas Ward had gone to court to ask the magistrates to enforce his young employee's set working hours.
However, the prosecution – that might ultimately have resulted in a prison sentence – had clearly been a shot across the bows for John Barr, as his solicitor told the court that his client was now prepared to work from 7am to 9pm and on that basis the case was withdrawn.
Several times recently I have referred to cases of stealing by finding in which lost money or goods had been discovered and kept.
But there was a twist in the case of Charles Brown, who was charged this week with committing such an offence.
Winifred Churchill was a marine store dealer in Liverpool Road who had gone out one evening with a purse in her possession containing the huge sum of £19.
Why was not explained but the purse was lost and several persons including Charles Brown offered to form a search party.
The volunteers all claimed to have not seen any trace of the missing money but two days later Mrs Churchill heard that Brown had, in fact, found her purse.
At first he denied it but later admitted to Mrs Churchill that he had discovered the money on the street and kept it.
But Brown claimed that he had been robbed and only had £3 left which he gave her.
A man called James Potter told the court that on the night the money went missing he had seen Brown spending cash freely and Thomas Joy of Glover Street said the same.
Charles Brown now pleaded guilty to the theft but his solicitor said in extenuation that persons in such a class as his client did not understand their responsibility upon finding money.
However, the magistrates thought differently and sent Brown to prison for three months with hard labour.
The Factory Act of 1833 stated that children under thirteen years of age could only undertake what was known as "half-time" working – that is no more than 6½ hours a day, as the average working week for adults was 70 hours.
They were also not permitted to work before 6am or after 6pm. Additionally the employer had to ensure that the child possessed certificates stating they were attending school and that he or she had been passed fit to work by a doctor.
There were many abuses and this week printer Henry Lowe appeared in court charged with employing an 11-year-old without either certificate.
A factory inspector told the magistrates that when he had visited the Liverpool Road print works he found Henry Plumley operating a printing press.
The employer Henry Lowe told the court that young Plumley had been taken on to run errands and it had been in his absence that the lad had been told to undertake printing work.
There were exemptions to the rules and one concerned boys employed as errand lads.
But the factory inspector told the court that boys were often made to undertake such dangerous and unpleasant printing work and similar excuses by their employers that they were only errand lads were often made when they were caught.
The employer was fined £2 and costs.
And finally, on the 24th what was advertised as "Working Men's Entertainment – Cheap Amusement for the People" took place in St Bartholomew's schoolroom in Rainhill.
An unnamed band from Warrington "consisting of fiddles, double-bass, cornet, dum [sic – presumably drum?]" provided the music for The Lover Working Men's Society from Manchester who, presumably, provided the vocals. No admission fee was stated.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the Church Street fire, the man accused of raping a Parr schoolmistress appears in court, the girl who stole bread in Earlestown and a call to prevent the build up of obnoxious sewage gas.