150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 19 - 25 AUGUST 1874
This week's many stories include concern over the high rate of infant mortality in St Helens, the domestic servant's theft of cash from a Prescot doctor, the living skeletons in Whiston Workhouse, the illicit Sunday morning drinking in Prescot and an inquiry is held into the water shortage in Whiston.
We begin at the council's Health Committee meeting on the 19th when there was a discussion about the high mortality rate in St Helens. Councillor Allen was particularly concerned that two-thirds of the deaths during the past month had been of children.
And of those fatalities diarrhoea was the chief cause, which the town's acidic atmosphere was believed to have made worse. He called the situation a "terrible state of things", although other members of the committee were more complacent about the death rate. Cllr Pemberton said it was a nationwide problem to which Cllr Allen responded:
"Yes; but a loss common to the race does not make our own loss less terrible. As a matter of precaution, the attention of the public should be called to the fact that infantile diarrhoea was largely swelling our death rate. There may be atmospheric causes, but the mortality being so general, it does not show that we are especially wrong in that respect. There is a great deal of neglect, particularly in the food given to children…. It is a great pity that our infantile population should be swept away through the ignorance and neglect of parents."
Cllr Henry Thomason said he completely disagreed with Cllr Allen and even the committee chairman – who accepted that there was a great deal of ignorance in how children were treated in St Helens – declared that they had "no occasion for special alarm".
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health had already pointed out to the committee members that the town’s mortality rate during the past month – which had particularly affected infants under a year old – had been exceptionally bad and he blamed the rise on the time of year.
A member of the committee consequently said: "In another month the death rate will be lower. Time will set it right." To that remark Mr Allen replied: "Time does not; death sets it right for the child. We cannot magnify it too much, or be too much on the alert."
The Prescot Board of Guardians met on the 20th and heard that during the past week 338 persons had been in Whiston Workhouse (pictured above), of which 121 were children. That was a slight increase on the same period last year.
There was a brief discussion of the number of deaths that had taken place in the workhouse over the previous fortnight. Four persons had died from fever and in a separate case a man was described as having been a "living skeleton before his death having starved himself for exhibition". Exactly what was meant by that remark I cannot say but the Clerk to the Guardians then said there was a far more striking case still living in the house.
There was a longer discussion about the lack of water at the workhouse, which was a regular theme at meetings. The Local Government Board was sending a chap with the grand name of Colonel Ponsonby Cox to hold an inquiry into the water question. The guardians wanted permission to borrow money in order to lay mains but they were receiving contradictory reports about their likely water supply. One man had informed them that water would only be available to them for three hours from 5am each morning.
A new workhouse hospital for infectious cases was in the process of being built and William Culshaw, the building's architect, had written to the guardians to say he was afraid that the brickwork would have to be carried on into the winter. This was far from ideal as the winters were often extremely cold but he said that when the season became unfavourable to do any work, the walls of the new building would be covered with straw to prevent frost from doing any damage.
Publicans were allowed to sell alcohol from early in the morning six days of the week – but not on Sundays when half-past twelve was the earliest they could open their doors. But that did not stop thirsty folk from going round the back of pubs asking for a drink on the morning of the Sabbath. Not wanting to deny locals their booze and potentially lose their trade for the rest of the week, many licensees allowed them a drink.
However, it was a dangerous business as the eagle-eyed police were always on the lookout for those who infringed the law. If summoned to court many licensees hired the combative solicitor Thomas Swift to deny the charge on their behalf, even when they had been caught red-handed. That was the case with Thomas Prescott who kept a beerhouse in St Helens Road in Eccleston and who appeared in Prescot Petty Sessions this week.
A constable gave evidence that at 8:30 am on Sunday 2nd he had been watching Prescott's house when he saw several men go into a yard at its rear. That was shared between the beerhouse and a man named Grace. Having his suspicions aroused that beer was being sold illicitly, the officer said he went into Grace's house where he saw Thomas Prescott's wife with a can in one hand that contained a small portion of freshly drawn beer and some money in the other hand.
This was a slightly unusual case as the beer was being sold from a neighbouring house rather than the beerhouse itself. But that did not absolve Thomas Prescott from responsibility but the licensee had a very good try at doing so! His advocate Thomas Swift insisted that no beer had been found in his client's house and none had come from it.
Prescott denied drawing any beer and so did his wife. The neighbour, Mr Grace, claimed to own the can, which he said had been bought in St Helens and swore that no beer had been brought into his home by anyone. Other witnesses were called and they all positively denied that any beer was obtained or drawn from the defendant's house.
However, Superintendent James Fowler, who was in charge of Prescot police, claimed that Thomas Prescott's beerhouse was very badly conducted and explained how he had found it necessary to send police officers to observe his premises, adding: "The Sunday morning drinking in that neighbourhood is shocking and some of the witnesses that have been called for the defence are the worst in the district."
The Chairman of the Bench was Colonel John Blackburne who lived with his wife, children and twenty servants at Hale Hall, Hale, which is quite a tongue-twister! In fact his residence in censuses is listed as "Hale Hall, Hale, Hale", which is verging on the ridiculous! Col Blackburne said he considered the case proved and that he had suspicions as to the evidence offered by the defence, which he considered "most flagrant".
The Colonel thought that some of the witnesses who had sworn before them should be made to answer further for their conduct – in other words charged with perjury. He said it was a very bad case and a fine of £10 and costs would be imposed. That was a huge amount equivalent to two months wages for many and it was quite likely that Thomas Prescott had to go to prison instead.
Whether any of Colonel Blackburne's twenty domestic servants ever gave into temptation and stole goods or small amounts of money from him, I cannot say. But others did and it was a brainless crime because suspicion inevitably fell upon the servant. And that committed by Ellen Atherton was even more stupid as she stole a very large amount of cash from her employer.
The 17-year-old girl worked for Dr Samuel Morris of Church Street in Prescot. Ellen had only been employed for six weeks before she helped herself to the large amount of £46 10 shillings that had been stored in a locked drawer in a wardrobe after getting hold of the key. It did not take long for the police to wring a confession from the girl and she "pleaded earnestly for forgiveness", as it was reported. But there was no chance of that.
When she had moved into Dr Morris's home it was noticed that Ellen possessed very few clothes. But when her room was searched many items of clothing were discovered that had been purchased from numerous tradesmen in Prescot and St Helens. Ellen had told one retailer to whom she gave a £20 note, that the money had been a wedding present from an uncle in London. After appearing in the Prescot Petty Sessions this week Ellen was committed for trial at the next assizes hearing in Liverpool, where in November she would be sentenced to four months in prison.
Also in the Prescot court was Ellen Carney who was charged with cutting and wounding Isabella Calder at Prescot. Mrs Calder was the wife of a travelling actor and for the last five weeks she had been lodging at Mrs Carney's house. After a row the defendant was alleged to have struck the "prosecutrix" a violent blow on her forehead with a weapon that was believed to be a knife.
The aforementioned Dr Morris had treated the woman for what he described as a serious wound. Ellen Carney was subsequently sent for trial at the Liverpool Assizes but the 32-year-old did not make it, as in September she was instead committed to Rainhill Asylum.
And finally, on the 24th Father Turner held another meeting of his Catholic Association for the Suppression of Drunkenness at Gerards Bridge School. That had only been formed in 1873 and, unusually, the temperance association accepted two forms of pledge. As well as total abstinence, members could agree not to drink more than two pints of beer a day, as long as they were not consumed in a public house.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the escape of the man who tried to board a moving train, the fathers ordered to birch their sons, the Water Street female sweet seller accused of providing extra services to men and criticism of the lack of an art school in St Helens.
We begin at the council's Health Committee meeting on the 19th when there was a discussion about the high mortality rate in St Helens. Councillor Allen was particularly concerned that two-thirds of the deaths during the past month had been of children.
And of those fatalities diarrhoea was the chief cause, which the town's acidic atmosphere was believed to have made worse. He called the situation a "terrible state of things", although other members of the committee were more complacent about the death rate. Cllr Pemberton said it was a nationwide problem to which Cllr Allen responded:
"Yes; but a loss common to the race does not make our own loss less terrible. As a matter of precaution, the attention of the public should be called to the fact that infantile diarrhoea was largely swelling our death rate. There may be atmospheric causes, but the mortality being so general, it does not show that we are especially wrong in that respect. There is a great deal of neglect, particularly in the food given to children…. It is a great pity that our infantile population should be swept away through the ignorance and neglect of parents."
Cllr Henry Thomason said he completely disagreed with Cllr Allen and even the committee chairman – who accepted that there was a great deal of ignorance in how children were treated in St Helens – declared that they had "no occasion for special alarm".
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health had already pointed out to the committee members that the town’s mortality rate during the past month – which had particularly affected infants under a year old – had been exceptionally bad and he blamed the rise on the time of year.
A member of the committee consequently said: "In another month the death rate will be lower. Time will set it right." To that remark Mr Allen replied: "Time does not; death sets it right for the child. We cannot magnify it too much, or be too much on the alert."
There was a brief discussion of the number of deaths that had taken place in the workhouse over the previous fortnight. Four persons had died from fever and in a separate case a man was described as having been a "living skeleton before his death having starved himself for exhibition". Exactly what was meant by that remark I cannot say but the Clerk to the Guardians then said there was a far more striking case still living in the house.
There was a longer discussion about the lack of water at the workhouse, which was a regular theme at meetings. The Local Government Board was sending a chap with the grand name of Colonel Ponsonby Cox to hold an inquiry into the water question. The guardians wanted permission to borrow money in order to lay mains but they were receiving contradictory reports about their likely water supply. One man had informed them that water would only be available to them for three hours from 5am each morning.
A new workhouse hospital for infectious cases was in the process of being built and William Culshaw, the building's architect, had written to the guardians to say he was afraid that the brickwork would have to be carried on into the winter. This was far from ideal as the winters were often extremely cold but he said that when the season became unfavourable to do any work, the walls of the new building would be covered with straw to prevent frost from doing any damage.
Publicans were allowed to sell alcohol from early in the morning six days of the week – but not on Sundays when half-past twelve was the earliest they could open their doors. But that did not stop thirsty folk from going round the back of pubs asking for a drink on the morning of the Sabbath. Not wanting to deny locals their booze and potentially lose their trade for the rest of the week, many licensees allowed them a drink.
However, it was a dangerous business as the eagle-eyed police were always on the lookout for those who infringed the law. If summoned to court many licensees hired the combative solicitor Thomas Swift to deny the charge on their behalf, even when they had been caught red-handed. That was the case with Thomas Prescott who kept a beerhouse in St Helens Road in Eccleston and who appeared in Prescot Petty Sessions this week.
A constable gave evidence that at 8:30 am on Sunday 2nd he had been watching Prescott's house when he saw several men go into a yard at its rear. That was shared between the beerhouse and a man named Grace. Having his suspicions aroused that beer was being sold illicitly, the officer said he went into Grace's house where he saw Thomas Prescott's wife with a can in one hand that contained a small portion of freshly drawn beer and some money in the other hand.
This was a slightly unusual case as the beer was being sold from a neighbouring house rather than the beerhouse itself. But that did not absolve Thomas Prescott from responsibility but the licensee had a very good try at doing so! His advocate Thomas Swift insisted that no beer had been found in his client's house and none had come from it.
Prescott denied drawing any beer and so did his wife. The neighbour, Mr Grace, claimed to own the can, which he said had been bought in St Helens and swore that no beer had been brought into his home by anyone. Other witnesses were called and they all positively denied that any beer was obtained or drawn from the defendant's house.
However, Superintendent James Fowler, who was in charge of Prescot police, claimed that Thomas Prescott's beerhouse was very badly conducted and explained how he had found it necessary to send police officers to observe his premises, adding: "The Sunday morning drinking in that neighbourhood is shocking and some of the witnesses that have been called for the defence are the worst in the district."
The Chairman of the Bench was Colonel John Blackburne who lived with his wife, children and twenty servants at Hale Hall, Hale, which is quite a tongue-twister! In fact his residence in censuses is listed as "Hale Hall, Hale, Hale", which is verging on the ridiculous! Col Blackburne said he considered the case proved and that he had suspicions as to the evidence offered by the defence, which he considered "most flagrant".
The Colonel thought that some of the witnesses who had sworn before them should be made to answer further for their conduct – in other words charged with perjury. He said it was a very bad case and a fine of £10 and costs would be imposed. That was a huge amount equivalent to two months wages for many and it was quite likely that Thomas Prescott had to go to prison instead.
Whether any of Colonel Blackburne's twenty domestic servants ever gave into temptation and stole goods or small amounts of money from him, I cannot say. But others did and it was a brainless crime because suspicion inevitably fell upon the servant. And that committed by Ellen Atherton was even more stupid as she stole a very large amount of cash from her employer.
The 17-year-old girl worked for Dr Samuel Morris of Church Street in Prescot. Ellen had only been employed for six weeks before she helped herself to the large amount of £46 10 shillings that had been stored in a locked drawer in a wardrobe after getting hold of the key. It did not take long for the police to wring a confession from the girl and she "pleaded earnestly for forgiveness", as it was reported. But there was no chance of that.
When she had moved into Dr Morris's home it was noticed that Ellen possessed very few clothes. But when her room was searched many items of clothing were discovered that had been purchased from numerous tradesmen in Prescot and St Helens. Ellen had told one retailer to whom she gave a £20 note, that the money had been a wedding present from an uncle in London. After appearing in the Prescot Petty Sessions this week Ellen was committed for trial at the next assizes hearing in Liverpool, where in November she would be sentenced to four months in prison.
Also in the Prescot court was Ellen Carney who was charged with cutting and wounding Isabella Calder at Prescot. Mrs Calder was the wife of a travelling actor and for the last five weeks she had been lodging at Mrs Carney's house. After a row the defendant was alleged to have struck the "prosecutrix" a violent blow on her forehead with a weapon that was believed to be a knife.
The aforementioned Dr Morris had treated the woman for what he described as a serious wound. Ellen Carney was subsequently sent for trial at the Liverpool Assizes but the 32-year-old did not make it, as in September she was instead committed to Rainhill Asylum.
And finally, on the 24th Father Turner held another meeting of his Catholic Association for the Suppression of Drunkenness at Gerards Bridge School. That had only been formed in 1873 and, unusually, the temperance association accepted two forms of pledge. As well as total abstinence, members could agree not to drink more than two pints of beer a day, as long as they were not consumed in a public house.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the escape of the man who tried to board a moving train, the fathers ordered to birch their sons, the Water Street female sweet seller accused of providing extra services to men and criticism of the lack of an art school in St Helens.
This week's many stories include concern over the high rate of infant mortality in St Helens, the domestic servant's theft of cash from a Prescot doctor, the living skeletons in Whiston Workhouse, the illicit Sunday morning drinking in Prescot and an inquiry is held into the water shortage in Whiston.
We begin at the council's Health Committee meeting on the 19th when there was a discussion about the high mortality rate in St Helens.
Councillor Allen was particularly concerned that two-thirds of the deaths during the past month had been of children.
And of those fatalities diarrhoea was the chief cause, which the town's acidic atmosphere was believed to have made worse.
He called the situation a "terrible state of things", although other members of the committee were more complacent about the death rate.
Cllr Pemberton said it was a nationwide problem to which Cllr Allen responded:
"Yes; but a loss common to the race does not make our own loss less terrible. As a matter of precaution, the attention of the public should be called to the fact that infantile diarrhoea was largely swelling our death rate.
"There may be atmospheric causes, but the mortality being so general, it does not show that we are especially wrong in that respect.
"There is a great deal of neglect, particularly in the food given to children…. It is a great pity that our infantile population should be swept away through the ignorance and neglect of parents."
Cllr Henry Thomason said he completely disagreed with Cllr Allen and even the committee chairman – who accepted that there was a great deal of ignorance in how children were treated in St Helens – declared that they had "no occasion for special alarm".
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health had already pointed out to the committee members that the town’s mortality rate during the past month – which had particularly affected infants under a year old – had been exceptionally bad and he blamed the rise on the time of year.
A member of the committee consequently said: "In another month the death rate will be lower. Time will set it right."
To that remark Mr Allen replied: "Time does not; death sets it right for the child. We cannot magnify it too much, or be too much on the alert."
The Prescot Board of Guardians met on the 20th and heard that during the past week 338 persons had been in Whiston Workhouse (pictured above), of which 121 were children. That was a slight increase on the same period last year.
There was a brief discussion of the number of deaths that had taken place in the workhouse over the previous fortnight.
Four persons had died from fever and in a separate case a man was described as having been a "living skeleton before his death having starved himself for exhibition".
Exactly what was meant by that remark I cannot say but the Clerk to the Guardians then said there was a far more striking case still living in the house.
There was a longer discussion about the lack of water at the workhouse, which was a regular theme at meetings.
The Local Government Board was sending a chap with the grand name of Colonel Ponsonby Cox to hold an inquiry into the water question.
The guardians wanted permission to borrow money in order to lay mains but they were receiving contradictory reports about their likely water supply.
One man had informed them that water would only be available to them for three hours from 5am each morning.
A new workhouse hospital for infectious cases was in the process of being built and William Culshaw, the building's architect, had written to the guardians to say he was afraid that the brickwork would have to be carried on into the winter.
This was far from ideal as the winters were often extremely cold but he said that when the season became unfavourable to do any work, the walls of the new building would be covered with straw to prevent frost from doing any damage.
Publicans were allowed to sell alcohol from early in the morning six days of the week – but not on Sundays when half-past twelve was the earliest they could open their doors.
But that did not stop thirsty folk from going round the back of pubs asking for a drink on the morning of the Sabbath.
Not wanting to deny locals their booze and potentially lose their trade for the rest of the week, many licensees allowed them a drink.
However, it was a dangerous business as the eagle-eyed police were always on the lookout for those who infringed the law.
If summoned to court many licensees hired the combative solicitor Thomas Swift to deny the charge on their behalf, even when they had been caught red-handed.
That was the case with Thomas Prescott who kept a beerhouse in St Helens Road in Eccleston and who appeared in Prescot Petty Sessions this week.
A constable gave evidence that at 8:30 am on Sunday 2nd he had been watching Prescott's house when he saw several men go into a yard at its rear. That was shared between the beerhouse and a man named Grace.
Having his suspicions aroused that beer was being sold illicitly, the officer said he went into Grace's house where he saw Thomas Prescott's wife with a can in one hand that contained a small portion of freshly drawn beer and some money in the other hand.
This was a slightly unusual case as the beer was being sold from a neighbouring house rather than the beerhouse itself.
But that did not absolve Thomas Prescott from responsibility but the licensee had a very good try at doing so!
His advocate Thomas Swift insisted that no beer had been found in his client's house and none had come from it.
Prescott denied drawing any beer and so did his wife. The neighbour, Mr Grace, claimed to own the can, which he said had been bought in St Helens and swore that no beer had been brought into his home by anyone.
Other witnesses were called and they all positively denied that any beer was obtained or drawn from the defendant's house.
However, Superintendent James Fowler, who was in charge of Prescot police, claimed that Thomas Prescott's beerhouse was very badly conducted and explained how he had found it necessary to send police officers to observe his premises, adding:
"The Sunday morning drinking in that neighbourhood is shocking and some of the witnesses that have been called for the defence are the worst in the district."
The Chairman of the Bench was Colonel John Blackburne who lived with his wife, children and twenty servants at Hale Hall, Hale, which is quite a tongue-twister!
In fact his residence in censuses is listed as "Hale Hall, Hale, Hale", which is verging on the ridiculous!
Col Blackburne said he considered the case proved and that he had suspicions as to the evidence offered by the defence, which he considered "most flagrant".
The Colonel thought that some of the witnesses who had sworn before them should be made to answer further for their conduct – in other words charged with perjury.
He said it was a very bad case and a fine of £10 and costs would be imposed. That was a huge amount equivalent to two months wages for many and it was quite likely that Thomas Prescott had to go to prison instead.
Whether any of Colonel Blackburne's twenty domestic servants ever gave into temptation and stole goods or small amounts of money from him, I cannot say.
But others did and it was a brainless crime because suspicion inevitably fell upon the servant.
And that committed by Ellen Atherton was even more stupid as she stole a very large amount of cash from her employer.
The 17-year-old girl worked for Dr Samuel Morris of Church Street in Prescot.
Ellen had only been employed for six weeks before she helped herself to the large amount of £46 10 shillings that had been stored in a locked drawer in a wardrobe after getting hold of the key.
It did not take long for the police to wring a confession from the girl and she "pleaded earnestly for forgiveness", as it was reported. But there was no chance of that.
When she had moved into Dr Morris's home it was noticed that Ellen possessed very few clothes.
But when her room was searched many items of clothing were discovered that had been purchased from numerous tradesmen in Prescot and St Helens.
Ellen had told one retailer to whom she gave a £20 note, that the money had been a wedding present from an uncle in London.
After appearing in the Prescot Petty Sessions this week Ellen was committed for trial at the next assizes hearing in Liverpool, where in November she would be sentenced to four months in prison.
Also in the Prescot court was Ellen Carney who was charged with cutting and wounding Isabella Calder at Prescot.
Mrs Calder was the wife of a travelling actor and for the last five weeks she had been lodging at Mrs Carney's house.
After a row the defendant was alleged to have struck the "prosecutrix" a violent blow on her forehead with a weapon that was believed to be a knife.
The aforementioned Dr Morris had treated the woman for what he described as a serious wound.
Ellen Carney was subsequently sent for trial at the Liverpool Assizes but the 32-year-old did not make it, as in September she was instead committed to Rainhill Asylum.
And finally, on the 24th Father Turner held another meeting of his Catholic Association for the Suppression of Drunkenness at Gerards Bridge School.
That had only been formed in 1873 and, unusually, the temperance association accepted two forms of pledge.
As well as total abstinence, members could agree not to drink more than two pints of beer a day, as long as they were not consumed in a public house.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the escape of the man who tried to board a moving train, the fathers ordered to birch their sons, the Water Street female sweet seller accused of providing extra services to men and criticism of the lack of an art school in St Helens.
We begin at the council's Health Committee meeting on the 19th when there was a discussion about the high mortality rate in St Helens.
Councillor Allen was particularly concerned that two-thirds of the deaths during the past month had been of children.
And of those fatalities diarrhoea was the chief cause, which the town's acidic atmosphere was believed to have made worse.
He called the situation a "terrible state of things", although other members of the committee were more complacent about the death rate.
Cllr Pemberton said it was a nationwide problem to which Cllr Allen responded:
"Yes; but a loss common to the race does not make our own loss less terrible. As a matter of precaution, the attention of the public should be called to the fact that infantile diarrhoea was largely swelling our death rate.
"There may be atmospheric causes, but the mortality being so general, it does not show that we are especially wrong in that respect.
"There is a great deal of neglect, particularly in the food given to children…. It is a great pity that our infantile population should be swept away through the ignorance and neglect of parents."
Cllr Henry Thomason said he completely disagreed with Cllr Allen and even the committee chairman – who accepted that there was a great deal of ignorance in how children were treated in St Helens – declared that they had "no occasion for special alarm".
The St Helens Medical Officer of Health had already pointed out to the committee members that the town’s mortality rate during the past month – which had particularly affected infants under a year old – had been exceptionally bad and he blamed the rise on the time of year.
A member of the committee consequently said: "In another month the death rate will be lower. Time will set it right."
To that remark Mr Allen replied: "Time does not; death sets it right for the child. We cannot magnify it too much, or be too much on the alert."
There was a brief discussion of the number of deaths that had taken place in the workhouse over the previous fortnight.
Four persons had died from fever and in a separate case a man was described as having been a "living skeleton before his death having starved himself for exhibition".
Exactly what was meant by that remark I cannot say but the Clerk to the Guardians then said there was a far more striking case still living in the house.
There was a longer discussion about the lack of water at the workhouse, which was a regular theme at meetings.
The Local Government Board was sending a chap with the grand name of Colonel Ponsonby Cox to hold an inquiry into the water question.
The guardians wanted permission to borrow money in order to lay mains but they were receiving contradictory reports about their likely water supply.
One man had informed them that water would only be available to them for three hours from 5am each morning.
A new workhouse hospital for infectious cases was in the process of being built and William Culshaw, the building's architect, had written to the guardians to say he was afraid that the brickwork would have to be carried on into the winter.
This was far from ideal as the winters were often extremely cold but he said that when the season became unfavourable to do any work, the walls of the new building would be covered with straw to prevent frost from doing any damage.
Publicans were allowed to sell alcohol from early in the morning six days of the week – but not on Sundays when half-past twelve was the earliest they could open their doors.
But that did not stop thirsty folk from going round the back of pubs asking for a drink on the morning of the Sabbath.
Not wanting to deny locals their booze and potentially lose their trade for the rest of the week, many licensees allowed them a drink.
However, it was a dangerous business as the eagle-eyed police were always on the lookout for those who infringed the law.
If summoned to court many licensees hired the combative solicitor Thomas Swift to deny the charge on their behalf, even when they had been caught red-handed.
That was the case with Thomas Prescott who kept a beerhouse in St Helens Road in Eccleston and who appeared in Prescot Petty Sessions this week.
A constable gave evidence that at 8:30 am on Sunday 2nd he had been watching Prescott's house when he saw several men go into a yard at its rear. That was shared between the beerhouse and a man named Grace.
Having his suspicions aroused that beer was being sold illicitly, the officer said he went into Grace's house where he saw Thomas Prescott's wife with a can in one hand that contained a small portion of freshly drawn beer and some money in the other hand.
This was a slightly unusual case as the beer was being sold from a neighbouring house rather than the beerhouse itself.
But that did not absolve Thomas Prescott from responsibility but the licensee had a very good try at doing so!
His advocate Thomas Swift insisted that no beer had been found in his client's house and none had come from it.
Prescott denied drawing any beer and so did his wife. The neighbour, Mr Grace, claimed to own the can, which he said had been bought in St Helens and swore that no beer had been brought into his home by anyone.
Other witnesses were called and they all positively denied that any beer was obtained or drawn from the defendant's house.
However, Superintendent James Fowler, who was in charge of Prescot police, claimed that Thomas Prescott's beerhouse was very badly conducted and explained how he had found it necessary to send police officers to observe his premises, adding:
"The Sunday morning drinking in that neighbourhood is shocking and some of the witnesses that have been called for the defence are the worst in the district."
The Chairman of the Bench was Colonel John Blackburne who lived with his wife, children and twenty servants at Hale Hall, Hale, which is quite a tongue-twister!
In fact his residence in censuses is listed as "Hale Hall, Hale, Hale", which is verging on the ridiculous!
Col Blackburne said he considered the case proved and that he had suspicions as to the evidence offered by the defence, which he considered "most flagrant".
The Colonel thought that some of the witnesses who had sworn before them should be made to answer further for their conduct – in other words charged with perjury.
He said it was a very bad case and a fine of £10 and costs would be imposed. That was a huge amount equivalent to two months wages for many and it was quite likely that Thomas Prescott had to go to prison instead.
Whether any of Colonel Blackburne's twenty domestic servants ever gave into temptation and stole goods or small amounts of money from him, I cannot say.
But others did and it was a brainless crime because suspicion inevitably fell upon the servant.
And that committed by Ellen Atherton was even more stupid as she stole a very large amount of cash from her employer.
The 17-year-old girl worked for Dr Samuel Morris of Church Street in Prescot.
Ellen had only been employed for six weeks before she helped herself to the large amount of £46 10 shillings that had been stored in a locked drawer in a wardrobe after getting hold of the key.
It did not take long for the police to wring a confession from the girl and she "pleaded earnestly for forgiveness", as it was reported. But there was no chance of that.
When she had moved into Dr Morris's home it was noticed that Ellen possessed very few clothes.
But when her room was searched many items of clothing were discovered that had been purchased from numerous tradesmen in Prescot and St Helens.
Ellen had told one retailer to whom she gave a £20 note, that the money had been a wedding present from an uncle in London.
After appearing in the Prescot Petty Sessions this week Ellen was committed for trial at the next assizes hearing in Liverpool, where in November she would be sentenced to four months in prison.
Also in the Prescot court was Ellen Carney who was charged with cutting and wounding Isabella Calder at Prescot.
Mrs Calder was the wife of a travelling actor and for the last five weeks she had been lodging at Mrs Carney's house.
After a row the defendant was alleged to have struck the "prosecutrix" a violent blow on her forehead with a weapon that was believed to be a knife.
The aforementioned Dr Morris had treated the woman for what he described as a serious wound.
Ellen Carney was subsequently sent for trial at the Liverpool Assizes but the 32-year-old did not make it, as in September she was instead committed to Rainhill Asylum.
And finally, on the 24th Father Turner held another meeting of his Catholic Association for the Suppression of Drunkenness at Gerards Bridge School.
That had only been formed in 1873 and, unusually, the temperance association accepted two forms of pledge.
As well as total abstinence, members could agree not to drink more than two pints of beer a day, as long as they were not consumed in a public house.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the escape of the man who tried to board a moving train, the fathers ordered to birch their sons, the Water Street female sweet seller accused of providing extra services to men and criticism of the lack of an art school in St Helens.