150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 24 FEB - 2 MARCH 1875
This week's many stories include the suspicious death of a baby, the mother of a future St Helens MP attacks the man she blamed for her husband's death, the foolish fare dodging at the station, the kinny cat being played in Rainford and the gory description of a man's death in Knowsley.
James Sexton was the MP for St Helens between 1918 and 1931 and had been brought up in a slum property in Tontine Street. His Irish father exaggerated the nature of his small business. In censuses and trade directories James Snr described himself as an umbrella maker or manufacturer. But his son's autobiography explained that in reality his dad used a special technique to refurbish umbrellas, which were sold from their little shop inside their home or on the market.
This week Ann Sexton appeared in court charged with assaulting fellow umbrella dealer Michael Burke in the marketplace. The mother of the future St Helens MP was accused of striking him with her fist and after picking up a prop from the stall she had bashed him with it. In court the extraordinary defence was given that Michael Burke had caused the recent death of Ann Sexton's husband after the two men had been fighting each other.
The magistrates said they believed Mrs Sexton's statement and dismissed the charge against her and administered a sharp reprimand to Michael Burke for his behaviour. The death of his 45-year-old father was something that James Jnr did not mention in his autobiography and, apart from this report, seemingly was not related in the newspapers.
Fare dodging on the railway was taken very seriously. When William Gorton and Thomas Jones from Ashton arrived at St Helens Station, a porter called Thomas Molyneux demanded their tickets. They had purchased their fares but only from Wigan to Brynn and when the porter asked for the 5d excess they both claimed to have no money. Sgt Wood was summoned to the scene and in his presence the pair produced a few coppers but not enough to make up the difference.
They were both arrested and William Gorton was subsequently found to be carrying 16s 6½d and Thomas Jones 7½d. When they appeared in court this week the magistrates gave them a severe reprimand and said they were liable to a fine of £2. But as this was their first offence they would only be fined 10 shillings each, plus costs, which still could have amounted to the best part of a week's wages.
On the 27th at the Golden Lion Hotel in Lyon Street in St Helens, the inquest was held into the death of 16-day-old Margaret Arnold. The baby had died on the previous day and was considered to have suffered a fit or been overlain while sleeping in her parents' bed. The latter, in which a mother or father accidentally crushes or asphyxiates their baby in the night, was quite common and it was expected that a verdict of accidental death would be returned.
But someone remembered that 12 months previously the family had another infant that had suddenly died under very similar circumstances. And the mother's sister, who had fed the baby from a bottle only an hour before little Margaret had died, had gone away, possibly to Wigan. This, the jury considered to be remarkable in the light of the tragedy and they thought there were sufficient doubts to justify further investigations being made.
And so at their request the inquest was adjourned until the following week. In the meantime a post-mortem was to take place on the baby's body and steps were to be taken to ensure Mrs Arnold's sister attended the next hearing.
Some farmers or landowners on the outskirts of St Helens would commute into the town and around the district on horseback. John Pemberton from Bold was one such farmer who got about on a horse. In court it was stated that he had been on business in Sutton and upon returning home had ridden past three men and a dog. Upon stopping at Johnson's farm next to his own, Mr Pemberton began talking to the owner's son when suddenly the men's dog began chasing a hare.
It was driven out of one field across the road "right under the very nose of Mr. Pemberton's horse", as the Newspaper put it. The hare was then driven into an adjoining field where two of the men overtook it and put their feet on the poor animal while their dog attacked it. This barefaced case of poaching led to John Smith, Hugh Smith and William Hill being charged with having committed a trespass in pursuit of game and each were fined 15 shillings, plus costs.
One of the contradictions of Victorian newspapers was their refusal to print the details of anything remotely sexual or even use soft expletives such as "hell". But they would happily reveal the goriest of details of some poor person's death. This piece appeared in the Prescot Reporter on the 27th:
"Robert Webster, 35 years of age, son of a farmer at Rainford, was killed on Tuesday, at Knowsley village. It appears that deceased was passing through Knowsley in charge of a horse and cart. The horse and cart was discovered by two other carters to be without the deceased, and on a search being made he was found lying on the road with his head smashed, and his brains scattered about. Deceased was conveyed to Mr. Reichardt's public house. Mr. Driffield held an inquest on the body of the deceased yesterday, when a verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned."
The Reporter also described how six Rainford boys called Peter Charnock, Peter Heyes, Richard Sephton, Benjamin Smith, Charles Wilcock and Peter Burrows had appeared in court charged with playing a "game of cat" on the highway. Constable 617 said that he had found the defendants playing "kinny cat" on Sunday morning at Rainford. The boys had run off upon seeing him approaching and he found 5d in coppers on the ground, which indicated that they had been playing for money.
The officer said the game was played with impunity by these and other boys on the highway every Sunday and had become a regular nuisance. They all pleaded guilty and were fined 1s. and costs each. Guinea cat, aka skinny or kinny cat, was a popular street game played by boys. A piece of wood, such as an old axe handle, was used to club a projectile as near as possible to the designated boy deemed to be the "cat". Not only was it dangerous to the individual chosen as the target but also to others who might get in their way.
The Prescot Reporter also described this case involving two squabbling women who appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week: "Ellen Sephton charged Mary Webb with having assaulted her. The circumstances of this case were of the ordinary description. Neither complainant nor defendant commenced the quarrel, no assault was committed, each was scandalously abused by the other, and both were in the right and hoped to obtain justice from their worships, which request the Bench acceded to by dismissing the case. This quarrel was also renewed outside the court."
John Christian was advertising his St Helens Carriage Works in the Prescot Reporter offering "carriages of every description built to order". However, his specialism was the "St. Helens Cart", weighing from 3½ cwt. and made to carry four persons. The vehicles were constructed on his premises and had been exhibited at agricultural shows in the district.
According to the 1871 census, Christian was then employing five men and seven boys at his works at 25 Ormskirk Street. He had made his own bicycle for a while – but seemingly did not have sufficient buyers of the "curious vehicles" – as the St Helens Newspaper had called the new-fangled, expensive cycling machines – and these were no longer being advertised.
And finally, Booth & Jordan of Church Street had an advert for "The Home Washer" in the St Helens Newspaper on the 2nd. Their ad included an illustration of a brutal-looking wringing machine, which appeared as grim as washing clothes must have been at that time and was priced from 50 shillings.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the ploughing match in Rainford, the market stallholders' anger with unlicensed auctioneers, the donation of a mayoral chain of office, the fowl deed at the Ship Inn and the demise of the Rainhill Light Horse.
James Sexton was the MP for St Helens between 1918 and 1931 and had been brought up in a slum property in Tontine Street. His Irish father exaggerated the nature of his small business. In censuses and trade directories James Snr described himself as an umbrella maker or manufacturer. But his son's autobiography explained that in reality his dad used a special technique to refurbish umbrellas, which were sold from their little shop inside their home or on the market.
This week Ann Sexton appeared in court charged with assaulting fellow umbrella dealer Michael Burke in the marketplace. The mother of the future St Helens MP was accused of striking him with her fist and after picking up a prop from the stall she had bashed him with it. In court the extraordinary defence was given that Michael Burke had caused the recent death of Ann Sexton's husband after the two men had been fighting each other.
The magistrates said they believed Mrs Sexton's statement and dismissed the charge against her and administered a sharp reprimand to Michael Burke for his behaviour. The death of his 45-year-old father was something that James Jnr did not mention in his autobiography and, apart from this report, seemingly was not related in the newspapers.
Fare dodging on the railway was taken very seriously. When William Gorton and Thomas Jones from Ashton arrived at St Helens Station, a porter called Thomas Molyneux demanded their tickets. They had purchased their fares but only from Wigan to Brynn and when the porter asked for the 5d excess they both claimed to have no money. Sgt Wood was summoned to the scene and in his presence the pair produced a few coppers but not enough to make up the difference.
They were both arrested and William Gorton was subsequently found to be carrying 16s 6½d and Thomas Jones 7½d. When they appeared in court this week the magistrates gave them a severe reprimand and said they were liable to a fine of £2. But as this was their first offence they would only be fined 10 shillings each, plus costs, which still could have amounted to the best part of a week's wages.
On the 27th at the Golden Lion Hotel in Lyon Street in St Helens, the inquest was held into the death of 16-day-old Margaret Arnold. The baby had died on the previous day and was considered to have suffered a fit or been overlain while sleeping in her parents' bed. The latter, in which a mother or father accidentally crushes or asphyxiates their baby in the night, was quite common and it was expected that a verdict of accidental death would be returned.
But someone remembered that 12 months previously the family had another infant that had suddenly died under very similar circumstances. And the mother's sister, who had fed the baby from a bottle only an hour before little Margaret had died, had gone away, possibly to Wigan. This, the jury considered to be remarkable in the light of the tragedy and they thought there were sufficient doubts to justify further investigations being made.
And so at their request the inquest was adjourned until the following week. In the meantime a post-mortem was to take place on the baby's body and steps were to be taken to ensure Mrs Arnold's sister attended the next hearing.
Some farmers or landowners on the outskirts of St Helens would commute into the town and around the district on horseback. John Pemberton from Bold was one such farmer who got about on a horse. In court it was stated that he had been on business in Sutton and upon returning home had ridden past three men and a dog. Upon stopping at Johnson's farm next to his own, Mr Pemberton began talking to the owner's son when suddenly the men's dog began chasing a hare.
It was driven out of one field across the road "right under the very nose of Mr. Pemberton's horse", as the Newspaper put it. The hare was then driven into an adjoining field where two of the men overtook it and put their feet on the poor animal while their dog attacked it. This barefaced case of poaching led to John Smith, Hugh Smith and William Hill being charged with having committed a trespass in pursuit of game and each were fined 15 shillings, plus costs.
One of the contradictions of Victorian newspapers was their refusal to print the details of anything remotely sexual or even use soft expletives such as "hell". But they would happily reveal the goriest of details of some poor person's death. This piece appeared in the Prescot Reporter on the 27th:
"Robert Webster, 35 years of age, son of a farmer at Rainford, was killed on Tuesday, at Knowsley village. It appears that deceased was passing through Knowsley in charge of a horse and cart. The horse and cart was discovered by two other carters to be without the deceased, and on a search being made he was found lying on the road with his head smashed, and his brains scattered about. Deceased was conveyed to Mr. Reichardt's public house. Mr. Driffield held an inquest on the body of the deceased yesterday, when a verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned."
The Reporter also described how six Rainford boys called Peter Charnock, Peter Heyes, Richard Sephton, Benjamin Smith, Charles Wilcock and Peter Burrows had appeared in court charged with playing a "game of cat" on the highway. Constable 617 said that he had found the defendants playing "kinny cat" on Sunday morning at Rainford. The boys had run off upon seeing him approaching and he found 5d in coppers on the ground, which indicated that they had been playing for money.
The officer said the game was played with impunity by these and other boys on the highway every Sunday and had become a regular nuisance. They all pleaded guilty and were fined 1s. and costs each. Guinea cat, aka skinny or kinny cat, was a popular street game played by boys. A piece of wood, such as an old axe handle, was used to club a projectile as near as possible to the designated boy deemed to be the "cat". Not only was it dangerous to the individual chosen as the target but also to others who might get in their way.
The Prescot Reporter also described this case involving two squabbling women who appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week: "Ellen Sephton charged Mary Webb with having assaulted her. The circumstances of this case were of the ordinary description. Neither complainant nor defendant commenced the quarrel, no assault was committed, each was scandalously abused by the other, and both were in the right and hoped to obtain justice from their worships, which request the Bench acceded to by dismissing the case. This quarrel was also renewed outside the court."
John Christian was advertising his St Helens Carriage Works in the Prescot Reporter offering "carriages of every description built to order". However, his specialism was the "St. Helens Cart", weighing from 3½ cwt. and made to carry four persons. The vehicles were constructed on his premises and had been exhibited at agricultural shows in the district.
According to the 1871 census, Christian was then employing five men and seven boys at his works at 25 Ormskirk Street. He had made his own bicycle for a while – but seemingly did not have sufficient buyers of the "curious vehicles" – as the St Helens Newspaper had called the new-fangled, expensive cycling machines – and these were no longer being advertised.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the ploughing match in Rainford, the market stallholders' anger with unlicensed auctioneers, the donation of a mayoral chain of office, the fowl deed at the Ship Inn and the demise of the Rainhill Light Horse.
This week's many stories include the suspicious death of a baby, the mother of a future St Helens MP attacks the man she blamed for her husband's death, the foolish fare dodging at the station, the kinny cat being played in Rainford and the gory description of a man's death in Knowsley.
James Sexton was the MP for St Helens between 1918 and 1931 and had been brought up in a slum property in Tontine Street.
His Irish father exaggerated the nature of his small business. In censuses and trade directories James Snr described himself as an umbrella maker or manufacturer.
But his son's autobiography explained that in reality his dad used a special technique to refurbish umbrellas, which were sold from their little shop inside their home or on the market.
This week Ann Sexton appeared in court charged with assaulting fellow umbrella dealer Michael Burke in the marketplace.
The mother of the future St Helens MP was accused of striking him with her fist and after picking up a prop from the stall she had bashed him with it.
In court the extraordinary defence was given that Michael Burke had caused the recent death of Ann Sexton's husband after the two men had been fighting each other.
The magistrates said they believed Mrs Sexton's statement and dismissed the charge against her and administered a sharp reprimand to Michael Burke for his behaviour.
The death of his 45-year-old father was something that James Jnr did not mention in his autobiography and, apart from this report, seemingly was not related in the newspapers.
Fare dodging on the railway was taken very seriously. When William Gorton and Thomas Jones from Ashton arrived at St Helens Station, a porter called Thomas Molyneux demanded their tickets.
They had purchased their fares but only from Wigan to Brynn and when the porter asked for the 5d excess they both claimed to have no money.
Sgt Wood was summoned to the scene and in his presence the pair produced a few coppers but not enough to make up the difference.
They were both arrested and William Gorton was subsequently found to be carrying 16s 6½d and Thomas Jones 7½d.
When they appeared in court this week the magistrates gave them a severe reprimand and said they were liable to a fine of £2.
But as this was their first offence they would only be fined 10 shillings each, plus costs, which still could have amounted to the best part of a week's wages.
On the 27th at the Golden Lion Hotel in Lyon Street in St Helens, the inquest was held into the death of 16-day-old Margaret Arnold.
The baby had died on the previous day and was considered to have suffered a fit or been overlain while sleeping in her parents' bed.
The latter, in which a mother or father accidentally crushes or asphyxiates their baby in the night, was quite common and it was expected that a verdict of accidental death would be returned.
But someone remembered that 12 months previously the family had another infant that had suddenly died under very similar circumstances.
And the mother's sister, who had fed the baby from a bottle only an hour before little Margaret had died, had gone away, possibly to Wigan.
This, the jury considered to be remarkable in the light of the tragedy and they thought there were sufficient doubts to justify further investigations being made.
And so at their request the inquest was adjourned until the following week. In the meantime a post-mortem was to take place on the baby's body and steps were to be taken to ensure Mrs Arnold's sister attended the next hearing.
Some farmers or landowners on the outskirts of St Helens would commute into the town and around the district on horseback. John Pemberton from Bold was one such farmer who got about on a horse.
In court it was stated that he had been on business in Sutton and upon returning home had ridden past three men and a dog.
Upon stopping at Johnson's farm next to his own, Mr Pemberton began talking to the owner's son when suddenly the men's dog began chasing a hare.
It was driven out of one field across the road "right under the very nose of Mr. Pemberton's horse", as the Newspaper put it.
The hare was then driven into an adjoining field where two of the men overtook it and put their feet on the poor animal while their dog attacked it.
This barefaced case of poaching led to John Smith, Hugh Smith and William Hill being charged with having committed a trespass in pursuit of game and each were fined 15 shillings, plus costs.
One of the contradictions of Victorian newspapers was their refusal to print the details of anything remotely sexual or even use soft expletives such as "hell".
But they would happily reveal the goriest of details of some poor person's death. This piece appeared in the Prescot Reporter on the 27th:
"Robert Webster, 35 years of age, son of a farmer at Rainford, was killed on Tuesday, at Knowsley village. It appears that deceased was passing through Knowsley in charge of a horse and cart.
"The horse and cart was discovered by two other carters to be without the deceased, and on a search being made he was found lying on the road with his head smashed, and his brains scattered about.
"Deceased was conveyed to Mr. Reichardt's public house. Mr. Driffield held an inquest on the body of the deceased yesterday, when a verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned."
The Reporter also described how six Rainford boys called Peter Charnock, Peter Heyes, Richard Sephton, Benjamin Smith, Charles Wilcock and Peter Burrows had appeared in court charged with playing a "game of cat" on the highway.
Constable 617 said that he had found the defendants playing "kinny cat" on Sunday morning at Rainford.
The boys had run off upon seeing him approaching and he found 5d in coppers on the ground, which indicated that they had been playing for money.
The officer said the game was played with impunity by these and other boys on the highway every Sunday and had become a regular nuisance. They all pleaded guilty and were fined 1s. and costs each.
Guinea cat, aka skinny or kinny cat, was a popular street game played by boys. A piece of wood, such as an old axe handle, was used to club a projectile as near as possible to the designated boy deemed to be the "cat".
Not only was it dangerous to the individual chosen as the target but also to others who might get in their way.
The Prescot Reporter also described this case involving two squabbling women who appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week:
"Ellen Sephton charged Mary Webb with having assaulted her. The circumstances of this case were of the ordinary description.
"Neither complainant nor defendant commenced the quarrel, no assault was committed, each was scandalously abused by the other, and both were in the right and hoped to obtain justice from their worships, which request the Bench acceded to by dismissing the case.
"This quarrel was also renewed outside the court."
John Christian was advertising his St Helens Carriage Works in the Prescot Reporter offering "carriages of every description built to order".
However, his specialism was the "St. Helens Cart", weighing from 3½ cwt. and made to carry four persons.
The vehicles were constructed on his premises and had been exhibited at agricultural shows in the district.
According to the 1871 census, Christian was then employing five men and seven boys at his works at 25 Ormskirk Street.
He had made his own bicycle for a while – but seemingly did not have sufficient buyers of the "curious vehicles" – as the St Helens Newspaper had called the new-fangled, expensive cycling machines – and these were no longer being advertised.
And finally, Booth & Jordan of Church Street had an advert for "The Home Washer" in the St Helens Newspaper on the 2nd.
Their ad included an illustration of a brutal-looking wringing machine, which appeared as grim as washing clothes must have been at that time and was priced from 50 shillings.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the ploughing match in Rainford, the market stallholders' anger with unlicensed auctioneers, the donation of a mayoral chain of office, the fowl deed at the Ship Inn and the demise of the Rainhill Light Horse.
James Sexton was the MP for St Helens between 1918 and 1931 and had been brought up in a slum property in Tontine Street.
His Irish father exaggerated the nature of his small business. In censuses and trade directories James Snr described himself as an umbrella maker or manufacturer.
But his son's autobiography explained that in reality his dad used a special technique to refurbish umbrellas, which were sold from their little shop inside their home or on the market.
This week Ann Sexton appeared in court charged with assaulting fellow umbrella dealer Michael Burke in the marketplace.
The mother of the future St Helens MP was accused of striking him with her fist and after picking up a prop from the stall she had bashed him with it.
In court the extraordinary defence was given that Michael Burke had caused the recent death of Ann Sexton's husband after the two men had been fighting each other.
The magistrates said they believed Mrs Sexton's statement and dismissed the charge against her and administered a sharp reprimand to Michael Burke for his behaviour.
The death of his 45-year-old father was something that James Jnr did not mention in his autobiography and, apart from this report, seemingly was not related in the newspapers.
Fare dodging on the railway was taken very seriously. When William Gorton and Thomas Jones from Ashton arrived at St Helens Station, a porter called Thomas Molyneux demanded their tickets.
They had purchased their fares but only from Wigan to Brynn and when the porter asked for the 5d excess they both claimed to have no money.
Sgt Wood was summoned to the scene and in his presence the pair produced a few coppers but not enough to make up the difference.
They were both arrested and William Gorton was subsequently found to be carrying 16s 6½d and Thomas Jones 7½d.
When they appeared in court this week the magistrates gave them a severe reprimand and said they were liable to a fine of £2.
But as this was their first offence they would only be fined 10 shillings each, plus costs, which still could have amounted to the best part of a week's wages.
On the 27th at the Golden Lion Hotel in Lyon Street in St Helens, the inquest was held into the death of 16-day-old Margaret Arnold.
The baby had died on the previous day and was considered to have suffered a fit or been overlain while sleeping in her parents' bed.
The latter, in which a mother or father accidentally crushes or asphyxiates their baby in the night, was quite common and it was expected that a verdict of accidental death would be returned.
But someone remembered that 12 months previously the family had another infant that had suddenly died under very similar circumstances.
And the mother's sister, who had fed the baby from a bottle only an hour before little Margaret had died, had gone away, possibly to Wigan.
This, the jury considered to be remarkable in the light of the tragedy and they thought there were sufficient doubts to justify further investigations being made.
And so at their request the inquest was adjourned until the following week. In the meantime a post-mortem was to take place on the baby's body and steps were to be taken to ensure Mrs Arnold's sister attended the next hearing.
Some farmers or landowners on the outskirts of St Helens would commute into the town and around the district on horseback. John Pemberton from Bold was one such farmer who got about on a horse.
In court it was stated that he had been on business in Sutton and upon returning home had ridden past three men and a dog.
Upon stopping at Johnson's farm next to his own, Mr Pemberton began talking to the owner's son when suddenly the men's dog began chasing a hare.
It was driven out of one field across the road "right under the very nose of Mr. Pemberton's horse", as the Newspaper put it.
The hare was then driven into an adjoining field where two of the men overtook it and put their feet on the poor animal while their dog attacked it.
This barefaced case of poaching led to John Smith, Hugh Smith and William Hill being charged with having committed a trespass in pursuit of game and each were fined 15 shillings, plus costs.
One of the contradictions of Victorian newspapers was their refusal to print the details of anything remotely sexual or even use soft expletives such as "hell".
But they would happily reveal the goriest of details of some poor person's death. This piece appeared in the Prescot Reporter on the 27th:
"Robert Webster, 35 years of age, son of a farmer at Rainford, was killed on Tuesday, at Knowsley village. It appears that deceased was passing through Knowsley in charge of a horse and cart.
"The horse and cart was discovered by two other carters to be without the deceased, and on a search being made he was found lying on the road with his head smashed, and his brains scattered about.
"Deceased was conveyed to Mr. Reichardt's public house. Mr. Driffield held an inquest on the body of the deceased yesterday, when a verdict of “Accidental Death” was returned."
The Reporter also described how six Rainford boys called Peter Charnock, Peter Heyes, Richard Sephton, Benjamin Smith, Charles Wilcock and Peter Burrows had appeared in court charged with playing a "game of cat" on the highway.
Constable 617 said that he had found the defendants playing "kinny cat" on Sunday morning at Rainford.
The boys had run off upon seeing him approaching and he found 5d in coppers on the ground, which indicated that they had been playing for money.
The officer said the game was played with impunity by these and other boys on the highway every Sunday and had become a regular nuisance. They all pleaded guilty and were fined 1s. and costs each.
Guinea cat, aka skinny or kinny cat, was a popular street game played by boys. A piece of wood, such as an old axe handle, was used to club a projectile as near as possible to the designated boy deemed to be the "cat".
Not only was it dangerous to the individual chosen as the target but also to others who might get in their way.
The Prescot Reporter also described this case involving two squabbling women who appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions this week:
"Ellen Sephton charged Mary Webb with having assaulted her. The circumstances of this case were of the ordinary description.
"Neither complainant nor defendant commenced the quarrel, no assault was committed, each was scandalously abused by the other, and both were in the right and hoped to obtain justice from their worships, which request the Bench acceded to by dismissing the case.
"This quarrel was also renewed outside the court."
John Christian was advertising his St Helens Carriage Works in the Prescot Reporter offering "carriages of every description built to order".
However, his specialism was the "St. Helens Cart", weighing from 3½ cwt. and made to carry four persons.
The vehicles were constructed on his premises and had been exhibited at agricultural shows in the district.
According to the 1871 census, Christian was then employing five men and seven boys at his works at 25 Ormskirk Street.
He had made his own bicycle for a while – but seemingly did not have sufficient buyers of the "curious vehicles" – as the St Helens Newspaper had called the new-fangled, expensive cycling machines – and these were no longer being advertised.
Their ad included an illustration of a brutal-looking wringing machine, which appeared as grim as washing clothes must have been at that time and was priced from 50 shillings.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the ploughing match in Rainford, the market stallholders' anger with unlicensed auctioneers, the donation of a mayoral chain of office, the fowl deed at the Ship Inn and the demise of the Rainhill Light Horse.