150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (25th - 31st MAY 1870)
This week's stories include the start of the Prescot sex scandal, an American circus and menagerie performs in St Helens, a rapid writing course is held in Church Street, the family shindy in Sutton and a campaign is launched to preserve Thatto Heath.
There was a large attendance when the St Helens Harmonic Society gave a concert in the Town Hall on the 26th. The ticket prices ranged from sixpence to 2s 6d, with the latter purchasers able to go onto a raised platform at the rear. The St Helens Newspaper wrote that as the weather in St Helens was "almost tropic in its character", there was "no little inconvenience" caused by the heat to those packed in the body of the hall – who probably wished they'd paid half-a-crown rather than a tanner! Mind you 2/6 was a lot of cash when the average wage for manual workers was only 20 shillings a week.
It would be a few more years before typewriters would be commercially available and presently all writing had to be done laboriously by hand. The faster you could write, the more work could be done, hence this advert in the Newspaper on the 28th:
"WRITING. Smart's Academy Now Open, Every Saturday, At Mrs. Scrymgeour's, Church-street, opposite the Raven Hotel. Hours of Tuition – 2 till 9 o’clock. New Invention for Rapid Writing. Manner of execution:- Off-hand by the action of the whole arm – dashing style; also on the pre-eminent principle of the combined movement, guaranteed in six or eight lessons. Ladies' style elegant. Smart and Co. London. Terms, one guinea. Academy in St. Helens, also Manchester and Liverpool." The venue for the rapid writing course was Helen Scrymgeour's confectioner's shop. In the 1871 census she had fifteen people living there!
There was a curious notice placed on the front page of the Prescot Reporter on the 28th. It read: "I, Joseph Hayes, beg to offer a public apology for the scandal which I have recently given concerning William Gerrard, Edward Frodsham, and Mary Frodsham. I have not the slightest foundation for the statements made. I do not believe there is any truth in them, and I am very sorry that I made them. It was done in the heat of passion, and without thought or reason, and I beg to be forgiven."
Underneath was a cross and the words "His mark, Joseph Hayes. Witness – T. Swift, Solicitor." It sounds like Joseph Hayes had been trying to create a sensation with some gossip that wasn't true. However the first report on what newspapers would call "The Prescot Scandal" appeared in the Reporter this week. It was a quite different case and I'll let the paper tell its own, somewhat censored story:
"On Friday (yesterday) morning it was rumoured in Prescot, that Mr. Samuel France, wine and spirit merchant, having a place of business in the Market-place, had been arrested by the police on Thursday night, and lodged in the police cells. Rumours of all kinds were afloat in the town respecting the offence which has led to the arrest. Mr. France is well-known in Prescot, St. Helens, Warrington, and other places.
"Last evening Mr. France was brought before Mr. W. L. Evans [magistrate], at the police office, when a young man who gave the name of Pettin, preferred a charge of a most serious character against Mr. France. Mr. Cobb, of Liverpool, appeared for the defence, and in the course of his remarks said that if Mr. France had not acted like a fool the young man would have been in custody in Liverpool on a charge of attempting to extort money, instead of appearing in Prescot to prefer a charge of that description."
Bail was granted, although Samuel France had to find the huge sum of £100 and obtain two (well-off) people prepared to put up sureties of £50 guaranteeing him turning up at court. And what was the offence? Various newspapers not wanting to upset delicate readers would over the next few weeks simply describe it as an "abominable", "nameless" or "unmentionable crime" or "very grave" or "unnatural" offence.
I think we can guess what it actually was, with the reference to a young man's involvement and talk of blackmail. However confirmation comes from official court records, which describe the offence as "attempting to commit buggery". There'll be more on this case over the coming weeks.
In the St Helens Petty Sessions on the 30th what the St Helens Newspaper called a "family shindy at Sutton" was described. It concerned a prosecution brought by Mary Gerrard of Blinkhorns Row (near Lancots Lane) against Mary Rigby and Ann Gerrard. The latter was her daughter-in-law who, according to Mary Gerrard, had rushed into her house and knocked her about. She said it had only been through the intervention of neighbours that she had not been badly hurt.
It was also alleged that others in the house had been assaulted, including John Gerard, Mary's 21-year-old son and the husband of Ann Gerard. Ann and John had recently had a baby and had fallen out over something and the dispute had led to John moving back into his mother's house. Meanwhile his wife removed the couple's furniture from their home in Baxters Lane and took it to her own mother's house.
A witness called Elizabeth Rigby gave evidence that she had seen Ann Gerrard drag her mother-in-law out of the door by the hair on her head. Another witness was called but the magistrates decided to dismiss the case as it "seemed to be a family difference". Whether Mary Gerrard ever forgave her daughter-in-law for dragging her round her own house by her hair, I cannot say. But in the 1871 census Mary's son John was back living with his wife Ann and one-year-old son William at their home in Baxters Lane. By 1881 William had five siblings and so his parents could not have been rowing all the time!
There was also trouble in Peckers Hill Road in Sutton between two lots of neighbours. William McDonald was charged with breaking two squares of glass window at the house of Robert Dickenson. The 21-year-old's mother Martha was also charged with using threatening language towards Ann Dickenson. The latter gave evidence of overhearing William McDonald and another person "making reflections" on her character. A strange claim as the young man was described as being quite dumb.
Ann Dickenson then went outside to remonstrate with William McDonald and as a result he threw several stones, which resulted in the breaking of one of her windows and two of her bottles. Mrs Dickenson then claimed Martha McDonald came out of her house and incited her son to throw more stones and also used threatening language against her. However Mrs McDonald claimed in her defence that the Dickensons had shouted at her "afflicted" son in the street. She called a neighbour as a witness who said the lad had been given no peace.
The witness said whenever "Billy" came out of doors they shouted at him: "Thief! thief! Who stole the dress?" Those strange comments were not explained but 55-year-old Martha McDonald told the Bench that she was a poor, widow woman and there was nothing left for her in life but "slaughter". She said she could have produced other witnesses in her defence but had no money to lay out for summonses. Martha McDonald was bound over to keep the peace and the summons against her son was withdrawn.
John Thompson and William Briers were charged with committing a breach of the peace by fighting in a yard in Crab Street (pictured above). A constable said he had entered the yard to quell the row but was forcibly put out. Witnesses said a considerable amount of beer had been drunk and the two men were bound over to keep the peace.
On the 31st Howes & Cushing's Great American Circus and Menagerie appeared in St Helens. In their advertising they claimed to have performed in front of Queen Victoria in 1859, as well as the Duke of Cambridge and in America in front of Presidents Grant and Lincoln. The Mayor of Shrewsbury also somehow got in their short list of celebrity attendees – not quite as impressive though!
The menagerie's procession toured the main streets of St Helens at 1pm, which must have been quite a sight. As well as many beasts on show, they promised: "richly attired Moors and Turks, and their Ladies of the Harem, attended by a band of Amazons clad in the most gorgeous steel armour, richly set with costly jewels." What was described rather oddly as a morning performance took place at 2pm, with an evening show at 7:30pm.
No venue was stated but it was probably held on what was called the Fairground in Salisbury Street. The animals included elephants, camels, a pack of performing wolves and bears and performing monkeys. The price of admission ranged from 6d to 2 shillings for first class seats.
And finally a notice was published in the St Helens Newspaper on the 31st, which stated an intention to create a local branch of the Commons Preservation Society. This would have the intention of preserving Thatto Heath. There had been concern about landowners fencing off parts of "the heath" as they tried to lay claim to public land. The Newspaper had been vociferous in its opposition to these individuals and it was their editor and proprietor Bernard Dromgoole who had taken it upon himself to form the new branch of the preservation society.
Next week's stories will include the Liverpool Road miner who got his sweethearts in the family way, the "Prescot Scandal" comes to court, an "abominable" crime with a donkey is suspected at Eccleston and the Whit Monday recreation and amusements.
There was a large attendance when the St Helens Harmonic Society gave a concert in the Town Hall on the 26th. The ticket prices ranged from sixpence to 2s 6d, with the latter purchasers able to go onto a raised platform at the rear. The St Helens Newspaper wrote that as the weather in St Helens was "almost tropic in its character", there was "no little inconvenience" caused by the heat to those packed in the body of the hall – who probably wished they'd paid half-a-crown rather than a tanner! Mind you 2/6 was a lot of cash when the average wage for manual workers was only 20 shillings a week.
It would be a few more years before typewriters would be commercially available and presently all writing had to be done laboriously by hand. The faster you could write, the more work could be done, hence this advert in the Newspaper on the 28th:
"WRITING. Smart's Academy Now Open, Every Saturday, At Mrs. Scrymgeour's, Church-street, opposite the Raven Hotel. Hours of Tuition – 2 till 9 o’clock. New Invention for Rapid Writing. Manner of execution:- Off-hand by the action of the whole arm – dashing style; also on the pre-eminent principle of the combined movement, guaranteed in six or eight lessons. Ladies' style elegant. Smart and Co. London. Terms, one guinea. Academy in St. Helens, also Manchester and Liverpool." The venue for the rapid writing course was Helen Scrymgeour's confectioner's shop. In the 1871 census she had fifteen people living there!
There was a curious notice placed on the front page of the Prescot Reporter on the 28th. It read: "I, Joseph Hayes, beg to offer a public apology for the scandal which I have recently given concerning William Gerrard, Edward Frodsham, and Mary Frodsham. I have not the slightest foundation for the statements made. I do not believe there is any truth in them, and I am very sorry that I made them. It was done in the heat of passion, and without thought or reason, and I beg to be forgiven."
Underneath was a cross and the words "His mark, Joseph Hayes. Witness – T. Swift, Solicitor." It sounds like Joseph Hayes had been trying to create a sensation with some gossip that wasn't true. However the first report on what newspapers would call "The Prescot Scandal" appeared in the Reporter this week. It was a quite different case and I'll let the paper tell its own, somewhat censored story:
"On Friday (yesterday) morning it was rumoured in Prescot, that Mr. Samuel France, wine and spirit merchant, having a place of business in the Market-place, had been arrested by the police on Thursday night, and lodged in the police cells. Rumours of all kinds were afloat in the town respecting the offence which has led to the arrest. Mr. France is well-known in Prescot, St. Helens, Warrington, and other places.
"Last evening Mr. France was brought before Mr. W. L. Evans [magistrate], at the police office, when a young man who gave the name of Pettin, preferred a charge of a most serious character against Mr. France. Mr. Cobb, of Liverpool, appeared for the defence, and in the course of his remarks said that if Mr. France had not acted like a fool the young man would have been in custody in Liverpool on a charge of attempting to extort money, instead of appearing in Prescot to prefer a charge of that description."
Bail was granted, although Samuel France had to find the huge sum of £100 and obtain two (well-off) people prepared to put up sureties of £50 guaranteeing him turning up at court. And what was the offence? Various newspapers not wanting to upset delicate readers would over the next few weeks simply describe it as an "abominable", "nameless" or "unmentionable crime" or "very grave" or "unnatural" offence.
I think we can guess what it actually was, with the reference to a young man's involvement and talk of blackmail. However confirmation comes from official court records, which describe the offence as "attempting to commit buggery". There'll be more on this case over the coming weeks.
In the St Helens Petty Sessions on the 30th what the St Helens Newspaper called a "family shindy at Sutton" was described. It concerned a prosecution brought by Mary Gerrard of Blinkhorns Row (near Lancots Lane) against Mary Rigby and Ann Gerrard. The latter was her daughter-in-law who, according to Mary Gerrard, had rushed into her house and knocked her about. She said it had only been through the intervention of neighbours that she had not been badly hurt.
It was also alleged that others in the house had been assaulted, including John Gerard, Mary's 21-year-old son and the husband of Ann Gerard. Ann and John had recently had a baby and had fallen out over something and the dispute had led to John moving back into his mother's house. Meanwhile his wife removed the couple's furniture from their home in Baxters Lane and took it to her own mother's house.
A witness called Elizabeth Rigby gave evidence that she had seen Ann Gerrard drag her mother-in-law out of the door by the hair on her head. Another witness was called but the magistrates decided to dismiss the case as it "seemed to be a family difference". Whether Mary Gerrard ever forgave her daughter-in-law for dragging her round her own house by her hair, I cannot say. But in the 1871 census Mary's son John was back living with his wife Ann and one-year-old son William at their home in Baxters Lane. By 1881 William had five siblings and so his parents could not have been rowing all the time!
There was also trouble in Peckers Hill Road in Sutton between two lots of neighbours. William McDonald was charged with breaking two squares of glass window at the house of Robert Dickenson. The 21-year-old's mother Martha was also charged with using threatening language towards Ann Dickenson. The latter gave evidence of overhearing William McDonald and another person "making reflections" on her character. A strange claim as the young man was described as being quite dumb.
Ann Dickenson then went outside to remonstrate with William McDonald and as a result he threw several stones, which resulted in the breaking of one of her windows and two of her bottles. Mrs Dickenson then claimed Martha McDonald came out of her house and incited her son to throw more stones and also used threatening language against her. However Mrs McDonald claimed in her defence that the Dickensons had shouted at her "afflicted" son in the street. She called a neighbour as a witness who said the lad had been given no peace.
The witness said whenever "Billy" came out of doors they shouted at him: "Thief! thief! Who stole the dress?" Those strange comments were not explained but 55-year-old Martha McDonald told the Bench that she was a poor, widow woman and there was nothing left for her in life but "slaughter". She said she could have produced other witnesses in her defence but had no money to lay out for summonses. Martha McDonald was bound over to keep the peace and the summons against her son was withdrawn.
On the 31st Howes & Cushing's Great American Circus and Menagerie appeared in St Helens. In their advertising they claimed to have performed in front of Queen Victoria in 1859, as well as the Duke of Cambridge and in America in front of Presidents Grant and Lincoln. The Mayor of Shrewsbury also somehow got in their short list of celebrity attendees – not quite as impressive though!
The menagerie's procession toured the main streets of St Helens at 1pm, which must have been quite a sight. As well as many beasts on show, they promised: "richly attired Moors and Turks, and their Ladies of the Harem, attended by a band of Amazons clad in the most gorgeous steel armour, richly set with costly jewels." What was described rather oddly as a morning performance took place at 2pm, with an evening show at 7:30pm.
No venue was stated but it was probably held on what was called the Fairground in Salisbury Street. The animals included elephants, camels, a pack of performing wolves and bears and performing monkeys. The price of admission ranged from 6d to 2 shillings for first class seats.
And finally a notice was published in the St Helens Newspaper on the 31st, which stated an intention to create a local branch of the Commons Preservation Society. This would have the intention of preserving Thatto Heath. There had been concern about landowners fencing off parts of "the heath" as they tried to lay claim to public land. The Newspaper had been vociferous in its opposition to these individuals and it was their editor and proprietor Bernard Dromgoole who had taken it upon himself to form the new branch of the preservation society.
Next week's stories will include the Liverpool Road miner who got his sweethearts in the family way, the "Prescot Scandal" comes to court, an "abominable" crime with a donkey is suspected at Eccleston and the Whit Monday recreation and amusements.
This week's stories include the start of the Prescot sex scandal, an American circus and menagerie performs in St Helens, a rapid writing course is held in Church Street, the family shindy in Sutton and a campaign is launched to preserve Thatto Heath.
There was a large attendance when the St Helens Harmonic Society gave a concert in the Town Hall on the 26th.
The ticket prices ranged from sixpence to 2s 6d, with the latter purchasers able to go onto a raised platform at the rear.
The St Helens Newspaper wrote that as the weather in St Helens was "almost tropic in its character", there was "no little inconvenience" caused by the heat to those packed in the body of the hall – who probably wished they'd paid half-a-crown rather than a tanner!
Mind you 2/6 was a lot of cash when the average wage for manual workers was only 20 shillings a week.
It would be a few more years before typewriters would be commercially available and presently all writing had to be done laboriously by hand.
The faster you could write, the more work could be done, hence this advert in the Newspaper on the 28th:
"WRITING. Smart's Academy Now Open, Every Saturday, At Mrs. Scrymgeour's, Church-street, opposite the Raven Hotel. Hours of Tuition – 2 till 9 o’clock. New Invention for Rapid Writing. Manner of execution:-
"Off-hand by the action of the whole arm – dashing style; also on the pre-eminent principle of the combined movement, guaranteed in six or eight lessons. Ladies' style elegant. Smart and Co. London. Terms, one guinea. Academy in St. Helens, also Manchester and Liverpool."
The venue for the rapid writing course was Helen Scrymgeour's confectioner's shop. In the 1871 census she had 15 people living there!
There was a curious notice placed on the front page of the Prescot Reporter on the 28th. It read:
"I, Joseph Hayes, beg to offer a public apology for the scandal which I have recently given concerning William Gerrard, Edward Frodsham, and Mary Frodsham. I have not the slightest foundation for the statements made.
"I do not believe there is any truth in them, and I am very sorry that I made them. It was done in the heat of passion, and without thought or reason, and I beg to be forgiven."
Underneath was a cross and the words "His mark, Joseph Hayes. Witness – T. Swift, Solicitor."
It sounds like Joseph Hayes had been trying to create a sensation with some gossip that wasn't true.
However the first report on what some newspapers would call "The Prescot Scandal" appeared in the Reporter this week.
It was a quite different case and I'll let the paper tell its own, somewhat censored story:
"On Friday (yesterday) morning it was rumoured in Prescot, that Mr. Samuel France, wine and spirit merchant, having a place of business in the Market-place, had been arrested by the police on Thursday night, and lodged in the police cells.
"Rumours of all kinds were afloat in the town respecting the offence which has led to the arrest. Mr. France is well-known in Prescot, St. Helens, Warrington, and other places.
"Last evening Mr. France was brought before Mr. W. L. Evans [magistrate], at the police office, when a young man who gave the name of Pettin, preferred a charge of a most serious character against Mr. France.
"Mr. Cobb, of Liverpool, appeared for the defence, and in the course of his remarks said that if Mr. France had not acted like a fool the young man would have been in custody in Liverpool on a charge of attempting to extort money, instead of appearing in Prescot to prefer a charge of that description."
Bail was granted, although Samuel France had to find the huge sum of £100 and obtain two (well-off) people prepared to put up sureties of £50 guaranteeing him turning up at court. And what was the offence?
Various newspapers not wanting to upset delicate readers would over the next few weeks simply describe it as an "abominable", "nameless" or "unmentionable crime" or "very grave" or "unnatural" offence.
I think we can guess what it actually was, with the reference to a young man's involvement and talk of blackmail.
However confirmation comes from official court records, which describe the offence as "attempting to commit buggery". There'll be more on this case over the coming weeks.
In the St Helens Petty Sessions on the 30th what the St Helens Newspaper called a "family shindy at Sutton" was described.
It concerned a prosecution brought by Mary Gerrard of Blinkhorns Row (near Lancots Lane) against Mary Rigby and Ann Gerrard.
The latter was her daughter-in-law who, according to Mary Gerrard, had rushed into her house and knocked her about.
She said it had only been through the intervention of neighbours that she had not been badly hurt.
It was also alleged that others in the house had been assaulted, including John Gerard, Mary's 21-year-old son and the husband of Ann Gerard.
Ann and John had recently had a baby and had fallen out over something and the dispute had led to John moving back into his mother's house.
Meanwhile his wife removed the couple's furniture from their home in Baxters Lane and took it to her own mother's house.
A witness called Elizabeth Rigby gave evidence that she had seen Ann Gerrard drag her mother-in-law out of the door by the hair on her head.
Another witness was called but the magistrates decided to dismiss the case as it "seemed to be a family difference".
Whether Mary Gerrard ever forgave her daughter-in-law for dragging her round her own house by her hair, I cannot say.
But in the 1871 census Mary's son John was back living with his wife Ann and one-year-old son William at their home in Baxters Lane.
By 1881 William had five siblings and so his parents could not have been rowing all the time!
There was also trouble in Peckers Hill Road in Sutton between two lots of neighbours.
William McDonald was charged with breaking two squares of glass window at the house of Robert Dickenson.
The 21-year-old's mother Martha was also charged with using threatening language towards Ann Dickenson.
The latter gave evidence of overhearing William McDonald and another person "making reflections" on her character.
A strange claim as the young man was described as being quite dumb.
Ann Dickenson then went outside to remonstrate with William McDonald and as a result he threw several stones, which resulted in the breaking of one of her windows and two of her bottles.
Mrs Dickenson then claimed Martha McDonald came out of her house and incited her son to throw more stones and also used threatening language against her.
However Mrs McDonald claimed in her defence that the Dickensons had shouted at her "afflicted" son in the street.
She called a neighbour as a witness who said the lad had been given no peace.
The witness said whenever "Billy" came out of doors they shouted at him: "Thief! thief! Who stole the dress?"
Those strange comments were not explained but 55-year-old Martha McDonald told the Bench that she was a poor, widow woman and there was nothing left for her in life but "slaughter".
She said she could have produced other witnesses in her defence but had no money to lay out for summonses.
Martha McDonald was bound over to keep the peace and the summons against her son was withdrawn.
John Thompson and William Briers were charged with committing a breach of the peace by fighting in a yard in Crab Street (pictured above).
A constable said he had entered the yard to quell the row but was forcibly put out.
Witnesses said a considerable amount of beer had been drunk and the two men were bound over to keep the peace.
On the 31st Howes & Cushing's Great American Circus and Menagerie appeared in St Helens.
In their advertising they claimed to have performed in front of Queen Victoria in 1859, as well as the Duke of Cambridge and in America in front of Presidents Grant and Lincoln.
The Mayor of Shrewsbury also somehow got in their short list of celebrity attendees – not quite as impressive though!
The menagerie's procession toured the main streets of St Helens at 1pm, which must have been quite a sight.
As well as many beasts on show, they promised: "richly attired Moors and Turks, and their Ladies of the Harem, attended by a band of Amazons clad in the most gorgeous steel armour, richly set with costly jewels."
What was described rather oddly as a morning performance took place at 2pm, with an evening show at 7:30pm.
No venue was stated but it was probably held on what was called the Fairground in Salisbury Street.
The animals included elephants, camels, a pack of performing wolves and bears and performing monkeys.
The price of admission ranged from 6d to 2 shillings for first class seats.
And finally a notice was published in the St Helens Newspaper on the 31st, which stated an intention to create a local branch of the Commons Preservation Society.
This would have the intention of preserving Thatto Heath. There had been concern about landowners fencing off parts of "the heath" as they tried to lay claim to public land.
The Newspaper had been vociferous in its opposition to these individuals and it was their editor and proprietor Bernard Dromgoole who had taken it upon himself to form the new branch of the preservation society.
Next week's stories will include the Liverpool Road miner who got his sweethearts in the family way, the "Prescot Scandal" comes to court, an "abominable" crime with a donkey is suspected at Eccleston and the Whit Monday recreation and amusements.
There was a large attendance when the St Helens Harmonic Society gave a concert in the Town Hall on the 26th.
The ticket prices ranged from sixpence to 2s 6d, with the latter purchasers able to go onto a raised platform at the rear.
The St Helens Newspaper wrote that as the weather in St Helens was "almost tropic in its character", there was "no little inconvenience" caused by the heat to those packed in the body of the hall – who probably wished they'd paid half-a-crown rather than a tanner!
Mind you 2/6 was a lot of cash when the average wage for manual workers was only 20 shillings a week.
It would be a few more years before typewriters would be commercially available and presently all writing had to be done laboriously by hand.
The faster you could write, the more work could be done, hence this advert in the Newspaper on the 28th:
"WRITING. Smart's Academy Now Open, Every Saturday, At Mrs. Scrymgeour's, Church-street, opposite the Raven Hotel. Hours of Tuition – 2 till 9 o’clock. New Invention for Rapid Writing. Manner of execution:-
"Off-hand by the action of the whole arm – dashing style; also on the pre-eminent principle of the combined movement, guaranteed in six or eight lessons. Ladies' style elegant. Smart and Co. London. Terms, one guinea. Academy in St. Helens, also Manchester and Liverpool."
The venue for the rapid writing course was Helen Scrymgeour's confectioner's shop. In the 1871 census she had 15 people living there!
There was a curious notice placed on the front page of the Prescot Reporter on the 28th. It read:
"I, Joseph Hayes, beg to offer a public apology for the scandal which I have recently given concerning William Gerrard, Edward Frodsham, and Mary Frodsham. I have not the slightest foundation for the statements made.
"I do not believe there is any truth in them, and I am very sorry that I made them. It was done in the heat of passion, and without thought or reason, and I beg to be forgiven."
Underneath was a cross and the words "His mark, Joseph Hayes. Witness – T. Swift, Solicitor."
It sounds like Joseph Hayes had been trying to create a sensation with some gossip that wasn't true.
However the first report on what some newspapers would call "The Prescot Scandal" appeared in the Reporter this week.
It was a quite different case and I'll let the paper tell its own, somewhat censored story:
"On Friday (yesterday) morning it was rumoured in Prescot, that Mr. Samuel France, wine and spirit merchant, having a place of business in the Market-place, had been arrested by the police on Thursday night, and lodged in the police cells.
"Rumours of all kinds were afloat in the town respecting the offence which has led to the arrest. Mr. France is well-known in Prescot, St. Helens, Warrington, and other places.
"Last evening Mr. France was brought before Mr. W. L. Evans [magistrate], at the police office, when a young man who gave the name of Pettin, preferred a charge of a most serious character against Mr. France.
"Mr. Cobb, of Liverpool, appeared for the defence, and in the course of his remarks said that if Mr. France had not acted like a fool the young man would have been in custody in Liverpool on a charge of attempting to extort money, instead of appearing in Prescot to prefer a charge of that description."
Bail was granted, although Samuel France had to find the huge sum of £100 and obtain two (well-off) people prepared to put up sureties of £50 guaranteeing him turning up at court. And what was the offence?
Various newspapers not wanting to upset delicate readers would over the next few weeks simply describe it as an "abominable", "nameless" or "unmentionable crime" or "very grave" or "unnatural" offence.
I think we can guess what it actually was, with the reference to a young man's involvement and talk of blackmail.
However confirmation comes from official court records, which describe the offence as "attempting to commit buggery". There'll be more on this case over the coming weeks.
In the St Helens Petty Sessions on the 30th what the St Helens Newspaper called a "family shindy at Sutton" was described.
It concerned a prosecution brought by Mary Gerrard of Blinkhorns Row (near Lancots Lane) against Mary Rigby and Ann Gerrard.
The latter was her daughter-in-law who, according to Mary Gerrard, had rushed into her house and knocked her about.
She said it had only been through the intervention of neighbours that she had not been badly hurt.
It was also alleged that others in the house had been assaulted, including John Gerard, Mary's 21-year-old son and the husband of Ann Gerard.
Ann and John had recently had a baby and had fallen out over something and the dispute had led to John moving back into his mother's house.
Meanwhile his wife removed the couple's furniture from their home in Baxters Lane and took it to her own mother's house.
A witness called Elizabeth Rigby gave evidence that she had seen Ann Gerrard drag her mother-in-law out of the door by the hair on her head.
Another witness was called but the magistrates decided to dismiss the case as it "seemed to be a family difference".
Whether Mary Gerrard ever forgave her daughter-in-law for dragging her round her own house by her hair, I cannot say.
But in the 1871 census Mary's son John was back living with his wife Ann and one-year-old son William at their home in Baxters Lane.
By 1881 William had five siblings and so his parents could not have been rowing all the time!
There was also trouble in Peckers Hill Road in Sutton between two lots of neighbours.
William McDonald was charged with breaking two squares of glass window at the house of Robert Dickenson.
The 21-year-old's mother Martha was also charged with using threatening language towards Ann Dickenson.
The latter gave evidence of overhearing William McDonald and another person "making reflections" on her character.
A strange claim as the young man was described as being quite dumb.
Ann Dickenson then went outside to remonstrate with William McDonald and as a result he threw several stones, which resulted in the breaking of one of her windows and two of her bottles.
Mrs Dickenson then claimed Martha McDonald came out of her house and incited her son to throw more stones and also used threatening language against her.
However Mrs McDonald claimed in her defence that the Dickensons had shouted at her "afflicted" son in the street.
She called a neighbour as a witness who said the lad had been given no peace.
The witness said whenever "Billy" came out of doors they shouted at him: "Thief! thief! Who stole the dress?"
Those strange comments were not explained but 55-year-old Martha McDonald told the Bench that she was a poor, widow woman and there was nothing left for her in life but "slaughter".
She said she could have produced other witnesses in her defence but had no money to lay out for summonses.
Martha McDonald was bound over to keep the peace and the summons against her son was withdrawn.
A constable said he had entered the yard to quell the row but was forcibly put out.
Witnesses said a considerable amount of beer had been drunk and the two men were bound over to keep the peace.
On the 31st Howes & Cushing's Great American Circus and Menagerie appeared in St Helens.
In their advertising they claimed to have performed in front of Queen Victoria in 1859, as well as the Duke of Cambridge and in America in front of Presidents Grant and Lincoln.
The Mayor of Shrewsbury also somehow got in their short list of celebrity attendees – not quite as impressive though!
The menagerie's procession toured the main streets of St Helens at 1pm, which must have been quite a sight.
As well as many beasts on show, they promised: "richly attired Moors and Turks, and their Ladies of the Harem, attended by a band of Amazons clad in the most gorgeous steel armour, richly set with costly jewels."
What was described rather oddly as a morning performance took place at 2pm, with an evening show at 7:30pm.
No venue was stated but it was probably held on what was called the Fairground in Salisbury Street.
The animals included elephants, camels, a pack of performing wolves and bears and performing monkeys.
The price of admission ranged from 6d to 2 shillings for first class seats.
And finally a notice was published in the St Helens Newspaper on the 31st, which stated an intention to create a local branch of the Commons Preservation Society.
This would have the intention of preserving Thatto Heath. There had been concern about landowners fencing off parts of "the heath" as they tried to lay claim to public land.
The Newspaper had been vociferous in its opposition to these individuals and it was their editor and proprietor Bernard Dromgoole who had taken it upon himself to form the new branch of the preservation society.
Next week's stories will include the Liverpool Road miner who got his sweethearts in the family way, the "Prescot Scandal" comes to court, an "abominable" crime with a donkey is suspected at Eccleston and the Whit Monday recreation and amusements.