150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 25 NOV - 1 DEC 1874
This week's many stories include the fear that a fire in a Church Street ironmongery warehouse would cause an explosion, the man accused of raping a Parr schoolmistress as she walked to work appears in court, the young girl who stole a loaf of bread in Earlestown, a call to prevent the build up of obnoxious sewage gas in St Helens and the town's councillors take their annual tour of the St Helens' streets.
Although there were not many fires in the 1870s, the combustible nature of many properties and their contents meant fighting fires was not easy. Wood was often used in the construction of buildings and inside them all sorts of flammable stuff was stored – including, sometimes, gunpowder.
And so at 4 am on Wednesday morning when it was found that a fire was burning in the cellar of an ironmongery warehouse where gunpowder was stored, "alarm was then felt on all sides", as the St Helens Newspaper put it. The incident occurred in the premises of Booth and Jordan in Church Street by its junction with Hardshaw Street.
A watchmaker called Joseph Hewitt lived next door to their premises and raised the alarm after what was described as a peculiar smell and a noise had woken him from his slumbers. With no telephone yet available, the police officers that acted as firemen were summoned by the ringing of a fire bell at the old town hall.
As the location of the blaze was in close proximity to the station, the brigade was quickly in position. A grid leading into the cellar was broken open, hose was fed through and streams of water were poured onto the fire. One of the men managed to get down into the cellar to direct the water onto the seat of the blaze and it was extinguished after half-an-hour.
It was later discovered that the powder had been stored upstairs out of reach of the flames and so an explosion was not likely to have occurred. However, the cellar had contained paraffin, which might have been ignited if the fire had not quickly been discovered, although the flames had managed to get to within a few feet of it.
A tea party and ball seems an unusual combination but they were quite common in St Helens in the 1870s and by ball they simply meant dance. Such an event was organised by Lowe House Church in the Volunteer Hall (pictured above in later years) on the 25th, with the tea taking place at 6:30pm and the dancing to a quadrille band starting at 8pm. That's a type of music performed by four couples in a rectangular formation and is not dissimilar to American square dancing. Tickets cost 2 shillings or on the night 2s 6d.
The Prescot Guardians met on the 26th where it was revealed that 362 persons were currently in the workhouse at Whiston, which served the whole of the St Helens district and 121 of the inmates were children.
There was a schoolmaster to look after the boys and a schoolmistress to see to the girls. The latter was Hannah Mitchell and the 28-year-old had tendered her resignation. The teachers were poorly paid and were expected to work long hours and did not last long in their job before quitting. But Hannah had been an exception as she had served for five years.
In September it had been decided to form a fife and drum band amongst the workhouse boys. Not all of the guardians had been in favour with one claiming that such an ensemble would lead the boys into bad company and a love for intoxicating drink. At this week's meeting it was stated that the instruments for the band had now been purchased for the sum of £47.
The guardians were also told that the new infectious diseases hospital attached to the workhouse was almost ready to open and they decided to advertise for a nurse at a salary of £20 per year. Not much when their job was to tend to patients with such contagious diseases as scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, typhus etc.
Last week the Prescot Reporter had stated that two unconnected rapes had taken place within half a mile of each other while two schoolmistresses had separately walked to their respective schools. Of course, the chances of two identical crimes taking place at the same time in the same vicinity must be astronomically high.
The Reporter named one of the two women but did not identify the second. That, I think, was because only one rape had actually taken place with the Reporter not fully investigating the information that they had been given. Well, that is my theory, as, like today, newspapers in the 1870s were not keen to admit their mistakes unless forced to do so.
And so there was no admission this week of getting things wrong but the good news was that the alleged offender had been caught. On the 27th a Haydock coal miner called Joseph Cuncliffe appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with committing a criminal assault (i.e. rape) on schoolmistress Elizabeth Moss.
As was often the case with sexual offences, the court was cleared of all spectators, much to their displeasure. Elizabeth said she lived in Upper Parr Street in St Helens and was an assistant schoolmistress at Haydock Colliery School. On the morning of the 11th at about 8:30 am she had left home to walk the three miles to her work.
Having got to the locks she crossed the canal and as she went over the railway bridge Elizabeth said she noticed a man walking behind her. He suddenly quickened his pace and as she turned round he grabbed hold of her and pushed her to the ground. Elizabeth says she screamed but her attacker put his hand over her mouth and threatened to kill her if she made any noise.
After describing the rape – the details of which were not reported – Elizabeth said that as the man ran off she noticed a distinctive coloured handkerchief hanging out of his pocket. Some days later she was asked to attend what we would call an identification parade at the police station. A dozen men stood in line and Elizabeth picked out Joseph Cuncliffe immediately. The coloured handkerchief that she had seen was also identified as being in his possession.
Her sister Margaret Brown said that when Elizabeth returned home at 10 o’clock on that morning she had been very much distressed and had scratches on her face. Mrs Brown added that she had washed her sister and put her to bed. A signalman at Redgate Bridge in Parr called Joseph Webster also gave evidence at the hearing. He said that he had seen Joseph Cuncliffe on the morning of the 11th at 8:30 am and he had then walked away in the direction of Parr.
With no forensic evidence such as DNA or fingerprints available, proving a rape was even harder than today. But the court testimony of Elizabeth Moss was confidently given and could not be shaken by the defence. And along with the other circumstantial evidence, the magistrates had no difficulty in committing Joseph Cuncliffe to take his trial at the next assizes and they refused him bail.
On December 8th 1874 the 41-year-old widower was convicted of the crime and sentenced to eight years in prison. That was very long for such a crime and an aggravating factor would have been that Elizabeth was a schoolteacher, as it mattered who the victim was.
A child stealing a loaf of bread to me suggests hunger and need. But in the 1870s a theft was a theft and the motivation for the crime was rarely explored. In Newton Petty Sessions on the 28th Ellen Hughes was charged with stealing a 4lb loaf from James Georgeson's shop in Earlestown.
Mr Georgeson told the magistrates that after having missed one or two items he had decided to secrete himself within his premises and keep watch. Shop doors were routinely kept open and when shopkeepers were in a back room, young, opportunistic thieves could creep in and out without being seen.
He said he saw Ellen Hughes without her clogs on enter his premises and after taking a loaf off a shelf she had quietly walked away with the bread. The Newspaper report said: "He sprang from his hiding place, caught prisoner, and gave her into the custody of the police. Prisoner, who cried bitterly, acknowledged the offence, and expressed her sorrow for what she had done."
According to the 1871 census, Ellen was then living in Earle Street and was aged just 11. She may well have been expecting a prison sentence for her theft, which often occurred even when a child stole food. But Ellen's remorse appears to have struck a chord with the Bench.
They said as she was a young girl, they would only punish her by keeping her in custody for the remainder of the day. "We hope it will be a warning to you", said the Chairman. As usual the newspaper account of the case made no mention as to whether the girl had been asked why she had taken the bread, and so we have to assume the question was not raised.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 28th ran an editorial calling for more to be done to prevent the formation of the "most obnoxious" sewage gas. The paper wrote that the "poisonous character of sulphuretted hydrogen, and its effect on the vital powers of man and beast" were now fully accepted by experts. They urged on all parties in St Helens to recognise the "supreme importance of suppressing this pestilential gas, in our very midst" and they said it was "almost criminal" that nothing was being done.
For around 100 years it was an annual tradition for members of the council's Highways Committee to take a tour of the St Helens' streets. It would take them forever to do that today, of course, but in the much smaller town of the 1870s, they could get round the main highways in their horse-drawn carriage within just a few hours.
Many roads were in a poor condition and unpaved and much of the committee's tour was about prioritising paving or flagging work. The St Helens Newspaper reported that the five councillors and one alderman had begun this year's tour on Cowley Hill and upon entering College Street (pictured above) had expressed their unhappiness about the state of the flagging that they encountered.
Merton Bank Bridge was considered dilapidated and dangerous and some discussion took place on the need for a replacement bridge and the widening of the road. And in Park Road it was decided to extend the flagging there towards Redgate Bridge.
The drainage near the Locomotive Inn in Peckers Hill in Sutton was ordered to be extended and in Thatto Heath it was decided to draw up plans to widen part of Elephant Lane using land that Greenalls were expected to give up. The subsidence in Mill Lane was also examined and it was decided that the colliery deemed responsible would be asked to restore the road to its original level.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the fire-damaged stock for sale in Church Street, the colossal Scottish diorama in the Volunteer Hall, the fire in a Market Street toy shop and criticism by councillors of the town's fire brigade.
Although there were not many fires in the 1870s, the combustible nature of many properties and their contents meant fighting fires was not easy. Wood was often used in the construction of buildings and inside them all sorts of flammable stuff was stored – including, sometimes, gunpowder.
And so at 4 am on Wednesday morning when it was found that a fire was burning in the cellar of an ironmongery warehouse where gunpowder was stored, "alarm was then felt on all sides", as the St Helens Newspaper put it. The incident occurred in the premises of Booth and Jordan in Church Street by its junction with Hardshaw Street.
A watchmaker called Joseph Hewitt lived next door to their premises and raised the alarm after what was described as a peculiar smell and a noise had woken him from his slumbers. With no telephone yet available, the police officers that acted as firemen were summoned by the ringing of a fire bell at the old town hall.
As the location of the blaze was in close proximity to the station, the brigade was quickly in position. A grid leading into the cellar was broken open, hose was fed through and streams of water were poured onto the fire. One of the men managed to get down into the cellar to direct the water onto the seat of the blaze and it was extinguished after half-an-hour.
It was later discovered that the powder had been stored upstairs out of reach of the flames and so an explosion was not likely to have occurred. However, the cellar had contained paraffin, which might have been ignited if the fire had not quickly been discovered, although the flames had managed to get to within a few feet of it.
The Prescot Guardians met on the 26th where it was revealed that 362 persons were currently in the workhouse at Whiston, which served the whole of the St Helens district and 121 of the inmates were children.
There was a schoolmaster to look after the boys and a schoolmistress to see to the girls. The latter was Hannah Mitchell and the 28-year-old had tendered her resignation. The teachers were poorly paid and were expected to work long hours and did not last long in their job before quitting. But Hannah had been an exception as she had served for five years.
In September it had been decided to form a fife and drum band amongst the workhouse boys. Not all of the guardians had been in favour with one claiming that such an ensemble would lead the boys into bad company and a love for intoxicating drink. At this week's meeting it was stated that the instruments for the band had now been purchased for the sum of £47.
The guardians were also told that the new infectious diseases hospital attached to the workhouse was almost ready to open and they decided to advertise for a nurse at a salary of £20 per year. Not much when their job was to tend to patients with such contagious diseases as scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, typhus etc.
Last week the Prescot Reporter had stated that two unconnected rapes had taken place within half a mile of each other while two schoolmistresses had separately walked to their respective schools. Of course, the chances of two identical crimes taking place at the same time in the same vicinity must be astronomically high.
The Reporter named one of the two women but did not identify the second. That, I think, was because only one rape had actually taken place with the Reporter not fully investigating the information that they had been given. Well, that is my theory, as, like today, newspapers in the 1870s were not keen to admit their mistakes unless forced to do so.
And so there was no admission this week of getting things wrong but the good news was that the alleged offender had been caught. On the 27th a Haydock coal miner called Joseph Cuncliffe appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with committing a criminal assault (i.e. rape) on schoolmistress Elizabeth Moss.
As was often the case with sexual offences, the court was cleared of all spectators, much to their displeasure. Elizabeth said she lived in Upper Parr Street in St Helens and was an assistant schoolmistress at Haydock Colliery School. On the morning of the 11th at about 8:30 am she had left home to walk the three miles to her work.
Having got to the locks she crossed the canal and as she went over the railway bridge Elizabeth said she noticed a man walking behind her. He suddenly quickened his pace and as she turned round he grabbed hold of her and pushed her to the ground. Elizabeth says she screamed but her attacker put his hand over her mouth and threatened to kill her if she made any noise.
After describing the rape – the details of which were not reported – Elizabeth said that as the man ran off she noticed a distinctive coloured handkerchief hanging out of his pocket. Some days later she was asked to attend what we would call an identification parade at the police station. A dozen men stood in line and Elizabeth picked out Joseph Cuncliffe immediately. The coloured handkerchief that she had seen was also identified as being in his possession.
Her sister Margaret Brown said that when Elizabeth returned home at 10 o’clock on that morning she had been very much distressed and had scratches on her face. Mrs Brown added that she had washed her sister and put her to bed. A signalman at Redgate Bridge in Parr called Joseph Webster also gave evidence at the hearing. He said that he had seen Joseph Cuncliffe on the morning of the 11th at 8:30 am and he had then walked away in the direction of Parr.
With no forensic evidence such as DNA or fingerprints available, proving a rape was even harder than today. But the court testimony of Elizabeth Moss was confidently given and could not be shaken by the defence. And along with the other circumstantial evidence, the magistrates had no difficulty in committing Joseph Cuncliffe to take his trial at the next assizes and they refused him bail.
On December 8th 1874 the 41-year-old widower was convicted of the crime and sentenced to eight years in prison. That was very long for such a crime and an aggravating factor would have been that Elizabeth was a schoolteacher, as it mattered who the victim was.
A child stealing a loaf of bread to me suggests hunger and need. But in the 1870s a theft was a theft and the motivation for the crime was rarely explored. In Newton Petty Sessions on the 28th Ellen Hughes was charged with stealing a 4lb loaf from James Georgeson's shop in Earlestown.
Mr Georgeson told the magistrates that after having missed one or two items he had decided to secrete himself within his premises and keep watch. Shop doors were routinely kept open and when shopkeepers were in a back room, young, opportunistic thieves could creep in and out without being seen.
He said he saw Ellen Hughes without her clogs on enter his premises and after taking a loaf off a shelf she had quietly walked away with the bread. The Newspaper report said: "He sprang from his hiding place, caught prisoner, and gave her into the custody of the police. Prisoner, who cried bitterly, acknowledged the offence, and expressed her sorrow for what she had done."
According to the 1871 census, Ellen was then living in Earle Street and was aged just 11. She may well have been expecting a prison sentence for her theft, which often occurred even when a child stole food. But Ellen's remorse appears to have struck a chord with the Bench.
They said as she was a young girl, they would only punish her by keeping her in custody for the remainder of the day. "We hope it will be a warning to you", said the Chairman. As usual the newspaper account of the case made no mention as to whether the girl had been asked why she had taken the bread, and so we have to assume the question was not raised.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 28th ran an editorial calling for more to be done to prevent the formation of the "most obnoxious" sewage gas. The paper wrote that the "poisonous character of sulphuretted hydrogen, and its effect on the vital powers of man and beast" were now fully accepted by experts. They urged on all parties in St Helens to recognise the "supreme importance of suppressing this pestilential gas, in our very midst" and they said it was "almost criminal" that nothing was being done.
For around 100 years it was an annual tradition for members of the council's Highways Committee to take a tour of the St Helens' streets. It would take them forever to do that today, of course, but in the much smaller town of the 1870s, they could get round the main highways in their horse-drawn carriage within just a few hours.
Merton Bank Bridge was considered dilapidated and dangerous and some discussion took place on the need for a replacement bridge and the widening of the road. And in Park Road it was decided to extend the flagging there towards Redgate Bridge.
The drainage near the Locomotive Inn in Peckers Hill in Sutton was ordered to be extended and in Thatto Heath it was decided to draw up plans to widen part of Elephant Lane using land that Greenalls were expected to give up. The subsidence in Mill Lane was also examined and it was decided that the colliery deemed responsible would be asked to restore the road to its original level.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the fire-damaged stock for sale in Church Street, the colossal Scottish diorama in the Volunteer Hall, the fire in a Market Street toy shop and criticism by councillors of the town's fire brigade.
This week's many stories include the fear that a fire in a Church Street ironmongery warehouse would cause an explosion, the man accused of raping a Parr schoolmistress as she walked to work appears in court, the young girl who stole a loaf of bread in Earlestown, a call to prevent the build up of obnoxious sewage gas in St Helens and the town's councillors take their annual tour of the St Helens' streets.
Although there were not many fires in the 1870s, the combustible nature of many properties and their contents meant fighting fires was not easy.
Wood was often used in the construction of buildings and inside them all sorts of flammable stuff was stored – including, sometimes, gunpowder.
And so at 4 am on Wednesday morning when it was found that a fire was burning in the cellar of an ironmongery warehouse where gunpowder was stored, "alarm was then felt on all sides", as the St Helens Newspaper put it.
The incident occurred in the premises of Booth and Jordan in Church Street by its junction with Hardshaw Street.
A watchmaker called Joseph Hewitt lived next door to their premises and raised the alarm after what was described as a peculiar smell and a noise had woken him from his slumbers.
With no telephone yet available, the police officers that acted as firemen were summoned by the ringing of a fire bell at the old town hall.
As the location of the blaze was in close proximity to the station, the brigade was quickly in position.
A grid leading into the cellar was broken open, hose was fed through and streams of water were poured onto the fire.
One of the men managed to get down into the cellar to direct the water onto the seat of the blaze and it was extinguished after half-an-hour.
It was later discovered that the powder had been stored upstairs out of reach of the flames and so an explosion was not likely to have occurred.
However, the cellar had contained paraffin, which might have been ignited if the fire had not quickly been discovered, although the flames had managed to get to within a few feet of it.
A tea party and ball seems an unusual combination but they were quite common in St Helens in the 1870s and by ball they simply meant dance.
Such an event was organised by Lowe House Church in the Volunteer Hall (pictured above in later years) on the 25th, with the tea taking place at 6:30pm and the dancing to a quadrille band starting at 8pm.
That's a type of music performed by four couples in a rectangular formation and is not dissimilar to American square dancing. Tickets cost 2 shillings or on the night 2s 6d.
The Prescot Guardians met on the 26th where it was revealed that 362 persons were currently in the workhouse at Whiston, which served the whole of the St Helens district and 121 of the inmates were children.
There was a schoolmaster to look after the boys and a schoolmistress to see to the girls. The latter was Hannah Mitchell and the 28-year-old had tendered her resignation.
The teachers were poorly paid and were expected to work long hours and did not last long in their job before quitting. But Hannah had been an exception as she had served for five years.
In September it had been decided to form a fife and drum band amongst the workhouse boys.
Not all of the guardians had been in favour with one claiming that such an ensemble would lead the boys into bad company and a love for intoxicating drink.
At this week's meeting it was stated that the instruments for the band had now been purchased for the sum of £47.
The guardians were also told that the new infectious diseases hospital attached to the workhouse was almost ready to open and they decided to advertise for a nurse at a salary of £20 per year.
Not much when their job was to tend to patients with such contagious diseases as scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, typhus etc.
Last week the Prescot Reporter had stated that two unconnected rapes had taken place within half a mile of each other while two schoolmistresses had separately walked to their respective schools.
Of course, the chances of two identical crimes taking place at the same time in the same vicinity must be astronomically high.
The Reporter named one of the two women but did not identify the second.
That, I think, was because only one rape had actually taken place with the Reporter not fully investigating the information that they had been given.
Well, that is my theory, as, like today, newspapers in the 1870s were not keen to admit their mistakes unless forced to do so.
And so there was no admission this week of getting things wrong but the good news was that the alleged offender had been caught.
On the 27th a Haydock coal miner called Joseph Cuncliffe appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with committing a criminal assault (i.e. rape) on schoolmistress Elizabeth Moss.
As was often the case with sexual offences, the court was cleared of all spectators, much to their displeasure.
Elizabeth said she lived in Upper Parr Street in St Helens and was an assistant schoolmistress at Haydock Colliery School.
On the morning of the 11th at about 8:30 am she had left home to walk the three miles to her work.
Having got to the locks she crossed the canal and as she went over the railway bridge Elizabeth said she noticed a man walking behind her.
He suddenly quickened his pace and as she turned round he grabbed hold of her and pushed her to the ground.
Elizabeth says she screamed but her attacker put his hand over her mouth and threatened to kill her if she made any noise.
After describing the rape – the details of which were not reported – Elizabeth said that as the man ran off she noticed a distinctive coloured handkerchief hanging out of his pocket.
Some days later she was asked to attend what we would call an identification parade at the police station.
A dozen men stood in line and Elizabeth picked out Joseph Cuncliffe immediately.
The coloured handkerchief that she had seen was also identified as being in his possession.
Her sister Margaret Brown said that when Elizabeth returned home at 10 o’clock on that morning she had been very much distressed and had scratches on her face. Mrs Brown added that she had washed her sister and put her to bed.
A signalman at Redgate Bridge in Parr called Joseph Webster also gave evidence at the hearing.
He said that he had seen Joseph Cuncliffe on the morning of the 11th at 8:30 am and he had then walked away in the direction of Parr.
With no forensic evidence such as DNA or fingerprints available, proving a rape was even harder than today.
But the court testimony of Elizabeth Moss was confidently given and could not be shaken by the defence.
And along with the other circumstantial evidence, the magistrates had no difficulty in committing Joseph Cuncliffe to take his trial at the next assizes and they refused him bail.
On December 8th 1874 the 41-year-old widower was convicted of the crime and sentenced to eight years in prison.
That was very long for such a crime and an aggravating factor would have been that Elizabeth was a schoolteacher, as it mattered who the victim was.
A child stealing a loaf of bread to me suggests hunger and need. But in the 1870s a theft was a theft and the motivation for the crime was rarely explored.
In Newton Petty Sessions on the 28th Ellen Hughes was charged with stealing a 4lb loaf from James Georgeson's shop in Earlestown.
Mr Georgeson told the magistrates that after having missed one or two items he had decided to secrete himself within his premises and keep watch.
Shop doors were routinely kept open and when shopkeepers were in a back room, young, opportunistic thieves could creep in and out without being seen.
He said he saw Ellen Hughes without her clogs on enter his premises and after taking a loaf off a shelf she had quietly walked away with the bread.
The Newspaper report said: "He sprang from his hiding place, caught prisoner, and gave her into the custody of the police. Prisoner, who cried bitterly, acknowledged the offence, and expressed her sorrow for what she had done."
According to the 1871 census, Ellen was then living in Earle Street and was aged just 11.
She may well have been expecting a prison sentence for her theft, which often occurred even when a child stole food. But Ellen's remorse appears to have struck a chord with the Bench.
They said as she was a young girl, they would only punish her by keeping her in custody for the remainder of the day. "We hope it will be a warning to you", said the Chairman.
As usual the newspaper account of the case made no mention as to whether the girl had been asked why she had taken the bread, and so we have to assume the question was not raised.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 28th ran an editorial calling for more to be done to prevent the formation of the "most obnoxious" sewage gas.
The paper wrote that the "poisonous character of sulphuretted hydrogen, and its effect on the vital powers of man and beast" were now fully accepted by experts.
They urged on all parties in St Helens to recognise the "supreme importance of suppressing this pestilential gas, in our very midst" and they said it was "almost criminal" that nothing was being done.
For around 100 years it was an annual tradition for members of the council's Highways Committee to take a tour of the St Helens' streets.
It would take them forever to do that today, of course, but in the much smaller town of the 1870s, they could get round the main highways in their horse-drawn carriage within just a few hours.
Many roads were in a poor condition and unpaved and much of the committee's tour was about prioritising paving or flagging work.
The St Helens Newspaper reported that the five councillors and one alderman had begun this year's tour on Cowley Hill and upon entering College Street (pictured above) had expressed their unhappiness about the state of the flagging that they encountered.
Merton Bank Bridge was considered dilapidated and dangerous and some discussion took place on the need for a replacement bridge and the widening of the road.
And in Park Road it was decided to extend the flagging there towards Redgate Bridge.
The drainage near the Locomotive Inn in Peckers Hill in Sutton was ordered to be extended and in Thatto Heath it was decided to draw up plans to widen part of Elephant Lane using land that Greenalls were expected to give up.
The subsidence in Mill Lane was also examined and it was decided that the colliery deemed responsible would be asked to restore the road to its original level.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the fire-damaged stock for sale in Church Street, the colossal Scottish diorama in the Volunteer Hall, the fire in a Market Street toy shop and criticism by councillors of the town's fire brigade.
Although there were not many fires in the 1870s, the combustible nature of many properties and their contents meant fighting fires was not easy.
Wood was often used in the construction of buildings and inside them all sorts of flammable stuff was stored – including, sometimes, gunpowder.
And so at 4 am on Wednesday morning when it was found that a fire was burning in the cellar of an ironmongery warehouse where gunpowder was stored, "alarm was then felt on all sides", as the St Helens Newspaper put it.
The incident occurred in the premises of Booth and Jordan in Church Street by its junction with Hardshaw Street.
A watchmaker called Joseph Hewitt lived next door to their premises and raised the alarm after what was described as a peculiar smell and a noise had woken him from his slumbers.
With no telephone yet available, the police officers that acted as firemen were summoned by the ringing of a fire bell at the old town hall.
As the location of the blaze was in close proximity to the station, the brigade was quickly in position.
A grid leading into the cellar was broken open, hose was fed through and streams of water were poured onto the fire.
One of the men managed to get down into the cellar to direct the water onto the seat of the blaze and it was extinguished after half-an-hour.
It was later discovered that the powder had been stored upstairs out of reach of the flames and so an explosion was not likely to have occurred.
However, the cellar had contained paraffin, which might have been ignited if the fire had not quickly been discovered, although the flames had managed to get to within a few feet of it.
A tea party and ball seems an unusual combination but they were quite common in St Helens in the 1870s and by ball they simply meant dance.
That's a type of music performed by four couples in a rectangular formation and is not dissimilar to American square dancing. Tickets cost 2 shillings or on the night 2s 6d.
The Prescot Guardians met on the 26th where it was revealed that 362 persons were currently in the workhouse at Whiston, which served the whole of the St Helens district and 121 of the inmates were children.
There was a schoolmaster to look after the boys and a schoolmistress to see to the girls. The latter was Hannah Mitchell and the 28-year-old had tendered her resignation.
The teachers were poorly paid and were expected to work long hours and did not last long in their job before quitting. But Hannah had been an exception as she had served for five years.
In September it had been decided to form a fife and drum band amongst the workhouse boys.
Not all of the guardians had been in favour with one claiming that such an ensemble would lead the boys into bad company and a love for intoxicating drink.
At this week's meeting it was stated that the instruments for the band had now been purchased for the sum of £47.
The guardians were also told that the new infectious diseases hospital attached to the workhouse was almost ready to open and they decided to advertise for a nurse at a salary of £20 per year.
Not much when their job was to tend to patients with such contagious diseases as scarlet fever, measles, diphtheria, typhus etc.
Last week the Prescot Reporter had stated that two unconnected rapes had taken place within half a mile of each other while two schoolmistresses had separately walked to their respective schools.
Of course, the chances of two identical crimes taking place at the same time in the same vicinity must be astronomically high.
The Reporter named one of the two women but did not identify the second.
That, I think, was because only one rape had actually taken place with the Reporter not fully investigating the information that they had been given.
Well, that is my theory, as, like today, newspapers in the 1870s were not keen to admit their mistakes unless forced to do so.
And so there was no admission this week of getting things wrong but the good news was that the alleged offender had been caught.
On the 27th a Haydock coal miner called Joseph Cuncliffe appeared in St Helens Police Court charged with committing a criminal assault (i.e. rape) on schoolmistress Elizabeth Moss.
As was often the case with sexual offences, the court was cleared of all spectators, much to their displeasure.
Elizabeth said she lived in Upper Parr Street in St Helens and was an assistant schoolmistress at Haydock Colliery School.
On the morning of the 11th at about 8:30 am she had left home to walk the three miles to her work.
Having got to the locks she crossed the canal and as she went over the railway bridge Elizabeth said she noticed a man walking behind her.
He suddenly quickened his pace and as she turned round he grabbed hold of her and pushed her to the ground.
Elizabeth says she screamed but her attacker put his hand over her mouth and threatened to kill her if she made any noise.
After describing the rape – the details of which were not reported – Elizabeth said that as the man ran off she noticed a distinctive coloured handkerchief hanging out of his pocket.
Some days later she was asked to attend what we would call an identification parade at the police station.
A dozen men stood in line and Elizabeth picked out Joseph Cuncliffe immediately.
The coloured handkerchief that she had seen was also identified as being in his possession.
Her sister Margaret Brown said that when Elizabeth returned home at 10 o’clock on that morning she had been very much distressed and had scratches on her face. Mrs Brown added that she had washed her sister and put her to bed.
A signalman at Redgate Bridge in Parr called Joseph Webster also gave evidence at the hearing.
He said that he had seen Joseph Cuncliffe on the morning of the 11th at 8:30 am and he had then walked away in the direction of Parr.
With no forensic evidence such as DNA or fingerprints available, proving a rape was even harder than today.
But the court testimony of Elizabeth Moss was confidently given and could not be shaken by the defence.
And along with the other circumstantial evidence, the magistrates had no difficulty in committing Joseph Cuncliffe to take his trial at the next assizes and they refused him bail.
On December 8th 1874 the 41-year-old widower was convicted of the crime and sentenced to eight years in prison.
That was very long for such a crime and an aggravating factor would have been that Elizabeth was a schoolteacher, as it mattered who the victim was.
A child stealing a loaf of bread to me suggests hunger and need. But in the 1870s a theft was a theft and the motivation for the crime was rarely explored.
In Newton Petty Sessions on the 28th Ellen Hughes was charged with stealing a 4lb loaf from James Georgeson's shop in Earlestown.
Mr Georgeson told the magistrates that after having missed one or two items he had decided to secrete himself within his premises and keep watch.
Shop doors were routinely kept open and when shopkeepers were in a back room, young, opportunistic thieves could creep in and out without being seen.
He said he saw Ellen Hughes without her clogs on enter his premises and after taking a loaf off a shelf she had quietly walked away with the bread.
The Newspaper report said: "He sprang from his hiding place, caught prisoner, and gave her into the custody of the police. Prisoner, who cried bitterly, acknowledged the offence, and expressed her sorrow for what she had done."
According to the 1871 census, Ellen was then living in Earle Street and was aged just 11.
She may well have been expecting a prison sentence for her theft, which often occurred even when a child stole food. But Ellen's remorse appears to have struck a chord with the Bench.
They said as she was a young girl, they would only punish her by keeping her in custody for the remainder of the day. "We hope it will be a warning to you", said the Chairman.
As usual the newspaper account of the case made no mention as to whether the girl had been asked why she had taken the bread, and so we have to assume the question was not raised.
The St Helens Newspaper on the 28th ran an editorial calling for more to be done to prevent the formation of the "most obnoxious" sewage gas.
The paper wrote that the "poisonous character of sulphuretted hydrogen, and its effect on the vital powers of man and beast" were now fully accepted by experts.
They urged on all parties in St Helens to recognise the "supreme importance of suppressing this pestilential gas, in our very midst" and they said it was "almost criminal" that nothing was being done.
For around 100 years it was an annual tradition for members of the council's Highways Committee to take a tour of the St Helens' streets.
It would take them forever to do that today, of course, but in the much smaller town of the 1870s, they could get round the main highways in their horse-drawn carriage within just a few hours.
Many roads were in a poor condition and unpaved and much of the committee's tour was about prioritising paving or flagging work.
Merton Bank Bridge was considered dilapidated and dangerous and some discussion took place on the need for a replacement bridge and the widening of the road.
And in Park Road it was decided to extend the flagging there towards Redgate Bridge.
The drainage near the Locomotive Inn in Peckers Hill in Sutton was ordered to be extended and in Thatto Heath it was decided to draw up plans to widen part of Elephant Lane using land that Greenalls were expected to give up.
The subsidence in Mill Lane was also examined and it was decided that the colliery deemed responsible would be asked to restore the road to its original level.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the fire-damaged stock for sale in Church Street, the colossal Scottish diorama in the Volunteer Hall, the fire in a Market Street toy shop and criticism by councillors of the town's fire brigade.