150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 26 OCT - 1 NOV 1876
This week's many stories include the Bulgarian Atrocities Fund, the Mayor complains of a monstrous nuisance, the strange act of pedestrianism on St Helens Fairground, a call for councillors to act with decorum and decency and the Rainford woman who punched a man for putting his arm around her.
We begin on the 27th when Thomas Edwards was killed at a new pit at Whiston as he was coming to the end of his night shift. The 32-year-old was about to insert a prop underneath a section of the underground roof when a large stone fell on him, instantly killing the man. He left a widow and three children.
Also on that day James Murray appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions after being summoned for using false and defamatory language in Rainford. A somewhat amusing story was told of the incident that had take place in the Bridge Inn. It concerned Ann Wright who with her husband had gone for a drink in the pub.
He was an engineman employed at Victoria Colliery in Old Lane and Ann had spent the day digging potatoes on some land that the couple had. And so they had both built up a thirst but upon their arrival at the inn, the husband had, as it was put, first gone into the back yard. In other words, he wanted to use the outside loo and his wife went inside the pub to wait for him.
But she told the court that without her giving James Murray any encouragement, he had placed his arm round her waist. Possibly today, if a man made unwanted attentions to a woman, she might slap his face. But this was the 1870s when women were known to have fist fights and James Murray got a punch in his mug and told to keep his hands to himself! And he didn't like it. According to the St Helens Newspaper's report, he "made use of the most filthy and offensive language".
In court James explained that he had been drunk and apologised for what had happened and said he withdrew all the nasty comments that he had made about Ann's character. That was a sensible and too rarely used defence ploy and it resulted in him being bound over in his own recognisance (i.e. not having to find sureties) to keep the peace for one month. And so he got a slap on the wrist to add to his punch in the face!
There was a notice in the St Helens Newspaper on the 28th calling for subscriptions to a fund that was being managed by Parr's Bank of St Helens. It was called the Bulgarian Atrocities Fund and its organising committee contained the names of many of the top people in the town. The fund was in response to an uprising by Bulgarians against the Ottoman Empire that had begun in April 1876.
By the end of May the rebellion had been put down with brutal force and it was estimated that many citizens were among the up to 30,000 persons that had been killed. It had taken time before journalists and diplomats had spread the news of the atrocities and St Helens was like many other places now raising funds to supply aid.
The council elections were about to take place and the Newspaper wrote in an editorial how the promises from candidates were coming in thick and fast. Many of them were what the paper had for some time been campaigning for, including the appointment of a professional stipendiary magistrate instead of the lay magistrates, who often did not turn up or were late.
Promises for the adequate lighting of the town and its paving and sewering were also being given, as well as the creation of a Borough Police Force instead of the current Lancashire County model. Hopefully, the piece went on, "St. Helens is at last to discover a Mayor who can afford to disregard clique, and shall dispense municipal hospitalities with an even hand, and devote some portion of each working day to the discharge of the duties of the exalted position he has aspired to, and which has been trustingly bestowed upon him."
The paper also hoped that the influx of new councillors would induce the council to "conduct their proceedings with decorum and decency, and substitute parliamentary language and bearing for the pot-house and clay-pipe oratory our monthly reports of their proceedings have so long accustomed us to."
The St Helens Newspaper contained details of the final Town Council meeting of the municipal year. Concern was raised that in the marketplace there were 15 unoccupied stalls, as well as two vacant mini lock-up shops. Seventeen stallholders not paying rent was a significant loss of income for the council and it was said their Market Committee would explain what they would be doing to address the situation at a later date.
Criticism of the council's surveyor was also expressed at the meeting. It was revealed that they had recently bought the man a horse in order for him to get around the streets of the borough and see what was going on, as it was put. But the outgoing Mayor, Ald James Radley, said he had complained several times to the surveyor about pigs that were being kept close to his house – but nothing had been done.
"This sort of neglect is most monstrous," he said. Councillor Fidler also complained of a nuisance in Springfield Row in Thatto Heath, which he said was: "…of so abominable a character that the wonder to me is that it has not generated fever in the neighbourhood."
From the 31st another of those strange walking contests took place. The event had occurred on the piece of land off Salisbury Street that was known as the fairground – as it was the venue for the biannual St Helens Fair. The short-lived sport known as pedestrianism was bizarre by our standards.
It did not involve a race between a group of competitors or a walk over a lengthy distance, say from St Helens to London. Instead, in this instance, a Widnes man called Walter Biggs had attempted to walk 350 miles in four days by going round and round in a circle. One might have thought it would have made him dizzy but it certainly made him extremely tired, which is hardly a surprise! The Widnes Examiner explained how he got on:
"Although he had very bad weather to contend against, especially on Friday night, he pegged away and completed his 300th mile at 8.28 on Saturday night, the last mile being done in the very fast time of 8 minutes 28 seconds, or considerably less than the fastest time of either Weston or O'Leary [two famous walkers]. However, the exertion required to do this mile completely exhausted him, and when time was up he had only added about half a dozen to the 300 miles."
The popularity of lone pedestrianism began to die out around 1880, with the rise of competitive team sports, which provided far greater spectator interest. Many football and rugby clubs were founded around then, although walking races still continue today, of course, but don't involve solitary walkers spending days trudging around a circuit.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the murderous outrage against a wife at Prescot, the master of Whiston Workhouse gets in more bother, the attempted murder of a police sergeant and the severe punishment for ringing the changes.
We begin on the 27th when Thomas Edwards was killed at a new pit at Whiston as he was coming to the end of his night shift. The 32-year-old was about to insert a prop underneath a section of the underground roof when a large stone fell on him, instantly killing the man. He left a widow and three children.
Also on that day James Murray appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions after being summoned for using false and defamatory language in Rainford. A somewhat amusing story was told of the incident that had take place in the Bridge Inn. It concerned Ann Wright who with her husband had gone for a drink in the pub.
He was an engineman employed at Victoria Colliery in Old Lane and Ann had spent the day digging potatoes on some land that the couple had. And so they had both built up a thirst but upon their arrival at the inn, the husband had, as it was put, first gone into the back yard. In other words, he wanted to use the outside loo and his wife went inside the pub to wait for him.
But she told the court that without her giving James Murray any encouragement, he had placed his arm round her waist. Possibly today, if a man made unwanted attentions to a woman, she might slap his face. But this was the 1870s when women were known to have fist fights and James Murray got a punch in his mug and told to keep his hands to himself! And he didn't like it. According to the St Helens Newspaper's report, he "made use of the most filthy and offensive language".
In court James explained that he had been drunk and apologised for what had happened and said he withdrew all the nasty comments that he had made about Ann's character. That was a sensible and too rarely used defence ploy and it resulted in him being bound over in his own recognisance (i.e. not having to find sureties) to keep the peace for one month. And so he got a slap on the wrist to add to his punch in the face!
There was a notice in the St Helens Newspaper on the 28th calling for subscriptions to a fund that was being managed by Parr's Bank of St Helens. It was called the Bulgarian Atrocities Fund and its organising committee contained the names of many of the top people in the town. The fund was in response to an uprising by Bulgarians against the Ottoman Empire that had begun in April 1876.
By the end of May the rebellion had been put down with brutal force and it was estimated that many citizens were among the up to 30,000 persons that had been killed. It had taken time before journalists and diplomats had spread the news of the atrocities and St Helens was like many other places now raising funds to supply aid.
The council elections were about to take place and the Newspaper wrote in an editorial how the promises from candidates were coming in thick and fast. Many of them were what the paper had for some time been campaigning for, including the appointment of a professional stipendiary magistrate instead of the lay magistrates, who often did not turn up or were late.
Promises for the adequate lighting of the town and its paving and sewering were also being given, as well as the creation of a Borough Police Force instead of the current Lancashire County model. Hopefully, the piece went on, "St. Helens is at last to discover a Mayor who can afford to disregard clique, and shall dispense municipal hospitalities with an even hand, and devote some portion of each working day to the discharge of the duties of the exalted position he has aspired to, and which has been trustingly bestowed upon him."
The paper also hoped that the influx of new councillors would induce the council to "conduct their proceedings with decorum and decency, and substitute parliamentary language and bearing for the pot-house and clay-pipe oratory our monthly reports of their proceedings have so long accustomed us to."
Criticism of the council's surveyor was also expressed at the meeting. It was revealed that they had recently bought the man a horse in order for him to get around the streets of the borough and see what was going on, as it was put. But the outgoing Mayor, Ald James Radley, said he had complained several times to the surveyor about pigs that were being kept close to his house – but nothing had been done.
"This sort of neglect is most monstrous," he said. Councillor Fidler also complained of a nuisance in Springfield Row in Thatto Heath, which he said was: "…of so abominable a character that the wonder to me is that it has not generated fever in the neighbourhood."
From the 31st another of those strange walking contests took place. The event had occurred on the piece of land off Salisbury Street that was known as the fairground – as it was the venue for the biannual St Helens Fair. The short-lived sport known as pedestrianism was bizarre by our standards.
It did not involve a race between a group of competitors or a walk over a lengthy distance, say from St Helens to London. Instead, in this instance, a Widnes man called Walter Biggs had attempted to walk 350 miles in four days by going round and round in a circle. One might have thought it would have made him dizzy but it certainly made him extremely tired, which is hardly a surprise! The Widnes Examiner explained how he got on:
"Although he had very bad weather to contend against, especially on Friday night, he pegged away and completed his 300th mile at 8.28 on Saturday night, the last mile being done in the very fast time of 8 minutes 28 seconds, or considerably less than the fastest time of either Weston or O'Leary [two famous walkers]. However, the exertion required to do this mile completely exhausted him, and when time was up he had only added about half a dozen to the 300 miles."
The popularity of lone pedestrianism began to die out around 1880, with the rise of competitive team sports, which provided far greater spectator interest. Many football and rugby clubs were founded around then, although walking races still continue today, of course, but don't involve solitary walkers spending days trudging around a circuit.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the murderous outrage against a wife at Prescot, the master of Whiston Workhouse gets in more bother, the attempted murder of a police sergeant and the severe punishment for ringing the changes.
This week's many stories include the Bulgarian Atrocities Fund, the Mayor complains of a monstrous nuisance, the strange act of pedestrianism on St Helens Fairground, a call for councillors to act with decorum and decency and the Rainford woman who punched a man for putting his arm around her.
We begin on the 27th when Thomas Edwards was killed at a new pit at Whiston as he was coming to the end of his night shift.
The 32-year-old was about to insert a prop underneath a section of the underground roof when a large stone fell on him, instantly killing the man. He left a widow and three children.
Also on that day James Murray appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions after being summoned for using false and defamatory language in Rainford.
A somewhat amusing story was told of the incident that had take place in the Bridge Inn.
It concerned Ann Wright who with her husband had gone for a drink in the pub.
He was an engineman employed at Victoria Colliery in Old Lane and Ann had spent the day digging potatoes on some land that the couple had.
And so they had both built up a thirst but upon their arrival at the inn, the husband had, as it was put, first gone into the back yard.
In other words, he wanted to use the outside loo and his wife went inside the pub to wait for him.
But she told the court that without her giving James Murray any encouragement, he had placed his arm round her waist.
Possibly today, if a man made unwanted attentions to a woman, she might slap his face.
But this was the 1870s when women were known to have fist fights and James Murray got a punch in his mug and told to keep his hands to himself! And he didn't like it.
According to the St Helens Newspaper's report, he "made use of the most filthy and offensive language".
In court James explained that he had been drunk and apologised for what had happened and said he withdrew all the nasty comments that he had made about Ann's character.
That was a sensible and too rarely used defence ploy and it resulted in him being bound over in his own recognisance (i.e. not having to find sureties) to keep the peace for one month.
And so he got a slap on the wrist to add to his punch in the face!
There was a notice in the St Helens Newspaper on the 28th calling for subscriptions to a fund that was being managed by Parr's Bank of St Helens.
It was called the Bulgarian Atrocities Fund and its organising committee contained the names of many of the top people in the town.
The fund was in response to an uprising by Bulgarians against the Ottoman Empire that had begun in April 1876.
By the end of May the rebellion had been put down with brutal force and it was estimated that many citizens were among the up to 30,000 persons that had been killed.
It had taken time before journalists and diplomats had spread the news of the atrocities and St Helens was like many other places now raising funds to supply aid.
The council elections were about to take place and the Newspaper wrote in an editorial how the promises from candidates were coming in thick and fast.
Many of them were what the paper had for some time been campaigning for, including the appointment of a professional stipendiary magistrate instead of the lay magistrates, who often did not turn up or were late.
Promises for the adequate lighting of the town and its paving and sewering were also being given, as well as the creation of a Borough Police Force instead of the current Lancashire County model.
Hopefully, the piece went on, "St. Helens is at last to discover a Mayor who can afford to disregard clique, and shall dispense municipal hospitalities with an even hand, and devote some portion of each working day to the discharge of the duties of the exalted position he has aspired to, and which has been trustingly bestowed upon him."
The paper also hoped that the influx of new councillors would induce the council to "conduct their proceedings with decorum and decency, and substitute parliamentary language and bearing for the pot-house and clay-pipe oratory our monthly reports of their proceedings have so long accustomed us to."
The St Helens Newspaper contained details of the final Town Council meeting of the municipal year.
Concern was raised that in the marketplace there were 15 unoccupied stalls, as well as two vacant mini lock-up shops.
Seventeen stallholders not paying rent was a significant loss of income for the council and it was said their Market Committee would explain what they would be doing to address the situation at a later date.
Criticism of the council's surveyor was also expressed at the meeting.
It was revealed that they had recently bought the man a horse in order for him to get around the streets of the borough and see what was going on, as it was put.
But the outgoing Mayor, Ald James Radley, said he had complained several times to the surveyor about pigs that were being kept close to his house – but nothing had been done.
"This sort of neglect is most monstrous," he said.
Councillor Fidler also complained of a nuisance in Springfield Row in Thatto Heath, which he said was:
"…of so abominable a character that the wonder to me is that it has not generated fever in the neighbourhood."
From the 31st another of those strange walking contests took place.
The event had occurred on the piece of land off Salisbury Street that was known as the fairground – as it was the venue for the biannual St Helens Fair.
The short-lived sport known as pedestrianism was bizarre by our standards.
It did not involve a race between a group of competitors or a walk over a lengthy distance, say from St Helens to London.
Instead, in this instance, a Widnes man called Walter Biggs had attempted to walk 350 miles in four days by going round and round in a circle.
One might have thought it would have made him dizzy but it certainly made him extremely tired, which is hardly a surprise! The Widnes Examiner explained how he got on:
"Although he had very bad weather to contend against, especially on Friday night, he pegged away and completed his 300th mile at 8.28 on Saturday night, the last mile being done in the very fast time of 8 minutes 28 seconds, or considerably less than the fastest time of either Weston or O'Leary [two famous walkers].
"However, the exertion required to do this mile completely exhausted him, and when time was up he had only added about half a dozen to the 300 miles."
The popularity of lone pedestrianism began to die out around 1880, with the rise of competitive team sports, which provided far greater spectator interest.
Many football and rugby clubs were founded around then, although walking races still continue today, of course, but don't involve solitary walkers spending days trudging around a circuit.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the murderous outrage against a wife at Prescot, the master of Whiston Workhouse gets in more bother, the attempted murder of a police sergeant and the severe punishment for ringing the changes.
We begin on the 27th when Thomas Edwards was killed at a new pit at Whiston as he was coming to the end of his night shift.
The 32-year-old was about to insert a prop underneath a section of the underground roof when a large stone fell on him, instantly killing the man. He left a widow and three children.
Also on that day James Murray appeared in St Helens Petty Sessions after being summoned for using false and defamatory language in Rainford.
A somewhat amusing story was told of the incident that had take place in the Bridge Inn.
It concerned Ann Wright who with her husband had gone for a drink in the pub.
He was an engineman employed at Victoria Colliery in Old Lane and Ann had spent the day digging potatoes on some land that the couple had.
And so they had both built up a thirst but upon their arrival at the inn, the husband had, as it was put, first gone into the back yard.
In other words, he wanted to use the outside loo and his wife went inside the pub to wait for him.
But she told the court that without her giving James Murray any encouragement, he had placed his arm round her waist.
Possibly today, if a man made unwanted attentions to a woman, she might slap his face.
But this was the 1870s when women were known to have fist fights and James Murray got a punch in his mug and told to keep his hands to himself! And he didn't like it.
According to the St Helens Newspaper's report, he "made use of the most filthy and offensive language".
In court James explained that he had been drunk and apologised for what had happened and said he withdrew all the nasty comments that he had made about Ann's character.
That was a sensible and too rarely used defence ploy and it resulted in him being bound over in his own recognisance (i.e. not having to find sureties) to keep the peace for one month.
And so he got a slap on the wrist to add to his punch in the face!
There was a notice in the St Helens Newspaper on the 28th calling for subscriptions to a fund that was being managed by Parr's Bank of St Helens.
It was called the Bulgarian Atrocities Fund and its organising committee contained the names of many of the top people in the town.
The fund was in response to an uprising by Bulgarians against the Ottoman Empire that had begun in April 1876.
By the end of May the rebellion had been put down with brutal force and it was estimated that many citizens were among the up to 30,000 persons that had been killed.
It had taken time before journalists and diplomats had spread the news of the atrocities and St Helens was like many other places now raising funds to supply aid.
The council elections were about to take place and the Newspaper wrote in an editorial how the promises from candidates were coming in thick and fast.
Many of them were what the paper had for some time been campaigning for, including the appointment of a professional stipendiary magistrate instead of the lay magistrates, who often did not turn up or were late.
Promises for the adequate lighting of the town and its paving and sewering were also being given, as well as the creation of a Borough Police Force instead of the current Lancashire County model.
Hopefully, the piece went on, "St. Helens is at last to discover a Mayor who can afford to disregard clique, and shall dispense municipal hospitalities with an even hand, and devote some portion of each working day to the discharge of the duties of the exalted position he has aspired to, and which has been trustingly bestowed upon him."
The paper also hoped that the influx of new councillors would induce the council to "conduct their proceedings with decorum and decency, and substitute parliamentary language and bearing for the pot-house and clay-pipe oratory our monthly reports of their proceedings have so long accustomed us to."
Concern was raised that in the marketplace there were 15 unoccupied stalls, as well as two vacant mini lock-up shops.
Seventeen stallholders not paying rent was a significant loss of income for the council and it was said their Market Committee would explain what they would be doing to address the situation at a later date.
Criticism of the council's surveyor was also expressed at the meeting.
It was revealed that they had recently bought the man a horse in order for him to get around the streets of the borough and see what was going on, as it was put.
But the outgoing Mayor, Ald James Radley, said he had complained several times to the surveyor about pigs that were being kept close to his house – but nothing had been done.
"This sort of neglect is most monstrous," he said.
Councillor Fidler also complained of a nuisance in Springfield Row in Thatto Heath, which he said was:
"…of so abominable a character that the wonder to me is that it has not generated fever in the neighbourhood."
From the 31st another of those strange walking contests took place.
The event had occurred on the piece of land off Salisbury Street that was known as the fairground – as it was the venue for the biannual St Helens Fair.
The short-lived sport known as pedestrianism was bizarre by our standards.
It did not involve a race between a group of competitors or a walk over a lengthy distance, say from St Helens to London.
Instead, in this instance, a Widnes man called Walter Biggs had attempted to walk 350 miles in four days by going round and round in a circle.
One might have thought it would have made him dizzy but it certainly made him extremely tired, which is hardly a surprise! The Widnes Examiner explained how he got on:
"Although he had very bad weather to contend against, especially on Friday night, he pegged away and completed his 300th mile at 8.28 on Saturday night, the last mile being done in the very fast time of 8 minutes 28 seconds, or considerably less than the fastest time of either Weston or O'Leary [two famous walkers].
"However, the exertion required to do this mile completely exhausted him, and when time was up he had only added about half a dozen to the 300 miles."
The popularity of lone pedestrianism began to die out around 1880, with the rise of competitive team sports, which provided far greater spectator interest.
Many football and rugby clubs were founded around then, although walking races still continue today, of course, but don't involve solitary walkers spending days trudging around a circuit.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the murderous outrage against a wife at Prescot, the master of Whiston Workhouse gets in more bother, the attempted murder of a police sergeant and the severe punishment for ringing the changes.