150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (30th JAN. - 5th FEB. 1873)
This week's stories include the strange case of the black entertainer charged with breaking a window on a train with his banjo, the alleged theft at a Westfield Street house of ill repute, the curious friendly society court case and the female squabble in Liverpool Street.
We begin on the 1st at the New Theatre Royal in St Helens when an interesting-sounding play was performed. Well, I assume it was a play but it might have been a talk, as the listing in the St Helens Newspaper simply bore the title 'Legend Of Windleshaw Abbey – In the days of Oliver Cromwell'.
The Newspaper on the 1st also reported on a case in the Petty Sessions involving a squabble between two women, seemingly in Liverpool Street in Greenbank. Emma Lyon charged Mary Fleming with assault, although the act appeared to have been more of a threat of violence. The Newspaper wrote: "The complainant said that the defendant came to her house, about New Year's Day, threatened to set the domicile on fire, and intimated her intention of doing bodily injury to its owner."
A woman called Margaret Henshall gave evidence as a witness but said she had not seen any blows "strucken", except to a tub that Mrs Fleming had smashed up. But she had heard the woman threaten to take Emma Lyon's life. However, the witness's credibility was somewhat diminished by herself bearing a black eye. When the Bench enquired as to the origin of the shiner, Mrs Henshall said she'd got thumped when she tried to stop two of her brothers fighting each other.
As usual, the accused woman said she was completely blameless – unlike the complainant in the case. The Newspaper wrote: "Defendant now arraigned her antagonist as a disorderly and disreputable character, and averred that she herself was one of the quietest of women. She said she had plenty of excellent witnesses, if the magistrates would send for them; but the bench declined the offer, and ordered her to find sureties to keep the peace for a month."
John Woodcock has appeared in these articles quite a few times. The owner of a "house of ill repute" in Westfield Street had lost his beerhouse licence in 1869 after magistrates designated his place to be a common brothel. Five months later the married man with six children picked up a woman in Bolton and took her to several pubs before being attacked and robbed by the woman's accomplice. Although Woodcock was the victim in the case, the Recorder in court was scathing about him, saying no one could feel sorry for a man who'd earned his living like he had.
But he continued to operate his "immoral house", supposedly as a temperance hotel – although alcohol was illegally supplied at times. This week the Newspaper described how one of his "ladies" called Mary Walsh had appeared in court charged with stealing 26 shillings from a customer. Robert Harrison from Farnworth described how on the previous Saturday evening, he had travelled into St Helens by train from Widnes with his pal Samuel Loxton. The pair first had a drink at the Railway Inn in Shaw Street and then walked to John Woodcock's premises where they saw three or four girls, including Mary Walsh.
Ginger beer was ordered and Mary asked Harrison if he would like to go upstairs. For what purpose was not stated in the report – but I think we can work that one out for ourselves! Harrison told the court that while they were walking upstairs together, he felt the woman's hand in his pocket. Only later did he check his money and discovered that he was 26 shillings short. He accused Mary of stealing his cash but told her that if she returned a pound, he'd let the matter drop.
However, the woman denied any knowledge of the missing cash and so he brought in the police. PC Archer said he found eight shillings in the woman's room but she had insisted that she had received it from other parties. The officer added that there was another man in the place at the time and he also complained of having being robbed. However, Mary Walsh – or, perhaps, more accurately John Woodcock – had engaged tough solicitor Thomas Swift. He insisted to the Bench that there was no evidence of theft against his client and heavily criticised Mr Harrison. The magistrates agreed that there was insufficient evidence and dismissed the charge against Mary.
The Newspaper also described the annual meeting of the St Helens Home Rule Association. Its members were not seeking independence for St Helens – but for Ireland and the meeting was held in the Public Hall in Hardshaw Street. The room belonged to the St Helens Newspaper and it was their Irish owner and editor Bernard Dromgoole that was the organisation's president.
"Irishmen who have any love for their country, are requested to attend", said the advert that had promoted the event. The main purpose of the meeting had been to elect officers for the coming year but the Newspaper wrote: "The proceedings were diversified with readings, grave and gay, from standard work."
The Newspaper also reported on a case in St Helens Petty Sessions involving a black entertainer who seemingly had got a bit carried away on a train:
"John Johnson, an itinerant Christy Minstrel, who, being a man of colour, never burnt a cork, was brought up in custody, charged with maliciously breaking the window of a railway carriage. It appeared that Johnson was coming to St. Helens from Liverpool, on “professional” business, and either for the purpose of watching himself by exercise, or rehearsing a performance, he danced, thrummed his banjo, and generally conducted himself as a stage ni**er, until a sudden lurch sent his banjo through the window."
There were a quite high number of black artists performing on the British music hall circuit during the 1870s. A number came from the USA, with some of them freed slaves – but most appeared to be from Britain. In the mix were blackfaced white performers using burnt cork make-up to parody the grossly exaggerated comic stereotype of black life in the Deep South.
The collision between Mr Johnson's banjo and the train window – as he watched himself performing in the glass's reflection – appeared more likely to have been an accident than a deliberate act. But he had been kept in a St Helens police cell overnight and the Bench ordered John Johnson to pay a fine of one shilling and costs or go to prison for a fortnight. The costs would likely have included the price of a replacement window and so would have been considerable. A Liverpool newspaper's account of the case implied that the man had not been able to pay and so had been despatched to Kirkdale Gaol.
There was a curious case in St Helens County Court (pictured above in East Street) on the 4th involving conflicting claims against a friendly society. Many people during the 19th century were members of friendly societies. They were essentially insurance providers that doled out payments to their members for sickness, burials and sometimes unemployment. A man named Sefton claimed from a lodge of Oddfellows the sum of £10 that he said was due to him after the death of his wife. However, the couple had separated 15 years earlier and the woman had moved in with a man named Parks.
After hearing of his wife's death, Mr Sefton lodged his claim but about the same time Parks put in a similar application, supplying a certificate to prove the deceased woman was his wife. Faced with this dilemma the society refused to pay either of the men and so Sefton sued them. However, the judge ruled that the second marriage had been bigamous with no legal standing and so he accepted Mr Sefton's claim in full. The Liverpool Mercury said the case illustrated the "effect on friendly societies of loose marriage regulations".
On the same page of the Mercury the paper reported that 5,076 persons had emigrated from Liverpool during January, with the vast majority sailing to North America. And finally this week, Holy Cross Church's annual Tea Party and Ball took place on the 5th in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens with dancing to an "efficient" Quadrille Band.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the evil smoke that was blanketing the borough cemetery, the cost of looking after lunatics in asylums, the Greenbank attack on a policeman and Manders' menagerie returns to St Helens.
We begin on the 1st at the New Theatre Royal in St Helens when an interesting-sounding play was performed. Well, I assume it was a play but it might have been a talk, as the listing in the St Helens Newspaper simply bore the title 'Legend Of Windleshaw Abbey – In the days of Oliver Cromwell'.
The Newspaper on the 1st also reported on a case in the Petty Sessions involving a squabble between two women, seemingly in Liverpool Street in Greenbank. Emma Lyon charged Mary Fleming with assault, although the act appeared to have been more of a threat of violence. The Newspaper wrote: "The complainant said that the defendant came to her house, about New Year's Day, threatened to set the domicile on fire, and intimated her intention of doing bodily injury to its owner."
A woman called Margaret Henshall gave evidence as a witness but said she had not seen any blows "strucken", except to a tub that Mrs Fleming had smashed up. But she had heard the woman threaten to take Emma Lyon's life. However, the witness's credibility was somewhat diminished by herself bearing a black eye. When the Bench enquired as to the origin of the shiner, Mrs Henshall said she'd got thumped when she tried to stop two of her brothers fighting each other.
As usual, the accused woman said she was completely blameless – unlike the complainant in the case. The Newspaper wrote: "Defendant now arraigned her antagonist as a disorderly and disreputable character, and averred that she herself was one of the quietest of women. She said she had plenty of excellent witnesses, if the magistrates would send for them; but the bench declined the offer, and ordered her to find sureties to keep the peace for a month."
John Woodcock has appeared in these articles quite a few times. The owner of a "house of ill repute" in Westfield Street had lost his beerhouse licence in 1869 after magistrates designated his place to be a common brothel. Five months later the married man with six children picked up a woman in Bolton and took her to several pubs before being attacked and robbed by the woman's accomplice. Although Woodcock was the victim in the case, the Recorder in court was scathing about him, saying no one could feel sorry for a man who'd earned his living like he had.
But he continued to operate his "immoral house", supposedly as a temperance hotel – although alcohol was illegally supplied at times. This week the Newspaper described how one of his "ladies" called Mary Walsh had appeared in court charged with stealing 26 shillings from a customer. Robert Harrison from Farnworth described how on the previous Saturday evening, he had travelled into St Helens by train from Widnes with his pal Samuel Loxton. The pair first had a drink at the Railway Inn in Shaw Street and then walked to John Woodcock's premises where they saw three or four girls, including Mary Walsh.
Ginger beer was ordered and Mary asked Harrison if he would like to go upstairs. For what purpose was not stated in the report – but I think we can work that one out for ourselves! Harrison told the court that while they were walking upstairs together, he felt the woman's hand in his pocket. Only later did he check his money and discovered that he was 26 shillings short. He accused Mary of stealing his cash but told her that if she returned a pound, he'd let the matter drop.
However, the woman denied any knowledge of the missing cash and so he brought in the police. PC Archer said he found eight shillings in the woman's room but she had insisted that she had received it from other parties. The officer added that there was another man in the place at the time and he also complained of having being robbed. However, Mary Walsh – or, perhaps, more accurately John Woodcock – had engaged tough solicitor Thomas Swift. He insisted to the Bench that there was no evidence of theft against his client and heavily criticised Mr Harrison. The magistrates agreed that there was insufficient evidence and dismissed the charge against Mary.
The Newspaper also described the annual meeting of the St Helens Home Rule Association. Its members were not seeking independence for St Helens – but for Ireland and the meeting was held in the Public Hall in Hardshaw Street. The room belonged to the St Helens Newspaper and it was their Irish owner and editor Bernard Dromgoole that was the organisation's president.
"Irishmen who have any love for their country, are requested to attend", said the advert that had promoted the event. The main purpose of the meeting had been to elect officers for the coming year but the Newspaper wrote: "The proceedings were diversified with readings, grave and gay, from standard work."
The Newspaper also reported on a case in St Helens Petty Sessions involving a black entertainer who seemingly had got a bit carried away on a train:
"John Johnson, an itinerant Christy Minstrel, who, being a man of colour, never burnt a cork, was brought up in custody, charged with maliciously breaking the window of a railway carriage. It appeared that Johnson was coming to St. Helens from Liverpool, on “professional” business, and either for the purpose of watching himself by exercise, or rehearsing a performance, he danced, thrummed his banjo, and generally conducted himself as a stage ni**er, until a sudden lurch sent his banjo through the window."
There were a quite high number of black artists performing on the British music hall circuit during the 1870s. A number came from the USA, with some of them freed slaves – but most appeared to be from Britain. In the mix were blackfaced white performers using burnt cork make-up to parody the grossly exaggerated comic stereotype of black life in the Deep South.
The collision between Mr Johnson's banjo and the train window – as he watched himself performing in the glass's reflection – appeared more likely to have been an accident than a deliberate act. But he had been kept in a St Helens police cell overnight and the Bench ordered John Johnson to pay a fine of one shilling and costs or go to prison for a fortnight. The costs would likely have included the price of a replacement window and so would have been considerable. A Liverpool newspaper's account of the case implied that the man had not been able to pay and so had been despatched to Kirkdale Gaol.
After hearing of his wife's death, Mr Sefton lodged his claim but about the same time Parks put in a similar application, supplying a certificate to prove the deceased woman was his wife. Faced with this dilemma the society refused to pay either of the men and so Sefton sued them. However, the judge ruled that the second marriage had been bigamous with no legal standing and so he accepted Mr Sefton's claim in full. The Liverpool Mercury said the case illustrated the "effect on friendly societies of loose marriage regulations".
On the same page of the Mercury the paper reported that 5,076 persons had emigrated from Liverpool during January, with the vast majority sailing to North America. And finally this week, Holy Cross Church's annual Tea Party and Ball took place on the 5th in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens with dancing to an "efficient" Quadrille Band.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the evil smoke that was blanketing the borough cemetery, the cost of looking after lunatics in asylums, the Greenbank attack on a policeman and Manders' menagerie returns to St Helens.
This week's stories include the strange case of the black entertainer charged with breaking a window on a train with his banjo, the alleged theft at a Westfield Street house of ill repute, the curious friendly society court case and the female squabble in Liverpool Street.
We begin on the 1st at the New Theatre Royal in St Helens when an interesting-sounding play was performed.
Well, I assume it was a play but it might have been a talk, as the listing in the St Helens Newspaper simply bore the title 'Legend Of Windleshaw Abbey – In the days of Oliver Cromwell'.
The Newspaper on the 1st also reported on a case in the Petty Sessions involving a squabble between two women, seemingly in Liverpool Street in Greenbank.
Emma Lyon charged Mary Fleming with assault, although the act appeared to have been more of a threat of violence. The Newspaper wrote:
"The complainant said that the defendant came to her house, about New Year's Day, threatened to set the domicile on fire, and intimated her intention of doing bodily injury to its owner."
A woman called Margaret Henshall gave evidence as a witness but said she had not seen any blows "strucken", except to a tub that Mrs Fleming had smashed up. But she had heard the woman threaten to take Emma Lyon's life.
However, the witness's credibility was somewhat diminished by herself bearing a black eye.
When the Bench enquired as to the origin of the shiner, Mrs Henshall said she'd got thumped when she tried to stop two of her brothers fighting each other.
As usual, the accused woman said she was completely blameless – unlike the complainant in the case. The Newspaper wrote:
"Defendant now arraigned her antagonist as a disorderly and disreputable character, and averred that she herself was one of the quietest of women. She said she had plenty of excellent witnesses, if the magistrates would send for them; but the bench declined the offer, and ordered her to find sureties to keep the peace for a month."
John Woodcock has appeared in these articles quite a few times. The owner of a "house of ill repute" in Westfield Street had lost his beerhouse licence in 1869 after magistrates designated his place to be a common brothel.
Five months later the married man with six children picked up a woman in Bolton and took her to several pubs before being attacked and robbed by the woman's accomplice.
Although Woodcock was the victim in the case, the Recorder in court was scathing about him, saying no one could feel sorry for a man who'd earned his living like he had.
But he continued to operate his "immoral house", supposedly as a temperance hotel – although alcohol was illegally supplied at times.
This week the Newspaper described how one of his "ladies" called Mary Walsh had appeared in court charged with stealing 26 shillings from a customer.
Robert Harrison from Farnworth described how on the previous Saturday evening, he had travelled into St Helens by train from Widnes with his pal Samuel Loxton.
The pair first had a drink at the Railway Inn in Shaw Street and then walked to John Woodcock's premises where they saw three or four girls, including Mary Walsh.
Ginger beer was ordered and Mary asked Harrison if he would like to go upstairs.
For what purpose was not stated in the report – but I think we can work that one out for ourselves!
Harrison told the court that while they were walking upstairs together, he felt the woman's hand in his pocket. Only later did he check his money and discovered that he was 26 shillings short.
He accused Mary of stealing his cash but told her that if she returned a pound, he'd let the matter drop.
However, the woman denied any knowledge of the missing cash and so he brought in the police.
PC Archer said he found eight shillings in the woman's room but she had insisted that she had received it from other parties.
The officer added that there was another man in the place at the time and he also complained of having being robbed.
However, Mary Walsh – or, perhaps, more accurately John Woodcock – had engaged tough solicitor Thomas Swift.
He insisted to the Bench that there was no evidence of theft against his client and heavily criticised Mr Harrison.
The magistrates agreed that there was insufficient evidence and dismissed the charge against Mary.
The Newspaper also described the annual meeting of the St Helens Home Rule Association.
Its members were not seeking independence for St Helens – but for Ireland and the meeting was held in the Public Hall in Hardshaw Street.
The room belonged to the St Helens Newspaper and it was their Irish owner and editor Bernard Dromgoole that was the organisation's president.
"Irishmen who have any love for their country, are requested to attend", said the advert that had promoted the event.
The main purpose of the meeting had been to elect officers for the coming year but the Newspaper wrote: "The proceedings were diversified with readings, grave and gay, from standard work."
The Newspaper also reported on a case in St Helens Petty Sessions involving a black entertainer who seemingly had got a bit carried away on a train:
"John Johnson, an itinerant Christy Minstrel, who, being a man of colour, never burnt a cork, was brought up in custody, charged with maliciously breaking the window of a railway carriage.
"It appeared that Johnson was coming to St. Helens from Liverpool, on “professional” business, and either for the purpose of watching himself by exercise, or rehearsing a performance, he danced, thrummed his banjo, and generally conducted himself as a stage ni**er, until a sudden lurch sent his banjo through the window."
There were a quite high number of black artists performing on the British music hall circuit during the 1870s.
A number came from the USA, with some of them freed slaves – but most appeared to be from Britain.
In the mix were blackfaced white performers using burnt cork make-up to parody the grossly exaggerated comic stereotype of black life in the Deep South.
The collision between Mr Johnson's banjo and the train window – as he watched himself performing in the glass's reflection – appeared more likely to have been an accident than a deliberate act.
But he had been kept in a St Helens police cell overnight and the Bench ordered John Johnson to pay a fine of one shilling and costs or go to prison for a fortnight.
The costs would likely have included the price of a replacement window and so would have been considerable.
A Liverpool newspaper's account of the case implied that the man had not been able to pay and so had been despatched to Kirkdale Gaol.
There was a curious case in St Helens County Court (pictured above) on the 4th involving conflicting claims against a friendly society.
Many people during the 19th century were members of friendly societies. They were essentially insurance providers that doled out payments to their members for sickness, burials and sometimes unemployment.
A man named Sefton claimed from a lodge of Oddfellows the sum of £10 that he said was due to him after the death of his wife.
However, the couple had separated 15 years earlier and the woman had moved in with a man named Parks.
After hearing of his wife's death, Mr Sefton lodged his claim but about the same time Parks put in a similar application, supplying a certificate to prove the deceased woman was his wife.
Faced with this dilemma the society refused to pay either of the men and so Sefton sued them.
However, the judge ruled that the second marriage had been bigamous with no legal standing and so he accepted Mr Sefton's claim in full.
The Liverpool Mercury said the case illustrated the "effect on friendly societies of loose marriage regulations".
On the same page of the Mercury the paper reported that 5,076 persons had emigrated from Liverpool during January, with the vast majority sailing to North America.
And finally this week, Holy Cross Church's annual Tea Party and Ball took place on the 5th in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens with dancing to an "efficient" Quadrille Band.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the evil smoke that was blanketing the borough cemetery, the cost of looking after lunatics in asylums, the Greenbank attack on a policeman and Manders' menagerie returns to St Helens.
We begin on the 1st at the New Theatre Royal in St Helens when an interesting-sounding play was performed.
Well, I assume it was a play but it might have been a talk, as the listing in the St Helens Newspaper simply bore the title 'Legend Of Windleshaw Abbey – In the days of Oliver Cromwell'.
The Newspaper on the 1st also reported on a case in the Petty Sessions involving a squabble between two women, seemingly in Liverpool Street in Greenbank.
Emma Lyon charged Mary Fleming with assault, although the act appeared to have been more of a threat of violence. The Newspaper wrote:
"The complainant said that the defendant came to her house, about New Year's Day, threatened to set the domicile on fire, and intimated her intention of doing bodily injury to its owner."
A woman called Margaret Henshall gave evidence as a witness but said she had not seen any blows "strucken", except to a tub that Mrs Fleming had smashed up. But she had heard the woman threaten to take Emma Lyon's life.
However, the witness's credibility was somewhat diminished by herself bearing a black eye.
When the Bench enquired as to the origin of the shiner, Mrs Henshall said she'd got thumped when she tried to stop two of her brothers fighting each other.
As usual, the accused woman said she was completely blameless – unlike the complainant in the case. The Newspaper wrote:
"Defendant now arraigned her antagonist as a disorderly and disreputable character, and averred that she herself was one of the quietest of women. She said she had plenty of excellent witnesses, if the magistrates would send for them; but the bench declined the offer, and ordered her to find sureties to keep the peace for a month."
John Woodcock has appeared in these articles quite a few times. The owner of a "house of ill repute" in Westfield Street had lost his beerhouse licence in 1869 after magistrates designated his place to be a common brothel.
Five months later the married man with six children picked up a woman in Bolton and took her to several pubs before being attacked and robbed by the woman's accomplice.
Although Woodcock was the victim in the case, the Recorder in court was scathing about him, saying no one could feel sorry for a man who'd earned his living like he had.
But he continued to operate his "immoral house", supposedly as a temperance hotel – although alcohol was illegally supplied at times.
This week the Newspaper described how one of his "ladies" called Mary Walsh had appeared in court charged with stealing 26 shillings from a customer.
Robert Harrison from Farnworth described how on the previous Saturday evening, he had travelled into St Helens by train from Widnes with his pal Samuel Loxton.
The pair first had a drink at the Railway Inn in Shaw Street and then walked to John Woodcock's premises where they saw three or four girls, including Mary Walsh.
Ginger beer was ordered and Mary asked Harrison if he would like to go upstairs.
For what purpose was not stated in the report – but I think we can work that one out for ourselves!
Harrison told the court that while they were walking upstairs together, he felt the woman's hand in his pocket. Only later did he check his money and discovered that he was 26 shillings short.
He accused Mary of stealing his cash but told her that if she returned a pound, he'd let the matter drop.
However, the woman denied any knowledge of the missing cash and so he brought in the police.
PC Archer said he found eight shillings in the woman's room but she had insisted that she had received it from other parties.
The officer added that there was another man in the place at the time and he also complained of having being robbed.
However, Mary Walsh – or, perhaps, more accurately John Woodcock – had engaged tough solicitor Thomas Swift.
He insisted to the Bench that there was no evidence of theft against his client and heavily criticised Mr Harrison.
The magistrates agreed that there was insufficient evidence and dismissed the charge against Mary.
The Newspaper also described the annual meeting of the St Helens Home Rule Association.
Its members were not seeking independence for St Helens – but for Ireland and the meeting was held in the Public Hall in Hardshaw Street.
The room belonged to the St Helens Newspaper and it was their Irish owner and editor Bernard Dromgoole that was the organisation's president.
"Irishmen who have any love for their country, are requested to attend", said the advert that had promoted the event.
The main purpose of the meeting had been to elect officers for the coming year but the Newspaper wrote: "The proceedings were diversified with readings, grave and gay, from standard work."
The Newspaper also reported on a case in St Helens Petty Sessions involving a black entertainer who seemingly had got a bit carried away on a train:
"John Johnson, an itinerant Christy Minstrel, who, being a man of colour, never burnt a cork, was brought up in custody, charged with maliciously breaking the window of a railway carriage.
"It appeared that Johnson was coming to St. Helens from Liverpool, on “professional” business, and either for the purpose of watching himself by exercise, or rehearsing a performance, he danced, thrummed his banjo, and generally conducted himself as a stage ni**er, until a sudden lurch sent his banjo through the window."
There were a quite high number of black artists performing on the British music hall circuit during the 1870s.
A number came from the USA, with some of them freed slaves – but most appeared to be from Britain.
In the mix were blackfaced white performers using burnt cork make-up to parody the grossly exaggerated comic stereotype of black life in the Deep South.
The collision between Mr Johnson's banjo and the train window – as he watched himself performing in the glass's reflection – appeared more likely to have been an accident than a deliberate act.
But he had been kept in a St Helens police cell overnight and the Bench ordered John Johnson to pay a fine of one shilling and costs or go to prison for a fortnight.
The costs would likely have included the price of a replacement window and so would have been considerable.
A Liverpool newspaper's account of the case implied that the man had not been able to pay and so had been despatched to Kirkdale Gaol.
Many people during the 19th century were members of friendly societies. They were essentially insurance providers that doled out payments to their members for sickness, burials and sometimes unemployment.
A man named Sefton claimed from a lodge of Oddfellows the sum of £10 that he said was due to him after the death of his wife.
However, the couple had separated 15 years earlier and the woman had moved in with a man named Parks.
After hearing of his wife's death, Mr Sefton lodged his claim but about the same time Parks put in a similar application, supplying a certificate to prove the deceased woman was his wife.
Faced with this dilemma the society refused to pay either of the men and so Sefton sued them.
However, the judge ruled that the second marriage had been bigamous with no legal standing and so he accepted Mr Sefton's claim in full.
The Liverpool Mercury said the case illustrated the "effect on friendly societies of loose marriage regulations".
On the same page of the Mercury the paper reported that 5,076 persons had emigrated from Liverpool during January, with the vast majority sailing to North America.
And finally this week, Holy Cross Church's annual Tea Party and Ball took place on the 5th in the Volunteer Hall in St Helens with dancing to an "efficient" Quadrille Band.
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next week's stories will include the evil smoke that was blanketing the borough cemetery, the cost of looking after lunatics in asylums, the Greenbank attack on a policeman and Manders' menagerie returns to St Helens.