100 YEARS AGO:

THE city coroner conducted an enquiry at the Guildhall on Monday into the circumstances of the death of Ellen Bedford, aged 43 and living at 10 Dolday, who died suddenly on Saturday.

Her son Alfred Bedford, aged 16, labourer, said his mother had come out of the Worcester Workhouse last week having been there for a month.

On Saturday morning he left his mother in bed and as he went she said: “I don’t think you will see me alive again. I think you will find me dead, Alfy.” She had had nothing to eat because there was nothing in the house.

He went out selling lavender and bootlaces to try to get money for food. SC Legge, surgeon, said he had advised Mrs Bedford not to leave the workhouse as she was suffering from chronic bronchitis but she insisted on going home to look after her son. A post mortem showed that the cause of death was heart failure due to fluid in the chest. PC Wilkes said the deceased’s room had been smothered with fleas. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

150 YEARS AGO:

MARY Hamilton, an aged Scotch dame, blind of one eye, was brought up at Worcester Police Court on a charge of being drunk and creating a disturbance in Lowesmoor on Saturday afternoon. When taken to the police station house she used very disgusting language. She told the court she was “a soldier’s widdy”

and was now aged 89. Her husband had been in the Scots Greys but was killed at the Battle of Waterloo.

She had been allowed a pension of £20 a year by the Government but it had been reduced to £10 owing to her having sold smuggled articles. She asked the magistrates to be kind to her and she was discharged on promising to leave the city.

On being told by the Mayor, W Haigh, that she might go, she caused much amusement by exclaiming: “Ech, but I ha’na’ got nae money.” She stayed till the close of the court’s business when a sixpence was given to her, with which she departed, much pleased.

200 YEARS AGO:

YESTERDAY a very numerous meeting of the proprietors of the Worcester and Birmingham Canal took place at the Hop Pole Inn, Foregate Street, Worcester.

The meeting was principally occupied in considering the expediency of erecting lifts in different parts of the canal.

● An inquest was held on Monday on the body of Edwin Baylis, a child about four years of age who, on the preceeding afternoon, was found drowned in Diglis Pool near this city. It is supposed that he was endeavouring to catch minnows and got out of his depth, but there being no evidence to prove this the jury found a verdict accordingly.

250 YEARS AGO:

THIS morning a fire broke out in a bake-house at the back of Mr Hill’s in Newport Street, Worcester, which burnt down that and another bakehouse, damaged some malt houses and Mr Hill’s dwelling house adjoining, and consumed a large quantity of flour. It was discovered at 2am when the flames burnt out with vast fury and a great conflagration was expected to ensue, as the bakehouses were surrounded by old buildings and there being a great scarcity of water for some time. The officers of General Mordaunt’s Dragoons were assiduous in assembling their men, who were very serviceable in helping to extinguish the flames.