March 29 - April 5

9:57am Monday 31st March 2008

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100 Years Ago:

AT the Church of England Temperance Society meeting in the Public Hall at Worcester on Monday, Lady Georgina Vernon declared: "We all know that the national evil of drink has sapped the life of the country. There is not one person present who has not seen happy homes wrecked and young and promising lives ruined through the thraldom of drink, and it behoves us all to join the great army of women and men throughout the country who are waging war against this deadly evil."

Dr Mary Sturge stated: "For 100 years this nation has been throwing away our people by allowing little children to be poisoned by drink."

* William Bernard Weaver of Barnards Green Road, Malvern, pleaded guilty at Malvern Petty Sessions to being drunk in Christ Church, Malvern at 7.30 pm on Thursday last.

He had to be led out of the church by parishioners. He was fined five shillings with 5s.6d costs. Defendant is a retired pawnbroker.

150 Years Ago:John Severn, a wretched looking deaf and dumb boy of only 10 years of age appeared before Worcester Police Court charged with stealing iron which had been left in the possession of a waggoner to Mr Wood, builder of this city. The iron was offered for sale to a marine store dealer named Jones who declined to purchase it.

The boy, who had a previous conviction for theft, was remanded in custody for five days.

* On Wednesday evening last, Mr Clarke gave a reading from Shakespeare's tragedy of Hamlet to the employees of glove manufacturers Messrs Dent, Allcroft & Co, at their Reading Room, All Saints, which afforded much satisfaction.

200 Years Ago:MUCH alarm was excited in this city on Thursday night by the appearance of a great light to the north-west of Worcester, and it was generally supposed to be occasioned by a fire of great magnitude a few miles from hence.

Upon enquiry we find that some person had (wantonly, it is believed) set fire to the gorse upon Burlish Common, about two miles from Bewdley, and, the flames spreading to an elevated situation, rendered it visible throughout the adjoining country to a great distance.

The engines of the Worcester and Birmingham Fire Offices were prepared to give assistance on this occasion but no certain information could be offered as to the nature and situation of the fire.

* Worcester Waterworks. Any persons wishing to contract for the stone masons, bricklayers and carpenter works of a building, in which a steam engine is to be erected to serve the city of Worcester at Pope Iron, may see the plans and other particulars at Mr Welles' office in Sansome Street. Estimates to be delivered (sealed up) by the 31st of next month.

250 Years Ago:Yesterday, one John Nash was committed to our county gaol at Worcester to await trail, being charged by a coroner's inquest with feloniously (but not of his malice aforethought) killing one William Sandford of the parish of Besford by means of firing a gun, whereby the deceased, it seems, was shot directly through the heart.

* On Thursday, a barber was put in our stocks for shaving on Sundays.

A great number of the populace gave him pence and half-pence, so that it is said he got more by his punishment than by several days shaving.

* Last Monday evening, a Worcester wherry which lay moored a little above Bewdley bridge with only two men on board, was, by the violence of the wind, drove from her moorings back to the bridge and the mast being up, the vessel overset, whereby both the men were drowned and all the lading, which was very considerable, either lost or greatly damaged.