April 12-19

11:05am Monday 14th April 2008

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100 Years Ago:

A strange case of supposed suffocation occurred in Worcester on Wednesday resulting in the death of an infant.

Mrs Price of 64 Vincent Road put her boy, aged three weeks, to sleep at the beginning of the afternoon. The bedroom was at the front of the house.

She left the child and went about her duties downstairs, three other young children demanding a certain amount of attention. About 4.30pm she went upstairs to see if the child was all right.

As she entered the bedroom, a cat jumped off the bed and ran into a back bedroom and through an open window on to the tiles. Mrs Price went to the child and found it dead. The strange cat evidently effected its entrance in the same as it departed.

* Albert Whittey (30) of no fixed abode was charged at Worcester Police Court with stealing a piece of pork, value 1s.8d, the property of WW Grundy, butcher of Broad Street. When arrested, prisoner said: "I was a bit gone when I done it." He was sent down for seven days.

150 Years Ago:ON Saturday morning last, a lady, while transacting business at the Old Bank at the corner of High Street and Bank Street, Worcester, placed her purse, containing several pounds in gold and silver, for a few minutes upon a side counter, from whence some person succeeded in taking it and got clear off without detection. The bank was crowded at the time.

* A lad of 16 years of age, named William Henry Mawn, whose parents reside in Lower Henwick Road, Worcester, met an untimely end by drowning in the river Severn opposite the Crown and Anchor Inn on Sunday last. The lad, with a companion, was playing in an empty boat on the river and, while walking from end-to-end, overbalanced and fell into the river. His companion held out a stick to him but he could not reach it. After floating downstream for a little distance, he sank to rise no more. His body was later recovered with a hook but life was, of course, quite extinct.

200 Years Ago:Easter Monday produced a good house at our theatre in Worcester and we hope the manager was as well satisfied as we believe the public to be. The pantomime of Cinderella was produced in a very splendid style and would have been a credit to any theatre out of London.

* The subscribers to the Lying-In charity in this city of Worcester held their annual meeting yesterday. It appears that 228 poor married women have been benefited by this well conducted and truly benevolent institution during the last year, and we trust a considerable addition in the number of subscriptions will take place, by which the charity can extend it sphere of usefulness. Each of the 228 poor married women was supplied with 100cwt of coal, one shilling, a shift and a blanket for their confinement and birth during the winter months.

* The troops of the Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry, commanded by Captains Chambers and Deakin, were on Friday inspected at Powick Ham by Lieutenant Colonel Houston, who also yesterday inspected the Loyal Worcester Volunteers.

250 Years Ago:ON Sunday last, the body of a man was found between some hay stacks without Lowesmoor turnpike, Worcester, where, as is supposed, it had lain ever since Michaelmas last, and was much gnawed by vermin.

It is imagined to be the body of a poor, simple fellow who was remarkable for following the soldiery from place to place. In particular, when the Denbighshire Militia (now quartered in this city) were at Evesham, he appeared amongst them and, upon their being removed hither about Michaelmas, it is supposed he followed them and, taking up lodgings amongst the hay stacks, was there suffocated.

* Wanted - 100 journeymen shoe-makers at the shoe and patten warehouse in Broad Street, Worcester. They may depend on constant work and good encouragement.

* On Monday last died at Bewdley, Ann Tyler, widow, aged 101. She retained her senses to the last moment and had scarce a wrinkle in her face.