May 10 -17

11:39am Monday 12th May 2008

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100 Years Ago:

There was a sequel at Worcester County Petty Sessions this week to the recent accident in Claines Lane in which a Scots lady was badly injured. FW Judd, staying at the Crown Inn, Droitwich, was summonsed for driving a motor car in a manner dangerous to the public, while George Corbett of Church Farm, Claines, was summonsed for being in charge of a horse-drawn milk cart while asleep.

George Hobbs, landlord of the Mug House, Claines, said Judd's car was being driven dangerously fast along the narrow Claines Lane and must have been travelling at 20 or 25 miles per hour.

Judd's passenger, a Mrs Neilson of Scotland, an invalid taking the baths at Droitwich, was seriously injured in the car's collision with the milk cart.

Judd was fined £2 with £4.16s. costs while Corbett was fined 10s. with costs.

150 Years Ago:AN application was made to our city magistrates yesterday by a poor, careworn widow woman named Diana Minton, living in Charles Street in the Blockhouse, for help under the following distressing circumstances.

She had been left a widow 12 months and was the mother of nine children, seven of whom were living. Some months ago, the family were attacked by a fever and her eldest daughter died.

During the last month smallpox had made its appearance in her home - a small confined room - and six of her children had been attacked, one of whom, aged four year, had been snatched away by death.

She had applied to the relieving officer of the Worcester Union Workhouse but, owing to the Blockhouse being outside his jurisdiction, he was unable to assist her, though commiserating with her pitiable condition.

She had also walked to Shrawley - her original parish - and back, a distance of 16 miles or more, to see the relieving officer there, but again the poor creature was disappointed. Her four year-old child died of smallpox more than a week ago and the body had become black and decomposed from the effects of so virulent a disease.

The magistrates considered the widow's case a most deplorable one and subscribed a small sum to her wherewith to buy a coffin and assist in meeting the expense of the funeral.

200 Years Ago:Crown Hotel, Broad Street, Worcester - T Bolton deems it necessary to observe, upon succeeding Mr Fieldhouse in the above concern, that he relinquishes the stagecoach business and proposes to appropriate a convenient apartment for travellers. Handsome chaises and horses will be available, and Mr Bolton trusts that these alterations will be approved by the nobility and gentry who have formerly favoured the hotel.

* Great Malvern Church. Persons desirous of contracting to cleanse and colour the walls and pillars of this church are requested to deliver their proposals in writing to George Roberts and Moses Bullock, churchwardens, or to P Ballard, solicitor of Malvern.

* Flower of brimstone, sprinkled by a puff, dredging box or otherwise on the leaves of vegetables will effectively destroy worms and insects and likewise promote the growth of the plant.

250 Years Ago:Some time in the night of May 5, one of the front parlours belonging to the White Lion Inn, Upton-upon-Severn, kept by Joseph Booker, was broke open and from thence was taken the poor's box belonging to the Worcester Infirmary, which was affixed to one of the walls of the said parlour.

The box was later found in a pool about a quarter of a mile distant, broken open and robbed of what money it contained.

Any person who will discover the offender or offenders concerned in this robbery shall, upon their conviction, be entitled to receive a reward of 10 guineas from Mr Booker.

* Yesterday, little before 2pm, people in the Royal Exchange, London, were suddenly alarmed by the appearance of a bull, hard driven from Smithfield, and consternation instantly increased to such a degree that a prodigious bustle ensured.

Some lost hats and wigs, some their shoes, and others lay upon the ground in heaps with their limbs bruised. However, they all soon recovered on discovering that the rampaging beast was a cow not a bull.