June 14 - 21

10:18am Monday 16th June 2008

100 Years Ago:

At the city police court on Wednesday, JF Willis Ltd, boot manufacturers of College Street, Worcester, were summonsed for employing four young girls on overtime at the factory. EF May, factory inspector, said that on March 9 he had found four young girls, clearly under 18, working on overtime at 8.50 pm. This was totally illegal. Willis's said that the girls were quite willing to work overtime. However, the firm was fined five shillings in each case with costs of £2.12s.

• William Bullock, ice cream vendor of Pheasant Street, Worcester, was summonsed at the city police court for causing an obstruction with his cart in Hill Street. The Chief Constable, Mr Byrne said the obstruction was caused on a Sunday afternoon - a time when there was always a large number of ice cream carts about, with crowds of children around them. They were becoming a nuisance. Bullock was fined 2s.6d.

150 Years Ago: Joseph Nash, a little boy whose head scarcely over-topped the handrail of the dock, was charged at Worcester police court with stealing a pair of shoes belonging to Samuel Boulcott, servant of W Haigh of S. John's, Worcester.

PC Berridge stated that while on duty in Broad Street on Friday he saw the boy wearing a pair of shoes which were clearly too large for him. He arrested the boy on suspicion of theft. He had known him for two years as an associate of thieves. The bench committed the boy to one month's imprisonment and to be whipped and, at the expiration of his prison term, to be sent to a reformatory establishment for five years.

• On Monday evening, the amateurs among the persons employed at the extensive glove factory of Dent, Allcroft & Co, gave another of their musical entertainments in the All Saints School Room which was crowded by the work people and their friends. The amateurs had taken some pains in their musical studies and from the applause they received, their endeavours to please and amuse were undoubtedly appreciated.

200 Years Ago: James Protheroe and Thomas Edwards of Worcester have been committed to our city goal by the mayor for unlawfully combining with others in demanding an extravagant increase of wages from their employer, Mr Garner.

Upon their examination, it was proved that industrious boot makers can earn from 30 shillings to 50s per week, and the injustice of their request was therefore manifest. It is certainly highly necessary that examples should be made of such men. It is a maxim never to be lost sight of that wages should not be raised so as to injury the manufacturer nor depressed so as to deprive the workmen of those means of comfort which honest industry has a just claim to.

• Saturday died at Hartlebury Castle in the 89th year of his age, the Right Rev Richard Hurd, the venerable bishop of this diocese.

By his death the literary world is deprived of one of its brightest ornaments, his diocese of a judicious, benevolent and exemplary Christian bishop, and society at large of a truly religious good man. We understand his lordship's remains will be interred at Hartlebury.

250 Years Ago: LAST week, a salt officer at Droitwich and another man, having laid a trifling wager who could drink most neat rum, the officer, after he had drunk a quart, dropped down and died immediately.

• Left at the Golden Lyon (sic) in High Street, Worcester, six weeks ago, a bay horse, almost 14 hands high with a blaze on his face and two white feet behind.

If the owner of the said horse does not fetch him away within three days from the publication of this notice and pay all the expenses of keep and advertising, the said horse will be sold, agreeable to law, to defray the expenses as aforesaid.

• To be sold cheap, a very good one horse chaise with steel springs, as also a good mare, fit either for saddle or chaise. To be seen at the Crown Inn, Broad Street, Worcester.

• Yesterday was married in Manchester, Richard Calcot, an eminent mercer of Evesham, to Lydia Bullock, daughter of John Bullock of Manchester, who is a most agreeable and well accomplished young lady with a fortune of £4,000.

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