July 5-12

10:10am Monday 7th July 2008

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100 Years Ago:

THOSE connected with the hop industry in Worcestershire and Herefordshire took a conspicuous part in Saturday’s great demonstration in London, arranged by the Hop Growers’ and Pickers’ Defence League to protest against the threatened extinction of the English industry by foreign “dumping.”

Local growers and labourers wended their way to the railway stations in Hereford, Leominster and Worcester to join special trains to the metropolis.

More than 50,000 men and women marched in procession from the Embankment to Trafalgar Square where a resolution was carried overwhelmingly calling on the Government to halt the threat to the English hop industry from foreign imports. Worcester hop merchants at the demonstration included John Kent and G Gascoyne.

* A royal sturgeon was caught on Wednesday by David Church and his men at Coombe Hill on the Severn about 23 miles below Worcester. The fishermen say it weighs about two cwt and is 10ft long.

150 Years Ago:

AS a boy named William Price was driving some horses with a wagon beneath the railway bridge at Shrub Hill a few days ago, the noise from an approaching railway engine frightened the animals and the lad was knocked down, run over and severely bruised about the head and arms. He was taken to our infirmary and is now recovering. * A prisoner in our county gaol at Worcester, named Edward Hart, who at our last winter assizes was indicted for the wilful murder of his wife but found guilty of manslaughter and ordered to be imprisoned for 15 months, has during his incarceration exhibited such signs of mental aberration as to render necessary his removal from gaol.

The eminent local physician Sir Charles Hastings (founder of the British Medical Association at Worcester, in 1832) went to the gaol and certified to the man’s insanity. Hart has since been removed to the Bethlehem Hospital in London.

200 Years Ago:

Our money market in this kingdom is, to use the precise language of the Stock Exchange, extremely sick. There has been another fall of nearly three per cent in little more than a week. No particular solid cause is assigned for the depression though the failure of our intercourse for the possession of the Spanish fleet is given as one contributory reason. l Manchester. We lament to state that the refractory sprit amongst the weavers in this town and neighbourhood still exists. It has been continued by acts of the most oppressive kind towards their fellow workmen who have been inclined to follow their employment. To prevent such daring outrages, the military has patrolled for several miles on the different avenues to the town for the protection of the industrious and well-disposed workmen.

That the weavers as a body are loyal people cannot be doubted but it seems certain that artful agents amongst them have mixed political sentiments with their claims and this has been the cause of continuing a temper that seems to rise in its demands as the manufacturers offer conciliation. May they see their error and return to their true interest.The military has arrived here on forced marches in consequence of the disturbances and there are now near 10,000 soldiers stationed in Manchester.

250 Years Ago:

During our races at Worcester, there will be ball every evening at the town hall and a public breakfast on the Thursday and Friday mornings at the Digley (Diglis) Bowling Green. The ordinary for the first day will be at the Crown in Broad Street, the second day at the Bell in Broad Street, and on the last day at the Hop Pole in Foregate Street. There will be cock fighting each morning, as usual, at the Star and Garter Inn, Foregate Street.

* Last Sunday about 2am, a fire broke out at Mrs Taylor’s in Great Malvern which entirely consumed a brewhouse and malt house with some hundreds of bushels of malt. The dwelling house was likewise greatly damaged and the family narrowly escaped being burnt in their beds. How the fire was occasioned is not yet certainly known.

* To be sold. Buildings in very good repair at the Quay in Worcester, in the possession of the widow Crumpton and known by the sign of the King’s Head. For particulars, enquire of John Karver in Worcester.