15 February to 22 February (From Worcester News)

15 February to 22 February

11:59am Monday 15th February 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

100 YEARS AGO:

SINGING in the street.

George Baker (27), a turner, and Alfred Butcher (36), shoe finisher, were sentenced at Worcester Police Court to seven days’ hard labour for begging in Charles Street. Police Sgt Penlington said the prisoners were singing and a woman gave them some money. At the police station, one of the men had 2s.9d while the other had 1s.1d.

They said they had only “done two streets.” Sgt Penlington said the police had received complaints from people in the streets, and one or two ladies had said they were afraid of the frequent beggars.

150 YEARS AGO:

JUVENILE Sabbath breakers. Two boys named William Long and Thomas Lewis were charged at Worcester Police Court with playing “pitch and toss” on Sunday last in Clapgate. In consequence of the annoyance caused by groups of boys diverting themselves with this and other like amusements on Sundays, the bench determined to make an example and fined the delinquents one shilling with 3s.6d costs or, in default, three days’ imprisonment.

200 YEARS AGO:

THE Right Hon Lord Foley of Witley Court, having found that a poor man named George Smith, who has a wife and 11 children, was confined in our county gaol at Worcester for a debt amounting to £18, enquired into the circumstances of the unfortunate man’s case and, finding him an object deserving of compassion, his lordship, with a humanity which does him the highest honour, immediately discharged the debt and costs and restored the man to the bosom of his family.

● An inquest was held in the hamlet of Hill and Moor in this county on the body of George Gilbert, a boy of nine years of age who, with his brother, being in the stable of Mr Wagstaff on Sunday last and having irritated one of the horses, until then considered a quiet animal, received a violent kick on the head, of which he almost immediately expired.

Verdict: Died from the kick of a horse.

250 YEARS AGO:

A FEW days since, a woman tricked a servant girl here out of near eight pounds in money and a great deal of wearing apparel under pretence of fortune telling.

This woman has lately defrauded several other servant maids in this place and neighbourhood by the like impositions. Her method is to watch about people’s doors early in the morning and, as soon as any of the servants appear, she will enquire whether they have any secondhand clothes to sell and in her discourse signifies she is well versed in the mystery of fortune telling and discovering hidden treasures.