3:37pm Monday 1st March 2010
By Michael Grundy
100 YEARS AGO:
ON Sunday evening a fire broke out in the Berkeley Hospital almshouses in The Foregate, Worcester, and a regrettable circumstance of it was that an aged inmate’s life was imperilled. About 9.35 pm smoke was noticed coming from one of the almshouses occupied by Samuel Jones who is 79 and used to work at Shrub Hill Station. The door was locked and from outside, Mr Jones could be heard groaning.
Police constables Fisher and Price endeavoured to effect an entrance and someone eventually fetched a master key. By this time, however, the almshouse was full of smoke and the police constables found the old man wedged between the sofa and the door. They pulled him to the front step but then fell back, overcome by the smoke. PC Fisher then managed to get out into the yard a paraffin lamp which had been the cause of the fire. The officers, with others, threw buckets of water on to the fire and extinguished it just as the city fire brigade arrived. The paraffin lamp had fallen off a bedside table and set fire to bedclothes. Mr Jones had tried to escape but was overcome and fell to the floor. He was taken to the Royal Infirmary suffering from burns about the head and severe shock. Two poor little birds in cages hanging on his wall were suffocated.
150 YEARS AGO:
THE outbreak of fever in the parish of St John’s is a matter requiring immediate attention. Notwithstanding a general system of drainage and a water supply to almost every lot of tenements, a low typhoid fever has existed to a considerable extent, and many deaths have occurred in consequence. In a cottage in Regent Row lived a wellsinker and his wife and three children. During the past three months, his two sons and daughter have died of the fever with severe suffering and he too, died shortly after Christmas. His widow, though in a debilitated condition from the fever, is expected to survive.
The matter was raised at the city council on Tuesday when the health committee was instructed to investigate the cause of the prevalent fever and take measures for its removal.
Regent Row is composed of 10 houses, and the great mischief seems to arise from the close proximity of the cesspool which is a large open one, clearly a danger to health. The 10 houses have only two privies in common and this is a state of things which even for decency’s sake calls for a speedy remedy. There are several other people living in this row who are suffering from this direful malady.
200 YEARS AGO:
FOLEY Arms Inn and Hotel, Malvern. J. Downs returns his grateful acknowledgements to those who so liberally encouraged him on the commencement of his undertaking last season and begs respectfully to inform them and the visitors of Great Malvern in general that he has now completely fitted out his hotel, and he ventures to hope it will secure him a continuance of approbation and future support.
250 YEARS AGO:
LAST Monday evening, as Mr Neale of Bishampton, near Pershore, was returning home from Evesham market, he was attacked by four footpads who knocked him off his horse and then robbed him of about £9. Mr Neale, being much hurt, turned back to Evesham for the assistance of a surgeon and to alarm the town.
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