11:40am Monday 26th April 2010
By Michael Grundy
250 YEARS AGO:
ON Saturday last, a terrible fire happened at Cliftonupon- Team [sic]. It was occasioned by some children taking a fire-stick in order to startle two colts that were in a barn belonging to Thomas Louden.
The flames soon communicated with the straw and burnt with such violence that in a short time the fire consumed the barn and the two colts, together with a bay of peas, another of oats and a stable; two cow houses, two barns, a stable and dwelling house belonging to James Squire; and a dwelling house and two barns belonging to James West.
Two roofs of thatch were stripped to prevent the further communication of the flames, otherwise the whole village must have consequently been consumed.
A poor widow and three families who lived in the dwelling houses had every thing consumed, which has reduced them to the greatest necessity.
200 YEARS AGO:
By the new Stage-coach Act, a penalty of not less than £5 is to be inflicted on coachmen permitting other persons to drive.
Postboys are not to take up passengers without a ticket and toll collectors are to file such tickets and give, in all cases, exchange tickets. No postboy nor carriage driver is to drive sitting in the inside of any post chaise or carriage, under penalty of 10s. to £5.
150 YEARS AGO:
WILLIAM Simpson, a travelling conjuror and ventriloquist, was fined five shillings at Worcester Police Court for being drunk the previous evening.
The defendant went to the city police station and complained to PC Hunt of having been insulted by some persons at the Three Tuns Inn, Castle Street.
The officer advised him to go home and lodge a complaint against them before a magistrate next morning, upon which the defendant became noisy and abusive and created such a disturbance inside the police station that it became compulsory on the part of the officer to take him into custody.
● Singular fact. There is now an official at Shrub Hill railway station, Worcester who, although entirely and daily employed there since its first opening, yet has never entered a railway carriage nor travelled a yard on the railway during the several years he has been there. His occupation is in close proximity to the booking office and in sight of every train passing and re-passing the platform.
100 YEARS AGO:
THE prospects for the 1910 season are as much dependant upon hope as ever – hope of a little more batting and bowling if anything better than the commonplace is to be achieved. If the county can command two or three of the Foster brothers pretty regularly, the batting may be lifted to the level of brilliance. The bowling also needs a little reinforcement.
It transpires that MK Foster has gone to the Straits Settlements and will therefore be absent. But Worcestershire will be more than compensated by the return to the side of GN Foster, who is coming home from India in time for the May start of the season and is expected to play regularly.
Besides, it is expected that RE Foster, who has not played for Worcestershire for two seasons, will take part in at least two matches.
WL Foster also promises assistance. For the first time, a county match – against Essex – will be played at Bournville, Birmingham.
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