100 YEARS AGO:

THE laying of the foundation stone of the new building for the City Secondary School for Girls (forerunner of the Worcester Grammar School for Girls) was an effective ceremony for the site. There was a large attendance of the city council and its education committee and of other ladies and gentlemen interested in the Victoria Institute and in the educational institutions of the city. The school – successor to the Mixed Day School carried on for some years at the Victoria Institute – has been established for a year in Taylor’s Lane and with its new building is designed to give accommodation for 200 girls. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Wheeley Lea.

● George Talbot (21) labourer of St Martin’s Square, Worcester, was charged at the city police court with living wholly or in part on the immoral earnings of Daisy Hirschfeld. Witnesses testified that Talbot, a married man, did no work at all and regularly hung about with Daisy and other girls.

He was sent down for three months’ hard labour. (see picture) 150 YEARS AGO:

MANDER’S Royal Menagerie, comprising an interesting collection of foreign animals, is now exhibiting in Worcester and is well deserving inspection by all lovers of natural history. The feats of daring by Maccomo, the lion hunter, are truly startling and must be seen to be appreciated.

● As a cart belonging to Mr Watton, butcher of Bridge Street, Worcester, was standing at Pole Elm, Powick, on Saturday last, a hind quarter of lamb was feloniously abstracted from it, with which the thief effected his escape undetected.

● An old woman named Bissell met with a singular and unfortunate accident on the Malvern road at Worcester on Monday. While proceeding on her way to some hop picking, a ram bounded from a flock of sheep as they were passing her, butted her with its head, threw her down and broke her leg. The aged sufferer was removed to our infirmary where she is as well as can be expected.

200 YEARS AGO:

WE beg to direct the attention of our readers to a list of the public subscriptions amounting to £121, received for the purpose of new outward casing for the exterior of St Helen’s church in High Street, Worcester. It will therefore be seen that the funds have been found inadequate but it is hoped they will shortly be increased by further subscriptions. The propriety of taking this opportunity too, of repairing the pews has been suggested and if this is carried into execution, the mother church will be more upon an equality with the city’s others in point of appearance and accommodation.

● The governors of our infirmary at Worcester return thanks to the magistrates of the city for forwarding a penalty of £30 imposed by them on Thomas Freeman, glove manufacturer, for having in his possession 11 pair of gloves the property of Philip Ball and for not giving a satisfactory account how these stolen goods came into his possession.

250 YEARS AGO:

NOTICE is hereby given to masons, bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, tilers and plasterers that a meeting will be held at the Rein Deer Inn, Mealcheapen Street, Worcester, on Monday next at 10 o’clock and proposals for the rebuilding of the parish church of St Martin in this city will then be delivered to such workmen as shall be inclined to undertake the same – signed Anthony Keck, surveyor.