THE FORMER Dolday poor quarter of Worcester was clearly a rough and tough area in times past, judging from regular Journal reports of drunken brawls and street fights.

And these punch-ups were certainly not confined to men, as we can see from just two cases reported from the City Police Court this week 100 years ago.

"Pugilistic Women - Agnes Cross (53), pedlar, and Mary Ann Marshall (49), married woman, both of Dolday, pleaded guilty to fighting in Dolday. Pol. Cons. Lance separated the pair several times but as they would not desist he had to apprehend them.

"The two defendants were each fined five shillings or seven days in prison in default."

"Violent Woman - Nellie Cook of Dolday was summonsed for using obscene language and for assaulting Pol Cons Gregory in Dolday. The Chief Constable told the magistrates that Nellie Cook had been before the court 17 times previously. In every case in which the police were assaulted in Dolday, this woman was concerned, he said.

"Pol Cons Gregory stated that in the latest incident, he had been arresting another prisoner when he was kicked by Nellie Cook while he was on the ground trying to handcuff the man.

"Cook was fined five shillings for using bad language and sent to prison for a month's hard labour for the assault."