THE town's workhouse had received a request from Bromsgrove Urban District Council to enter into an exclusive agreement to supply the authority with broken roadstone to repair local roads. The stone, which was considered to be very high quality, was broken by paupers using hammers in return for a night's bed and breakfast. At present stocks of rocks at the Birmingham Road institution were low with only about 100 yards waiting to be processed.

YOUNG women aged 18 and over were invited to apply to train to become teachers via an easy and inexpensive route. Rev Canon Dickins, from Tardebigge church, put an advert in the Messenger in which he pointed out that girls living in the vicinity of the Earl of Plymouth's school in the village could attend the school as pupil teachers and continue to live at home.

THE eagerly awaited annual distribution of prizes for good attendance took place at Finstall School in Bromsgrove. Mr Pickering, chairman of the managers, handed out three silver watches, ten silver medals, 49 bronze medals and 135 certificates. The watches were given to Alfred Jinks, W Stride and Rosseta Evans, each of whom had completed seven years unbroken attendance.

AGNES Parsons, of Studley, was awarded £25 damages at Birmingham Assizes against Charles Harborne, of Lichfield, for a breach of matrimonial engagement. The couple had become engaged at a fair day party in Bromsgrove on June 24, 1887, but Harborne had failed to name the day.