150 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK 22 - 28 APRIL 1874
This week's many stories include the betting mania in Prescot over a footrace, the violent passenger at St Helens Station who behaved like a lunatic, the glassworker fined for arriving ten minutes late at work, the man charged with having a diseased pig in Tontine Street, the obnoxious impost of income tax, the Peckers Hill dog set on a man during a row and the vandalised boring machinery in Rainford.
We begin on the 22nd with the inquest on Edward Foley who had died at Greenbank Alkali Works. Foley was a joiner and was installing some flooring on pillars when he was thrown to the ground after a beam slipped off a support. Although Foley landed on his feet he complained of severe pain on one side and in spite of a doctor finding no sign of injury the man died four hours later.
The Prescot Reporter on the 25th published this editorial on the scrapping of income tax: "The reduction of the Income Tax by the Chancellor of the Exchequer brings us a step nearer to its abolition. There is no doubt that all Governments are anxious to strike it out of the Budgets, when circumstances are favourable. It is a war-tax, pure and simple, and has proved very useful when wars had to be carried on. In “piping times of peace” we are quite willing to admit that it is an inquisitorial and obnoxious impost."
There were many instances of violent passengers on trains or at stations, usually after they'd been involved in a drinking session beforehand. The St Helens Newspaper was also published on the 25th and described how John Butler had appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with assaulting the St Helens stationmaster, William Ashurst. The latter told the court that Butler had been behaving in a "very frantic" way on the platform and he had told him not to travel.
That had led to a furious struggle in which the defendant fought, kicked and even bit the railway porters, threatened to kill them and had conducted himself "like a lunatic". A police officer was sent for and Butler was only taken into custody after a great deal of difficulty and on the way to the station threw the policeman down to the ground twice. The bobby, by the way, bore the name of PC Sheriff! Despite his violence, John Butler was only fined 45 shillings and costs.
Elizabeth White had also been in court bringing her own prosecution against Michael Ford for an alleged assault in the Green Dragon. The Prescot Reporter wrote: "The assault appeared to consist of hair pulling, accompanied by indecent allusions to the complainant's family." The newspaper quoted this dialogue that had taken place in the courtroom between Elizabeth and Michael Ford's solicitor, Thomas Swift:
"Swift: How many husbands have you living? Elizabeth: No matter to you if I have a dozen. Swift: Have you not two living husbands? Elizabeth: I have. Swift [sarcastically]: You are a woman of marvellous good character, and defendant could do wonderful harm in speaking ill of you." The St Helens Newspaper in their report added that Elizabeth had begun the trouble in the pub by drinking a toast to Michael Ford that went: "To hell with all back-biters", although they felt the need to censor the word "hell", printing "h____". The case was subsequently dismissed.
John Dimmers appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with absenting himself from the service of the London and Manchester Plate Glass Company, which owned glassworks in Sutton and at Ravenhead. Workmen could be fined for arriving late and John Dimmers told the court that had been the cause of his taking time off work. He had turned up for his shift just ten minutes after the set time and despite having been employed by the firm for 3 or 4 years was told he would still be fined.
That so annoyed John that he walked out and when he turned up to collect his week's wages on the following morning, he was refused them. The defendants in such cases had little chance of satisfaction, as the magistrates themselves were industrialists who wanted to keep their own workmen in line. The glassworks claimed that they had suffered a loss of 22 shillings through John's absence and the Bench awarded them the full amount as damages. The Chairman told Dimmers that fines in works were a necessary compromise, as employees could be prosecuted for turning up late.
James Cunningham was charged with having in his possession the carcass of a diseased pig. The Inspector of Nuisances in St Helens, a Mr Turner, told the court that he had found the carcass behind the Robin Hood Inn in Tontine Street (pictured above) dressed as if for sale. Cunningham claimed that he had only intended to dispose of the pig to a soap or candle works. But as the meat had been dressed it gave the impression of being on sale for consumption, although the flesh was completely unfit as food.
Mr Turner admitted that the defendant had brought 30 or 40 pigs per week into St Helens for the past four years and no previous complaint over them had arisen. But in spite of the prosecutor only requesting a small fine, the Chairman of the Bench said it was a serious case and inflicted a hefty fine of £4 and costs.
Vandalism by youths clearly has a very long history. On the 27th Robert Brown, Joseph Mellor, Robert Snape and Robert Yates were charged with committing wilful and malicious damage to machinery, owned by Bromilow, Foster and Co. Before mines were opened up, bore holes were sunk at certain locations to test if rich seams of coal were likely to be present.
Mine owners Bromilow, Foster and Co were exploring whether Maggots Nook in Rainford would be a suitable place for a coalmine, when the manager of the boring operations discovered damage had been done to their machinery. Timber had also been removed, a great quantity of rubbish had been thrown down the borehole and the windlass was damaged. The four lads had been seen at the spot but they denied responsibility for what occurred. However, they were found guilty and each fined between 10 shillings and 20 shillings.
Guinea (aka "skinny" or "kinny") cat was a popular street game played by boys. A piece of wood, such as an old axe handle, was used to club a projectile as near as possible to the designated person acting as the "cat". Not only was it dangerous to the boy who was the target but also to others who might get in the way of a stray hit.
George Rigby appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with playing guinea cat in Windle City, which the St Helens Newspaper described as: "…a neighbourhood in which the residents make frequent complaints of the inconvenience of the pasttime." However, the boy was only giving a ticking off and told to pay court costs. It was unusual for a man to play the game, but Edward Scott was charged with playing guinea cat in Gerards Bridge and he was fined 4s 6d and costs.
In another case Thomas Taylor and William Humphries were charged with setting a dog on Thomas Ramsdale. The latter described how there had been a disturbance outside the Bulls Head in Sutton that the police had put down. A further row erupted at Peckers Hill while Ramsdale and the others were making their way home. He said Taylor and Humphries had set their dog upon him, which had knocked him down and bit his hand and leg in two places.
The defence case was that the row had been between William Humphries and a man called Shaw and that Ramsdale had interfered unnecessarily. The dog had only attacked Ramsdale because he was "giving gross usage" to Humphries, the animal's master. But the case was dropped, as it was realised that the summons had been wrongly written out. That happened occasionally and the magistrates said that although the offence was a "grievous one", they were obliged to dismiss the charge.
Another thing that seems as old as the hills is family rows after death – particularly if the deceased had remarried. John Brown was charged in court with threatening to assault Hannah Brown, who was his stepmother. Brown's father had died after two years of marriage to Hannah and he had left his wife the possession of the house and furniture.
That had displeased his son who had forced his way into the house and "used exceedingly violent language" to his step-mum, adding that he would "show who was master". A window was also broken. However, the magistrates persuaded Hannah to withdraw her summons against her stepson upon John Brown's promise to behave better in the future and to pay the court costs.
On the 28th the Liverpool Mercury wrote: "Yesterday a race took place between a collier and a watchmaker belonging to Prescot; and the men being the representatives of the staple industries of the neighbourhood, the most extraordinary interest was manifested in the result. Backers found £20 a-side for the champions, and hundreds if not thousands of pounds were staked on the issue. The sporting fraternity went mad over it, and their madness infected quieter people.
"Many persons of the working classes who were unable to command betting money in any ordinary way, pledged watches and clothing, and even gave mortgages on their furniture, to obtain funds. The runners, with their partisans, passed through St. Helens on chartered 'buses, with bands of music, shouting and cheering like demented people. Whatever was the result of the race, it brought misery to many homes, and will have caused much pain and heart-burning."
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the May Day horse parade in St Helens, the tramps that stayed in Whiston Workhouse, the battered wife blamed for provoking her husband and the workhouse boy who became a thief.
We begin on the 22nd with the inquest on Edward Foley who had died at Greenbank Alkali Works. Foley was a joiner and was installing some flooring on pillars when he was thrown to the ground after a beam slipped off a support. Although Foley landed on his feet he complained of severe pain on one side and in spite of a doctor finding no sign of injury the man died four hours later.
The Prescot Reporter on the 25th published this editorial on the scrapping of income tax: "The reduction of the Income Tax by the Chancellor of the Exchequer brings us a step nearer to its abolition. There is no doubt that all Governments are anxious to strike it out of the Budgets, when circumstances are favourable. It is a war-tax, pure and simple, and has proved very useful when wars had to be carried on. In “piping times of peace” we are quite willing to admit that it is an inquisitorial and obnoxious impost."
There were many instances of violent passengers on trains or at stations, usually after they'd been involved in a drinking session beforehand. The St Helens Newspaper was also published on the 25th and described how John Butler had appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with assaulting the St Helens stationmaster, William Ashurst. The latter told the court that Butler had been behaving in a "very frantic" way on the platform and he had told him not to travel.
That had led to a furious struggle in which the defendant fought, kicked and even bit the railway porters, threatened to kill them and had conducted himself "like a lunatic". A police officer was sent for and Butler was only taken into custody after a great deal of difficulty and on the way to the station threw the policeman down to the ground twice. The bobby, by the way, bore the name of PC Sheriff! Despite his violence, John Butler was only fined 45 shillings and costs.
Elizabeth White had also been in court bringing her own prosecution against Michael Ford for an alleged assault in the Green Dragon. The Prescot Reporter wrote: "The assault appeared to consist of hair pulling, accompanied by indecent allusions to the complainant's family." The newspaper quoted this dialogue that had taken place in the courtroom between Elizabeth and Michael Ford's solicitor, Thomas Swift:
"Swift: How many husbands have you living? Elizabeth: No matter to you if I have a dozen. Swift: Have you not two living husbands? Elizabeth: I have. Swift [sarcastically]: You are a woman of marvellous good character, and defendant could do wonderful harm in speaking ill of you." The St Helens Newspaper in their report added that Elizabeth had begun the trouble in the pub by drinking a toast to Michael Ford that went: "To hell with all back-biters", although they felt the need to censor the word "hell", printing "h____". The case was subsequently dismissed.
John Dimmers appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with absenting himself from the service of the London and Manchester Plate Glass Company, which owned glassworks in Sutton and at Ravenhead. Workmen could be fined for arriving late and John Dimmers told the court that had been the cause of his taking time off work. He had turned up for his shift just ten minutes after the set time and despite having been employed by the firm for 3 or 4 years was told he would still be fined.
That so annoyed John that he walked out and when he turned up to collect his week's wages on the following morning, he was refused them. The defendants in such cases had little chance of satisfaction, as the magistrates themselves were industrialists who wanted to keep their own workmen in line. The glassworks claimed that they had suffered a loss of 22 shillings through John's absence and the Bench awarded them the full amount as damages. The Chairman told Dimmers that fines in works were a necessary compromise, as employees could be prosecuted for turning up late.
Mr Turner admitted that the defendant had brought 30 or 40 pigs per week into St Helens for the past four years and no previous complaint over them had arisen. But in spite of the prosecutor only requesting a small fine, the Chairman of the Bench said it was a serious case and inflicted a hefty fine of £4 and costs.
Vandalism by youths clearly has a very long history. On the 27th Robert Brown, Joseph Mellor, Robert Snape and Robert Yates were charged with committing wilful and malicious damage to machinery, owned by Bromilow, Foster and Co. Before mines were opened up, bore holes were sunk at certain locations to test if rich seams of coal were likely to be present.
Mine owners Bromilow, Foster and Co were exploring whether Maggots Nook in Rainford would be a suitable place for a coalmine, when the manager of the boring operations discovered damage had been done to their machinery. Timber had also been removed, a great quantity of rubbish had been thrown down the borehole and the windlass was damaged. The four lads had been seen at the spot but they denied responsibility for what occurred. However, they were found guilty and each fined between 10 shillings and 20 shillings.
Guinea (aka "skinny" or "kinny") cat was a popular street game played by boys. A piece of wood, such as an old axe handle, was used to club a projectile as near as possible to the designated person acting as the "cat". Not only was it dangerous to the boy who was the target but also to others who might get in the way of a stray hit.
George Rigby appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with playing guinea cat in Windle City, which the St Helens Newspaper described as: "…a neighbourhood in which the residents make frequent complaints of the inconvenience of the pasttime." However, the boy was only giving a ticking off and told to pay court costs. It was unusual for a man to play the game, but Edward Scott was charged with playing guinea cat in Gerards Bridge and he was fined 4s 6d and costs.
In another case Thomas Taylor and William Humphries were charged with setting a dog on Thomas Ramsdale. The latter described how there had been a disturbance outside the Bulls Head in Sutton that the police had put down. A further row erupted at Peckers Hill while Ramsdale and the others were making their way home. He said Taylor and Humphries had set their dog upon him, which had knocked him down and bit his hand and leg in two places.
The defence case was that the row had been between William Humphries and a man called Shaw and that Ramsdale had interfered unnecessarily. The dog had only attacked Ramsdale because he was "giving gross usage" to Humphries, the animal's master. But the case was dropped, as it was realised that the summons had been wrongly written out. That happened occasionally and the magistrates said that although the offence was a "grievous one", they were obliged to dismiss the charge.
Another thing that seems as old as the hills is family rows after death – particularly if the deceased had remarried. John Brown was charged in court with threatening to assault Hannah Brown, who was his stepmother. Brown's father had died after two years of marriage to Hannah and he had left his wife the possession of the house and furniture.
That had displeased his son who had forced his way into the house and "used exceedingly violent language" to his step-mum, adding that he would "show who was master". A window was also broken. However, the magistrates persuaded Hannah to withdraw her summons against her stepson upon John Brown's promise to behave better in the future and to pay the court costs.
On the 28th the Liverpool Mercury wrote: "Yesterday a race took place between a collier and a watchmaker belonging to Prescot; and the men being the representatives of the staple industries of the neighbourhood, the most extraordinary interest was manifested in the result. Backers found £20 a-side for the champions, and hundreds if not thousands of pounds were staked on the issue. The sporting fraternity went mad over it, and their madness infected quieter people.
"Many persons of the working classes who were unable to command betting money in any ordinary way, pledged watches and clothing, and even gave mortgages on their furniture, to obtain funds. The runners, with their partisans, passed through St. Helens on chartered 'buses, with bands of music, shouting and cheering like demented people. Whatever was the result of the race, it brought misery to many homes, and will have caused much pain and heart-burning."
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the May Day horse parade in St Helens, the tramps that stayed in Whiston Workhouse, the battered wife blamed for provoking her husband and the workhouse boy who became a thief.
This week's many stories include the betting mania in Prescot over a footrace, the violent passenger at St Helens Station who behaved like a lunatic, the glassworker fined for arriving ten minutes late at work, the man charged with having a diseased pig in Tontine Street, the obnoxious impost of income tax, the Peckers Hill dog set on a man during a row and the vandalised boring machinery in Rainford.
We begin on the 22nd with the inquest on Edward Foley who had died at Greenbank Alkali Works.
Foley was a joiner and was installing some flooring on pillars when he was thrown to the ground after a beam slipped off a support.
Although Foley landed on his feet he complained of severe pain on one side and in spite of a doctor finding no sign of injury the man died four hours later.
The Prescot Reporter on the 25th published this editorial on the scrapping of income tax:
"The reduction of the Income Tax by the Chancellor of the Exchequer brings us a step nearer to its abolition. There is no doubt that all Governments are anxious to strike it out of the Budgets, when circumstances are favourable.
"It is a war-tax, pure and simple, and has proved very useful when wars had to be carried on. In “piping times of peace” we are quite willing to admit that it is an inquisitorial and obnoxious impost."
There were many instances of violent passengers on trains or at stations, usually after they'd been involved in a drinking session beforehand.
The St Helens Newspaper was also published on the 25th and described how John Butler had appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with assaulting the St Helens stationmaster, William Ashurst.
The latter told the court that Butler had been behaving in a "very frantic" way on the platform and he had told him not to travel.
That had led to a furious struggle in which the defendant fought, kicked and even bit the railway porters, threatened to kill them and had conducted himself "like a lunatic".
A police officer was sent for and Butler was only taken into custody after a great deal of difficulty and on the way to the station threw the policeman down to the ground twice. The bobby, by the way, bore the name of PC Sheriff!
Despite his violence, John Butler was only fined 45 shillings and costs.
Elizabeth White had also been in court bringing her own prosecution against Michael Ford for an alleged assault in the Green Dragon. The Prescot Reporter wrote:
"The assault appeared to consist of hair pulling, accompanied by indecent allusions to the complainant's family."
The newspaper quoted this dialogue that had taken place in the courtroom between Elizabeth and Michael Ford's solicitor, Thomas Swift:
"Swift: How many husbands have you living?
"Elizabeth: No matter to you if I have a dozen.
"Swift: Have you not two living husbands? Elizabeth: I have.
"Swift [sarcastically]: You are a woman of marvellous good character, and defendant could do wonderful harm in speaking ill of you."
The St Helens Newspaper in their report added that Elizabeth had begun the trouble in the pub by drinking a toast to Michael Ford that went: "To hell with all back-biters", although they felt the need to censor the word "hell", printing "h____". The case was subsequently dismissed.
John Dimmers appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with absenting himself from the service of the London and Manchester Plate Glass Company, which owned glassworks in Sutton and at Ravenhead.
Workmen could be fined for arriving late and John Dimmers told the court that had been the cause of his taking time off work.
He had turned up for his shift just ten minutes after the set time and despite having been employed by the firm for 3 or 4 years was told he would still be fined.
That so annoyed John that he walked out and when he turned up to collect his week's wages on the following morning, he was refused them.
The defendants in such cases had little chance of satisfaction, as the magistrates themselves were industrialists who wanted to keep their own workmen in line.
The glassworks claimed that they had suffered a loss of 22 shillings through John's absence and the Bench awarded them the full amount as damages.
The Chairman told Dimmers that fines in works were a necessary compromise, as employees could be prosecuted for turning up late.
James Cunningham was charged with having in his possession the carcass of a diseased pig.
The Inspector of Nuisances in St Helens, a Mr Turner, told the court that he had found the carcass behind the Robin Hood Inn in Tontine Street (pictured above) dressed as if for sale.
Cunningham claimed that he had only intended to dispose of the pig to a soap or candle works.
But as the meat had been dressed it gave the impression of being on sale for consumption, although the flesh was completely unfit as food.
Mr Turner admitted that the defendant had brought 30 or 40 pigs per week into St Helens for the past four years and no previous complaint over them had arisen.
But in spite of the prosecutor only requesting a small fine, the Chairman of the Bench said it was a serious case and inflicted a hefty fine of £4 and costs.
Vandalism by youths clearly has a very long history. On the 27th Robert Brown, Joseph Mellor, Robert Snape and Robert Yates were charged with committing wilful and malicious damage to machinery, owned by Bromilow, Foster and Co.
Before mines were opened up, bore holes were sunk at certain locations to test if rich seams of coal were likely to be present.
Mine owners Bromilow, Foster and Co were exploring whether Maggots Nook in Rainford would be a suitable place for a coalmine, when the manager of the boring operations discovered damage had been done to their machinery.
Timber had also been removed, a great quantity of rubbish had been thrown down the borehole and the windlass was damaged.
The four lads had been seen at the spot but they denied responsibility for what occurred. However, they were found guilty and each fined between 10 shillings and 20 shillings.
Guinea (aka "skinny" or "kinny") cat was a popular street game played by boys. A piece of wood, such as an old axe handle, was used to club a projectile as near as possible to the designated person acting as the "cat".
Not only was it dangerous to the boy who was the target but also to others who might get in the way of a stray hit.
George Rigby appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with playing guinea cat in Windle City, which the St Helens Newspaper described as:
"…a neighbourhood in which the residents make frequent complaints of the inconvenience of the pasttime."
However, the boy was only giving a ticking off and told to pay court costs.
It was unusual for a man to play the game, but Edward Scott was charged with playing guinea cat in Gerards Bridge and he was fined 4s 6d and costs.
In another case Thomas Taylor and William Humphries were charged with setting a dog on Thomas Ramsdale.
The latter described how there had been a disturbance outside the Bulls Head in Sutton that the police had put down.
A further row erupted at Peckers Hill while Ramsdale and the others were making their way home.
He said Taylor and Humphries had set their dog upon him, which had knocked him down and bit his hand and leg in two places.
The defence case was that the row had been between William Humphries and a man called Shaw and that Ramsdale had interfered unnecessarily.
The dog had only attacked Ramsdale because he was "giving gross usage" to Humphries, the animal's master.
But the case was dropped, as it was realised that the summons had been wrongly written out.
That happened occasionally and the magistrates said that although the offence was a "grievous one", they were obliged to dismiss the charge.
Another thing that seems as old as the hills is family rows after death – particularly if the deceased had remarried.
John Brown was charged in court with threatening to assault Hannah Brown, who was his stepmother.
Brown's father had died after two years of marriage to Hannah and he had left his wife the possession of the house and furniture.
That had displeased his son who had forced his way into the house and "used exceedingly violent language" to his step-mum, adding that he would "show who was master". A window was also broken.
However, the magistrates persuaded Hannah to withdraw her summons against her stepson upon John Brown's promise to behave better in the future and to pay the court costs.
On the 28th the Liverpool Mercury wrote: "Yesterday a race took place between a collier and a watchmaker belonging to Prescot; and the men being the representatives of the staple industries of the neighbourhood, the most extraordinary interest was manifested in the result.
"Backers found £20 a-side for the champions, and hundreds if not thousands of pounds were staked on the issue.
"The sporting fraternity went mad over it, and their madness infected quieter people.
"Many persons of the working classes who were unable to command betting money in any ordinary way, pledged watches and clothing, and even gave mortgages on their furniture, to obtain funds.
"The runners, with their partisans, passed through St. Helens on chartered 'buses, with bands of music, shouting and cheering like demented people.
"Whatever was the result of the race, it brought misery to many homes, and will have caused much pain and heart-burning."
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the May Day horse parade in St Helens, the tramps that stayed in Whiston Workhouse, the battered wife blamed for provoking her husband and the workhouse boy who became a thief.
We begin on the 22nd with the inquest on Edward Foley who had died at Greenbank Alkali Works.
Foley was a joiner and was installing some flooring on pillars when he was thrown to the ground after a beam slipped off a support.
Although Foley landed on his feet he complained of severe pain on one side and in spite of a doctor finding no sign of injury the man died four hours later.
The Prescot Reporter on the 25th published this editorial on the scrapping of income tax:
"The reduction of the Income Tax by the Chancellor of the Exchequer brings us a step nearer to its abolition. There is no doubt that all Governments are anxious to strike it out of the Budgets, when circumstances are favourable.
"It is a war-tax, pure and simple, and has proved very useful when wars had to be carried on. In “piping times of peace” we are quite willing to admit that it is an inquisitorial and obnoxious impost."
There were many instances of violent passengers on trains or at stations, usually after they'd been involved in a drinking session beforehand.
The St Helens Newspaper was also published on the 25th and described how John Butler had appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with assaulting the St Helens stationmaster, William Ashurst.
The latter told the court that Butler had been behaving in a "very frantic" way on the platform and he had told him not to travel.
That had led to a furious struggle in which the defendant fought, kicked and even bit the railway porters, threatened to kill them and had conducted himself "like a lunatic".
A police officer was sent for and Butler was only taken into custody after a great deal of difficulty and on the way to the station threw the policeman down to the ground twice. The bobby, by the way, bore the name of PC Sheriff!
Despite his violence, John Butler was only fined 45 shillings and costs.
Elizabeth White had also been in court bringing her own prosecution against Michael Ford for an alleged assault in the Green Dragon. The Prescot Reporter wrote:
"The assault appeared to consist of hair pulling, accompanied by indecent allusions to the complainant's family."
The newspaper quoted this dialogue that had taken place in the courtroom between Elizabeth and Michael Ford's solicitor, Thomas Swift:
"Swift: How many husbands have you living?
"Elizabeth: No matter to you if I have a dozen.
"Swift: Have you not two living husbands? Elizabeth: I have.
"Swift [sarcastically]: You are a woman of marvellous good character, and defendant could do wonderful harm in speaking ill of you."
The St Helens Newspaper in their report added that Elizabeth had begun the trouble in the pub by drinking a toast to Michael Ford that went: "To hell with all back-biters", although they felt the need to censor the word "hell", printing "h____". The case was subsequently dismissed.
John Dimmers appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with absenting himself from the service of the London and Manchester Plate Glass Company, which owned glassworks in Sutton and at Ravenhead.
Workmen could be fined for arriving late and John Dimmers told the court that had been the cause of his taking time off work.
He had turned up for his shift just ten minutes after the set time and despite having been employed by the firm for 3 or 4 years was told he would still be fined.
That so annoyed John that he walked out and when he turned up to collect his week's wages on the following morning, he was refused them.
The defendants in such cases had little chance of satisfaction, as the magistrates themselves were industrialists who wanted to keep their own workmen in line.
The glassworks claimed that they had suffered a loss of 22 shillings through John's absence and the Bench awarded them the full amount as damages.
The Chairman told Dimmers that fines in works were a necessary compromise, as employees could be prosecuted for turning up late.
James Cunningham was charged with having in his possession the carcass of a diseased pig.
Cunningham claimed that he had only intended to dispose of the pig to a soap or candle works.
But as the meat had been dressed it gave the impression of being on sale for consumption, although the flesh was completely unfit as food.
Mr Turner admitted that the defendant had brought 30 or 40 pigs per week into St Helens for the past four years and no previous complaint over them had arisen.
But in spite of the prosecutor only requesting a small fine, the Chairman of the Bench said it was a serious case and inflicted a hefty fine of £4 and costs.
Vandalism by youths clearly has a very long history. On the 27th Robert Brown, Joseph Mellor, Robert Snape and Robert Yates were charged with committing wilful and malicious damage to machinery, owned by Bromilow, Foster and Co.
Before mines were opened up, bore holes were sunk at certain locations to test if rich seams of coal were likely to be present.
Mine owners Bromilow, Foster and Co were exploring whether Maggots Nook in Rainford would be a suitable place for a coalmine, when the manager of the boring operations discovered damage had been done to their machinery.
Timber had also been removed, a great quantity of rubbish had been thrown down the borehole and the windlass was damaged.
The four lads had been seen at the spot but they denied responsibility for what occurred. However, they were found guilty and each fined between 10 shillings and 20 shillings.
Guinea (aka "skinny" or "kinny") cat was a popular street game played by boys. A piece of wood, such as an old axe handle, was used to club a projectile as near as possible to the designated person acting as the "cat".
Not only was it dangerous to the boy who was the target but also to others who might get in the way of a stray hit.
George Rigby appeared in the Petty Sessions charged with playing guinea cat in Windle City, which the St Helens Newspaper described as:
"…a neighbourhood in which the residents make frequent complaints of the inconvenience of the pasttime."
However, the boy was only giving a ticking off and told to pay court costs.
It was unusual for a man to play the game, but Edward Scott was charged with playing guinea cat in Gerards Bridge and he was fined 4s 6d and costs.
In another case Thomas Taylor and William Humphries were charged with setting a dog on Thomas Ramsdale.
The latter described how there had been a disturbance outside the Bulls Head in Sutton that the police had put down.
A further row erupted at Peckers Hill while Ramsdale and the others were making their way home.
He said Taylor and Humphries had set their dog upon him, which had knocked him down and bit his hand and leg in two places.
The defence case was that the row had been between William Humphries and a man called Shaw and that Ramsdale had interfered unnecessarily.
The dog had only attacked Ramsdale because he was "giving gross usage" to Humphries, the animal's master.
But the case was dropped, as it was realised that the summons had been wrongly written out.
That happened occasionally and the magistrates said that although the offence was a "grievous one", they were obliged to dismiss the charge.
Another thing that seems as old as the hills is family rows after death – particularly if the deceased had remarried.
John Brown was charged in court with threatening to assault Hannah Brown, who was his stepmother.
Brown's father had died after two years of marriage to Hannah and he had left his wife the possession of the house and furniture.
That had displeased his son who had forced his way into the house and "used exceedingly violent language" to his step-mum, adding that he would "show who was master". A window was also broken.
However, the magistrates persuaded Hannah to withdraw her summons against her stepson upon John Brown's promise to behave better in the future and to pay the court costs.
On the 28th the Liverpool Mercury wrote: "Yesterday a race took place between a collier and a watchmaker belonging to Prescot; and the men being the representatives of the staple industries of the neighbourhood, the most extraordinary interest was manifested in the result.
"Backers found £20 a-side for the champions, and hundreds if not thousands of pounds were staked on the issue.
"The sporting fraternity went mad over it, and their madness infected quieter people.
"Many persons of the working classes who were unable to command betting money in any ordinary way, pledged watches and clothing, and even gave mortgages on their furniture, to obtain funds.
"The runners, with their partisans, passed through St. Helens on chartered 'buses, with bands of music, shouting and cheering like demented people.
"Whatever was the result of the race, it brought misery to many homes, and will have caused much pain and heart-burning."
St Helens Newspaper courtesy St Helens Archive Service at Eccleston Library
Next Week's stories will include the May Day horse parade in St Helens, the tramps that stayed in Whiston Workhouse, the battered wife blamed for provoking her husband and the workhouse boy who became a thief.