Sunday, 20 January 2013

Echoes of our Past NEWS........ 18th January 1873


Read all about it……. Echoes of our past NEWS
What was in the local news this weekend in 1873?

MAIN NEWS

*Domestic tragedy at Clowne –

A “rough looking fellow about 40 years of age” named George Warren (alias Rodger) who worked as a hawker was charged with the murder of his aged father.  George lived at Clowne Brook and on the night of Saturday 14th December he returned home in a drunken state and began to assault his wife as she had not “prepared him a meat super”.  His father had come to her defence and George had then set upon him knocking him to the ground by punching him in the face.  He then continued to kick his old father. 

The old man was named William Warren and although being 74 years old he worked for the Duke of Portland at the Welbeck Estate.  He stayed on the estate in a van provided by the Duke “for his aged workmen” Mondays to Fridays and was only at home at the weekends. 

After having been badly beaten William had returned to work on the Monday morning, but owing to his injuries he had been unable to do any work.  By Thursday he was so ill that he was sent home in a trap.  By this time he was unconscious.  He died the next day at midnight.  George had visited his father on his death bed, still in a drunken state.  He had not whispered kind words into his dying fathers ears, no he had lifted his head off of the pillow and dropped it back with such force that it had caused blood to flow from Williams’s mouth.  William was said to have been in good health prior to this assault.

John Ball was called as a witness as he shared a van as sleeping arrangements at Welbeck.  He said that William had told him about his son “ill-treating” him the previous Saturday.  John also stated that William was covered in bruises as if he had been beaten with a stick.

George Warren was charged with assault by PC Wheeldon at his house at Clowne Brook.  He did admit to ill-using his father “but not so much as people said”.  He was refused bail and sent to Derby Gaol to await trial at the Assize Courts.

OTHER ITEMS

*Mansfield Petty Sessions –

A man named Christopher Jelley who was a draper at Mansfield Woodhouse was charged with being an accessory to the act of abortion on a young girl.

The unnamed girl stated that Christopher was the father of the child and had taken her to Nottingham in a first class carriage.  Once in Nottingham she had been operated on and a five month old baby had been delivered.  They had returned home and Christopher had placed her in a cab to take her home. 

Christopher said that he had rode in a carriage with the girl and that she had stated that she was getting out at Lenton.  He got out with her and walked alongside her into Parliament Street.  He left her there and went to collect some items and returned on the next train. 

Christopher was remanded and sent to Nottingham Gaol to await trial.  The woman who operated on the girl was also apprehended.

*Horse stealing –

A man from Tansley in Derbyshire named John White was charged with stealing a mare from William White and George Davenport of Higham.  The mare was worth £20.

George said that on the evening of the 6th January he had put two mares in the stables.  At 7pm when he returned one of them was missing and he had set about looking for it.

John Davenport the son of George had gone with PC Bacon to look for the horse when they found it wandering loose, with its bridle on near Moor House on the Tansley Road.  Further along the road, about a ½ mile from Tansley they found a man crouching under a hedge.  The man was John White.

It was not looking good for John as a servant from Ford House named Charles Allsop saw him leaving White’s farm around 7pm with the horse.  John had asked Charles to give him “a leg on” and had then ridden off.   A further witness named Samuel Cox stated that he had also seen John on the back of the horse at “Bump Mill” on the road to Wessington that very evening. 

John’s defence was that he had taken the horse, but only “for a lark” not as a criminal offence.  He was given bail but ordered to stand trial at the Derby Assizes.

*Highway robbery –

On the 7th January James Holmes a labourer at Butterley Company Iron Works had been having a drink at a public house named the Steam Packet Inn at Swanwick.  At about 11pm he left to go home and was followed by George Berresford and John Bunting.  The men took his tin can of ale from him and drank the contents.  The two men then asked James to go back with them to the Steam Packet Inn, which he did as he was too afraid to say no.  However, when they got there the doors were locked so James took advantage and ran away and hid in a nearby field. 

George and John soon found James and got hold of him by the throat.  They robbed James of his purse containing 6s 41/2 d and violently assaulted him. 

The two men were ordered to stand trial at the assize courts and witnesses were called.

MARRIAGES

*George Briggs to Miss Mary Ann Robinson on 12th January at the Wesleyan Chapel, Chesterfield

*Mr Herbert Jackson a draper to Miss Eliza Taylor of Lower Brampton on 13th January at Brampton Parish Church

*Mr George Holmes to Miss Millicent Radford on 13th January at the Parish Church, Chesterfield

DEATHS

*Elizabeth Clark aged 3 years of Tupton on 11th January

*Lucy Evans aged 4 years of Lordsmill Street on 11th January

*Edward Revill of Hipper Street aged 50 years on 3rd January
 
*Ann Booth widow of John Booth of Stoney Middleton aged 76 years

*Alice Barton aged 71 years at the Chesterfield Union Workhouse on 15th January
 
*William Simms victualler at Kelstedge, Ashover aged 67 years on 6th January

WEATHER

The weather was “reasonably mild” for the season although it had been wet, there were hope that the weather would now settle.  For the farm workers they were desperate for dry weather.

AND FINALLY…

Messrs Wilkinson & Co of Bakers Hill, Norfolk Street, Sheffield were selling a magical potion for young men.  The heading shouted out “A WORD TO THE WISE” and called for all young men “on marriage the causes and cure (in every case)”.  This wonder potion would cure all ails including “debility, nervousness…. and premature decay”.  It came with “clear instructions” to “regain robust health and vigorous manhood”. 

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