Update of the PAST NEWS..... 1st April 1893

Catch up on the full story of last weeks NEWS...........

*Alexander Froggatt –

Alexander was sent to gaol for 1 month in this week’s NEWS after he deserted his children to the care of the Union Workhouse.  This was not the first, nor would it be the last time Alexander deserted his children –

In December 1892 he appeared in court after having left his 2 children on 16^th September.  He was eventually found at Denaby Main Colliery near Mexborough and brought back to Chesterfield to take responsibility for his actions.  The cost to the Board of Guardians for the upkeep of the children had been £1 16s.  Alexander was fined 10s plus costs of £1 16s or 7 days gaol.

As we know only 2 months later in February 1893 he had yet again deserted them and was sentenced to a further 1 months gaol with hard labour.

In April 1894 Alexander is again charged with leaving just 1 child this time and leaving the Union Workhouse to care for this child.  He appeared in court this time wearing a uniform of a soldier.  He was sentenced to 1 month gaol.

Without doing more in depth research into the workhouse books, criminal records and purchasing the relevant registration certificates I cannot be certain who this Alexander Froggatt was or who his children were.

There is a likely candidate in the shape of an Alexander Froggatt born around 1863 in Dronfield, Derbyshire.  He married Eliza Young in 1886 at St John’s Church, Newbold and they had 2 children; Alexander Charles William in 1886 and Bertha in 1890.  In 1891 the family are living at Cavendish Street, Newbold and Alexander is working as a coal miner.  The family then dissappear after the 1891 census

What became of Eliza as if she was still at home then would Alexander be accused of deserting just his children?  I would have thought she would have been mentioned in the proceedings.  I have not been able to locate a death for an Eliza Froggatt in Chesterfield for those years, so maybe she simply left him and the children or maybe she was ill and institutionalised so she was unable to care for the children herself?

As I have said, the above family may well be the incorrect one without the further research. Does anyone know the story of Alexander Froggatt? Please do let us know if you do.

 

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*The happy couple –

 

Elizabeth Brunt and James Wright tied the knot on 22^nd March at Ashover Parish Church.

 

Elizabeth was the daughter of William Brunt and James was the son of George Wright.  Elizabeth was a few years older than James; she was 31 years old and he was 28 years old when they married (according to the marriage register, however looking at census returns she may have been born in 1860 which would have made her older still).

 

The 1911 census shows Elizabeth and James living at 2 Holmgate Road, Clay Cross.  James is working as a railway platelayer.  They have been married 18 years and have 3 children all still living; Edith aged 17 years, Ethel aged 15 years and Edgar aged 14 years.  Edith and Ethel are both domestic servants, Edgar is an office boy.

 

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Echoes of our Past NEWS ........ 1st April 1893

 

Read all about it……. Echoes of our past NEWS

What was in the local news this weekend in 1893?

MAIN NEWS –

*Matlock Cable Tramway opens –

The spa town of Matlock was in full regalia on 28^th March 1893 when the cable tramway was opened in the town.  The tramway ran in between Crown Square near to the railway station and on to the Rutland Street terminus.  Its purpose being to transport the visitors as they arrived in the town to their hotels.  Matlock has many steep hills and until the arrival of the cable tramway these hills had prevented many people visiting the area. 

On the grand opening day the weather was good to them and the sunshine was out, “the floating streamers, triumphal arches, mounted yeomanry and brass bands” were all to be seen and enjoyed by the attendees. 

The Smedley’s Hotel would benefit from the new tramway as now its residents could be conveyed up the hill for a small fee to receive all the wonderful health benefits that the spa town hotel offered.

OTHER ITEMS –

*Drowning at Killamarsh –

The body of a lady named Sarah Taylor was found in a pond at Upperthorpe, Killamarsh.  Sarah had been ill for some time and this had meant that she needed to sleep downstairs.  On the night in question she had left the house in only her nightie and was later found drowned in the pond.  It was not known whether the drowning was accidental or suicide.

*Accident at Grassmoor Colliery –

John Mitchell was admitted to Chesterfield Hospital after he was injured by a piece of falling coal.  The coal caused an injury to his hand and once at the hospital it was found to be necessary to amputate 3 of his fingers.  John was a pony driver at the pit.

*Deserting family –

Alexander Froggatt of Whittington was charged and found guilty of neglecting to support his children.  On 8^th February his children had become charges of the Chesterfield Board of Guardians and this had cost £2 14s.  Alexander admitted desertion and was gaoled at Derby with one month’s hard labour.

*Infection risk –

Mr Thomas George Edwards the Sanitary Inspector had brought a charge upon a lodging house keeper named Maria West.  Maria lived at Totley and there had been 60-70 cases of small pox recently.  One of the cases was at the lodging house which Maria kept.  On 6^th March she was seen to throw the infected bedding out into the lane, take it back into the house and then throw it out a further time.  Witnesses to the event were called but Maria did not attend the court hearing.  She was fined either £2 and 25s costs or 1 month gaol.

MARRIAGES –

*James Wright of Smithy Moor to Elizabeth Brunt of Knott Cross were married on 22^nd March at Ashover

DEATHS –

*Harold Devonport aged 1 year and 10 months of Compton Street, Chesterfield on 29^th March.  The son of Frank Devonport and Elizabeth Udall

*William Robinson aged 77 years of Coal Aston on 23^rd March

*Samuel Clarke aged 55 years of 15 Lea Road, Dronfield on 25^th March

*Alice Littlewood, infant daughter of George Littlewood of South Normanton on 24^th March

*Martha Maria Littlewood aged 20 years, wife of George Littlewood of South Normanton on 26^th March

*Bethia Bacon aged 1 month, daughter of Solomon Bacon of South Normanton on 28^th March

*Thomas Armstrong aged 40 years of Whittington on 22^nd March

*Mable Ethel Holt aged 15 months at Hasland on 23^rd March

*Ada Anthony aged 15 years at Whittington on 27^th March

*Mary Wheatcroft aged 73 years at Walton on 28^th March

SPORT –

*Easter football –

Easter fell early in 1893.  There were “3 GRAND MATCHES AT CHESTERFIELD” planned for the Easter holidays –

Chesterfield Town Football Club would play –

v  Ecclesfield on Good Friday

v  Heeley on Saturday 1^st April

v  Barnsley on Wednesday 5^th April

Admission to the games was 3d

Elsewhere in Chesterfield –

v  Chesterfield v Sheepbridge on Monday 3^rd April (Easter Monday)

v  Sheepbridge v Ecclesfield on Tuesday 4^th April

v  Eckington v Holbrook on Tuesday 4^th April at the Recreation Ground, Staveley Playing the semi-final of the Benefit Cup

AND FINALLY…

*Billiards –

Staveley Works Mechanics Institute played against Tibshelf.  Seven games were played at Tibshelf’s club; the visitors winning 6 of the 7 games gained 91 points.