Read all about it……. Echoes of our past NEWS
What was in the local
news this weekend in 1900?
MAIN NEWS –
*Cruelty to children –
Mary Ann Liddell a married woman who lived at 49 Back
Row, Unstone was summoned for neglecting two children; Thomas aged 9 years and
John Thomas aged 2 years.
The N.S.P.C.C was prosecuting this serious case and told
how the young child John was suffering from “abdominal disease”. This child; John was the illegitimate son of
Mary Ann’s daughter. This daughter was
now deceased and so the care of John had now fallen to his grandmother Mary
Ann.
The N.S.P.C.C inspector told the court how a child of
John’s age should weigh around 30lbs but this little fellow weighed only 14lbs.
Inspector Butler had visited the house on 7th
May and found it to be “in a wretchedly insanitary condition”, he had told Mary
Ann that she was neglecting the children and she needed to clean the
house. The house had three rooms but
they only lived in one; this was in a terrible state, the bedding dirty and the
children wore dirty clothes.
He revisited on two successive days but Mary Ann had made
no attempt at improvement, she used abusive language at the inspector and he
became so shocked that he applied for a removal order for the two boys.
On the second visit by Inspector Butler Mary Ann’s
husband was present, he showed concern and asked that he hoped that they would
not get into any trouble. At this Mary
Ann told him to shut up and hit him in the mouth. She stated that they were “trying to get them
into the ……….. Workhouse”.
Little John Thomas was seen by Doctor A W Shea who
confirmed that he was suffering from abdominal tuberculosis and that the
environment in which he lived would only make his health worse. He told the court how John was “very
emaciated and very dirty”.
On the 17th May Inspector Wright called at the
house and issued the Liddell’s with a summons.
In usual style Mary Ann attached him.
Mr Liddell warned the Inspector “Be careful, she will either kick you or
bite you”. He pulled her off of the
Inspector by the throat and she turned and attacked her husband instead.
The focus was then turned to the state of the houses in
which the family lived; Back Row, Unstone.
The Inspector for the N.S.P.C.C said that he did not think that the
houses were fit for human habitation.
The Liddell family had an income of 34s per week, of this only 2s went
toward the rent of the house, so they were said to have had a good income to
live on. Mary Ann argued that she had
done her best by little John Thomas and with regard to the house, she said that
it was in such a state it didn’t matter if she cleaned it or not, it would
never be any better. A lady named
Rebecca Lilley was there as witness and backed up this statement.
Mary’s husband also attended and gave a witness statement;
he of course said that Mary looked after the boy well. The court asked “I think you do as your wife
tells you?” to which he replied with laughter “I have to do so sometimes”.
The court was said to have treated the situation as a
serious one and fined Mary Ann £2 including costs of 14 days imprisonment.
OTHER ITEMS –
*Cruelty to animals –
The R.S.P.C.A were also busy this week –
In Matlock Bath Mr Hoyland who was the landlord of the County
and Station Hotel gave evidence after his tom cat was severely abused by George
Earp a labourer.
Mr Hoyland described the terrible state the cat had
returned home in on 14th May.
George Earp admitted to him at the time “he looks very sour, but will be
all right in the morning”. The cat
however was so ill that the veterinary surgeon named Mr Clay was called for to
attend to the poor tom cat.
It appears that George Earp was employed by Mr Hoyland to
perform some sort of operation on the cat.
It was the diabolical job that he had done that was the problem. George was charged by Inspector Slattery and
he admitted his guilt and also told how he had carried out the operation. He had undertaken the operation without the
use of chloroform which should have been used as standard practice.
George was fined 5s and 10s costs.
The second incident occurred at Old Brampton when Albert
Booker was brought up against the Chesterfield Borough Magistrates charged with
ill-treating a horse.
Albert and his companion George were accused of working a
lame horse and causing pain and suffering.
They were spotted by P.C Payne in Low Pavement near the Chesterfield
Market Place; the horse was attached to a heavy market cart. P.C Payne stated that the horse was going
lame and examined the beast to find that there was a ring bone on the near hind
leg. The Booker men said that the horse
had one leg shorter than the other and that was the cause of him appearing
lame.
Inspector Slattery of the R.S.P.C.A and veterinary
surgeon George Robinson were also called to give their opinion and both agreed
that the horse had a ring bone. The
veterinary surgeon thought that it was an old wound and would not be causing
any pain.
Albert Booker was fined 10s and costs and George Booker
was fined 5s and costs. Albert gave this
excuse for not caring for the horse appropriately “I never had a horse”.
*Minor offences –
v Hannah
Orwood damaged a kettle belonging to Sarah Scott at Poolsbrook. She was fined for the damage of 2s 6d
v William
Parson was fined 1s for keeping a dog without a licence
v Arthur
Furniss was drunk and disorderly in Holymoorside on 19th May, he was
fined 2s 6d
v Thomas
Brinsley was fined 1s for having no light on his vehicle at Whittington
v James
Cutts damaged a hawthorn bush at Langwith which belonged to John Eadson. He was fined 1s plus costs.
MARRIAGES –
*Mr Charles George Dakin only son of Mr Dakin, The Bower,
Crich married Miss Ethel Mary Smith, eldest daughter of Mr J Smith, Sunny Bank,
Crich. The happy event took place at St
Michael’s Church, Crich.
There were two bridesmaids; Miss F E Smith (sister of
Ethel) and Miss F M Dakin (sister of Charles).
The best man was Mr S Ward of Shirebrook.
The bride wore a dress made of cream serge which was
trimmed with satin and lace; she wore a picture hat trimmed with chiffon and
orange blossom. Charles had given her a
gift of a gold watch which she also wore.
The bridesmaids wore dresses of slate poplin, which were
trimmed with pink silk and covered with lace and silk trimmings. They also wore hats to match and gold bangles
which Charles had given the girls as a gift.
The reception was held at Sunny Bank the home of Ethel
and the church bells which rang out into the evening would have been heard in
the distance. Afterwards the newly
married couple; Mr and Mrs C Dakin left for honeymoon in Buxton. Ethel wore a going away outfit of a navy and
pale blue blouse and hat to match.
*Samuel Walter Henson to Annie Gertrude Stevenson at
Chesterfield Parish Church on 28th May
*Frank Pullen to Norah Coyne on the same day and place as
above
*Henry Clark to Louisa Chalcraft at Chesterfield Parish
Church on 30th May
DEATHS –
*Gerald Haslehurst youngest son of George Haslehurst at
Bournemouth, Gerald was aged 30 years and formerly of Chesterfield
*Elizabeth Dronfield aged 37 years at Calver on 22nd
May
*James Alvey aged 77 years at Blackwell on 29th
May
*Matilda Brown aged 90 years at Whittington on 25th
May
*John Ryan aged 2 years at Chesterfield on 26th
May
*Mary Matilda Mitchell aged 65 years at Ashgate on 29th
May
SPORT –
*Cyclists –
The weather was settling down and cyclists were being
encouraged to get out there and enjoy the fresh air. It was suggested that the locals use the
Queens Park track to practise their cycling and a request had been put forward
to the Queens Park Committee to allow use for this purpose in the hour prior to
closure of the park.
Brimington Cycling Club had spent their Wednesday evening
on a route to Barlborough. Eight members
were present and they enjoyed a pleasant evening of weather and good
roads. They arrived back in Brimington
just after 8pm.
AND FINALLY…
*Wills –
The following persons had now died and a final call was
made for any surviving heirs or creditors to come forward –
v Mrs
Mary Marr – Victoria Street, Brampton
v Mr
William Hall – of Hasland who died on 10th April 1899
