Update of the PAST NEWS.... 1st February 1890

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

*Missing man –

 

It wasn’t until three months later in April that Charles’s body was found.  His particulars in the local Derbyshire Times are slightly different in that he was actually named Samuel Hartshorn /e.

The River Hipper and River Rother had been dragged many times by the County Police Force in an attempt to find him, but it wasn’t until Monday 21^st April 1890 that he was eventually found.  The gruesome discovery was made by a young chap named Arthur Rayner when he found Samuel floating on the top of the water near to Messrs Markham and Company’s Foundry.  It was around 8.30 am in the morning.  Arthur had at first thought that the body was a pile of rags, but on further investigation found it to be a decomposed body.

The body was in a terrible “most shocking and sickening” state, but pieces of clothing were identified as belonging to Samuel.  P C Oliver of the County Police recovered the body and removed it to a shed on the foundry of Messrs Markham and Company.

An inquest was held that same day in the evening at the Station Hotel at Chesterfield after the jury had undertaken the unenviable job of viewing the body Markham’s Foundry.  William Hartshorn the brother of Samuel confirmed that the body was that of Samuel.  He was able to be sure of this by its “stature, whiskers, clothes and boots”.  He also confirmed that Samuel was actually only 43 years old, not 64 as originally recorded.  He said that he left his home on Saturday 25^th January and had not been seen by him since that time.  A witness did see Samuel on his way to Chesterfield town centre at 3pm that afternoon.

Another witness named John Hartshorn also gave evidence and confirmed that it was the body of Samuel.  He last saw Samuel on Low Pavement and he was sober at this time, but he was fond of a drink on a Saturday night.  Samuel had been shopping and had purchased “some meat, herrings and oranges and sweets for the children”.

Thomas Gill an engine driver from Hasland had also seen Samuel of the night he went missing, at around 8pm – but he thought that he was “worse for beer”.  He saw him again later that evening at 11.30pm in a field in between Horns Bridge and the White Houses at Hasland.  Thomas spoke to Samuel and asked him if he was going to Hasland, to which he replied “I’m all right”.  At this Thomas took Samuel's arm to lead him home but Samuel refused to follow.  He was carrying a brown paper bag.

Arthur Rayner confirmed that on Monday he was employed at Messrs Markham and Company when he saw something floating in the river.  The point of the river was about 17ft.  He got a piece of long iron piping and moved the body to the edge of the river.

P C Oliver told how Samuel was not reported missing until 27^th January.  The night he went missing the rivers had flooded.  Over the next weeks many attempts at dragging the rivers were undertaken.  They handed bills out to passers-by with Samuel's description on, round about 1000 of them were distributed. 

The Coroner finalised the inquest by stating that it was impossible to ascertain how Samuel ended up in the water.  The verdict of “found drowned” was passed.  It was also noted that whilst they were searching for Samuel two other bodies were found in the same river.

Samuel was a married man; he married Clara Burton in Radford, Nottinghamshire in 1875.  On the 1881 census they are living at Charles Street, Grassmoor.  They have three young children; Leonard aged 5 years, Ellen aged 2 years and baby John aged 1 year old. 

One year on after the death of Samuel and Clara is still living on Charles Street, with her children; Leonard aged 15 years, John aged 11 years, Ann aged 9 years, Samuel aged 6 years, George aged 3 years and baby Naboth (who was named after Samuel’s father) .  Clara must have either been pregnant or had just given birth to this little boy at the time of Samuel’s disappearance and death.  Their daughter Ellen would now be around 11 / 12 years old.  She is not living with the family.  I have been unable to locate her on the 1891 census but by 1901 she is a housemaid for Louisa Sitwell and Gosden House in Shalford, Surrey.  The house is being cared for by a caretaker and 2 other staff in 1891 so it may well be that Ellen was working for the Sitwell family at that time and they may have been out of the country in 1891.

What about the two bodies found in the Rivers?

As for the body of the woman found when the police were originally looking for Samuel, I have not been able to find anymore mention of this case and of whom the woman was.

As mentioned at the inquest there were two bodies found.  I can find another article for a man named James Sanders Madin who had apparently been missing for a few weeks.  An earlier article told how James had gone missing on Saturday 22^nd February at about 7.30 and was not seen again.  He had taken the route across the Militia Fields towards Wharf Lane.  It was feared then that as it was such a foggy night he may have fallen into the River Rother.

His body was found on Sunday 2^nd March at around 2.55 whilst the River Rother was being dragged.  The inquest into his death was held at the St Helens Inn on Sheffield Road and it was heard how James was a 20 year old French polisher.  He lived with his brother John Madin at 1 Victoria Street.  James and John were the sons of Herbert Madin a painter who lived on Saltergate.

 

Echoes of our Past NEWS............1st February 1890

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

What was in the local news this weekend in 1890?

MAIN NEWS –

*Call for better wages for colliery banksmen –

A meeting was held at the Sun Inn at Chesterfield on behalf of the banksmen of the Derbyshire Collieries.  The Derbyshire Miners Association called the meeting and it was chaired by Mr Henry Jarvis of New Whittington. 

The whole purpose of the meeting was to attempt to gain equality and fairer pay for the colliery banksmen.  At present they were seen as less worthy of a decent wage as they only worked above ground, thus didn’t undertake the dangerous work like the underground men did.  Another issue was the fact that up until now there was no union for the banksmen and so they had not been united in numbers in their fight.  Now however a large number of banksmen had joined the Derbyshire Miners Association which meant that they had a large union of substantial power behind them.

It was argued that now the cost of living was rising; rents were higher, food and clothing were more expensive.  The Union asked that no “capable banksman" should earn less than 24s a week.  This would mean in reality a uniform increase in 20% of the wages paid.  Some collieries had already given their banksmen a wage increase –

West Kiverton 20%

Nesfield 20%

Silkstone 20%

Holbrock 16 ½ % (7d per day)

Langwith 15%

Glapwell 15%

Renishaw Park two three pences per day

Hornsthorpe two three pences per day

Tibshelf two three pences per day

Mapperley one three pence per day

Unstone Main 2d per day

Norwood 8d per day – the best rise up to now

OTHER ITEMS –

*Missing Grassmoor man –

A collier from Charles Street at Grassmoor had been missing since Saturday after leaving his home at 6pm that evening.  The collier was named Charles Hartshorn and he had left home to visit Chesterfield Market, where he was last seen about 11pm that night at Messrs Tyler Brother’s shop in the Low Pavement.

The description was given out of Charles; he was about 64 years old, 5ft 9 inches in height, of pale complexion with dark hair, side whiskers, chin shaven, slightly pitted with small pox.  He was of stout build and was wearing a “serge coat, light checked trousers, patched at the knee and seat, black and white scarf, blue and white shirt, grey stockings, boots recently repaired”.  All of his apparel was said to be much worn. 

Charles was thought to have fallen in the rivers Hipper or Rother, as it was said that he was very drunk when last seen.  The police were making a search of the rivers when they discovered the body of an unidentified female in the River Hipper.  The whereabouts of Charles was still unknown at this time.

*Dronfield Education –

The H M Inspectors reports were read at a meeting in the Cross Lane Schools.  They were described as “on the whole satisfactory”.  The boys department had done extremely well and passed 83 1/2% which had earn the school a grant of £142 12s 4d.  The girls had done even better with 88% pass rate, which equated to a grant of £150 13s 4d.  The infant department which was run by Miss Beardmore had also gained a grant (for the first time) of 15s.  The total amount for the school was £385 10s 8d.

Changes in the school teachers at Cross Lane School were also noted.  Miss Edwards a pupil teacher had been given a new job at nearby Woodhouse School.  Her salary would be £35 per year.  The position of Assistant Master at Cross Lane School had also been advertised and they had received 6 applications.  A Mr A E Broome from Ashton near Manchester was the successful candidate and was appointed at an annual salary of £45.

Over at the Woodhouse School the pass rates had been even better, 915 in the mixed department.  This meant that they had been awarded a grant of £104 7s 6d.

*Fatal accident at Rodlsey –

On Saturday last a farm servant named Thomas Rodgers was assisting to load a cart with the bags of wheat, which he had to carry down some steps from the corn chamber.  He was employed by Mr Burton a farmer at Kedleston.  As he was carrying a bag down the steps he lost his balance and fell down the flight of steps.  He injured his spine and was taken to the infirmary. 

Sadly his condition worsened and he died the next day.  His parents live at Rodsley near Ashbourne.

BIRTHS –

*Evans - on 8^th January son of Rev E Muirhead Evans, vicar of Ilkeston

MARRIAGES –

*George James Ogden only son of Samuel Ogden to Elizabeth Dean, only daughter of the late Francis Walter Ogden on 22^nd January at Wirksworth

*William son of the late William Gregory of East Moor to Maria Drabble eldest son of J H Drabble of Hollins House, Old Brampton on 27^th January by license at Old Brampton Church

*William Cutts potter to Alice Lowe at Chesterfield Parish Church on 20^th January

DEATHS –

*Maria Douglas wife of Bowery Douglas J P and ex-mayor of Chesterfield at the Cottage, Chesterfield on 27^th January.  Maria was interred at Calow Church on 31^st January

*John Hopkinson of Chestnut Cottage, Holmgate (late of Lifton Fields, South Wingfield) on 25^th January

*Charles Wright of Manor House Farm, Tapton on 28^th January, after many years of illness

*At Chesterfield Union Workhouse –

Jno Bush aged 39 years on 23^rd January

Arthur Eastwood aged 16 months on 25^th January

Miriam Rose aged 45 years on 25^th January

John Wright aged 82 years on 23^rd January

WEATHER –

*Weather 1889 –

The head gardener at Chatsworth a Mr O Thomas had taken detailed notes on the weather of 1889.  Here are his recordings –

v  Greatest rainfall – March 8^th 1.33 inches over 24 hours.

v  Highest temperature – 27^th June and 6^th July, 76 degrees

v  Lowest temperature – 6^th January, 11 degrees or 21 degrees of frost

He also noted that “if it had not been for the bright hot weather in June and early July, the weather in 1889 would have been very little better than in the cold sunless year of 1888.  It will chiefly be remembered in Derbyshire for its extraordinary crops of grass, and the almost entire failure of the apple crop”.

AND FINALLY…

*Living to an old age –

Belper Union were proudly reporting the ages of the people receiving relief from the Union.  In the district there were 112 people who were aged in between 70 years to over 90 years, which was described as “unusual”.

There were 3 people aged over 90 years, 4 people in between 85 and 90 years, 23 in between 80 and 85 years, 45 in between 75 and 80 years and 37 in between 70 and 75 years old.  The average age expectation at that time was late 40’s (1) so Belper was doing remarkably well.

 

(1) http://www.osfi.gc.ca/app/DocRepository/1/eng/oca/pdf/DEIP_Gallop_e.pdf