250 YEARS AGO: Last Friday evening, an unhappy event happened at Mr White's, Shopkeeper of Hartlebury, by the explosion of a large quantity of Gunpowder, which took fire in the shop, whereby Mrs White, two of her children and a servant maid were terribly burnt, as likewise were two customers who happened to be in the shop, one of whom was a neighbour's child and the other the daughter of a farmer near that place. Great damage was likewise done to the furniture and goods in the shop, and part of the side wall of the house was also forced down.

* Tis imagined there will be a very numerous and genteel appearance at the Public Breakfast on Monday next at the Digley (Diglis) Bowling Green.

200 YEARS AGO: On Saturday evening last we were visited by a severe storm, accompanied with thunder and some of the most vivid flashes of lightning to have been witnessed for some time past. The electric fluid entered the chimney of a house near this city and severely injured a woman and a boy who were sitting at the fire-place. A boy driving a team at Hallow near this city was thrown down as a result of the horses being startled by the lightning and, one of the wheels passing over his body, he was so severely bruised as to survive only till the following day. An inquest was held on the body - Verdict: "Accidental Death"

* A meeting of the Mayor and Corporation of Worcester was held at the Town Hall on Friday last when an Address to his Majesty (George III), expressive of the high sense of gratitude they entertained for the unremitting attention which his Majesty has shewn for the interests and welfare of his people and admiration of that firm conduct which his Majesty has shewn in opposing the innovations subversive of those laws which guard the reformed Protestant Religion, was unanimously agreed to.

150 YEARS AGO: "A Juvenile Wanderer" - Superintendent Chipp called the attention of the Bench at Worcester Police Court to the case of a little girl, a 12 year-old named Jane Bromage, who applied at the police station house on Saturday evening for shelter for the night. She stated that both her parents were dead and she had been living with her grandmother who had at last told her she was too poor to keep her. The girl had no money and had for a time been in Bromyard Workhouse. She had come to Worcester to look for a place of service. The magistrates asked several questions of the girl and ordered her to be kept at the station house till next day and then sent out of town on her way to Bromyard.

* "The Worcestershire Bowmen" - An association of 50 gentlemen archers, under this designation, has been formed in this city. The day of the meeting is to be Wednesday of each week at the Talbot in The Tything, each alternate Wednesday to be a match day.

100 YEARS AGO: "Severn Boating Disaster" - The City Coroner, Mr W.B. Hulme held an inquest at the Guildhall on Monday into the deaths of Miss Alice Ratcliffe (35) and Miss Rose Scholfield (36), both of Bradford, who were drowned at Hallow on Easter Saturday as a result of a collision between the steamer "Belle" and a small boat. Miss Ratcliffe was on a visit to her sister, Mrs Read of St Dunstan's Crescent, Worcester and on the afternoon of the tragedy, she and Miss Scholfield joined Mrs Read and her husband and small son for a rowing trip along the river. They had reached Hallow when the disaster occurred and all those in the small boat were thrown into the river. Despite the valiant efforts of Mr James William Everton who was on the steamer and saved Mrs Read, the two visiting ladies were drowned. Mr Read, who could swim a little, saved himself and his son. The captain of the "Belle" was octogenarian Isaac Webb who said his steamer was travelling at only 5 miles an hour. The inquest jury returned a verdict of "Accidental Death" and added a rider that the steamer captain had acted to the best of his judgement but should have been more fully acquainted with the river rules applying to the taking of great care in passing small boats.