100 Years Ago:

AS the last day of the year was slowly dying, there rang clearly from the grounds of Witley Court the strains of Home, Sweet Home, sung enthusiastically by school children as Lord and Lady Dudley motored up the drive leading to their beautiful Worcestershire seat.

All the tenants and servants gathered with lanterns to greet Lord and Lady Dudley and their children after their absence of six years occupying the vice-regal palace of Ireland during his lordship's time as Governor of that country. They travelled to Worcester by the afternoon corridor express from Paddington. The rejoicing in connection with the homecoming continued the next day, declared a general holiday for the neighbourhood, when Lord and Lady Dudley, their five eldest children and the 300 tenants and servants attended a service at the parish church before a lavish party for all in Witley Court.

150 Years Ago:Coach robberies. Pocket-picking on the Malvern coaches has been prevalent during the last few days, some expert thief having managed to cut open the pockets of several ladies' dresses to steal the contents.

A servant girl had her pocket picked of 25 shillings and a ring in this manner and on Monday a widow lady was robbed of 18 shillings without any clue being left as to the offender.

* The condition of several of the principal thoroughfares of this city, from the displacements of surface effected by the sewerage operations and acted on by the late heavy rains, has become exceedingly bad and in many places even dangerous.

Lowesmoor has been so bad that an indictment has been talked of. We are glad to hear that measures are now being taken to fill in the ruts and cleanse the streets as soon as possible.

200 Years Ago:On Wednesday last an inquest was held by Mr Platt, coroner for this city, on the body of a child about four years of age, the son of Mr Philpott, publican in Frog Lane (now Castle Street), who, it appeared, had opened the door of a furnace which had been used that day for the purpose of brewing.

His pinafore was drawn into the fire and he was almost immediately enveloped in flames and so dreadfully burnt that, notwithstanding every assistance given him, lived but till the following day. Verdict: accidental death.

This shocking catastrophe makes another addition to the melancholy catalogue of similar accidents in this vicinity and imperiously calls forth a repetition of that caution which we have before given - that children should not be permitted to go near any place or left in a room by themselves where there is a fire.

250 Years Ago:ON Thursday last was held the anniversary meeting of the contributors to our infirmary at Worcester. An excellent sermon was preached by the Bishop of Worcester and the collection amounted to £72.17s.4d which is £13.8s.9d more than was collected last year. According to a report of the state of the infirmary, it appeared that 7,710 poor objects (some of them afflicted in the most grievous manner) had been under the care of this charity, of whom 3,822 had been discharged perfectly cured.

* On Monday last, Susannah Guise was committed to our county gaol at Worcester to await trial for stealing out of the dwelling house of Mr Houseman at Hampton Lovett a shirt, an apron, a tablecloth, some bacon etc. She has several times before been in our gaol and has divers times been whipped at the cart's tail.