100 Years Ago:

William Jennings and his brother Thomas, who were in partnership as mat repairers in Worcester, featured in a case at Exeter Quarter Sessions this week.

William was charged with wounding his wife. In evidence it was stated that William Jennings, on coming out of hospital at Worcester after an accident, discovered that his wife had eloped with his brother Thomas.

He traced the runaways to Exeter and the two brothers fought for the woman and Thomas won. The husband resigned his wife but remained in the same house as a lodger. All three lived together on good terms until six weeks ago when a quarrel broke out and the accused stabbed his wife. The jury acquitted the prisoner who promised to leave Exeter.

* John Flynn, aged 11, of Little Charles Street, and William Knight (13) of Sansome Street, schoolboys, were charged at Worcester Police Court with stealing from a shop in New Street, 12 packets of Sweet Grapes cigarettes, value one shilling.

The bench sentenced Knight to six strokes of the birch and Flynn to three.

150 Years Ago:

AN application was made to Worcester Magistrates' Court with regard to the nuisance occasioned by boys playing at tip-cat - a game involving a short piece of wood being struck with a stick - which is very prevalent in the streets, more particularly in the London Road.

The bench, after alluding to the dangerous nature of the game, intimated that measures would be taken for the suppression of the annoyance and an example made of the offenders brought before them.

* Unwelcome customer. A large pane of glass in the shop window of Mr Marshall, tailor in High Street, was broken on Monday last by a bullock, one of a herd which was being driven along the main street by a man and a boy.

The animal attempted to enter the shop, and in being driven back committed the damage. The man, when appealed to by Mr Marshall as to the owner of the cattle, was exceedingly abusive and refused to give any information whatever. The glass, however, was insured in the Times Insurance Office, and Mr Marshall has been promptly recompensed for the damage.

200 Years Ago:

A second new comet has been sighted. It is easily visible with the naked eye and the nucleus appears larger than that of the first comet. It has no tail and appears to be approaching the sun and will probably be long visible. Its situation four nights ago was near the constellation Andromeda 40 N. lat.

l An inquest was held on Saturday last by Mr Platt, coroner for this city, on the body of a woman who was found drowned in a pool situated in a field near Worcester bridge. It appeared that on the night before, being intoxicated, she mistook her way and walked into the pool. Verdict: accidental death.

* Hatton, the comedian, who so frequently excited the risibility of Worcester theatre audiences, made an exit from the world's stage about six weeks since at South Carolina in America where, it is said, he was making a rapid fortune. He died of the yellow fever and besides a well-furnished house left $2,450.

250 Years Ago:

A FEW days since, as a boy, about 11 years of age, servant of Mr Savage, apothecary of Evesham, was riding his master's horse to water.

The creature slipped down and threw the boy from its back, but his foot remaining in the leather of one of the stirrups, the horse dragged him in that manner a considerable way before he was disengaged, though several persons met the horse and endeavoured to stop it. The boy was taken up speechless and though all possible care was taken of him, he died soon after.

* Yesterday, Jane Baylis, a strolling woman, was committed to our county gaol at Worcester to await trial on suspicion of breaking into the house of John Spilsbury of Clifton-on-Team (sic) and stealing thereout several parcels of goods.

* Last week John Brodribb of this city, receiver general for the County of Worcester, was married to Grace Berrow of Ledbury, an agreeable young lady of distinguished merit with a fortune of £10,000.