250 YEARS AGO:

A FEW days since a woman at Hanbury, near Droitwich, having had very high words with her husband, hanged herself on a curtain rod, with a fillet that bound up her arm, she having been let blood the day before.

● For sale. A well accustomed house known by the sign of the Stag’s Head, together with a brewhouse, good stabling, a barn and three outbuildings, situated at the top of the Foregate, Worcester and currently in the possession of John Welch. For particulars, enquire at the said house.

● This morning a publican’s wife in this city of Worcester was found drowned in our river. She had for some time appeared disordered in mind.

200 YEARS AGO:

BEFORE the opening of the Worcester Assizes, His Majesty’s Justice, Sir Simon Le Blanc dined with the Earl of Coventry at Croome Court.

On the opening day of the assizes, Thomas Nash, for an assault on an infant under the age of 12 with intent to commit a rape in a field near Kempsey; William George, for stealing a scythe out of a field at Hadzor and Richard Arcelus, for assaulting and illtreating Nancy George of Fladbury, were each sentenced to 14 days imprisonment and to be publicly whipped on a market day at Worcester.

● A bull, having strayed to Leigh Court some weeks ago, the owner, by paying all expenses to Mr Butler, bailiff, may have him again.

● During our race week at Worcester, the ball at the Town Hall (Guildhall) was attended by a very brilliant and numerous company, and the theatre overflowed every night.

The different places of public amusement in the city gave universal satisfaction.

150 YEARS AGO:

A YOUTH of 18 named Thomas George, the son of respectable parents living in Friar Street in this city, was drowned while bathing in the Severn near Diglis Lock on Friday evening last.

Several of his companions dived in to render him assistance but were unable to rescue him. George and Henry Jenkins, fishermen of Severn Street, succeeded soon afterwards in extricating him from the water but he was dead.

His body was removed to the Anchor Inn, Diglis, where an inquest was held the following day and a verdict of accidental death returned by the jury.

● The two poor men, James Goldenham and Charles Wintle, so badly injured by an accident while blasting in the new railway tunnel near Malvern last week, are, we are glad to say, recovering. They have received every attention at Worcester Infirmary but it is doubtful whether Goldenham, whose face was much injured, will be enabled to retain his eyesight.

100 YEARS AGO:

DRAFT plans were submitted to Worcester City Council and approved this week for the proposed erection of a girls’ school on the vacant site between the two blocks of buildings of the Victoria Institute. The estimated cost is £6,750 and the plans also allow for the future extension of the City Museum in Foregate Street section of the Victoria Institute. (The proposed school, which was to be alongside Taylors Lane, became the forerunner of the Worcester Grammar School for Girls).

● George Hickin, drayman of Comer Road, Worcester, pleaded guilty at the County Petty Sessions to a charge of furious driving at Fernhill Heath. John Tovey said he was standing near Fernhill Heath railway bridge when the defendant drove up. The horse was galloping and was on the wrong side of the road.

He estimated the speed as 18 miles an hour.

George Rivers said he was cycling towards Worcester and the defendant took no notice of his bell.

He had to fall sideways off his machine or he would have been run down.