THE funerals of Sarah Broomfield and her mother, Harriet Laugher, took place at Bromsgrove cemetery.

100 years ago

May 4, 1901

THE funerals of Sarah Broomfield and her mother, Harriet Laugher, took place at Bromsgrove cemetery. Last week Broomfield had murdered her mother in their small cottage they shared behind the Crab Mill pub, in Birmingham Road, before committing suicide. They were laid to rest in adjacent graves. A large number of onlookers gathered but had to content themselves with viewing from the road as the public was not allowed in the cemetery.

AN air of gloom hung over Droitwich Spa on Saturday for the funeral of "Salt King" John Corbett. Shops were closed and all blinds were drawn and a large crowd gathered by the gates of his home at Impney where he had lain in simple state to see the cortege move off to Stoke Prior Church.

FIVE new almshouses, nurses' quarters, plus an adjacent infirmary, were opened in Droitwich Spa under a trust set up in 1686 by Lord Coventry. The new buildings, which had cost £2,579, were opened by the countess of Coventry on May 1, a day when traditionally under the terms of the trust, all the inmates were given a free dinner. The infirmary had been converted from the old girls' school.

BROMSGROVE'S medical officer, Dr Kidd, wrote a letter to the Messenger alerting parents to the perils surrounding the inflammability of flannelette garments specially nightwear, following the recent death of a child by burning. He said once alight such clothes could not easily be removed and should be treated, as far as proximity to fire was concerned, as though they had been doused in paraffin.

50 years ago

May 5, 1951

PAT Rushton, daughter of major H P Rushton, of Phepson, near Droitwich Spa, was fast making a name for herself as an accomplished jockey in the point-to-point world. She notched up her fifth win of the season on Saturday at the Warwickshire farmers' meeting at Alcester Heath.

THREE Stoke Prior farms, the Elms, Little Harbours and Pipers Hill had been bought by Worcestershire County Council to let as four smallholdings. The combined premises comprised 158 acres, two houses and two cottages and had cost the authority £18,500.

INDUSTRIAL, or as it was otherwise known, Rogation Sunday, was observed at Christ Church, in Catshill, Bromsgrove. As a symbol of the village's still mainly agricultural industry, a plough and other farm implements were taken into church to be blessed. Other items signifying village industries were a loaf of bread, a lump of coal and a crate of milk bottles.

WORK on the new housing estate at Charford in Bromsgrove was going on apace. So far half of the 600 homes, which would be equipped with an electric boiler and cooker, had been constructed.

25 years ago

April 30, 1976

HILDA Goodenough and her 16-year-old step-daughter, Margaret, from Old Station Road, Bromsgrove, had won through to the Midland regional final of the National Scrabble Championships in Birmingham next week.

DISABLED drivers were set to get free parking when Bromsgrove District Council imposed charges soon. Badges would be given to those qualifying for concessions.

THE chamber at the Council House was packed for the start of a public inquiry into Bromsgrove District Council's refusal to allow Birmingham builders, Bryant, to build houses on the 20-acre former wagon works site at Aston Fields.

CHADSGROVE in Meadow Road, Catshill, Bromsgrove, a school equipped to teach children with physical disabilities welcomed its first pupils this week.

CLOSE on 900 scouts and their leaders marched through Bromsgrove to the parish church for the annual St George's Day parade. The salute was taken by district commissioner Frank Davis in Hanover Street.