250 YEARS AGO:

YESTERDAY, between four and five in the evening, Joseph Clarke, threadmaker of Dudley, was attacked by two highwaymen near the fourth milestone between Worcester and Droitwich, one of whom presented a pistol at him and took from him three guineas, two quarter-guineas, and between 30 and 40 shillings in silver. Both are lustymade men but one is rather shorter than the other and they were well mounted, one on a dark bay about 14 hands high, the other on an iron grey about 15 hands high. One had on a dark frize or duffel great coat while the other had on a lighter coloured one. When they had robbed Mr Clarke, they made hastily towards Worcester after threatening to return and shoot him if he attempted to pursue them.

Between six and seven o’clock, two men on horseback, answering to the above descriptions, slipped through the turnpike in St John’s without paying and rode full speed for Powick, so that they must be gone towards Ledbury or Upton.

200 YEARS AGO:

ON Thursday an inquest was taken by George Hill, coroner, on the body of Mary Cox, aged 60, who was killed the previous day by the falling of a stone wall, part of a hovel which was in great decay. Verdict: accidental death.

150 YEARS AGO:

VIOLENT assault. A young man named John Millard, living with his parents in Emily Square, Silver Street, Worcester, was charged at the City Police Court with committing a violent assault upon his sister Eliza on Sunday morning last. It appeared that some quarrelling took place between Millard and two of his sisters when he struck Eliza a blow with his fist unawares. He then struck his other sister Hannah violently on the face and head and when Eliza stepped between them, she received a kick and, afterwards as she was sitting down, he struck her again and bent her head backwards over a mangle and, while holding her by the throat with one hand, said he would have her windpipe out before long and would be her butcher before morning. At this stage, neighbours intervened and Eliza became insensible and did not recover her consciousness until midnight. The defendant has been a soldier in the East Indies for upwards of 10 years and, in defence, expressed sorrow for what had happened. The magistrate said this was a dreadful case, and had the girl died, there was little doubt but that Millard would have been committed for wilful murder. He was sentenced to six months’ hard labour.

100 YEARS AGO:

AN open air evening in aid of the Waifs and Strays Society was held at Croome Court, the country seat of Lord and Lady Coventry, on Thursday afternoon. The listeners faced the temple greenhouse which is situated in a prettily planted part of the grounds. Lord Coventry presided and Canon Coventry said there was no more deserving charity than that which rescued distressed children who had never known the pleasure or blessing of family homes and who were placed by the society in homes away from squalor, misery and bad surroundings. Obviously the society required constant help and philanthropy.