100 YEARS AGO:

AT the Worcester County Petty Sessions on Tuesday, George Henry Lane of the Half-Way Inn, Fernhill Heath was summonsed for permitting gaming on his licensed premises on five dates in September. GW Hobson, prosecuting, said that gaming and gambling had taken place and it was understood that cribbage and quoits were played for drinks. It was an objectionable practice which led to excessive drinking and was unfair to other licence holders who did not allow such practices on their premises. Joseph Bissell of Hindlip said he went with his brother to the Half-Way House on September 8 and took part in two games of cribbage, winning each game and being, therefore, treated to beer. Two nights later, he also won three games out of four. One evening, the landlord played quoits and won a good many games, the losers paying for beer. Police went to the inn on September 13, disguised as workmen, and took the names of those gaming inside. AJ Beauchamp, defending, said Lane had hitherto shown exemplary conduct as a licensee and promised to carry out his business in future in the proper manner. Defendant was fined £1 in each of the five cases and ordered to pay costs of £12.18s.8d.

150 YEARS AGO:

A GIRL named Mary Burch, lodging with a companion at a house in Copenhagen Street, near the Quay, committed suicide on Wednesday evening by drowning herself in the Severn. It appears that during the day she had received a letter from her sweetheart and from something which it contained, she was induced to partake of intoxicating drinks.

About eight o’clock, in company with a girl named Riscoe, she took a walk along the footpath skirting Paine’s Meadows by the side of the river, when she suddenly plunged into the water and was soon carried towards the middle of the stream. Riscoe jumped in with the intention of rescuing the girl, and she narrowly escaped the same fate. Her screams brought to the spot two other girls and a young man who with much difficulty succeeded in liberating Riscoe from her danger, she in the meantime having scrambled back to the shore and was holding herself from sinking by some tufts of grass. She was conveyed to her lodging where restoratives were applied, and she is recovered.

200 YEARS AGO:

EARLY yesterday morning, the body of a new born child was found in a privy in Friar Street, Worcester, where it was most probably placed by its unhuman mother immediately after birth. An inquest was held on the body this morning by John Platt, coroner, when it appeared by the testimony of an eminent surgeon that the child appeared to have died through want of proper care, the jury returning a verdict accordingly. Every means is being used to discover the mother but so far without result.

250 YEARS AGO:

LAST Sunday morning between one and two o’clock, Mr Gwinnell, glover of Lowesmoor, happening to awake and hearing a noise, which he apprehended to be that of some persons attempting to break into his house, got up and softly opening a chamber window, perceived a fellow attempting to cut a hole through a window shutter.

He fired a pistol at the rogue, who then immediately made off, and it is pretty certain that he carried away with him a great part of the shot with which the pistol was loaded.