100 YEARS AGO:

AN objectionable boy.

Richard Esprey (16) of Severn Street, Worcester, was summonsed at the city police court for using obscene language at the Cross. PC Drinkwater said the prisoner was chasing another boy and using very obscene language. The chief constable, Mr Byrne said the boy was regularly at the Cross from 10 o’clock till 11 at night doing all sorts of objectionable things, and sometimes half clothed. He was turned out of his home last Thursday and went to the workhouse for the night.

Mr Byrne did not think the boy was quite right. Esprey was sent to prison for seven days, the chairman of the bench WR Needham suggesting the work would do him good.

150 YEARS AGO:

EDWARD Colley of Fernhill Heath and Thomas Thorn of Grimley were charged at the County Magistrates Court with night poaching on the estate of Lord Sandys at Ombersley on Sunday.

Police Sergeant Matthews met the two men on the turnpike road. One of them had a bag on his back with a net and both men later confessed to having been engaged in poaching on land belonging to Lord Sandys.

They were each sentenced to two months’ hard labour and bound over not to repeat the offence for 12 months.

􀁥 An inquest was held on Saturday at the Yorkshire House in St Nicholas Street, Worcester, on the body of an infant child, seven weeks old, the offspring of a young woman named Elizabeth Harper of Martley. The mother was on her way from a village near Worcester to the workhouse at Martley and, on reaching Upper Henwick Road, the child, which had been ailing from birth, expired in its mother’s arms. She then carried the dead child to the police station where Mr Everett, surgeon, was sent for and, after an examination, he came to the conclusion that the child had died from natural causes, and a verdict to that effect was returned.

200 YEARS AGO:

ON Monday an inquest was taken by Mr Hill, coroner, at Berrow Green, Martley, on view of the body of Thomas Benbow, aged 60, which was found in a pool on Saturday.

No mark of violence appearing on the body, nor any evidence of previous insanity, it was imagined, as the deceased had been at work near the spot, that he had fallen by accident into the water. Verdict: found drowned.

250 YEARS AGO:

LAST night Emanuel Miers was committed to gaol in Worcester to await trial, being charged with stealing a gold ring from the shop of Mr Lutwyche, watchmaker in Foregate Street. This fellow came to Mr Lutwyche’s shop in the morning and bargained for some goods to the value of about £12, paid a guinea in earnest, took the goods with him and promised to call and pay the remainder of the money in an hour or two. Instead, between seven and eight in the evening, he had provided himself with a seat in a post chaise going to Birmingham and would have got clear away had not Mrs Lutwyche (who happened to be in the shop while the chaise was passing) luckily perceived him in it, upon which the alarm was given, the chaise stopped and the fellow apprehended.

On his being searched, the ring was found upon him which he had artfully stolen while he was bargaining for the other goods.