100 YEARS AGO:

AN engine cleaner named Charles Sheppard of Rainbow Hill, Worcester, fell from his engine at the Great Western cleaning sheds, Shrub Hill on Friday evening while cleaning the upper part of it. His head struck the ground and fellow workmen found he was severely injured. He was conveyed to the infirmary on the Great Western ambulance and was found to have fractured his skull.

150 YEARS AGO:

J Matthews, auctioneer, sold by auction on Monday at his auction room in High Street, Worcester, a variety of articles that had been forfeited to the Crown by prisoners convicted of felonies in this county, and which had been taken from their possession by the officials at the County Gaol.

The articles comprised a gold watch, a silver snuff box, several silver watches, a small Bible, knives, combs, pledge tickets and a variety of other things. The watches caused some spirited competition and sold at their full value.

200 YEARS AGO:

A dreadful and destructive storm struck Worcester at half past four in the afternoon of Monday last when from extremely dark clouds poured a volley of hailstones, or rather pieces of ice of various forms, several picked up being five or six inches long. For magnitude, we suppose this intense volley has not been exceeded by any which has fallen in this area before. It may reasonably be concluded that immense destruction was occasioned by these ice fragments and there is scarcely a window in this city, exposed to the south east, which has not had part of its glass destroyed. Greenhouses and hot-houses have also been dashed to pieces. The streets really present a melancholy appearance and the distress has been aggravated due to every house, thus struck, being exposed through broken windows to the rain which fell in considerable quantities. At the workhouse, 500 panes were broken, at the infirmary nearly 150, and the Bishop’s Palace has also greatly suffered. At Messrs Barr & Flight’s china manufactory 1,200 panes were destroyed, and it was feared that the painted eastern window at the Cathedral would be greatly damaged, but we are happy to say that the injury is comparatively small. All these facts surely convey to our readers the dreadful nature of the tempest but only those who witnessed it can conceive the terrors it inspired. The Severn rose nearly 20 feet in 24 hours, causing a severe flood and the fields with growing crops have been laid waste.

250 YEARS AGO:

TO be let (ready furnished, and entered upon immediately): Besford Court, the seat of Sir Thomas Sebright, Bart.

There is a very good kitchen garden planted with the best sorts of wall fruit, in the highest perfection of bearing, a pleasant garden, all walled in, a large orchard; cider mill, pigeon house, well stocked with pigeons, coach-house, stables, dog-kennel, six ponds for keeping fish with grazing on meadow ground adjoining to the yard; six miles from Worcester, seven from Evesham, two from Pershore and six from Tewkesbury. For further particulars, enquire of William Hulme.

300 YEARS AGO:

The Crown Inn, Broad Street, Worcester, being a freehold estate, is to be sold.

Enquire of Edward Perkins in Newport Street.