300 YEARS AGO:

LOST on Sunday evening last, a child of Jonathan Thomas in The Butts, Worcester, of five years of age, having on an old linsey frock with a linen cap on her head, with an old pair of shoes, without stockings.

Her brothers and sisters, little children, declare they saw a middle-sized woman in a dark-coloured gown and a straw hat on her head, carry her off. Whosoever secures the said woman or brings the child to her parents Jonathan and Mary Thomas in The Butts, Worcester, shall be satisfied to their content.

250 YEARS AGO:

AT Worcester Assizes, John Hill for stealing linen, the property of Eleanor Godfrey, and one Thorpe for embezzling his master’s goods were both ordered to be transported for seven years; Elisha Greenwood, John Martin, Nathaniel Whatson and William Whatson, all for pettylarceny, were ordered to be whipped, the three former publicly next Saturday (being Fair Day) in the Corn Market. Benjamin Neale, charged with stealing several sums of money and some plate, the property of a baker at Droitwich, was burnt in the hand.

200 YEARS AGO:

AN inquest was taken by the coroner, Mr Hill at the Boar’s Head Inn, Severn Stoke, on the body of Mr Dent senior of Sidbury, Worcester, which was found floating in the waters of the Severn yesterday in the parish of Severn Stoke. He had been missing since the night of the February 21.

From the evidence that the valuables he had with him when last seen and which were found in his clothes, the idea that the deceased came to his death by violence was satisfactorily removed, and there being no doubt but Mr Dent, in passing near the Severn Bridge at Worcester on the night in question, owing to the darkness or to sudden illness, fell into the water and so came to his death.

The jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

150 YEARS AGO:

AS Edward Wedgebury, a lamplighter, was passing the Vulcan Works, Worcester at 4am on Saturday, he found lying in the road the body of a newly born male child, wrapped in flannel and in a pillow case, enclosed in a black cotton bag. The child did not appear to be above a day old. It was delivered into the custody of PC Cullis and was taken to the Navigation Inn, Lowesmoor, where an inquest was held the same afternoon by Mr Rea, the city coroner. A post-mortem examination was made by Mr Everett who was of the opinion that the child had been born alive but he could not account for the cause of death. A verdict of ‘found dead’ was returned by the jury.

100 YEARS AGO:

A SAD accident occurred near Pershore on Tuesday whereby the Rev HJ Hammond, who has been the rector of Great Comberton since 1905, lost his life. The rector left his home at on his horse at 11.15 am for Little Comberton and, when near the crossroads, the animal threw him over its head and galloped on, leaving him lying unconscious on the side of the road in a pool of blood. He never recovered and died at 3pm.