Extracts from
Eddows’s
Shrewsbury Journal
1858
relating to Broseley and District
Broseley
Local History Society
2007
6th January 1858
PETTY SESSIONS, TUESDAY, before C Ferriday Esq. (mayor)= , G Pritchard, Esq. W P Brookes, Esq. and R Hartsfield, Esq.
CHARGE OF TRESPASS.- William Jones, labourer, was charg= ed by Charles Jesses gamekeeper to Lord Forester, with having set a gin for the catching of game on his lordship’s land. The evidence brought forward= was unsatisfactory, and the case was therefore dismissed.
These sessions were held on Saturday last; the court-ho= use was much more crowded than usual. The following gentlemen were sworn on the grand jury:- Mr John Humphries, Broseley, foreman; Mr John Evans, Ditton Priors; Mr Thomas Easthope, Middleton; Mr George Hartshorne, Broseley; Mr Thomas Howells, Marsh; Mr W D= ay, Ironbridge; Mr Thomas Watson, Benthall; Mr George Howells, Walton; Mr E. Cartwright, Rowley; Mr Richard Walleter, Hughley; Mr John Yates, Ironbridge= ; Mr W Bywater, Hughley; Mr Edward Pardoe, Ironbridge; Mr T Birch, Broseley; and= Mr John Harvey, Broseley.
Mr Best moved to enter a respite on behalf of the
churchwardens, &c of the parish of Tilston in the
The grand jury were charged by the Recorder, and immedi= ately returned a true bill against Mark B= all, who was indicted for stealing two oak rafters, the property of Mr T Page, at Broseley. The prisoner was also indicted for stealing 60lbs. of iron cart t= ire from the same prosecutor’s Mr Best prosecuted, Mr Batte appeared for = the prisoner. John Harrington Page: Am a wine merchant, in partnership with James page, my brother; in December last prisoner was employed in building a brewhouse for= us; on Tuesday, the 8th December, I saw eight pieces of cart tire: t= hey were put in an old engine room, and were to be used in the building; on Wednesday, the 16th, I remember the prisoner and Tom, the Irishm= an, working there; watched that day; saw Ball inside, and a man outside; saw Ba= ll handling something out to the other man; went round and came to the back wh= ere they were working; stood by the mouth of an old ashpit; some one came into = the pit and moved the iron; I heard it rattle; heard Ball say ‘be quick’; sent for a constable; about nine o’clock I went to the = pit again, and where I had heard the iron deposited I found six pieces of cart tire, the same which had been in the engine room; went back and found only = two remaining there; it was a very dark night; the iron produced is it. Cross-examined: I have never quarrelled with the prisoner; never gave him i= nto custody, and I believe my brother never has- Joshua Cumpstone, constable: I= was sent for on the evening of the 16th December; went to the prosecutor’s and watched till nine: Mr Page came then, and we made a search and found the iron against Delves’s wall; watched inside prosecutor’s door all night till a quarter past six next morning; hea= rd it rattle, and then I heard a person come past me; as soon as he had gone p= ast I turned my lantern on him and saw the iron on his back; it was the prisone= r; called out, and told him I had been waiting for him all night; he said, ‘you haven’t, have you’; I said, where are you going to t= ake it? He said he was going to take it to the yard; took him into custody; I produced the iron. Cross-examined: Mr Page’s brother gave him in char= ge once foe being drunk- James Hinn: AM a blacksmith and work for Mr Walton, Ironbridge; he lives 40 yards from Page’s; on the 17th December, about five minutes past six, Ball followed me into the shop as I = was opening; he brought an iron grate; he said he had a lot of old iron and wou= ld fetch it to sell it with the grate; he went away; he did not come back; it = was a very dark morning. Cross-examined: He did not tell me he would sell the o= ld tire iron.- Mr Walton, blacksmith; Know the prisoner by sight; met him on t= he 16th December; ha asked me what I gave for old iron; told him; he brought the gra= te.- This closed the case for the prosecution.- Mr Batte then addressed the jury= on behalf of the prisoner, and called Joseph Lamb, who deposed that he heard Mr Page repeatedly ask prisoner to take care of the things and put them up, and the jury returned a verdict of guilty. He was sentenced to 3 months impriso= nment with hard labour.
Mary Hill, = charged with breaking into the house of Sarah Nicholas, and stealing therein various quantity of articles, on Sunday, the 15th December, 1857. Mr Best for the prosecution, Mr Batte defended,- Sarah Nicholas (there was some arg= uing among the learned gentlemen as to the name, which was spelt Nicholls in the indictment): I live in Fox lane, Broseley; sell vegetables, and leave my ho= use locked up; six months ago I lost my door key, and had another made about six weeks ago; I went to the National School in an evening; when I came back something was wrong; on Tuesday, the 29th December, I was with a little girl; I said as we left home, ‘Come, Annie and let us go to the chapel;’ we did not go; I said that loud; had locked the door, and put the key in my pocket; came back quarter of an hour with the little girl, wh= o is almost eight years old; could not unlock the door, there was another key inside; the door was opened from the inside; I only went on the door sill; = Mrs Hill opened it; there was a fire in the house, the fire was shining; I caug= ht hold of her, and said ‘Oh, Mrs Hill, was it you?’ she said I was mistaken; I said ‘Oh, no;’ then we wrestled together out of doo= rs; she said ‘Let me go?’ I said ‘no;’ did not loose; s= houted ‘murder’ after which we got down; Thomas Denstone came up and a= sked what was the row; the prisoner put her arm round him and said ‘libera= te me;’ he said he dare not; he said ‘Who are you?’ she said, Mrs Hill from the Elephant;’ he went away: I took her the house; and = locked us both in; put the keys in my pocket; the one key was that which I lost so= me time ago; when we were in the house she went on he knees and asked me to forgive her, she said ‘Oh Sally, remember my children don’t exp= ose me;’ I said she had been robbing me long enough; she went on her knees again; she said she would give me anything to forgive her; she sad if I wou= ld go down to the Elephant and she would give me my umbrella and black shawl; I went, and she gave me them; had lost them about 13th December; s= aw a pillow case full of things on the floor; the prisoner picked it up and took= it up stairs, and said ‘don’t expose me let me empty them;’ = had seen them safe that morning; they are all produced; gave the things to Alde= r; we left the house together down to the Elephant; saw he husband there; she = said if I would go down in the morning she would pay me for my boots and umbrell= a as she had spoiled them; she paid for them and 14s. in money, which she had ta= ken from my drawer in various coin, and said I should have the Germans silver s= poons back, she asked if I should tell Mrs Cowley, my sister; she gave me a note = for her, which I took; when I went back to the house on the 13th of December something had been hung up to hide the candle light. Cross-examine= d: I will swear that I did not push her into my house; when we went to the Eleph= ant we went into a little room, and then into the cellar; did not apologise for= having cut her face.- John Denstone, a potter, at Broseley: Remember the 13th= December, about half-past six at night; heard a noise and went towards it; = saw Sarah Nicholas and another woman scuffling, who laid hold of me and said, ‘Make her loose me;’ I said ‘Who are you?’ she said ‘Mrs Hill, of the Elephant;’ knew her well then; Sara puller he= r in the house, and I left them; went on to Fox; passed the house again in ten minutes; I listened, and heard Sarah say. ‘You’ve robbed me of = my boots;’ prisoner said ‘You shall have them and something else.’ – P.C. Alder: I produce a pillow case and a lot of thing= s; received them on the 14th from Mrs Nicholas; apprehended prisoner the same day; prisoner said she was pulled into the house.- Mrs Cowley, sis= ter to Mrs Nicholas; She brought this note to me; I received another, which Mrs Hill’s servant brought to me; she was to wait for an answer, and I se= nt one; the second letter came about an hour after the first one.- this was the case for the prosecution. Mr Batte addressed the jury, saying that if the j= ury believed the prosecutrix, he could not struggle against the evidence. He examined witnesses to character, including Mr Thursfield, surgeon, of Brose= ley. The Recorder briefly summed up, and the jury immediately returned verdict of guilty. She was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour, the Recorder impressively addressing the prisoner.
This concludes the business of the sessions.
27th January 1858
ACCIDENT.- Thursday afternoon, as one of Mr TallboyR= 17;s servants was going to meet her mistress corning from Broseley to Sweeney, t= he pony became restive and fell into a ditch, throwing the rider undermost. It appears that in opening one of the gates along the bridle road that she drew against the head of the pony, which caused it to take fright. The girl was sadly injured by the crush.
3rd February 1858
Ellis Roberts, the celebrated Welsh harpist, assisted b= y Miss Cox, gave a very entertaining concert at the Town Hall on Wednesday evening last. The power of the harpist over this sweetest of instruments was marked, and drew forth frequent expressions of applause. “ A land at a distance,” the sound rising and falling as wafted by the wind and modified by distance, was among his very successful performances. Miss Cox = also sang, with very pleasing effect, several popular ballads.
5th May 1858
Notice is hereby given that the Tolls arising at the Tu= rnpike Gates called or known by the names of Marsh gate, Linley gate, Buildwas Gat= e, Burton Gate and Side-bars, Beambridge Gate, and Shineton Gate, all in the county of Salop, will be LET by AUCTION, to the best bidder, for one year (= to commence the 1st day of July next) at the Pheasant Inn, in Broseley, in the said county of Salop, on Wednesday, the 2nd day of June next, at Four o’clock in the Afternoon, in the manner directed by the Act pass= ed in the Third Year of the Reign of his late Majesty King George the Fourth, entitled “An Act to Amend the General Laws now in being for Regulating Turnpike Roads in that part of Great Britain called England,” and whi= ch tolls produced last year the following sums, viz.:-
Marsh Gate … = … = 160 0 0
Linley gate = … = … = 118 0 0
Buildwas Gate &nbs= p; … = 270 0 0
Burton Gate and side bars 58 0 0
Beambridge Gate &n= bsp; … = 21 0 0
Shineton Gate &nbs= p; &= nbsp; 12 0 0
= Over and above the expenses of collecting the same, and will be put up at those sums respectively.
A deposit equal to a month’s rent will be require= d from strangers previously to the acceptance of their biddings, and whoever happe= ns to be the best bidder or bidders must, at the same time, give security, with sufficient sureties to the satisfaction of the trustees of the said turnpike road, for payment of the rent agreed for at such times as they shall direct= .
Persons willing to become sureties are required persona= lly to attend at the time of the biddings.
= ; &n= bsp; GEORGE HARTSHORNE.
Clerk to the Trustees of the said Turnpike Roads.
Broseley, May 3rd, 1858
At this meeting new trustees will be appointed in the s= tead or place of those who are dead, or have declined or become incapable to act= .
ADJOURNED COUNTY COURT, Wednesday, 28th Apri= l. A number of disputed cases and summonses after judgement, having been adjourn= ed from Saturday last, came on for hearing.
BARKER v. BOURNE.- William Barker claimed £1. 8s.= 7d for damages done to a house in Broseley. Plaintiff also claimed 8s. 4d for rent, or rather for income-tax stopped out of rent. Defendant produced an account, in which the amount for income-tax, he said, settled; also a bill = for money paid to plaintiff for damages. Plaintiff said there was an agreement = in writing, by which defendant took the house for seven years; defendant had t= aken out doors, stopped up others, made a wheelwrights shop of the parlour, brok= e a window, and took the lock from the front door. Plaintiff said he claimed 8s. for the windows, 16s. for stopping up the door, and 4s, for the lock; defen= dant left the premises two years ago, but had not done repairs. His Honour gave judgement for 8s, 4d. for the plaintiff in the first action and for the defendant £1 in the second, the latter having, as shown by the papers, paid that sum as agreed. Each to pay the costs of his own action.
26th May 1858
UNUSUAL SPORT.- A man employed at a coalpit, named Josi= ah Patten, had his attention diverted by a noise in the direction of a shaft, = which was partially filled up, and in which he found two hares striving to get ou= t. We need scarcely say that they paid the forfeit of extraction with their li= ves.
TERMINATION OF THE BRICKMAKERS’ STRIKE.- Excellen=
t beds
of clay lying exposed on the hill sides along the banks of the
THE
16th June 1858
CURIOUS
30th June 1858
TWO HAY RICKS BURNT. On Thursday afternoon on the farm = of Mr. William Jones fire was observed issuing from a rick where two men employed = in mowing had been smoking their pipes. The alarm was given, and the fire engi= ne from Coalbrookdale was sent for. A second stack also caught fire, and great portions of each was consumed of spoiled. The persons who had assembled, wi= th the aid of the engine, succeeded in putting out the fire.
11th August 1858
THE
DUBNGE BRICK AND TILE WORKS, BROSELEY
GEORGE DAVIS &CO.
(Succes= sors to the late Mr Robert Evans, deceased)
= Manufacturers of superior Building Bricks, Roofing Tiles, Crests, Flooring Goods, Malt Ki= ln Tile, of three patterns, or made ot order. The whole of the best quality, a= nd at moderate charges.
= Broseley, August, 1858
25th August 1858
EXTRAORDINARY CROP OF WHEAT.- We are happy to hear that= in many parts of this county the crops of wheat are remarkably fine, but we fa= ncy the one which we are about to notice is almost without parallel. On a farm = at Willey, belonging to Lord Forester, managed by his lordship’s bailiff= , a large field of wheat last week gathered in, giving the extraordinary quanti= ty of forty five thrives to the acre, the corn being large and plump in the he= ad.
1st September 1858
PETTY SESSIONS, before the Mayor, C, J. Ferriday Esq. J= ohn Pritchard, Esq, M.P. R. Thursfield, Esq. and J. Lowndes, Esq.
LEVI LOWE v. ABRAHAM LISTER.- Plaintiff said that on the 16th inst. He met defendant in the street, when he commenced to use abusive language. Plainti= ff repeated the expressions, and added that defendant challenged him to fight.= It was market day, and defendant was drunk at the time. Plaintiff supposed that the ill-feeling was caused by his master having let his reaping this year to others. Committed for fourteen days.
Thomas Edwards was charged with riding on the shafts of= a cart down the hill near the Summer House in the parish of Jackfield. Defend= ant pleaded guilty, and was fined 1s and 11s expenses.
LEAVING WORK WIHTOUT NOTICE.- George Wotton charged John Clark and Able Aukland with having left hos employ without notice. Plaintiff said he had sent for the men in the first place as potters. In consequence = of a letter they came. There was no agreement as to terms. Defendants worked a w= eek at regular prices. They worked piece-work. The magistrates said that so far there appeared to be no contract in the case. One of the defendants proceed= ed to put some questions to complainant.- William Hill, a potter, said he hear= d defendant last Monday week say something about a fortnight’s notice. They came = to master for a shilling to drink and said they were not going to leave as they should give a fortnight’s notice. They were together half an hour, but nothing else was said.- John Travis said he worked for Wotton as a handler.= He came from Burslem. He was not hired, nor did he make any engagement except = as to price. Defendant Aukland, in true Staffordshire dialect, gave a long rambling account of the affair, in which he stated that plaintiff had been = in the habit of sending for men from Staffordshire potteries and turning them = off at a moment’s notice, and mentioned several instances of the kind. Th= ere was no arrangements or rules, he contended, at the Jackfield potteries. He = had only there days a week and he could not keep his family. The persons provid= ed by Wotton to work for him were incompetent, and he could not get on.- The o= ther defendant made a similar statement. The magistrates said Mr. Wotton was not to bring men across the coun= try on the pretence of finding them work, and then keeping them in the way the = men before the bench had described, and dismissed the case. These men had been brought over from Tunstall, had supped like felons on Sunday, and were thru= st into a damp cold cell as prisoners. Thorough the humanity of one of the ben= ch they were bailed out, or serious consequences as regards health may have resulted.
JAMES LLOYD v.<= /i> WILLIAM REYNOLDS AND WILLIAM LLOYD.- Plaintiff, who is a brick and tile maker, of Jackfield, summoned defendants for the sum of £16 17s. for work and l= abour done. Reynolds said they had not paid because they were not in a condition = to do so. Plaintiff said he would take the goods but they would not let him ha= ve them. The bench said hey had no jurisdiction, and dismissed the case.
8th September 1858
SUDDEN DEATH.- On Thursday evening last the driver of t= he Great Western van, in returning from Much Wenlock, about 4 o’clock in= the afternoon, perceived the body of a man lying upon the road, which proved to= be that of Mr. Wilkinson of Coalbrookdale. Deceased, who was a modeller at the Cofalbrookdale works, and who was very much respected, had it appears set o= ut to see one of his children, at school at Much Wenlock, and had called at the Leopard, where he was found. Deceased, after leaving the Leopard at the top= of the hill, had walked on to near Arlescot, beyond Posenhall, where he fell.<= /p>
18th September 1858
PETTY SESSIONS.-
John H. Beddows, grocer of
22nd September 1858
SUICIDE.- On Wednesday evening last an old man named Be= ddoes, a shoemaker, who for some time had been in a low desponding way, committed suicide by hanging. Deceased had resided for some time by himself, and on t= he day in question had been missed from the middle of the day till eight o’clock in the evening, when he was found by the neighbours, who forc= ed an entrance into the house, suspended by his neck, and quite dead.
6th October 1858
FAITAL ACCIDENT AT PARK PITS.- On Monday morning, soon = after they had commenced work, an accident occurred to two of the men named Lawre= nce Lloyd and John Hill, who were engaged in drawing the timber , or trees, of the mi= ne. The earth fell suddenly in upon these men, killing Lawrence Lloyd and sever= ely impairing Hill. The trees are the props that support the roof of the mine, = and were being drawn to save the timber in filling the pit.
MELANCHOLY AFFAIR.- On Friday night last the body of a = man, named Wild, a waterman, who had committed suicide, and against whom a coroner’s jury had turned a verdict of felo de se, was conveyed from Jackfield to the Churchyard at Broseley for interment, accompanied by a large number of neighbours, amidst considerable manifestation of feeling, Deceased deliberately hung himself f= rom some trifling offence given by his father-in-law, The above verdict hanging been returned, the service of the church were dispensed with.
(Felo de se is an archaic legal term for suic= ide meaning a felon)
THE STEAMBOAT “CHRISTINA”.- The little stea=
m tug
passed up the river on Wednesday last. Considerable difficulty was experien=
ced
in getting her up the ford. First she ran aground, where she stuck most
resolutely, refusing for some time to budge an inch. When ultimately hauled
off, and about to face the current, she struck off to the opposite side of =
the
river, defying all attempts of the helmsman, and pulling down to the
water’s edge the men who had a guide rope out at the side. In additio=
n to
the latter, a tow rope was required to get her up the ford. There is no cha=
nce,
therefore, in the present state of the river, that she will be able to tow
barges. In still water she makes way in a lmira le style, and may, in a gre=
ater
depth of channel, be competent to make way against the stream. Steam-boats
along the improved portion of the river, from Stourport to
13th October 1858
DEATH OF REV. J. THOMAS, OF
20th October 1858
ACCIDENT IN CLAY PIT.- On Friday ,the 15th i= nst. a boy while working in a clay pit was seriously injured by a fall of clay. Mr Bartlam was fortunately on the spot and rendered every assistance to the po= or sufferer.
FARLEY ROCK.- A fearful accident occurred to two men in= the employ of Mr Joseph Lloyd of farley Rock. They were engaged in destroying a wasps nest, and had for the purpose placed an ignited squib in the hole, and proceeded to trickle in loose powder from a horn containing between two and three pounds, which acted as a train to the bulk. An explosion took place, seriously injuring the two men.
TO AGRICULTURALISTS, BUTCHERS & DE=
ALERS
Important Sale of Valuable Fat and Store Stock, Impleme= nts and Husbandry, 600 Bushels of Grain and 9 pockets of Hops.
MESSRS. NOCK & WILSON
Are favoured with instructions from Mr Henry Booth (who= is leaving the Farm) to SELL by AUCTION, on Monday, the 25th Octobe= r, 1858, the following excellent Farming Stock:-
HORSES
Team of Wagg= on Horses and Gearing
3 Capital Ha= ck and Harness Horses
CATTLE
27 very ripe= 3-year old bullocks
23 prime Fat= Cows and Heifers.
6 excellent = Cows, with Calves and in Calf
4 Yearling H= eifers and a well-bred yearling Hereford Bull.
SHEEP
40 capital S= hropshire Ewes, in Lamb
30 capital S= hropshire Yearling Ewes
105 Fat Year= ling Wethers
PIGS
3 Gilts and = pigs, 5 Porks and a Fat Pig
GRAIN
Rick of Whea= t, 100 bushels.
Rick od old = Barley, 150 bushels.
Rick of Bean= s, 350 bushels
THE IMPLEMEN= TS
Comprise (in= part) broad-wheel Waggon, narrow-wheel ditto, 3 Tumbrils, 2 light carts, Ploughs, harrows, cast iron and wood Rolls, Cultivator, Turnip Drill, Winnowing Mach= ine (nearly new), Gardner’s Turnip Engine, Rick Cloth, with Poles, Ropes, &c.; quantity of Bags, Harness, Saddles, several large Casks, 18-bushel Mashing Tub, and many other articles; also 9 pockets of Hops.
Luncheon wil=
l be ready
ay 11, and the
The Auctione= ers beg to call the particular attention to the important sale of stock. The cows are descended from the celebrated herd of Mr. Sheppard, Wettleton; the fat catt= le and sheep are very prime, and marketable weights. The whole will be sold without the least reserve, in consequence of the proprietor leaving the far= m.
A weeks keep= will be allowed.
24h November 1858
SUDDEN DEATH OF A CHILD.—On Friday Morning last o= ne of the servants of Mr. Abrahams, upon going to fetch their baby, whom they remarked to have slept, as they supposed, beyond its usual time, was shocke= d to find it a corpse. It appears that Mr. Abrahams, having heard it cry in the night, got up and went to the servants' room door, but not being able to wa= ke them, and finding the child grew quiet, returned to his own room. Mr. Proct= or, sen. who examined the child, gave it as his opinion that death resulted from convulsions.
1st December 1858
THE LITTLE SEVERN STEAMER “CHRISTINA”.- On Saturday last the little steamer Christina made a second and, as it appears= , a more successful trip on the river from Shrewsbury past Coalport and some of= the fords lower down and back again. The boat having been lengthened, having mo= re powerful machinery and a larger boiler, appeared to master the strong curre= nts of the fords and to make way against the stream, without having on the whol= e of her steam, in admirable style.
8th December 1858
ROBBING THE MISSIONARY BOX. On Sunday last it was disco= vered that the missionary box lodged in the school had been broken open, and its contents taken out. It appears that on the Sunday previous a boy had been s= een by Langford, the clerk, by himself in the room. The boy made his escape upon that occasion by getting out of the window. On that occasion it so happened that, as is supposed, he was disturbed, and the same party is again suspect= ed, and has been brought up before one of the justices of the Peace.