BERROWS WORCESTER JOURNAL 1845 to 1849 1 January 2 1845 WORCESTER EPIPHANY SESSIONS William Fidoe, 19, boatman, and Thomas Williams, 21, labourer, were placed at the bar on a charge of stealing a quantity of coal, the property of Francis Needham, from a boat moored in Lowesmoor basin on the night of the 10th of November last. Mr Hill appeared for the prosecution ; the prisoners were undefended. Henry Lowe, watchman at Lowesmoor Wharf, deposed that on the night in question he observed two men in Mr Needham's boat, and giving chase to them, they escaped only by jumping into the water. Prisoner Williams was apprehended by police constable Grubb at his father's house, and also Fidoe ; both reside near the wharf. The evidence was very clearly substantiated against the prisoners, and a verdict of guilty was returned. A previous conviction was proved against Fidoe, and he was sentenced to seven years' transportation ; Williams three months' imprisonment, the first and last month in solitary confinement. 2 January 9 1845 At the County Police Office yesterday, before the Rev J Foley, Capt Hastings and J Williams, T G Curtler and J G Watkins Esqs, William Davis, a boatman of this city in the employ of Grissell and Peto, appeared to answer a complaint preferred against him by John Wood, a boatman belonging to the city of Gloucester, with having intentionally run his boat against the boat of the latter, thereby breaking the mast and doing other injury, at Kempsey on the 23rd December last. Dismissed, the complainant paying the expenses. 3 January 9 1845 HEREFORD SESSIONS Henry Mayall, aged 26, and William Aston, aged 36, boatmen working on the Hereford and Gloucester Canal, were charged on suspicion with stealing, during the night of the 22nd of November last, a bag, a quantity of potatoes, wood ashes &c, the property of Mr Samuel Wintle of Hazle Mill near Ledbury, from a drink house in his occupation within about seven yards of the canal. Mr Skinner conducted the prosecution ; prisoners were undefended. The jury acquitted Aston and found Mayall guilty. Mayall was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. 4 January 30 1845 At the Stourport Petty Sessions yesterday, before J Worthington and A Skey Esqs, Henry Wilmot of Stourport, boatman, was summoned by the surveyors of the highways for arrears of rates ; ordered to pay the amount and expenses. Job Bayley, boatman, was summoned by John Burton of Stourport for wages. The case was proved satisfactorily, and he was ordered to pay Burton his wages, £1 2s 6d. 5 January 30 1845 AN OLD POACHER “IN TROUBLE” One of the most notorious poachers who claim this city as their abiding place, named James Downes, a man who had long been “wanted” by the County Police, together with John Butler, waterman, was brought before J H Allen and M G Benson Esqs at Upton on Thursday, charged with having been found, before sunrise that morning, upon lands belonging to Earl Beauchamp at Powick, in search and pursuit of game. The charge was preferred by Samuel King, gamekeeper to the noble Earl ; and was proved by Samuel Stanton and Henry Baylis, assistant keepers or watchers on his Lordship's estate. Stanton stated that about half past five o'clock on Thursday morning, he heard a gun fired in the New Coppice, one of Earl Beauchamp's preserves in the parish of Powick. He at once hastened thither, accompanied by Hughes. When close by the coppice, he met the two prisoners who had just emerged from the cover. He followed them a short distance, when Downes asked what they were following him for. Stanton and Hughes then took both prisoners into custody, neither of whom offered any resistance. Downes had a gun barrel in his pocket, and the stock in another. He had likewise a hen pheasant in his possession ; the bird was quite warm. Upon Butler, Hughes found a cock pheasant ; and both prisoners were conveyed to the Upton Police Station, where Superintendent Petford found a quantity of powder and shot upon Butler. Stanton was fully corroborated by Hughes ; and in cross- examination by Downes, both witnesses admitted they did not see the prisoners in the coppice ; they had got out before the watchers arrived on the spot. The prisoners were informed by Mr Benson that they had to thank Earl Beauchamp that they were not sent to the Assizes for trial, as the present was the fifth time Downes had been caught poaching upon the Earl's estate. His Lordship, however, was anxious that the Magistrates should deal with the offenders summarily, to afford them one more chance of reforming their habits. But it would be trifling with justice to inflict less than the full penalty the law imposed in a summary adjudication ; and they were consequently sentenced to three months' imprisonment to hard labour ; and at the expiration of that term, they would be required to find two sureties to refrain from poaching for twelve months, otherwise to suffer an additional six months' imprisonment. 6 February 6 1845 On Saturday last, an inquest was held at the Town Hall, Tewkesbury, on the body of William Stephens, labourer, whose death was reported to have been caused by injuries received from Morrison Hodges, a bargeman and beerhouse keeper in Tewkesbury, and in whose service Stephens was engaged. It appears from present information that deceased, on the Thursday week prior to his death, was drinking in company with Hodges and others at a public house in Birmingham ; that they had exchanged some angry words, which terminated in fighting in the house and also at the wharf where the boat was lying. In the scuffle Stephens received some injuries in the abdomen, and on the day following, experiencing severe pain, he was induced to leave his employer's boat and proceed to Tewkesbury as carefully as his painful situation would permit. He arrived home on the Saturday, was attended by a medical gentleman, and lingered till the Saturday morning following, when he expired. He was however previously attended by N Chandler Esq (one of the borough magistrates), T G Prior Esq, and we believe one or two other gentlemen, in whose presence he voluntarily asserted that the injuries he then exhibited were caused by Hodges ; and from this and other circumstances, the authorities deemed it prudent to enforce a searching enquiry as to his death. The jury, in the absence of sufficient evidence, adjourned the case till Monday, when Hodges entered the jury room, and the evidence of two witnesses was accordingly taken. One of the witnesses was a deaf and dumb man, but was able to answer questions put to him in writing and motions with tolerably good effect, and the other gave corresponding evidence as to the quarrel and the probable cause of death. The gist of the evidence was that Hodges and deceased fought ; that Hodges caught hold of deceased by the neckerchief and kicked him in the lower part of his body. From the declaration of the dying man, the evidence of the witnesses, and the probability of further information being elicited from another person, who was present at the affray but not then in Tewkesbury, the Coroner and jury deemed it prudent to adjourn the inquest till Wednesday (today), the Coroner, G Tate Esq, at the same time informing Hodges that, although he had voluntarily appeared, he felt justified in detaining him until the inquest terminated, and he was consequently conveyed to the borough gaol. Much excitement prevailed in the vicinity. 7 February 20 1845 CITY MAGISTRATES' OFFICE An order of 2s a week, with 10s 6d costs, was made upon John Rodburn, a waterman of Newport Street, towards the support of the child of Mary Ann Jones of St Clement's. Rodburn protested that he knew nothing of the girl other than as a neighbour, and rather than pay any money to her, he would “lie in a gaol till the soles of his feet rotted off”. 8 February 20 1845 DEATHS At Bridgnorth in his 89th year, Mr R Power, a veteran of former days, and last remnant of the extinct race of old watermen of the river Severn. 9 February 27 1845 STRAY NOTES ON WORCESTER CHURCHES AND CHURCH GOERS BY A RAMBLER THE WATERMEN'S CHURCH 'Twas Sabbath morn! The summer sun in cloudless splendour shone, And ting'd with gold each curling wave, as soft it rippled on ; I walked along the winding shore, bespread with pebbles rare, For thus I hoped ere noon to reach the distant house of prayer. I came where by the river's bank some stately vessels lay, And many seamen sought the beach, in sabbath raiment gay ; I mark'd not, as they passed along, their staid and thoughtful air, But sighed and wished they'd turn with me, and seek the house of prayer. At length a streamer fair and broad my fix'd attention drew, For in its folds it gave the dove and olive branch to view ; The seamen climb'd the vessel's side which did that banner bear ; I followed, and with joy beheld a floating house of prayer. Above, beneath, each steadfast eye upon the preacher hung, And sweet and holy was the strain the sons of ocean sung ; No vacant look, no wandering glance, no drowsy nod was there, Nor did one restless form disturb the seamen's house of prayer. I listened to the gospel's sound, amidst a scene so new, And saw at times the trickling tear a manly cheek bedew, I pray'd that He, who loves his own, might make that ark His care, And many souls be born within the seamen's house of prayer.