CHESTER CHRONICLE 1 14 April 1797 On Monday the 3rd inst, the great tunnel on the line of the Worcester and Birmingham canal was opened, and several vessels of 60 and 80 tons burthen, laden with coals, passed through it, on which there were great rejoicings in all the neighbouring country. This tunnel is a mile and a half in length, and yet is so straight that the whole may be seen through from the opening at each extremity. It is completely arched over. 2 31 August 1798 On Thursday night, a little before ten o'clock, a terrible gust of wind, or tornado, came on at Liverpool, during which a ferry boat, with a boatman, seven men and boys, and one woman, going to a vessel at the Slyne, was upset ; three of the men were saved by boats belonging to flats, two were picked up by a flat going to Runcorn, and one saved himself by some oars or spars, which he tied together with the handkerchief from his neck, and on which he floated until the next morning at six o'clock, when he was cast on shore near Bank Hall, with little life in him, but we are happy to find he is likely to recover. The boatman, the woman, and a young man, foreman to Mr Allen, sail maker, were unfortunately drowned. 3 30 January 1801 At Warwick sessions last week, a woman was tried for stealing a child, stripping it of the best of its clothing, and then leaving it, on a very dark night, within a few yards of the Birmingham Canal into which, if the child had gone forward a few yards, it must have fallen and perished. Providentially, it was found by a boatman. The great exertions used by the overseers of the poor traced this hardened wretch to Malton in Yorkshire. She was found guilty, and sentenced to a years imprisonment in a solitary cell. A lady of distinction in the neighbourhood of Birmingham has, it is said, taken the child under her protection. 4 10 April 1801 At our Assize, which commences on Monday next, the following prisoners are to take their trials :- Charles Stubbs for stealing six bars of iron, the property of Messrs Pattisons, and James Bradley (blind) for receiving the same, knowing it to be stolen ; Edward Hatton and James Bancroft, charged with the above Stubbs and Bradley, with stealing sheep's wool, cotton wool, malt, barley and peas out of a boat belonging to Henshall and Co. Charles Stubbs : six months imprisonment. James Bradley : Fourteen years transportation. Thomas Cleworth, John Cooper and John Launder for stealing a bag of cotton from off one of the canal boats at Lymm, and William Wootten for receiving the same, knowing it to have been stolen. Acquitted William Moss and James Wardle, for stealing 85lb of oatmeal out of a boat on the Peak Forest Canal, the property of Matthew Redfern of Marple. Twelve months imprisonment. 5 4 November 1803 At the late Liverpool sessions, Thomas Acton, a flatman, convicted of stealing goods out of packages, on board the flat of which he was master, was sentenced to transportation for seven years. 6 6 January 1804 Last week a boatman and his son went into a shoemaker's shop at Worksop, when the boy observing a gun, took it up, pulled the trigger, and killed his father. 7 11 April 1806 Assize Intelligence Our assize commences on Monday next, and with considerable regret we say our calendar is very heavy ; the number of prisoners exceeds that of many preceding years, and the comtemplation is more gloomy when the youth of the prisoners is taken into consideration. The following are their names and the offences for which they stand committed :- David Harrison aged 34, a flatman from Barton, found guilty of perjury last assizes, sentence reserved. Podmore Robert Podmore, aged 39, boatman from Woolstanton, Staffordshire, for stealing a quantity of coals belonging to John Gilbert, of Clough Hall in the county of Stafford, Esq. John Chesworth aged 20, from Rode Heath, boat builder, for receiving from the said Podmore Robert Podmore a quantity of coals, the goods of the said John Gilbert, knowing the same to have been stolen. 8 25 April 1806 ASSIZES CONCLUDED David Harrison aged 34, a flatman from Barton, found guilty of perjury last assizes, sentence reserved. Guilty. Judgement arrested and discharged. Podmore Robert Podmore, aged 39, a boatman from Woolstanton, Staffordshire, for stealing a quantity of coals belonging to John Gilbert, of Clough Hall in the county of Stafford, Esq. Guilty. Imprisoned three months. John Chesworth aged 20 from Rode Heath, boat builder, for receiving from the said Podmore Robert Podmore a quantity of coals the goods of the said John Gilbert, knowing the same to have been stolen. Guilty. Imprisoned three months. 9 1 August 1806 We are sorry to find that there will remain several persons in the Castle of Chester excluded from the present Insolvent Act, among whom are two very poor debtors, namely Richard Whittingham, a flatman aged 62, for a debt (including costs) about £17 ; George Newal, aged 33, a labourer, has a wife and five small children, the eldest only nine years of age, all of whom are now supported by the township os Allostock ; his original debt £3 10s, now, including costs, almost to about £11 ; and on Wednesday, the debtors and keeper subscribed for Whittingham the sum of £5 6s 6d. 10 28 August 1807 Assizes Thomas Done aged 18, a boatman from Runcorn, and John Holland, aged 18, a boatman from ditto, for stealing seven geese at Runcorn, the property of John Wilson. Done acquitted ; Holland admitted evidence. Samuel Cade, aged 51, a boatman from Stone, for stealing 14 bushels and 50 pounds weight of white salt, the property of John Morris and William Carter. 11 22 January 1808 Quarter Sessions Thos Smallwood, boatman from Lawton, for stealing sundries, was acquitted and discharged. 12 15 September 1809 On Sunday last, Thomas Done, aged 21, a flatman from Runcorn, was committed to our county gaol by John Hollins Esq, coroner, charged with the wilful murder of Hetty Eckersley at Lymm, in this county, who was found sewed up in a bag with a large stone tied thereto, weighing about half a hundredweight, in the canal near Lymm aforesaid. 13 4 May 1810 Assizes The following prisoners have taken their trials at our Assizes, and received their sentence as follows :- Thomas Done aged 20, a flatman from Runcorn, for the wilful murder of Betty Eckersley at Lymm. - Death Robert Holroyd, aged 28, a flatman from Elland, Yorkshire, on suspicion of being concerned in the murder of Betty Eckersley of Lymm aforesaid. - Acquitted. Job Sproston, aged 50, a boat builder from Odd Rode, for having killed Samuel Bostock of Odd Rode. - No true bill. John Cotter aged 17, a labourer from Swinlow, Leicestershire, for stealing a snap or rope from John Jackson, boatman to Messrs Henshall and Co, from his boat. Imprisoned one calendar month in the castle. Elizabeth Thorley, aged 19, boatman's wife, Sarah Rathbone aged 23, Sarah Stockton aged 22, and John Bagnall, all from Elton, for stealing two bushels of wheat, value about 20s, out of a boat belonging to Benjamin Bradley. Thorley, Rathbone and Stockton to be imprisoned six weeks and Bagnall two years in the House of Correction, to hard labour. 14 28 September 1810 Cheshire Assizes PICKFORD v MORRIS The defendant had a coal boat on the Grand Trunk Canal ; the plaintiff's boat which, it appeared in evidence, was heavily laden with various articles of Manchester goods, met the coal boat at a narrow part on the canal, where was an aqueduct over a turnpike road, near Wheelock in the county. This is so constructed that if two boats meet, one of them is obliged to slacken the line and lie to on the opposite side while the other passes ; and whichever boat arrives at this point first is entitled, by the custom observed on this canal, to the privilege of the way. It appeared in evidence that the horses belonging to plaintiff's boat had passed this narrow place, but that the boat had not, having a line attached to it of the length of 32 yards ; and what was much in favour of the plaintiff, there was no person looking after the defendant's horses. The consequence was the boats came in contact, and that of the plaintiff was upset, by which she was materially damaged in her planks, and several valuable goods were much injured. A special jury was ordered for this case, but only one special juryman attended. A verdict was found for plaintiff of 600l, subject to the opinion of Mr Fell (one of the Counsel) as to the real damage sustained. 15 15 March 1811 Chester Spring Assizes The following is a list of the prisoners who are to take their trials at our Assizes which commence on Wednesday April 17th. Thomas Weaver, aged 18, a boatman from Old Bewry, Staffordshire ; and John Tory, aged 22, a boatman from Bistall, Gloucestershire, for stealing 12 gallons of brandy at Barton, the property of Job Twiss and Jonathan Higginson. (see entry below for owners?) John Rhodes, aged 20, a boatman from Gnosall, Salop, and John Adams alias Varney, alias Coleman, aged 21, a boatman from Banbury, Oxfordshire, for stealing out of a boat at Lymm 96 pounds of cotton wool, the property of John Twist and Jonathan Higginbotham. Thomas Dutton, aged 32, a flatman from Runcorn, for burglariously breaking open the dwelling house of James Fryer of Halton and stealing therein two ducks, his property.