Part 28

OCTOBER 29—The WORCESTER MENDICITY SOCIETY formed at a meeting at the Guildhall, with H. B. Tymbs, Esq., Mayor, in the chair. This Society still continues to exist, and has acted most beneficially both in discovering cases of imposture and in aiding the truly unfortunate. It is only a pity that it is not more generally supported and confided in.

DECEMBER—Riots at Tardebigg amongst the needle makers, who thought themselves aggrieved by the introduction of machinery to stamp the eyes of the needles. They commenced an attack on the machinery and house of Mr. Baylis of Tardebigg, but were interrupted by the arrival of constabulary from Redditch, and six men were committed by the magistrates for trial. Five agricultural labourers were also committed to gaol for breaking a thrashing machine, which had been left on the road side at Hanley William. A thatched cattle shed, with two cows, a hay rick and stubble rick, the property of Mr. Nind of Dumbleton, burnt down by an incendiary fire.

LOCAL ACT—For enclosing lands at Hagley.

1831.

THE measure of Reform, introduced by the Grey ministry a few days after the meeting of Parliament, so much exceeded general expectation in extent and boldness, that the people immediately adopted it with enthusiasm; and the cry was, “The Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill.” After a debate of seven nights’ duration, leave was given to bring it in without a division, and the trial of strength was reserved for the second reading, which was carried by a majority of one only; the numbers being—for, 302; against, 301. The ministers, however, persevered with it; but, in committee, General Gascoyne moved that the number of members for England and Wales should not be diminished, and this was carried against ministers by a majority of eight. The consequence was, that the bill was for a while abandoned, and another appeal made to the country. The elections, which now took place in the midst of unparalleled excitement, gave ministers such a decided majority in the Commons, that the second reading of the bill was carried by a majority of 136, and it went through committee without any material alteration. The Lords, however, had not the prudence quietly to pass a measure which the people had so unequivocally demanded, and the second reading was negatived in the Upper House by a majority of 41. Riots and disturbances everywhere ensued; and none can understand, except those who actually took part in the year’s events, how near the nation was to convulsion and revolution. The cholera made its appearance in the country on the 26th October, and was very fatal in many places. Consols averaged 81; wheat averaged 66s. 6d.

JANUARY 10—The Vice Chancellor gave his decision in the case of the St. Oswald’s Hospital property, Worcester, declaring that the leases which had been granted by the governors were illegal, and must be set aside. This decision affected large properties in the Tything, which, having been held for leases of forty years at a nominal rent, and these renewed at a fine only amounting to about one year’s rent, had been treated in the market as little inferior to freehold. The proceedings were based on an act passed at the instance of the celebrated Dr. Fell, Bishop of Oxford in 1660, and who was then master of this hospital. This act expressly provided that, in the leases granted of the property belonging to the hospital, “the best improved value that the lands and houses should be yearly worth should be reserved for the respective yearly rents thereof.” The solicitor, on the part of the information, was Mr. S. Godson of Worcester.

JANUARY 21—Graves opened in Hanley Castle churchyard, and two recently interred bodies taken away. They had been sent in packing cases from the Anchor Inn, Upton-on-Severn, to London, but, parties following them immediately, the cases were recovered, and the bodies restored to their resting places, but the disturbers of the grave’s quiet were not caught.

MARCH 9—The Kidderminster carpet weavers presented Mr. Godson with a very handsome hearth rug, for his exertions in their behalf at the sessions of the previous August.

MARCH 23—On the first division on the Reform Bill, on Sir R. Vyvyan’s amendment, “That the Bill be read a second time that day six months,” all the members for Worcestershire were present. The Hon. T. H. Foley, Colonel Davies, Mr. Robinson, Mr. J. H. H. Foley, and Earl of Sefton voted against the amendment; and Hon. H. B. Lygon and W. A. Robarts, Esq., for it.

JUNE—The Worcester Militia reorganised; and ten troops of Yeomanry raised by the Earl of Plymouth.

AUGUST 25—In the Marquis of Chandos’s celebrated amendment to the Reform Bill, giving farming tenants at will, to the amount of not less than £50, votes for counties, Colonel Davies and Mr. Robinson voted in the majority against ministers, and the Hon. T. H. Foley, Captain Spencer, and Mr. Godson in the minority for them. Colonel Davies, in the progress of the bill, moved several amendments, which were discussed at length, and only defeated by small majorities: one was to prevent persons, having votes in boroughs, from voting at county elections.

SEPTEMBER 14—Presentation of colours to the Worcestershire Yeomanry. This took place at Hewell, the Countess of Plymouth presenting the cornets with the colours. The ceremony was performed in the presence of an immense concourse of spectators. A dinner was afterwards given on the ground, by the Earl of Plymouth, to the nobility of the county and officers of the regiment.

OCTOBER 19—The Worcester Society of Artists opened an exhibition in the rooms of the Old Library in Angel Street, containing altogether some 164 pictures, from the easels of professional artists and amateurs in the city and county.

NOVEMBER 5—Worcester Riots.—The ferment which the rejection of the Reform Bill by the Lords had created having spread generally through the country, and much terror caused by the Bristol anti-Wetherell riots, the Mayor and magistrates of Worcester swore in a number of special constables this week; and, at the request of the Mayor, the Home Secretary directed a troop of the 7th Hussars to take up their quarters at Droitwich. It was thought possible that the ill disposed might make the county Reform meeting, held this day, a _point d’appui_, and the 400 special constables had express orders to hold themselves in readiness for action at any moment. However, the proceedings passed off very quietly, and the day closed without any disturbance; but unfortunately a small and purely accidental fire broke out in the back premises of Mr. Woakes in High Street. A great number of people were gathered to the spot, and a squabble occurred in the crowd, during which the hose of the fire engines was cut, and the mob seemed to regard this as the signal for disorder. Some rascals harked them on to mischief, and they first of all made an incursion into Foregate Street, where they broke all the windows in the house of Mr. France, solicitor, and on their return smashed those of Sir Anthony Lechmere and other individuals known to belong to the unpopular party. The Mayor and magistrates were already at the Hall, with a large body of special constables, and the bells of the city churches were set tolling to collect the remainder. This roused the whole town, and all the bad characters it contained were speedily enrolled amongst the mob. The special constables at the command of the Mayor sallied out of the Town Hall and engaged the rioters, and some smartish encounters took place in various directions. Several of the mob were captured and carried off to prison; but none of the specials were much hurt. The tumult still continuing, the Mayor sent off expresses to Pershore and Droitwich for the military; but, in the interim, he addressed the rioters, and attempted to induce them to disperse. Some of the leaders said they would do so if he would release the prisoners who had been taken. The Mayor, hereupon, went down to the gaol, and, amidst the huzzas of the mob, liberated the captives; but they then wanted the release of the other prisoners confined in the gaol. This the Mayor positively refused, and returned to the Guildhall. At a quarter after one Captain Bathurst, with a troop of the 7th Hussars, rode up to the Guildhall, and the mob threw some stones at them; and, as they showed no disposition to disperse, the Mayor read the Riot Act, but had no sooner done so than a stone was hurled at him, which struck him on the head. He immediately ordered the military to clear the streets, which they did in a very short time. A great number of stones were thrown at them; but the resistance speedily ceased, and many parties were again taken into custody and conveyed to the gaol. Several of the mob were cut, though not seriously, by the sabres of the military. A detachment of the 91st Infantry arrived from Pershore about three a.m., but their services were not then required. The city, for two or three nights afterwards, wore an unquiet aspect, and desultory mobs were collected, but no further harm was done. The magistrates examined the prisoners afterwards—amounting, in all, to about thirty persons. Most of them were liberated on entering into their own recognizances to keep the peace, and a few of the worst were fined or sent to the treadmill.

LOCAL ACTS—For erecting a County Hall and Courts of Assize at Worcester; for better repairing the road from Bromsgrove to Birmingham.

1832.

THE ministers, calling Parliament together again almost immediately, proposed another Reform Bill, differing from the former one in the apportionment of boroughs in the schedules, in preserving the rights of freemen by birth and servitude, and in giving freeholders in boroughs the right to vote in county elections. The second reading was carried, on the morning of Sunday, the 18th of December, 1851, by a majority of 324 to 162; the majority being thus much larger than before. The bill passed a second reading in the Lords by a majority of 9; seventeen peers who voted against the bill in 1831 voted for it in 1832, and others absented themselves. Immediately on going into committee, however, Lord Lyndhurst proposed to postpone the disenfranchising to the enfranchising clauses, and this was carried against ministers by a majority of 35. Earl Grey then applied to the King for powers to carry the bill as it stood; and, on the King’s refusing a _carte blanche_ for the creation of peers, ministers resigned _en masse_. Lord Lyndhurst was sent for by the King; but the Commons pledged themselves, by an overwhelming majority, to support only the former ministers, and, in the face of such a resolution, no ministry could be formed. Then came the thunders of the _Times_, declaring that “the Queen had done it all,” the threatened run upon the Bank, and symptoms of disaffection among the soldiery. At last the King found himself obliged to put into Earl Grey’s hands all the powers he required, and he returned to office on the 15th of April. The opposition peers then, at the King’s request, absented themselves from the House, and the bill passed with little further discussion. It received the royal assent on the 7th of June. Parliament was soon afterwards dissolved; and the new constituencies, of course, returned a very large preponderance of Whig or Reform members. Three per Cents. averaged 83½; wheat averaged 58s. 8d.

JANUARY—Several attempts made to fire carpet manufactories in Kidderminster. The trade of the town in a deplorable condition; 779 heads of families receiving out-door relief weekly.

FEBRUARY 1—Colonel Davies moved, in the House of Commons, for a committee of inquiry on the glove trade. He stated that not one-third of the number of gloves were made in Worcester that there were formerly, when 120 masters each manufactured 100 dozen a week. He attributed this distress and loss of trade entirely to the free trade in French gloves. Mr. Poulett Thomson contended, on behalf of Government, that the general manufacture of gloves in this country had increased, for the kid skins imported in the last five years had been 3,679,000, to 2,600,000 in the five years prior to the duty being taken off gloves. The distress he believed to be owing to the late increase in the importation of skins, to the use of Berlin gloves instead of kid, and to overtrading. The numbers were—against the committee, 223; for it, 168: majority against the motion, 55.

FEBRUARY 28—A petition from the operative glovers of Worcester, having 2,206 signatures, and praying that the “system, falsely called free trade,” may be abandoned, forwarded to the Earl of Coventry for presentation.

APRIL 2—The freedom of the city presented to the Earl of Plymouth and Lieutenant Colonel Elrington by the hand of the recorder, the Earl of Coventry. To the former, principally in approval of his raising the Yeomanry corps; and to the latter, for his public services in the east. Colonel Elrington presented the Corporation with arms and armour, taken by him from pirates in the Persian Gulf.

APRIL 5—At a dinner given at the Guildhall, Dr. Malden in the chair, a very handsome service of plate was presented to the Mayor, Henry Clifton, Esq., in remembrance of the vigilance and energy he had shown in repressing the Worcester riots.

APRIL 17—On the memorable second reading of the Reform Bill in the House of Lords, by a majority of nine, the Earl of Coventry, Lord Northwick (both of whom had voted against the former bill), Earl Somers, Lord Foley, Lord Lyttelton, and the Bishop of Worcester voted in its favour; and Earls Plymouth and Beauchamp and the Bishop of Rochester against it.

MAY 23—The Mayor of Worcester, Henry Clifton, Esq., was presented at _levée_ by the Bishop of Worcester, and thanked by His Majesty for the “important services he had rendered on a late occasion.”

MAY 29—The trade on the Severn stopped by the general resistance of the bow-halliers to the use of horses in towing barges up the river. They nailed the gates up along the towing path, and assembled in great numbers to prevent any horses being attached to the vessels. The magistrates made several attempts to convince them of the unreasonableness and folly of their proceedings, but to no purpose. At last the Riot Act was read, and a troop of Scotch Greys marched into Worcester from Kidderminster. Under this escort the gates were opened and several vessels taken up the river, but not without determined opposition and much disturbance. Eight men were committed for trial to the sessions.

JUNE 11 AND 12—Celebration of the passing of the Reform Bill, in Worcester. On the Monday the Worcester Political Union, with a great number of lodges and friendly societies, paraded the streets with banners and music, and in the evening dined at various public houses. On the Tuesday evening the city was illuminated—the lighting up being almost universal, and costly transparencies and devices in many instances adopted.

JUNE 15—A Reform festival at Evesham, 700 persons dining at tables set out along the open street—Vine Street. In the space between the tables were raised twelve casks of ale, inscribed—“The King,” “Reform,” “Grey,” “Brougham,” &c. Mr. Workman presided. Dinners also at Droitwich, Redditch, &c.

JULY 14—The cholera first made its appearance in Worcester: most of the cases occurring in the Pinch, at the back of Bridge Place, Hylton Street, a most dirty and close locality. It continued to rage till the middle of October: 293 cases having occurred in the whole; and the deaths amounted to 79. The medical men, forming the Board of Health, had been most indefatigable in their labours and attentions to the sick in the Cholera Hospital at Henwick. A very handsome subscription was entered into for the relief of cholera sufferers and their families, and the proceeds of a collection after a sermon by the Rev. Canon Benson, and of a concert at the College Hall (£156), were devoted to the same good object. The cholera visited every town in the county with more or less severity. It raged most fearfully at Droitwich, Redditch, and Dudley; the cases in the latter town amounting to 1,132, with a proportion of 250 deaths. Warm salt baths were found very beneficial at Droitwich. The Yeomanry, this year, assembled at Warwick, because of the prevalence of the disease in Worcester.

JULY 19—The PROVINCIAL MEDICAL AND SURGICAL ASSOCIATION formed, at a meeting held in the board room of the Worcester Infirmary. More than fifty medical men were present; and the venerable Dr. Johnstone, of Birmingham, was called to the chair. The opening address was read by Dr. Hastings, the founder of the association; another on the objects and modes of medical investigation by Dr. Barlow; with various medical papers by Dr. Milligan, Dr. Malden, Dr. Jeffery, and others; with “A proposal to establish County Natural History Societies” by Dr. Conolly. The value and importance of this association are now fully established.

OCTOBER 9 AND 10—Musical Festival at Kidderminster, in St. George’s Church, for the benefit of the National Charity Schools. _The Messiah_ was performed one morning, and a selection of sacred music the other. There was also a grand miscellaneous concert on Tuesday evening, and a ball on Wednesday evening. The result was highly satisfactory. The receipts were—for tickets, £853; collections, £209; donations, £180: total, £1,242. The expenses amounted to £792, and £450 was thus left as a balance in favour of the charity.

OCTOBER 27—The revising barristers having completed the inquiry into the first registration of the voters of the city of Worcester under the Reform Act, there were left upon the list 1,521 freemen and 721 £10 householders in addition, making a total of 2,242. Under the old state of things there were about 1,600 resident and 800 non-resident freemen, so that the Reform Act somewhat lessened the number of voters. It was stated, incidentally, that from the year 1760 to 1832 (seventy-two years) the Corporation of Worcester had admitted 5,092 freemen—viz., 2,625 by right of servitude, 1,222 by birth, 1,103 by purchase, and 142 had been honorarily admitted. The constituency of the county, after revision of the lists, amounted to 8,283—viz. 3,122 for the western and 5,161 for the eastern division. Total population, 110,348. The voters for the city and various boroughs numbered 4,235.

NOVEMBER 5—The Duchess of Kent and Princess Victoria passed through the county, escorted by the Worcestershire Yeomanry, who in reward for this service have since received the appellation of the “Queen’s Own.” The royal party passed through Tenbury, Witley, Worcester, and Bromsgrove to Hewell, where they stayed for the night, being welcomed at each of these places with the utmost loyalty and enthusiasm. At Hewell, the townspeople of Bromsgrove and Redditch presented addresses, and the nobility of the county assembled in the evening to pay their respects to their Royal Highnesses.

1833.

MEASURES called for by the state of Ireland occupied the first session of the Reformed Parliament. The Coercion Bill, for the repression of crime, was easily passed, and then came the Irish Church Bill, to abolish the Church cess or rate, in that country, to impose a graduated tax on clergymen, instead of taking first-fruits, and to abolish ten out of twenty-two bishoprics. The bill passed with little opposition; but a most important alteration was made in the Lords, as to the appropriation of the revenues of the suppressed sees. A motion, made in the Commons, for a repeal of half the Malt Tax, was carried by 162 to 152; but ministers, a few days afterwards, got the vote rescinded. Consols averaged 88; wheat averaged 52s. 11d.

JANUARY 25—A police force, organised by the Worcester City Commissioners, with Inspector Sharpe at their head.

JANUARY—The Worcester Philharmonic Society, just formed, gave their first concert.

MARCH 26—Mr. G. R. Robinson moved for a committee to revise the taxation of the country, and to inquire into the propriety of substituting a property tax in lieu of a great portion of it. The motion was defeated by the opposition of Government: 155 members, however, voted in its favour; amongst the minority being the Hon. H. B. Lygon and Sir Thomas Winnington.

APRIL 8—THE WORCESTERSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY formed, at a meeting held at the Guildhall, Worcester, with Sir C. S. Smith, Bart., in the chair.

MAY 1—The Hirondelle coach, passing through Worcester, was driven from Liverpool to Cheltenham, a distance of 136 miles, in 9 hours and 33 minutes—14 miles an hour, including stoppages.

MAY 17—On Mr. W. Whitmore’s motion to substitute a fixed duty on corn for the alterative duties then in force, Mr. G. R. Robinson and Mr. R. Godson voted in the minority. Colonel Davies also paired off in favour of the motion.

JUNE 6—Colonel Davies moved a vote of confidence in ministers, with reference to their conduct towards Portugal, which was carried by a majority of 263.

JULY 22—Funeral of the Earl of Plymouth, in Tardebigg Church. The whole of the Yeomanry were assembled on the occasion, and great crowds gathered to witness the procession. The burial service was performed by the Lord Bishop of Worcester, assisted by the vicar of Tardebigg, the Right Hon. and Rev. Lord Aston.

SEPTEMBER 9—The Government Commissioners made their inquiries at Worcester into the Charter and Corporation of the city. The forty-eight members of the old Corporation were, of course, self-elected, and the nomination virtually rested with a few of the body. They rigidly excluded all professional men and all Dissenters. The income of the body was stated to the Commissioners to be £2,100 per annum, and the expenditure about £2,000; this included subscriptions and donations for charitable purposes, amounting to about £300 a year. It was accidentally discovered, during the inquiry, that the sword bearer charged one penny per pot on all fruit brought into the market, though the toll was only one farthing. A complaint was made that the £20 charged upon persons, not freemen, who wished to trade within the limits of the city, had the effect of discouraging young men from entering upon small businesses.

OCTOBER—The _Bridgwater Treatises_ presented to the Rev. George Redford, by some members of the Worcester Literary and Scientific Institution, for “his just castigation of their scandalous libeller, ‘O. S.,’ for his refutation of the assertion ‘That the diffusion of useful knowledge leads to atheism,’ and for his defence of the anti-sectarian principles upon which the London University is founded.”

OCTOBER 25—A prisoner, named M‘Kenzie, confined in the City Gaol for robbery, made his escape—slipping out of his cell just as the turnkey was locking up. He had to make a jump of eleven feet from the top of one building to another; and he afterwards said that, before making it, his courage failed him, so he knelt down and asked God to assist him, and, by God’s help, he succeeded! A truly curious instance of superstitious profanity. He was retaken at Bridgnorth.