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Thread: Life in the Late Victorian Period as reported in the Liverpool Mercury

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    Senior Member ChrisGeorge's Avatar
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    Default Life in the Late Victorian Period as reported in the Liverpool Mercury

    As with the thread on Jack the Ripper where I am posting stories on the Whitechapel murders that appeared in the Liverpool Mercury, Howard Brown of JtR Forums is also finding interesting stories in the newspaper on various aspects of life in the late nineteenth century in Liverpool and elsewhere. Here are a few of them.

    Howard says about the first story, "Anyone who adulterates beer should be shot... we know this without having to elaborate. However... what do you do to someone who adulterates lard?"




    Liverpool Mercury
    June 7, 1888
    ***********



    Liverpool Mercury
    October 19, 1888
    **************




    Liverpool Mercury
    November 9, 1888
    ***************
    Christopher T. George
    Editor, Ripperologist
    Editor, Loch Raven Review
    http://christophertgeorge.blogspot.com/
    Chris on Flickr and on MySpace

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    Senior Member SteH's Avatar
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    I have spent many hours in central library in recent weeks going through old newspapers for another project I am working on, and the Liverpool Mercury from that period is by far my favourite, it makes the Daily Mail look communist!

    Here's a few gems I've picked out:-

    4th March 1836 ON FORMATION OF LIVERPOOL BOROUGH POLICE
    "We doubt not that we shall now for the first time have the benefit of an efficient day and night police force. We allude to the difficulty experienced frequently in finding a policeman at the precise moment his services are required. The difficulty might be alleviated by requiring every constable, when off duty, to affix to the door of his dwelling house a notice of his being employed in the police force, by which means the public would at all times know where to apply for assistance. This plan has been adopted by the municipal authorities in Bath"

    23rd February 1839 RE THE 1ST GRAND NATIONAL

    "We have heard with alarm and regret that it is in contemplation to establish steeplechasing annually or periodically in this neighbourhood. If any such design is seriously entertained we trust that some means will be adopted to defeat it!”

    30th January 1872 - THE DRUNKARDS LIST
    "there was an improvement slight it is true, but still an improvement in the state of affairs at the police court yesterday morning. The drunk and disorderly cases which the previous Monday numbered 130 now only reached 115; and as a few months ago before inebriates were threatened with exposure as well as heavy penalties it was common enough to hear nearly 200 drunken cases brought before the bench every Monday morning. It may be reasonably inferred that some good has resulted from the severe measures adopted"

    3rd February 1879 - RE A DOCKS STRIKE

    “groups of idle men could be seen lounging about the docks of Liverpool and Birkenhead. Even those who assisted them on a former occasion to procure an increase stand aloof from this movement which under the circumstances they regard as little less than suicidal. A reduction of 6d per day has just come into effect as regard the wages of corn porters, weighers etc”

    4th March 1884 - RE CROWD OUTISDE PRISON FOR HIGGINS/FLANNAGAN EXECUTION
    "Despite the inclement state of the weather a crowd began to assemble outside the wall of the prison. By eight o’clock the crowd numbered fully a thousand, nearly all of whom were of the lower class, whose morbid curiosity made them utterly reckless of the sleet and wind. Both women wore an appearance of resignation. They vainly attempted to utter responses to Father Bonte’s prayers. During the fearful ordeal they never looked at one another. At the given signal the bolt was drawn, death being evidently instantaneous"

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    Senior Member ChrisGeorge's Avatar
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    Thanks, Steve, for posting those interesting articles from the Liverpool Mercury. I'm going to post some articles from the same newspaper found by Howard Brown at JtR Forums.

    Liverpool Mercury
    July 1, 1890
    **********




    Liverpool Mercury
    August 14, 1891
    *************


    John Conway was found guilty of the murder of a nine-year-old boy, Nicholas Martin.

    "John Conway was a marine fireman convicted of the murder of nine year old Nicholas Martin. On 16th May, the boy's mutilated body was found floating inside a sailor's kitbag in Liverpool docks. The bag also contained a knife and a saw which police proved to be the murder weapons. The bag was traced to Conway, and witnesses came forward to say they had seen him and the boy together shortly before the body was found. Conway later confessed to the crime which he blamed on drink." http://www.britishexecutions.co.uk/e...t.php?key=1401

    At his execution at Kirkdale Gaol, Liverpool, on August 20, 1891, by James Berry, "the murderer's head was almost torn from his body by the force of the drop." W. Scott, The Monthly Chronicle of North-Country lore and legend: v.1-5; Mar. 1887-Dec. 1891, Vol. 5 (Google eBook), p. 480.

    Berry blamed the prison doctor, Dr. Barr, for interfering with his calculations, but in another execution a man actually was decapitated, and another nearly so. As a result of government criticism over these botched executions, Berry resigned: "James Berry was not popular with the Home Office because of his holding 'court' in local pubs after executions, which had led to questions being asked in Parliament, and his behaviour at the hanging of John Conway within Liverpool’s Kirkdale prison on the 20th of August 1891. To everyone’s relief Berry resigned in early 1892. James Berry died on the 21st of October 1913." English hangmen 1850 to 1964



    Liverpool Mercury
    March 3, 1891
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    Liverpool Mercury
    April 14, 1892
    ***********
    Christopher T. George
    Editor, Ripperologist
    Editor, Loch Raven Review
    http://christophertgeorge.blogspot.com/
    Chris on Flickr and on MySpace

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    Senior Member ChrisGeorge's Avatar
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    "Champion of the World and the High Ripper !"

    Liverpool Mercury
    July 1, 1890
    **********



    Liverpool Mercury
    September 15, 1891
    ***************
    Christopher T. George
    Editor, Ripperologist
    Editor, Loch Raven Review
    http://christophertgeorge.blogspot.com/
    Chris on Flickr and on MySpace

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