Worcestershire in the Nineteenth Century: A Complete Digest of Facts Occuring in the County since the Commencement of the year 1800Turberville, T. C.
History
Worcestershire in the Nineteenth Century: A Complete Digest of Facts Occuring in the County since the Commencement of the year 1800
Turberville, T. C.
Worcester (England) -- History
MARCH 28—Riot amongst the Worcester women, on account of the high price
of provisions—20d. being asked for a pound of butter; 2s. a peck for
potatoes; and 9d. a pound for meat. The mob of women prevented the
Birmingham “badgers” from carrying off their purchases, and then,
assembling before a baker’s shop in Broad Street, compelled his wife to
throw out to them all the bread she had in the house. Special constables
were at last sworn in and tranquillity restored.
MAY 27—Price of the quartern loaf fixed by the Mayor of Worcester at 1s.
7d., though selling the same day in London at 1s. 4½d. Constant
complaints that the markets at Worcester were higher than elsewhere, and
as this continued to be the case, a Mr. B. Lloyd purchased, in June,
1,000 barrels of American flour at Liverpool, and sold them here in
single barrels.
JUNE 20—Two vagrants, confined in the County Bridewell, forced out a
window, and, dropping themselves over a wall twenty feet high, made good
their escape.
JULY 17—The committee of the Worcester Flour and Bread Institution
reported, that since the previous October, 100,000 loaves had been sold
to the poor by its means at one third less than the average market price.
During the same period 140,000 quarts of soup had been distributed.
JULY 30—The Directors of the Worcester House of Industry, which was
established in 1795, published a statement apologising for the increase
of rates. The average number of poor relieved in and out of the house,
during the previous twelve months, had been 583 weekly! while in 1795 it
was only 235. The Directors attributed this increase to the high price
of food and the sickliness of the season, and said it was not greater
than in other manufacturing towns.
AUGUST 5—Miss Mellon performed at Worcester Theatre to crowded houses.
OCTOBER 14—Dinner at the Crown Hotel, Worcester, “to celebrate the
Peace.” Illumination, &c.
OCTOBER 15—Ball at the Guildhall, for the benefit of the Infirmary,
attended by 300 persons. Net profits £102.
NOVEMBER 10—Lord Foley met with a severe accident while hunting, one of
his horse’s legs dropping into a deep hole and falling back upon his
lordship.
NOVEMBER 10—An advertisement having been inserted in the Worcester
papers, by the Hon. Mr. Ward, stating that he intended to offer himself
as a candidate for Worcester at the next general election, the
Corporation met and voted unanimously that “as there is no vacancy in the
representation of the city, the Corporation considered that an
insuperable bar to their countenancing a contest from any quarter
whatever, having had woful experience how destructive it is of peace and
good neighbourhood, which happily has prevailed among all ranks of
citizens for a long time.”
DECEMBER 14—Both the Worcester members, Mr. Wigley and Mr. Robarts, voted
in a minority of 22 to 80, to continue the restrictions on the use of
barley in distilleries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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