If I told you that there is an extended piece in the Wrexham and Denbighshire Advertiser about a man who fell off a ladder whilst painting a gate, you might think that the news was a little slow in August 1856.
I can see your point, but you might like to revise your opinion when you learn that stealing clothes which had been spread out to dry on hedges in the sunshine was rife.
In Wrexham Elizabeth Cotgrave was brought up charged with stealing a counterpane from a hedge in the Rhos ddu lane, the property of Mr. Greenhow. His servant, Agnes Roberts, had put out the counterpane to dry at about 2 o’clock, and then an hour later it was gone. Elizabeth was picked up when she was caught trying to trade it in at the pawnbrokers. She was locked up for the rest of the morning, since had already been in the lock-up for twelve days.
Over in Llangollen, Ann Lloyd from St Asaph was charged with stealing a cotton dress and two petticoats from a hedge in Llangollen, where they had been put out to dry by Ann Edwards. Lloyd then sold the petticoat for 7d to Ann Jones, an old lady in Ruabon who later handed it over to the police. Ann Lloyd was sent to prison for three months, with hard labour.
In fact there is more about clothes. It being August and hay-making time, farm houses were often empty during the day. When John Edwards of Llanrhaidar returned from hay-making at half-past six in the evening, he found the kitchen window of his farmhouse had been broken open. All his wearing apparel had been taken away, and bread, butter tea, and sugar. It is not what you want to find after a long day in the fields. A chimney sweep, George Wasters, was detained, along with a bundle of clothes and his 12 year old sweeps-boy, David Davies. The boy turned Queen’s evidence, and said that Wasters and a man called David Francis were responsible. Frances broke open the window and took the clothes and bread. They divided the loot and separated. Francis was detained in Wrexham and the two of them were sent for trial at the assizes at Ruthin.
In Denbigh, Ann Pierce from Llanyfyd, accused Ann Williams, a neighbour, of striking her ten year old son Thomas with a piece of thick rail. (There seem to have been a lot of women called Ann about) Ann Williams admitted it, but said he was a nuisance in the neighbourhood, and had taken her son’s jacket while he was industriously engaged and would not give it up. As a consequence of his bad reputation the case was dismissed.
Of course, since it was summer there were plenty of visitors in Llangollen, the favourite resort of summer tourists, who seek amongst its romantic scenery, its cloud- capped hills, and story-telling glens, renovated health and vigour. The newspaper though was not happy. The chief street of the town is covered with rough gravel containing stones so large that they must be a sad source of annoyance to the promenaders of both sexes, especially to the nervous valetudinarian, and those who happen to be afflicted with corns. As newspapers always do, they blame the local council. This matter is a disgrace to the local authorities, and we hope something will be done to remedy this intolerable nuisance.
Llangollen was not the only place to go, particularly if you were frightened of stones. Visitors could follow the advice given in an advertisement prominently displayed on the front page, for a Pleasure Trip Extraordinary to the Far-Famed Wrekin and the World-renowned Medicinal Waters of Admaston Spa. (now a suburb of Telford.)
But if the idea of travel did not thrill, then there was no need to worry. The thrills of the world itself were coming to Wrexham Music Hall on Monday 4 August.
THE ANTIPODEAN SAVAGES,
The most wonderful human beings ever seen in England.
Mr J. Power, (who has the charge-of the Antipodeans) will, in a familiar Lecture illustrated by themselves, detail the narrative of their departure from their native Island, supposed to be in the Southern Pacific), explain their Mythology, Manners. Language, Warfare, General Habits, Pantomimic Gestures, Dances, Songs, etc.; and should any visitors desire it, Mr. Power will induce them to walk round the Saloon, shake hands with the audience, &c.
During the evening, the celebrated African Troubadour Tambourino Voy, from the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London, will give his unique and popular entertainment, African Life in Freedom and in Slavery, introducing his highly-trained speaking and performing Dog, ‘Napoleon,’ and will also perform Popular Airs on the following Instruments—the African Gourd, Pine Logs, Horse- shoes, Canoe Fiddle, (in 12 positions), in addition to the Concertina, concluding with the celebrated Solo on 12 Tambourines. (Twice daily)
Unmissable. I think I regret seeing Napoleon most of all.
There is another more disturbing advertisement on the front page from the Cambrian works at Ruthin, where Jones and Francis produced Soda Water, Potass Water, Sparkling Champagne, Lemonade, and Aerated Ginger Beer by means of the best possible machinery, from the Crystal Spring of the Ruthin Artesian Well so famous for its purity. Champagne? Is there something we should be told? What happened? Have the legendary Grand Cru champagne vineyards of Ruthin been ignorantly buried beneath an industrial estate carpark? A tragedy, indeed.
There were also reports of strange goings-on in Chirk, where there was rumoured to be a spectral presence on the prowl. Residents were alarmed when nocturnal visitors have lately been paying some very disagreeable attentions to the mansion of J. Powell, Esq of Preesgweene.
At midnight the house and nearby cottages were regularly bombarded by stones and rocks. Some of the missiles are upwards of 20lbs. in weight, and are said to be hurled with considerable velocity, thereby causing serious damage to the roof and windows. They seemed too heavy for anyone to throw them without the aid of some Archimedian invention.
The explanation was obvious. His Satanic Majesty was paying them a visit and amusing himself at their expense. Perhaps he had a holiday home in Gobowen. That would explain a lot.
People gathered to observe the phenomenon every night and a sceptical reporter turned up, but he could not explain it. Policemen were there too, but they didn’t really know what to do as the stones were rattling around them like hail, certainly from invisible, if not from ghostly hands. The reporter himself had a narrow escape, for a gentleman with whom he was conversing was struck on the shoulders by one of these 20-pounders. No one could be sure what was going on but the paper was adamant there was no supernatural influence. There can be no doubt that there are several accomplices, and it is only a great pity that they have not yet been discovered.
And to think they were troubled by men painting gates.
