BS: Random Traces from Long Ago

Subject: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Paul Burke
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 06:39 AM

I've been posting odd clippings from old newspaper reports in various threads, and it occurred to me that others might be interested in doing the same. So, a thread on the lines of random snippets, but specifically for the historians of inconsequentiality amongst us.

Here's a start, it shouldn't be funny, but:

Bury and Norwich Post, December 9th 1816

A poor man and his wife residing near Maldon in Essex nearly lost their lives on Sunday last from the man incautiously drying gunpowder in a frying pan which exploded and blew off the roof of their cottage and destroying all their furniture, although severely injured they are expected to recover.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Paul Burke
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 07:04 AM

The days when parsons kept bears:

Bury and Norwich Post, April 26th 1820

Last week a bear belonging to the Rev John Plamplin of Chadacre Hall being at large in the yard, attacked a fine cow and mangled it so much that it died immediately.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 10:34 AM

That was the recommended way to dry gunpowder that had gotten wet. You were supposed to do it over low coals and very, very carefully. Spreading it out in a hot sun was better.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Amos
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 11:30 AM

Just goes to show you that technological ineptitude is not as new as you might think!



A

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: semi-submersible
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 01:28 PM

Nowadays they'd get a Darwin Awards Honourable Mention, like the anonymous American lad who burned up the kitchen (and some of himself) heating a pail of gas on a stove to thaw his carburetor, or
52-year-old Zlatko near Zagreb trying to pre-warm his car engine. "Maybe I used too much newspaper." (Zlatko left after lighting the paper, thus escaping the fireball which claimed his beloved Opel Kadett.)

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Amos
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 02:25 PM

Or the lady who thought it would be a fine way to dry her cat off after a bath and put her in the microwave for a quick dry-cycle. The cat boiled and died, and the lady sued the microwave company for not informing her it wasn't safe for live animals. Some people...




A

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Joybell
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 02:38 PM

What a great idea. Thanks, Paul. I keep finding these and have no place to share them.
Here's one from New Zealnd from the mid 1800s. I've got the reference somewhere:

"The regulations that exist in Otago to prevent the carrying of sheep and passengers together in ships bound for Dunedin have been lately stringently enforced. On the 16th of October, Captain M'Alpine of the Natal barque, was before the Dunedin Police Court, charged with having carried passengers and sheep together in his vessel. He was found guilty, and ordered to pay a fine of 150/-. In default of payment, he was sentenced to five months' hard labour on the roads."

Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: semi-submersible
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 10:05 PM

Fortunately, the old lady/pet/microwave urban legend (dating back to 1976) is false, according to Snopes. Do you remember the earlier clothes-dryer version? No-one has microwaved a pet, nor himself, by accident. There have been humans vile enough to act it out on pets, hence laws around the world protecting animals.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Rapparee
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 10:27 PM

There was also a case recently where a mother microwaved her baby. The baby died, as I remember, and the mother sent off the the Graybar Hotel for stretch.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Gurney
Date: 28 Nov 08 - 10:53 PM

Rapaire, Essex in December has a notable shortage of hot sun! If you left it out until it dried (about August, I should think,) you might have trouble finding it again :-)

There is a record of a guy here loading cartridges from a barrel of powder whilst smoking a pipe! Burned to death, poor sod.
Predates the Darwin Awards, of course.

Predates bullets, actually. Much the same date as the Essex incident.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Nov 08 - 12:21 AM

I think it would be more fun to keep these as old stories instead of any modern tellings such as some of the above. You know, something from a really old newspaper as Paul has posted?

Here's an interesting one...rather unequal justice. From a newspaper report about a train wreck in Sept. 1897, near where my ancestors were:

The killing of a thief, who was caught carrying off goods from the wreck, by Sheriff Ware, was commended on all sides, while the fact that the lives of two others caught stealing, were spared, was deplored.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Amos
Date: 29 Nov 08 - 12:28 AM

Why on earth would they prohibit carrying sheep and passengers together? Some kind of Puritanical prudery? :D



A

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Joybell
Date: 29 Nov 08 - 12:39 AM

I've wondered about that Amos. Keeps me awake wondering. We live right in the middle of sheep-country. Should I worry? Are they dangerous?

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Nov 08 - 01:47 AM

Amos -

Throughout history, the transporting (and herding) of sheep has been subject to special regulations, including - so I'm told - a clause in some modern teamsters' contracts requiring that "sheep shippers" are entitled to a "co-driver" to bear witness that the sheep arrived unmolested. [This, it is claimed, was to protect the drivers from the inevitable bad jokes(?).]

'Twas claimed that in the early US settlements it was common to prohibit "males past puberty" from being alone with a flock; but I've not seen "authenticated" confirmation. Perhaps clarification is in one of the old newspapers.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Amos
Date: 30 Nov 08 - 10:22 AM

A good pair of wellies and Ewe in the moonlight--who could ask for anything more?



A

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Sorcha
Date: 30 Nov 08 - 04:44 PM

I always figgered it was more because of diseases? JiK could be right, tho. I don't know!

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Paul Burke
Date: 04 Dec 08 - 12:45 PM

Ipswich Journal, July 20th 1776

At Farnham, Suffolk on Monday last a poor man suspected of being a wizard was swam (as tis called) in the river Deben in the presence of a great number of spectators who had assembled from different parts of the county of Suffolk on the occasion, he was put upon his watery trial about 7 in the evening with his feet and hands tied but to the surprise of the whole company he sunk to the bottom and had it not been for the assistance of a humane spectator the experiment would have terminated in a manner shockingly to it's protectors, mortified and disappointed the company soon dispersed, ashamed of themselves and angry at their own weakness and credulity.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Paul Burke
Date: 04 Dec 08 - 01:00 PM

Ipswich Journal, September 13th 1777

Boston, America-----The Legistature of Virginia has passed an act that no Scotchman on oath shall be be credited in any case, whoever and all are strictly enjoined not to suffer an oath of administering to any Scotchmen whatever.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: VirginiaTam
Date: 04 Dec 08 - 01:15 PM

why do so many of these threads devolve into sheep vignettes?


see near end of thread for more on sheep

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Joybell
Date: 04 Dec 08 - 06:50 PM

Sorry. We were taught at school that, "Australia rides on the sheep's back". It's hard to get away from them here.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Amos
Date: 04 Dec 08 - 11:38 PM

Transcript of the Consistory Court, Domestic - Charles I
Jan 24 1638/39

Sentence in the Court of High Commission against Richard Northen,
Curate of Haither (alias Haydor) in the county of Lincoln.

It appeared that about seven years since said Northen baptised a child
of one Henry Nixe in the church of Haydor without using the sign of
the cross, and instead of the words "I do sign him or her &c.", he
used the words "I do sign him with the sign of a token".

And also that he has delivered the Holy Communion in both kinds to
divers of his parishioners sitting and not kneeling, especially to one
Sarah, wife of Henry Nixe of that parish.

And also that His Majesty having declared his intentions for the
honest and modest recreations of his subjects, good protestants, such
as frequented their parish churches duly, after evening prayers on the
Lords Day, the said Mr Northen said in his sermons that he was a theif
that did take any recreations on the "Saboath" day, and he was worse
than a thief, for he was a villian and a sacrilegious thief, that did
allow of them; and about a year and a half after so preaching, and
some two years after the publishing of the Kings Book for recreations
on a Sunday, being a feast day at Haither, some young people after
evening prayer got a piper named William Keale, and went to dance,
which while they were doing Mr Northen and the constable came and put
the piper in the stocks, where he lay about three hours, and then Mr
Northen and the constable coming to put one Coxe in the stocks, the
piper slipped out his foot and ran away, which Mr Northen perceiving
he took the pitchfork out of the hands of one Andrews, a watchman, and
followed the piper, and in a lane overtook him, and did beat him with
the pitchfork, and brought him back to the stocks, where he lay till
next morning.

And also, that in catechising in the church of Haither in 1635, upon
the eighth commandment, he delivered this doctrine, that there was a
theft in Kings and Princes in laying more burdens on their subjects
than they were able to bear, and that there was theft also in Judges,
Magistrates and Landlords.

And lastly, that he has oft omitted to wear the surplice, and
neglected on several Sundays and holy days to read divine service in
the chapels of Culverthorpe and Kelby under his care.

All of which being proved, the court fined him one thousand guineas to
His Majesty, comitted him to the gatehouse during the pleasure of the
court, ordered him to be suspended from his ministerial duties, and
condemned him in costs of suit.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Paul Burke
Date: 05 Dec 08 - 03:56 AM

Well I reckon he got of cheap, only 1000 guineas for beating a piper with a pitchfork!

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Joybell
Date: 05 Dec 08 - 04:08 PM

Here's a Christmas one from, actor, John Laurence Toole. 1888.
From the book "Reminiscences of J.L.Toole - Related by Himself"
I'll paraphrase because it's buried somewhere in the book.

One Christmas season Toole was playing alongside a little girl in the play, "A Christmas Carol". The child was playing the part of Tiny Tim. During the last scene there was a big Christmas banquet. A real one with real food. All the actors enjoyed this bit -- they were all poor and often hungry. None of them enjoyed it as much as the little girl, however. Toole kept filling her plate as she put it out for more. The play ran for weeks and he didn't actually realize how much food she was putting away until well into the play's season. About the middle of the season he found out how she did it. She was stashing as much food as she could into her clothing and taking it home to her family. She had many siblings and the family was very poor. After this Toole managed to secretly help her get away with as much of the feast as possible.

Subject: RE: BS: Random Traces from Long Ago
From: Paul Burke
Date: 22 Dec 08 - 06:40 AM

Ipswich Journal, April 28th 1781

At Chelmsford Quarter Sessions-John Porter for assaulting James Robinson by drawing a sword upon him and threatening to run him through if he did not enlist into the said party of marines and obtaining from him 25s under false pretences and with him Samuel Wraight and James Deadman. For trial at next Assizes.

Sounds like Robinson could have done with a first cousin called Arthur McBride.