Welcome to another issue of The Newport Cornucopia where we dig through the newspapers archives for interesting news articles and adverts. All articles are posted verbatim and most headlines are original (headlines in quotes are my own).
Sunday Breakfasts at Newport
On Sunday morning the first of a series of free breakfasts to the poor and destitute children of Newport was given in the Old Albert-hall. A substantial meal of bread and butter, bread and jam, and hot coffee was supplied to a crowded roomful by about, 20 ladies and gentlemen called from all the churches. For lack of room many children had to be turned away. After breakfast hymns were sung and short addresses given. It is intended to make the Sunday morning breakfasts an institution, and funds are invited from the charitable. In the afternoon a school was held in the same building.
— The Cardiff Times, 19th January, 1889
Free Sunday Breakfasts at Newport
The twelfth free breakfast to poor children of Newport was given in the Oddfellows'-hall, Herbert-street, on Sunday morning. The youngsters beard a brief address and sang a hymn before being supplied with an abundant meal by the ladies who volunteer in the good work. Altogether about five hundred children were supplied with food either at the breakfast or during the day. In the evening a gospel meeting was fully attended.
— The Cardiff Times, 6th April 1889
Coming Events At Newport
The civic fathers of Newport will meet next Tuesday for an intermediate monthly meeting to get rid of accruing business, chief of which is the selection of committees, consequent on the elections of the 1st inst. There arc now 13 committees, of which 11 consist wholly of marchers.
The newest committee is the Lunacy Visiting Committee, who are charged with the erection of an asylum which will be wholly devoted to the mentally infirm of Uskside.
A committee of the whole council has been dealing with the annoyance caused to Mr Taylor, baker, by the vibration of the plant at the electrical works, and have agreed to offer him as compensation for damage, etc.
The Watch Committee have been considering the question of Sunday trading, and they made the astonishing announcement that 150 shops were open on Sunday week, or five more than in August of last year
Of this number 120 are on the western side, and the remaining 30 on the eastern side of the river. In view of these figures, and the promptings of members of the Council, they have decided to take proceedings to check the practice, which evidently is a growing one. Considering that Newport shops are kept open to such a late hour on Saturday night the need for much of the Sunday trading is not apparent.
The Watch Committe also report the early loss of the Sherlock Holmes of the Newport Police Force (Inspector Hale), who is retiring on £831 per annum, after 33 years and seiven months of service.
This is Inspector Hale's character in brief:— "There has been no deduction from his service in respect of sickness, misconduct, or neglect of duty." How many can say the same, or better still, have the same said of them after 50 service.
The question of putting in operation the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, has been referred by the Selection Committee to the Works and General Purposes Committee on the principle apparently that the more a committee has to do the more it shall have. There is a fine opportunity to relieve, the congested district of Pillgwenlly when the overhead ferry is erected, and the committee might reserve a piece of land for the purpose in a line with the approach to the ferry on the eastern side.
— South Wales Daily News, 24th November, 1899
'Using Obscene Language'
Catherine Donovan was charged, on bail, with using obscene language in Fothergill-street, on Friday. It appeared that prisoner struck her husband over the head with a poker, after which she went into the street, and used bad language. Discharged.
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 5ht February, 1875
A Black Thief
John Williams, a negro seaman, was charged with stealing a coat, value 16s., the property of Hyman Phillips, pawnbroker, Llanarth-street. Prisoner was seen by an assistant loitering about the shop, and at 10 o'clock the coat was missed from a post in the shop. The assistant went to the shop of Mr. Jacob, pawnbroker, where he found the prisoner trying to sell the coat. He ran away, and several followed him.
P.C. Toose met him and took him into custody. Prisoner pleaded guilty, and said be took the coat because he was hungry and starving. He did not like to beg, and so he took the coat to get something to eat. One month's hard labour.
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 5ht February, 1875
Theft from a Shop Door
Two labourers, named John Fitzgerald and Charles Morgan, were charged with stealing a pair of boots, from the shop of Mr. R. Lee, shoemaker, Commercial-street. The boots were stolen from the shop door, and they were afterwards offered by Fitzgerald in pledge, but without success. The next day Morgan offered the boots in pledge at the same shop, when he was given into custody. There was no case against Morgan, and it was proved he was sent to pledge the boots without having any knowledge of the robbery. Fitzgerald was sentenced to one month's hard labour.
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 5ht February, 1875
Stealing a Cruet Stand
Henry Smith, a labourer, employed at the Telegraph Works of the Great Western Company, was charged with stealing a cruet stand, the property of William Emmett Shee, of Griffin-street. Prosecutor keeps an eating-house.
On Friday night, at a quarter to eleven, prisoner came in and had something to eat. After he had left the cruet stand was missed. Next day it was found in the prisoner's bedroom, by his landlady, under the bed, at his lodgings, in Merchant-street. P.C. Coates found prisoner at 11 o'clock, p.m., on Stow Hill, when be denied being at the eating house. The officer had great difficulty in arresting him, and the assistance of Sergt. Winmill and others was necessary before he could be got to the station.
Prisoner elected to be tried by the Magistrates, and pleaded guilty. He said several of them had been having a lot of beer—12 or 13 quarts—and he did not know what made him take it. On a previous occasion Shee had refused to give him change out of a two-shilling piece. It appeared that prisoner bore a good character. Fourteen days' hard labour.
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 5ht February, 1875
Landlady Fined For Drunkenness
Elizabeth Thomas, wife of the landlord of the Beaufort Arms beerhouse, Commercial-road, was summoned for being drunk on the premises of her husband. Mr. Graham appeared for the defence. Sergeant Winmill said on the 13th ult., he went into the house and saw the defendant sitting in the tap-room, with her head on the table, drunk. He had known her for years, and she said "Come in, my dear." Police-constable Brooks also saw her, and said she staggered. Mr, Graham said the defendant had had a fit, and called witnesses to prove she was not drunk.
One of them, Martha Manship, said she had a fit that day. Clara Thomas, one of the defendant's daughters, said her sister left for Swansea that morning, and her mother was quite sober. In the evening her mother had a fit. Defendant had not been summoned before, and the house had been well conduoted. The Bench inflicted the mitigated penalty of 10s. 6d., including costs. (The Mayor, who is not a member of the Licensing Committee, did not adhjudicate in this case).
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 5ht February, 1875
'Well Acquainted with the Interior of Police-courts'
Sarah Lewis, a prostitute who is well acquainted with the interior of Police-courts, for being drunk at half-past one in the morning, and disorderly, was sent to gaol for a month.
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 5ht February, 1875
'Message in a Bottle'
About seven weeks since one of the Bristol and Newport steamers, on her way to ihis port from the latter place, stuck fast in the mud, where she remained some hours. The passengers abaft the rail were pleasantly enjoying themselves over a tew bottles of porter, when two of our townsmen perceived a bottle floating by upon the rising tide and immediatply resolved to write a short note, place it in one of the emptied porter bottles, seal it up, and cast it out, deeming that it would float towards Newport, as the tide was then setting towards this place rapidly. Accordingly, the following note was written, and placed in the bottle, which was then thrown over board.
"We are now fast in the mud, expecting every minute to float. Trusting whoever finds this will inform our friends that we intend seeing them at seven o'clock. We remain &c., The Passengers of the Glamorgan. Half-past Four, August 28, 1841."
The bottle this sent forth, and which it was expected, would have Floated immediately up the Usk, took a contrary direction; and so late as a day or two ago a note was received by a gentlemen in this town, enclosing a note found in the bottle, which had been drifted about by the current of the tides for several weeks, until found at Chepstow, from which place the not was sent.
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 9th October, 1841
A Novel Mode of Disposing of Property
In another column will be found an advertisement announcing the forthcoming disposal of an highly valuable property at Tredegar Iron Works, in this county. The mode proposed is a species of lottery, the price of each share being fixed at ten pounds. The property is divided into convenient lots, all highly improvable. One prize is of no less value than 4000 guineas, this being the Tredegar Arms Inn, Tredegar, one of the best circumstanced inns in the county. The winner of this prize, will have good value for his ten pound ticket. There are many other prizes for large amounts.
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 9th October, 1841
Housebreaking at Newport
On Tuesday night some thieves broke into a villa on the Caerleon-road, Newport, and ransacked the various rooms, taking off everything of value. On the same night a showcase, affixed to the front of the Bon Marché, Stow-hill, was broken into, and a great portion of its contents abstracted. It is feared that a gang of house-breakers has arrived at Newport, and are developing "business."
Residents should be on their guard, and, if possible, never leave unattended their premises, especially those in the badly-lighted suburbs, where the corporation systematically neglect their duty, and the ground landlord follows suit with bad footpaths and worse roads.
If householders possess a canine friend they may leave it to roam the basement or ground floor, in the assurance that it will raise a timely alarm should its quick sense of bearing detect strangers.
— The Cardiff Times, 28th December, 1889
Audacious Thieves
About nine o'clock on the evening of Wednesday last, Mrs. Lewis, who resides in a cottage just above the residence of Mr. Cartwright, on Stow-hill, and opposite the orchard of Mr. Townsend, merchant, observed two ill-looking fellows inside the orchard wall, on the other side of the road, busily engaged in shaking down a quantity of apples from the well-stocked trees.
She immediately raised an alarm, and cried out "Police," which induced the bold rascals to climb over the wall into the road, just before her, and leisurely walk up the hill with their ill-gotten booty, wrapped up in handkerchiefs. One of the fellows was dressed in a cap and long dark coat; and the other wore a hat and a smock frock which almost reached his heels and both appeared to be young men.
Some weeks ago, Mr. Townsend had also a very fine fat duck stolen from his premises, which he was about very fine fat duck stolen from his premises, which he was about to kill for himself, but was anticipated by some hungry elf.
Mr. Townsend informs us, just previous to going to press, that at five minutes after ten on the night of Thursday, he saw, whilst watching from a window in his house at the top of Hill-street, by a gas-light on Stow-hill, a fellow in the orchard deliberately shaking down apples as perhaps himself or companion had done on Wednesday night. After each shake, the plunderer coolly threw the apples into a bag which he carried, and was about to walk off, when Mr. Townsend, who had been as coolly waiting an opportunity for a good aim, levelled a fowling-piece loaded with small shot, at the fellow's legs, and pulling the trigger, aroused the peaceful neighbourhood with the smart report.
The apple-prigger, however, seemed to be most aroused for taking up his bag, he scampered over the wall to Stow-hill, as fast as his plunder and some half-dozen shots in his calf, allowed him, but not without being impressed with a notion that he is truly a marked man. Let him and his gang beware! To be "winged" with a bag of stolen property on the shoulder, must be rather more awkward than pleasant.
— Monmouthshire Merlin, 9th October, 1841
Opening of Newport Corporation Baths
The Mayor Takes to the Water
HIs Worship the Mayor of Newport, accompanied by about 20 members of the Corporation, walked in procession from the Town-hall, Newport, on Thursday to formally open the splendid baths which have been provided by the Corporation at a cost of £10,000 or £11,000. His Worship, who wore his robes, was supported buy Alderman Goss, Chairman of the Baths Committee, and the Town Clerk (Mr Newman). The members of the Volunteer Fire Brigade headed the procession, and a contingent of police followed. At the folding gateway Mr W Gradwell, jun., presented the Chairman of the Baths Committee with a silver key, the handle of which bore the inscription recording the event, and this was given to the Mayor, who opened the door. Simultaneously a side gate was opened to admit ladies and the general public, and in a very short time the whole of the seats below and the points of advantage in the balconies were filled with spectators.
The Mayor spoke of the ample and complete character of the baths, of the spirited action of the Corporation in providing them, and said he was confident the public would appreciate the institution, and that it would prove another of the acquisitions to the public buildings of which Newport might be justly proud. He formally declared the baths open, and in an aside notified that he would practically open them in a short time.
The Mayor then disappeared. Whilst Mr Kirby, the surveyor, was returning thanks, a number of intending bathers in policemen's garb took seats in the front row at the deep end. This proved to be the Mayor's body guard, prepared to follow him in watery peril. In a few moments his Worship reappeared in bathing costume, and draped with a long Turkish bath sheet. He was cheered to the echo, spoke a few words, then throwing aside the sheet, he dived into the water — took the header about which so much persiflage has been banded about of late. The policemen, helmets and all, followed suit, a number of Councillors with the Town Clerk followed from invisible doors, and before the Mayor was half-way up the length of the bath, swimming strong and well, the water was alive with bobbing heads. All halted to enable the photographers to take the scene — the dripping heads of venerable councilmen, the rippling water, the cheering, and amused throng of visitors. Then the bathers retired, donned their ordinary attire, and joined the Mayor at the Town-hall.
The new baths will form one of the most complete establishments of the kind in the western and South Wales district. They cover an area of 192ft by 88ft, and consist of two large swimming baths, roofed over, 16 private baths of the usual household type, and a Turkish bath accommodating 14 persons. Each department is fitted with the best most recent appliances. The two swimming baths are each 75 feet long by 25 feet wide, and the floor beneath the water is paved with white glazed bricks. The depth graduates from 3f 6in to 7ft, and one is provided with 45 dressing boxes, for exhibition purposes and fetes. The Turkish bath department deserves more than the proverbial word of praise. Every detail has been carefully dealt with, and the result is something highly creditable to the surveyor's department, which has designed and carried out the whole of the work.
— The Cardiff Times, 21st June, 1890
Bicycle Riding at Newport
On Monday, at Newport police-court, the Mayor (Mr H. Faulkner) gave expression to a complaint against the bicyclists of the locality. According to popular assertion, these agile and swift gentlemen make Commercial-road their happy hunting ground and career along on the wheels they control at velocities resembling the proverbial flashes of lightning.
His Worship, who resides in the thoroughfare and therefore may be supposed to know something about the practice, complained of the danger to pedestrians from the rapid driving, and instanced the case of the poor man Jones who died on Sunday from the effects of being knocked down by a machine on Thursday evening. He thought six miles an hour ought to be the utmost limit at which the bicyclists should be allowed to travel, and he hoped the Head Constable would impress upon his subordinates the necessity of stopping furious drivers at all hazards in the same way as they would runaway horses.
Head Constable Sinclair promised to give prompt attention to the matter, and mentioned that he had just had a consultation with the town clerk on the subject.
— The Cardiff Times, 25th May, 1889
The Newport Newsboys' Picnic
Tuesday was one of the infrequent gala days the experiences of the lads who sell Newport. They were invited to Goldcliffe — that prettily situated coast destined years hence, when the subway is an established institution, to be a favourite residential suburb. The verandahs and weather-shut of one Newport tradesman show the way. To this point they were conveyed in three well appointed brakes. One youngster had a narrow escape. He had been sleeping out for the past day or so, and his maternal guardian, spotting curly bead beneath the seat of the first break to be filled in Tredegar place, was in her demand that he did forthwith commit himself to her custody. This the lad, looking somewhat what crestfallen, felt no inclination to do; amd ultimately promised to return home from the picnic, was allowed, with 208 other happy little mortals, to travel out of the area of to scudding rain-cloud into the country roads, where Jupiter Pluvius had left no trace, where the ruddy fruit hung temptingly over hedges, dusty with the dry weather.
How they cheered everybody—that is, nearly everybody, beginning with Mr Ace, fresh from his experience with the Caerphilly treat to the Cardiff boys, down to the Schoolmaster at Liswerry Schools, who came to the porch to see the turn out; how they sang "Home, sweet home," how they made vain dives at inearmost (sic) boughs of trees, need scarcely be told.
The instrumentalist of the party must not1w forgotten. Ha had ashy, graceful, Dick Swiveller bearing, and his music was of the tin whistle calibre. The last of the third breakful had scarcely deposited himself at Mr Fennell's fishery at Goldclife before the :bridegroom sea," toying as usual at high tide with the shore, its wedded bride, got a surprise in the irruption of more than half the youngsters. One provident lad seen with a big piece of "best yellow;" and the evident enjoyment of a dip would have altogether reassured his Worship the Mayor about the patronage in store for the public baths. One even conjured up as being possible an organised sortie on the checktaker at the baths, like the recent experience of the man who checks gods of the drama at Mr Humphreys's establishment. "Rather cold, sir; but nice", was the appreciative decision about the condition of the "salt sea water which twice a day passes by, and hushes half the babbling Wye, and makes a silence in the hills."
The provision carts were eagerly looked for. Mr Fennell, driving over to give the aid of his jovial presence to the boys' enjoyment, proved the avant courier and the free-handed victualler. Mr Fennell's reception was striking. Before he had got past the gate he was surrounded. The reason was not far to seek. He had filled the floor of his dog-cart with fruit, and this he threw right left until, like the Deus ex machina with the fire-raining business, the supply was all gone. The rest of the day was consumed in eating and drinking, running races, jumping a string bar and playing cricket, football, rounders, &c. Somehow, or other three footballs came to the rescue, and the joy to do a little bit of "selfish play," never, of courses dreamed of by the premier fifteen black and ambers, was almost too strong to be resisted.
If the racing for sums varying from the grateful shilling downwards the handicapper excelled himself and succeeded in seeing the full fruition of his resources in a little, and, alas deformed lad winning first honours. The well-clad appearance the lads, their orderly, good behaviour, their liberality in the matter of cheering, even when I might be expected their little throats had had plenty of exercise, were only excelled by favourable, sympathetic eyes turned upon them as they quitted town and returned to it.
Several offers of "siller" from generous bystanders had to be reluctantly declined, prompted as the offers were by large-hearted motives. The proprietors of the South Wales Echo were desirous that it should be their treat, and their treat it was from outset to finish. To Mr John Taylor, of the Hill Farm, Goldcliffe, they are indebted for some of the best, driest, and velvety greensward to bit found anywhere within the borderland; and also to Mr Fennell for the conveniences he ungrudgingly placed at the disposal of the caterer. Mr Collier, confectioner of Commercial-road, was proficient, as usual, in this respect; and Messrs Tovey, of Dock-street and Maindee, put their best breaks and horses in motion for the occasion. Edmund Edwards, the blind news lad, and heir to the freehold farms in the valleys with coal beneath, was found a seat in the inevitable wagonette which brought up the rear, and, as well as the rest, got brief interregnum from the prosaic work of selling specials.
— The Cardiff Times, 7th September, 1889
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