Old British News

68 posts

Wife beating – 1916

With the First World War showing no signs of ending, life on the home front is further exasperated with shocking domestic stories that continued to fill the pages of our national press.  In Aberdeen in […]

The Judge and the Carpenter – 1898

Meanwhile it’s another day in Clerkenwell County Court for Judge Edge. The Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser (Wednesday 30 November 1898)  report an amusing interlude: The Judge and the Carpenter. Amusing Interlude at a County […]

Christmas card clue

Do you keep your Christmas or birthday cards? Well, if you don’t maybe we should all keep them, just in case! In 1930 The Hull Daily Mail reported a person with relatives in England and […]

1836 Junior Highwaymen

Robberies on tracks and roads were commonplace as we well know. Indeed after dusk the highways were places to avoid where possible. Newspapers were full of stories of highway robberies and many generations later films […]

Reporting everyday life in 1893

At Llangollen Petty Sessions in late August 1893 local life was being dealt with.  Although these really were ‘petty’ sessions they of course are very common throughout the entire British Isles. They do provide the […]

Hatton Garden 1819

In January 1819 The Morning Post  in London reported a particularly unpleasant assault that occurred in Hatton Garden.  A chicken seller from *Saffron Hill and an accomplice were found accused of biting the nose off […]

The mysterious prisoner

In May or June 1899 this man appeared on the Dorchester Prison Admission records. He is the only entry in the book who is unidentified. Judging by his dress and appearance he came from a […]

Motor accident – 1896

From the very moment motor vehicles hit the roads of Great Britain the media seem to be hugely cautious of this new invention.  The slightest accident would be duly reported and hugely illustrated where possible.  […]

An extraordinary accident

The lives of Victorians were, it seems, constantly at risk due to the lack of many safety regulations and health rules that we take for granted today.  Even behind closed doors in the relative safety […]