If it happened, it was in the news.
In December 1705, Britain was involved in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714). This conflict arose from disputes over who should succeed to the Spanish throne after the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in 1700. The war pitted two major alliances against each other: The Grand Alliance, which included Britain, the […]
Runcorn Weekly News – Wednesday 24 December 1913 KNOCKED DOWN IN THE DARK AT DITTON. TWO MEN INJURED IN MOTOR VAN ACCIDENT. STRANGE AFFAIR IN STEWARD’S LANE. The somewhat serious injuries sustained by two men by being knocked down by a motor van in Steward’s Lane, close to the Ball of Ditton, on Monday night, […]
Marylebone Mercury – Friday 23 December 1949 Shoplifting — ‘Wicked dishonesty’ Sentencing Bessie Studd, 48, housewife, of Lower Higham Road, Gravesend, Kent, to five months’ imprisonment for stealing a game, worth 3s. 3d., from an Oxford Street store, Mr. Geoffrey Raphael, the Marylebone magistrate, told her she was absolutely a public menace and, if not […]
Birmingham Daily Post – Tuesday 22 January 1889 WEST BROMWICH. CHARGES OF THEFT.—Yesterday, at the Police Court, John Rhodes (45), of no fixed abode, was charged with stealing 3lb. of pork of the value of 1s. 6d., the property of Thomas Davis, of Great Bridge Street, West Bromwich. On Saturday night he took the meat […]
Northern Daily Telegraph – Saturday 17 December 1898 PLUM PUDDING RECIPES. One and a half pound of raisins, one and three-quarters of a pound of currants, one pound of figs, two pounds of moist sugar, two pounds of bread crumbs, sixteen eggs, two pounds of finely chopped suet, six ounces of mixed candied peel, one […]
Norfolk Chronicle, Saturday, 3 August 1811 Singular Genealogy. — All the persons named in the following genealogy were living at Faversham, in Kent, 1760, excepting only the former wife of the elder Cashick. Old Harwood had two daughters by his first wife, of which the eldest was married to John Cashick, the son, and the youngest […]
WINSLOW PETTY SESSIONS, DECEMBER 14 1892 Before Geo. R. Greaves, Esq., and the Hon. C. Fremantle. STRAY CATTLE AT LITTLE HORWOOD William King, farmer, was charged with allowing his cows to stray on the highway at Little Horwood on the 19th Nov. P.C. Tredway said shortly after one o’clock in the morning he found 10 […]
Morning Post – Wednesday 20 December 1905 [Stanley Gardner, a rogue stockbroker, was charged with obtaining money by false pretences in a high-profile fraud case. Victims across the UK lost hundreds of pounds in fake share schemes. #OnThisDay #History #TrueCrime] Stanley Gardner, 35, described as an outside stock and share broker, was charged before Mr. […]
Middlesex Chronicle – Saturday 20 January 1906 POLICE COURT. Monday. Before: Mr. A. S. Montgomery (chairman), Mr. J. Carver, Mr. M. Davenport, Mr. G. J. Haffenden, Mr. V. Griffiths, Dr. Satchell, Mr. C. J. Cross and Mr. R. Willey. THE INFLUENCE OF DRINK. Winifred Reardon (29), of Notting Hill, was charged with being drunk and […]
Nottingham Journal – Monday 14 March 1864 SHIRE HALL, NOTTINGHAM. SATURDAY. – (Before Mr. Birkin and Mr. Edge.) DRUNKENNESS. John Tomlinson, charged with drunkenness at Radford, on the 8th inst. Fined 10s.—Enoch Hodgkinson, for a similar offence on Sunday last, at Nuttall. Fined 10s. and costs.—Two men, named Alsopp and Hand, drunk and disorderly at […]
The 1887 Board of Trade report revealed that 919 people were killed and 3,590 injured on UK railways. Of these, 121 deaths and 1,297 injuries involved passengers, with only 25 fatalities caused by train collisions; the rest resulted from other incidents, often due to passenger carelessness. Railway workers and contractors accounted for 422 deaths and […]
October 26, 1898 | ST. JAMES’S GAZETTE THE ANTIQUARIAN ROMANCE. MORE REMARKABLE EVIDENCE. Mr. Lushington sat again specially at Bow-street yesterday for the further hearing of the charges against Herbert Davies, twenty-five, “private surgeon,” of Castlenau-gardens, Barnes, of forging entries in Mangotsfield parish register, tampering with monuments and coffins, forging three sixteenth-century wills, and making […]
Birkenhead News – Saturday 11 October 1884 RAILWAY ROBBERY Before Mr. Preston, at the Borough Police Court, on Wednesday, four young seamen, named John Mullin, 4, Byrom-street; James Allsop, 140, Beckwith-street; Gardner Carruthers, 280, Conway-street; and William Lewis Seacombe, were charged with stealing a sailor’s white canvas bag from Birkenhead Railway Station, on the night […]
Throughout history, many newspapers have had fleeting existences, often created in response to specific events, movements, or ambitions that were unsustainable in the long term. These rare and short-lived publications offer unique insights into the moments they captured, often serving niche audiences or addressing radical ideas. Their limited runs and rarity make them highly sought […]
Thanet Advertiser – Friday 04 April 1947 This is a fascinating newspaper advertisement from 1947 for a service called Rediffusion. Here’s a breakdown: Rediffusion Technology in 1947 What is Rediffusion? Rediffusion was a service that allowed people to listen to crystal-clear radio broadcasts without owning a traditional radio set. Instead of using traditional radio waves, […]
Gloucester Journal – Saturday 23 August 1862 FORGERY. Herbert Cresswell, a young man, was charged with obtaining money by means of a forged instrument, on the 31st of March, at Cheltenham. The prisoner pleaded guilty. Mr. Sawyer, who appeared for the prisoner, said he could not struggle against a verdict of guilty. It appeared that […]
The Morning Post – Wednesday 31 March 1830 This article describes an event reported in The Morning Post newspaper, dated 31 March 1830. It recounts a shocking and socially disgraceful incident that took place in a crowded marketplace. In summary, the article portrays a deeply degrading episode in which societal norms, gender inequality, and public […]
Family notices in old newspapers are important because they provide essential details about individuals, relationships, and communities, offering a rich resource for genealogical research and insights into social history. Here is an example: Gloucester Citizen (Thursday 8th December 1927): BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS. Notices of Births, Marriages and Deaths, In Memoriam Notices, Acknowledgements of Sympathy, […]
The handling of meat in Britain during the 1800s was an area of significant concern due to the lack of comprehensive food safety regulations, leading to widespread public health issues and increasing media coverage of scandals and legal cases. Thame Gazette – Tuesday 17 September 1867 A butcher in Walworth was fined £10 or faced […]
FRIGHTFUL ACCIDENT ON THE NORTH KENT RAILWAY. Also on this page: The State of Rail Safety in the UK During the 1850s Importance of Historical News Articles for Historians and Genealogists Free to use British Newspaper Research Service COLLISION OF TRAINS. Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard – Saturday 04 July 1857 A frightful accident occurred a […]
Tavistock Gazette – Friday 22 October 1875 Tavistock Football Club. — At a meeting held at the Queen’s Head Hotel, on Monday last, Mr. G. Gibbings in the chair, it was resolved: — That the club be called the “Tavistock Football Club.” That the annual subscription be 3s. That the laws of the club be […]
In its era, “The Poor Man’s Guardian” was a defiant voice of the working class, a radical, illegal newspaper that challenged oppressive laws and censorship, pushing for press freedom, workers’ rights, and social reform during a time of political repression and economic inequality. Poor Man’s Guardian – Saturday 26 December 1835 FULL PDF The final […]
RIOTS IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE. Illustrated Police News – Saturday 19 November 1887 Sunday’s proposed demonstration in Trafalgar Square to demand the release of Mr. O’Brien and other Irish patriots ended in a most futile manner. It is absurd to suppose that an unorganised body of men like the demonstrators proved to be could defy the […]
Western Times – Friday 06 December 1940 This news article provides an interesting snapshot of wartime Britain, revealing how the upheaval of daily life affected young people. It offers a glimpse into the juvenile justice system of the time and the community’s efforts to address and correct youth crime amid the broader backdrop of World War II. […]
Hull Packet – Tuesday 01 February 1803 This newspaper article from 1803 describes a violent murder that took place at Greenwich Hospital, a historical institution that housed retired sailors or “pensioners.” The story is notable for the brutal and premeditated nature of the crime, as well as the murderer’s complete lack of remorse. Summary of Events: The […]
I was looking for some news reports of my Grandfather and his family the other day. I knew he lived in Newton Abbot in Devon, South West England. He was born in the 1890’s, died in the the 1970’s and spent his life in South Devon. So he was educated in the home town. The […]
Much like today, news media has always demonstrated its sensational side. The Illustrated Police News was a highly popular newspaper especially during the Victorian and Edwardian era, full horror and shock. Here is a classic case from 1909 reporting a murder in North London with sensational images on the front page with limited editorial buried […]
At Shire Hall in Nottingham, crimes were dealt with and recorded in the newspapers along with many names and help for historians years on. This free to use service (covering the period 1750 – 1950) aims to assist individuals interested in their UK family history or British history in general. If any information is unearthed […]
If you suspect that your ancestor may have been involved in a court case, whether accused of a crime, deported, imprisoned, or acquitted, I can potentially unveil the news as it was reported at that time. Court and police cases are a rich source for names in the newspapers. Along with details of the crime, […]
Since auction websites like eBay entered the online arena the success of moneymaking ventures by some has in a way caused serious social and devastating historic damage. I am referring here to the thousands who have unwittingly taken advantage of these websites by selling off literally tons of “family junk”, “rubbish from the attic” and […]
