Another tale from the Evening News......

This story appealed to my sense of humour as well; poor chap didn't stand a chance!..

ONE-EYED LOITERER 

Did Not See The Policeman Until It Was Too Late

 In the small hours of Sunday morning, November 10^th, Police-Constable White found two men loitering in the passage leading to the Midland Chambers Wheeler-gate.  Their actions were suspicious, and after keeping observation for a time he arrested the men.
The prisoners, Frank Whitehouse (34) a labourer and Morgan Stewart alias Doughty (36) a fitter both of no fixed abode, were today brought before Messrs. W.L. Hardstaff and H.D. Snook at the Nottingham Guildhall and each sentenced to one months imprisonment.Stewart said he could not see how he could be loitering with intent to commit a felony; “I am blind in one eye,” he declared, “and near-sighted in the other.  I never saw the policeman at all.”

 *Article from the Nottingham Evening News - November 18th 1912
* Picture thanks to Andy Nicholson

Feeling a bit off colour? Then read on....

I spent a few hours at the local studies library in Nottingham yesterday, looking through their old newspapers on microfilm.  I was looking for family obituaries, but I kept being distracted by the brilliant adverts., like this one from the Nottingham Evening News of October 1899:

Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People

Dr. Williams' Pink Pills have cured paralysis, locomotor ataxy, rheumatism and sciatica: also all diseases arising from impoverishment of the blood, scrofula, rickets, chronic erysipelas, consumption of the bowels and lungs, anaemia, pale and sallow complexion, general muscular weakness, loss of appetite, palpitations, pain in the back, nervous headache and neuralgia, early decay, all ladies' weaknesses and hysteria. These Pills are a tonic not a purgative.
Sold by all chemists and by the Dr. Williams Medicine Company, Holborn Viaduct, London E.C. Ask for Dr. Williams.

I wonder why it's not available on prescription, it sounds amazing!



The Nottingham Oldhams....continued

I have been trying to discover who the William Henry Oldham is that shares a grave with my 4x great grandfather in the Nottingham General Cemetery.

I have managed to find him in the census of 1871 and 1881, living with his French born wife, Elizabeth, so it is possible that he spent the previous years in France, which explains his non-appearance in previous census returns.  He is shown as a lace maker in the census, which fits in nicely with the rest of the family.  William died in 1885, so I have come to the end of anything the census may show.

So the next step was to send off for his birth certificate, which arrived the other day.

I was delighted to see that his mother's maiden name was Oldknow, which probably explains the mystery of this being used as a middle name through the following generations of children.

I think he may be the brother of my 3x great grandfather, Thomas Oldknow Oldham, who was born around 1834 and whose birth I haven't yet found.

So it's back to the Nottingham archives to check this out!