brownbacks

Extract from a letter published by the Sheffield Daily Telegraph. 1878 November reprinted in the Bacup Times 1878.

The "factory hands" are an entirely different class. They are as insignificant physically as the "brownbacks" (quarrymen) are prodigious. Cadaverous faces, sunken eyes, leaden looks and general ricketness - such and their clogs are the distinguishing peculiarities of the mill workers. They are strangely ignorant. They have not enough character to make them interesting as a study, but are not just a dull stolid, depressed class, about whom no one would care to concern himself. Of the outside world they know little and care less - being - being wholly wrapped up in themselves. Their life reflected by their newspaper is one of beer-drinking and tea-drinking, both in extremes. The "brownback" is a picturesque, if not romantic being, He swears with perhaps more real grace, vigour and effectiveness than any other person whatever. Everything about him his massive but his understanding. His dress is primitive, consisting of a "slop" (or overall) a red handkerchief and a hairy cap. If he wants to be particular he adds trousers, but these when first introduced were considered luxuries, and avoided by the steady conservative ones. The "brownback" is engaged in the delphs or quarries, and partakes of the roughness of the material among which he works. When not blasting on his employers behalf, he is "blasting" on his own private account. He might be put forward to out-swear, out-drink and out-eat any competition. He is indifferent to his lodgings and will sleep anywhere. A saint existed in the old time in Cyprus who allowed the dirt to accumulate on his body till he was encased in a suit of armour. The "brownback" imitates the saint largely not from love of sanctity but love of ease. The hours away from the delph he considers time for drinking beer, or if he has no money, to stand on street corners, envying those who have. He fights policemen and maltreats his wife, if he owns a slave of that description.

Brownback's were classed as the lowest of the low, people didn't want to know them or discuss them in conversation. Not all quarrymen were hard fighting hard drinking men some were conscientious workers of good sober character. Of one thing there is no doubt without these men there would be no mills, or houses built of local stone in Bacup or Stacksteads. Quarrying was a very strenuous type of work that demanded great stamina and ingenuity. Exposed locations with severe weather conditions made for a very rugged tough type of man. Is it any wonder they engaged in tough pastimes during their leisure times such as kicking contests whilst wearing clogs. A quarryman would never admit to being cold even when his hands were frozen to the stone, due to indestructible pride.

In bad weather the men could not work and there was no pay for time not worked, newly quarried stone could not be worked in frosty weather. It was not uncommon for men to be laid of for weeks at a time during a long cold spell in winter. Life was very hard for men with wives and children. A man who was thought to be of good character would have been able to obtain tick at the local shop for which to buy the necessities of life. It was not uncommon for a quarryman to run up a sizeable debt with the grocer through the winter and then spend the summer paying it off.

A Typical quarryman's work attire was thick corduroy trousers tied just below the knee with string similar to the ones shown right worn by Thomas Caygill other man Jimmy Pick.. Wearing them like this allowed the trousers to be kept baggy around the knee allowing for easier bending. A pair of big heavy clogs or hob nailed boots a tie tied around the neck no collar and a heavy jacket.

Accidents were common especially to the new comer quite often an injured quarryman would wake up to find himself in the pub awaiting the services of the local Doctor, and it wasn't unusual for many a Quarryman's wife and even in some cases his children to be in need of the Doctors services suffering from punishment the quarryman had inflicted. Many a Quarryman's wife ended or began her week with a black eye or two, courtesy of her husband. It seems from census returns and enquiries made to me that quite a lot of the Quarrymen of Stacksteads were of Irish decent, and the four main areas in Stacksteads which they lived appear to be Taylorholme, Sandholes Row now known as Bankfield Street, Huttock End and the Blackwood Road area.

Taylorholme Stacksteads like may homes in Bacup and Stacksteads the homes pictured above at Taylorholme would have been mostly back to back with two rooms downstairs i.e. a living room and scullery and two rooms upstairs.

Bottom Row Stacksteads pictured right were what were known as Cellar houses, the houses on the upper level accessed by the landing were one roomed with a tiny scullery, usually the stairs to the bedrooms led of from the living room. The houses or rooms on the lower level the cellar house was just one room, no bedroom no scullery just one room that would quite often flood in heavy rain.

Sandholes Row is situated at the bottom of Booth Road known today as Bankfield Street.

Huttock End Lane was also the location of the Catholic Working Men's Club situated at bottom of Huttock End Lane.

So if your ancestor was one of these men who tramped the hillsides day after day to get to his work what would that work have entailed.

Locating the rock in the ground was the first job of quarrying, known as Baring which involved removing first the moorland grass which covered a layer of peat anything from two to four feet deep. Below the peat there came a layer of clay interspersed with pebbles which in the days before machinery was very hard to remove because the clay stuck to the spade. The clay could be anything from 3ft to 6ft thick and then under the clay came what the quarryman called rag, this was rock of very poor quality. Once all the above had been removed the quarryman hopefully arrived at a good piece of rock which was workable. At this point the Rock Getter took over.

The Rock Getters job was very hard and called from some ingenuity also to out do what mother nature had laid down for thousands of years. Once a slab had been raised high enough to pass a heavy chain under and around the sides of it , it was then gently eased from its bed by the crane. Both the getter and the crane driver had to be equally aware of the amount of strain that was being exerted on the crane. Once the rock was free from it's bed the rock getter had to work out from it's size if the crane was powerful enough to wind it onto the staging of the cutters. If the rock was too heavy then the getters had to cut it into more convenient sizes and weight to lift it.

Once the rock had reached the Cutters then the rock could be cut to whatever was required by forming a slot known as a wedge hole using a heavy shaped pick this was then completed by using a smaller pick known as a bottomer the better the shape of the wedge hole then usually the cleaner cut. The wedge had to sit snug on the sides of the holes yet not touching the bottom the wedge was then struck by a heavy hammer. The number of wedges and holes depended on the size of the piece of rock about to be cut and also on the type of rock. After the Cutter had cut the approximate sizes for whatever was required i.e. edging stones, kerbstones, channels, flags etc usually ordered by corporations, councils or contractors then Masons took over.

Masons got the cut stone onto a Banker by using a hand crane, each mason helping one another when a stone needed dressing. A good mason would make use of every bit of stone keeping it true and square. The working area needed for cutting, dressing and storing the stone was known as the Hillock. Probably because it was a raised area usually about four feet above the railway lines the wagons were shunted alongside the Hillock in such a way that the hand crane could jib round with a few kerbs through the dropped doors of the wagon. The time allowed for a wagon leaving the main line siding to go up to the quarry shunted about, loaded and returned to the main line siding was about three days. Anything over that was charged a penalty by the railway companies. The carrying capacity of the rail wagons was 8, 10 or 12 tons.

Accidents were common and the following are just some of the accidents reported in the newspapers of the day.

Bacup Time April 19th 1902

The two photographs reproduced give an excellent idea of the chasm down which the unfortunate man fell. The first is taken from about half way down the opposite side of the quarry, and shows the boiler water tank, and other parts which separated from the rest of the crane lying in the debris below. When the accident occurred the young fellow was standing with his back to the boiler, and as it made the awful drop of 94ft he with arms outstretched followed it down alighting amongst the rocks a second after it. The second photograph is taken from the top of the quarry and shows the exact position of the crane when the accident happened.

The accident occurred to a young man named Ebeneezer Jones Mills, aged 27 and residing at South Street, Whitworth. Mills was substituting for his father as a travelling steam crane driver at Ab Top Quarry, belonging to Messrs, Taylor and Company, Whitworth and had been some three months at the job. It appears that the crane required some repairs at the weekend and these were done by a man named Fred Ashworth a wheelwright also residing at Whitworth. When the work had been completed Ashworth left Mills on the crane, and went to the blacksmiths shop some distance away. After Ashworth had left Mills jibbed the crane around, and by some means the boiler and tank parted from the rest of the engine and fell along with the deceased into the quarry below. A distance of 94 feet. A man named Stephen Bostock of Whitworth, saw the deceased and the portion of the crane falling down to the quarry and along with others immediately went to his assistance, but he was dead. His body was terribly mangled. and presented a shocking appearance.

At the inquest it was gathered that the crane had had a working life of about 30 years having been used for this amount of time by the deceased father Ebeneezer Jones. The jury of the inquest which followed returned a verdict of accidental death.

Henry Heys Quarry

1866 A man named Kay who had been working at the stone polishing mill at Brandwood sidings was making repairs when he was struck in the face by a crank. Breaking his jaw and nose and knocking one of his eyes out. He was taken to the Commercial Inn Stacksteads where Dr Wilson of Stacksteads and Dr Stewart of Bacup attended him.

1882 A boiler explosion at Long End Pasture stone quarries killed engine tenter Prince Saunders.

1881 A man killed by a stone wagon crossing Blackwood Road.

1907 A man had his leg fractured below the knee working in a stone mine of Henry Heys Brandwood quarry.

George Escott, a miner for Henry Heys & Co. working for Siddalls at Hell Clough quarry, was hurt whilst carrying out his work.

1908 Owing to a connecting link breaking, two loaded wagons dashed down the incline on to Messrs. Henry Heys & Co railway siding at Atherton Holme doing much damage to rolling stock etc. That same year a man working at Heys quarry Rakehead had his arm caught in a crane gearing, his arm was badly lacerated.

1908 A man named Foy was crushed between two railway wagons, in shunting operations. He walked home with assistance, to Yate Street, Bacup and was seen by Dr. Brown, who found he was in such a serious condition that to move him to the infirmary would have brought about his death. He survived until seven o'clock that evening. At the inquest it was stated that the deceased had walked from Back Cowm quarry to Yate Street Bacup, in a condition as stated by his Doctor; the Coroner, in his summing up said: "Foy was a hard one".

Britannia Quarry

1895 Richard Wylde 53 a quarry manager for Messer's Brooks & Brooks met with an accident when he fell from a wagon going up the 600 yards long incline to Britannia quarries. The deceased had a leg cut off by one of the wagons and died later from his injuries.

1902 Myles Hollows aged 87 had his hand trapped between the buffers of two railway wagons in shunting operations at Brooks sidings Britannia. His hand was badly damaged and the middle finger of his left hand was taken off.

1908 A man working for Brooks & Brooks fell into a quarry hole about 50ft deep.

1908 A man named Cross was crushed between engine buffers and a wagon. He was conveyed home where he was attended by Dr Brooks.

1912 John William Parkinson steam crane driver, aged 35 of Bright Street, Bacup was killed. It appears he was raising a block of stone out of the quarry, a distance of 25yards. It was estimated the block of stone would weigh about 7 tons, the lifting capacity of the crane was 15 tons, which was one of the largest of it's kind in local quarries. When the stone had been raised within 6yards from the top, Parkinson decided that it was impossible to land it without changing gear. In order to do this, he applied the brakes, but due to wet weather the brakes did not act. The 7 ton of block of stone began to run back into the quarry, the cogs failed to engage correctly, with the result the wheels were completely broken. Pieces flew in all directions some falling many yards away from the crane, whilst one piece severed a pipe on the cranes boiler, causing steam to escape. This cloud of steam obscured the area and hid Parkinson from view. He sustained terrible injuries, being horribly mutilated about the lower abdomen. He was conveyed to Rochdale Infirmary but had died on arrival.

Lee Quarry

1883 Joseph Ridehalgh of Plantation Street, Stacksteads was killed when he fell from his crane into the bottom of the quarry a distance of 50ft.

1885 Fatal accident to a man named Joseph Hocking, of Lodge Street, Bacup.

It appears Hocking and another man, James Patrick, where employed by William Hoyle as labourers. They were working on a ledge some 6ft in area clearing rocks with a crow bar. The ledge was about 9 to 10 ft from the quarry floor. The rock or post as it was called gave way, Patrick jumped clear, but Hocking did not make an effort to get clear, he fell, and a piece of rock about 8 tons crushed his head into a shapeless mass. A steam crane had to lift the rock from his body, once extracted, the body was taken to his home and the coroner notified of his accident.

1885 Jonas Townsend who worked for Siddall Lee Wood was badly crushed when he was thrown between a stone wagon and a coal wagon.

1905 A Lee quarry accident. Owned by the Exors of Myles Hardman. A 50 foot long bridge collapsed, it was erected from 18 inch by 8 inch Pitch Pine baulks. A wagon loaded with over two tons of stone and two men, fell 50 feet. This accident proved fatal to one of the men.

1906 A fatal accident at the quarry of Exors of Myles Hardman at Lee.

Lovick & Philipson at Lee quarries. A man hurt.

1906 Richard Walmsley, aged 46 of 52 Vale Cottages, Newline, had his thigh pierced with a crowbar. Dr Brown attended and he was later taken home on a stretcher and then conveyed to Rochdale Infirmary in the horse ambulance by Engineer Jackson but died four days later from Gangrene.

1908 Quarry accident at Holts Siding, Lee Mill. A man named Frank Fogg, a stone mason, received injuries to his head, he was working near the saw mill belonging to William Jackson, stone merchant, when his head came in contact with the revolving handle of a hand crane.

1908 Two accidents at Lee quarries, Bacup. A man named John Robert Fell injured his foot and was moved to Rochdale Infirmary. Sevatus Lord, (44) nearly had an arm torn off when he got caught in the cogs of a crane he was driving. This accident was fatal. The owners of the quarry were the Exors of Myles Hardman.

1934 A runaway wagon tragedy. Alfred Evans (49) a mason lost his life at Lee quarries, trapped between a rail wagon and a sett edge (wall of setts). At the time of the accident he was trying to uncouple a horse from the runaway wagon but was trapped as stated. The wagon, 10 feet long and 3 feet in width was loaded with about 4 tons of stone being drawn by a horse, in the evidence it appears that the wagon should not have been on that line, some how the points had been moved. The rail gauge was 3ft. 6ins. 207

Richard Siddall Quarry

1881 Michael Hines had to have a leg amputated after having accident while riding in a stone wagon attached to a locomotive which runs across the moor above Blackwood from Siddalls quarry. The locomotive slackened speed and Hines jumped off the wagon and landed on a steel plate. He slipped and was run over by one of the trucks, he was eventually taken to Manchester Infirmary.

1884 Thomas Brierley aged 20 was killed through his injuries. Brierley had been standing in a wagon on the rail siding Law Head, a locomotive struck the wagon whilst shunting operations were going on. Brierley was thrown from the wagon onto the rail lines and was run over by a locomotive which inflicted dreadful injuries.

1884 A shocking and fatal accident at Stacksteads to a Shunter named, Richard Henry Richmond, aged 24 of Cloughfold. A runaway wagon loaded with 16yards of 3inch stone struck him and killed him instantly.

1889 A man named Turner slipped on to the main line and was run over by an engine at Siddalls polishing mill.

1907 George Escott a miner for Henry Heys & Co working for Siddalls at Hell Clough quarry, was hurt whilst carrying out his work.

1908 Greens Moor quarry a man had his foot crushed by falling rock.

1908 An accident to a stone miner at Hell Clough quarry, John Thomas Stevens (33) of Huttock End Lane, Stacksteads, was caught under a fall of earth and was for a short time entombed. When he was dug out it was found he had head injuries. He was carried to Dr. Falconers surgery at Stacksteads, and later to Rochdale Infirmary in the horse ambulance by engineer Jackson. Death occurred at Rochdale Infirmary, where a inquest was held.

A further fatal accident at Greens Moor quarry, owned by the exors. of Richard Siddall. Albert E. Howarth (28) died in Rochdale Infirmary due to injuries received when a rock being hoisted out of the quarry fell and pinned him to the quarry face.

Rakehead Quarry

1867 Richard Tyler was killed by a landslip at the quarry.

1881 Man killed at Arch Hole quarry Rakehead Stacksteads.

1908

Patrick John Moran (32) a quarry man of Taylor Holme, Stacksteads, was working in the mine hole of Messrs. Lord & Phillipson stone quarries Rake Head when several tons of stone etc. which comprised the roof of the mine, suddenly collapsed and entombed him. The worse was feared, but a gang of men got to work and after two hours Moran was released in a fainting condition.

1908

In the same year a similar accident happened in the same quarry by the same owners. A man named James William Rothwell was killed. The deceased and witness were getting rock when a beam, about 12 inches square and 19 feet long broke and the roof came in, stones and earth fell on the deceased. He was enveloped but for his legs. They promptly extracted him. The height of the mine was about nine feet. 95 After being treated by a doctor who ordered him to be taken to Manchester Infirmary. Rothwell was conveyed to Stacksteads railway station, but he died on the platform whilst awaiting the arrival of the train.

1939

A fall of rock in a stone mine at Rakehead quarry, killed Alfred Kyme aged 25 years. 178

Accident at Lee quarries, J. T. Brown, a 22 year old quarryman died in Rochdale Infirmary. 204

Below is a selection of a few Court Reports involving Quarrymen.

James - Cassidy Drunk And Assaulting The Police 1896

James Cassidy, quarryman, Mark-Street Stacksteads, was charged with being drunk in Greens lane on Saturday evening, and also with assaulting P.C. Hill the same evening. P.C.Hill said he saw the prisoner in an almost helpless state of drunkeness in Greens Lane on Saturday evening. With the help of P.C.PLatt he took him home, seated him in a chair and told his daughter to keep him in the house. Prisoner jumped up, struck witness and attempted to throw him down. He was so violent that they had to handcuff him, and take him to the police station, where he was locked up. He was

bailed out on Sunday morning. For being Drunk and Disorderly he was fined 2s.6d and costs, and for assaulting the officer he was fined 5s. and costs.

Thomas Daley - Neglect Of Wife And Children 1896

Thomas Daley, Quarryman, Huttock End Lane, was summoned for neglecting to maintain his wife and family. Ellen Daley said she had to leave her husband three months ago on account of his drunken habits and betting proclivities. They had two homes which had had to be broken up. He was lazy and would not work, and she had to work in the mill to maintain him and the two children, aged respectively three years and fourteen months. She was now living with her mother. Defendant denied that he was lazy and said hi mother in law was the cause of all the disturbance. The Chairman suggested that they should try to settle the matter, but complainant would not agree, and eventually a separation order was granted, defendant to pay 10s, per week towards the maintenance of his wife and family.

Thomas Lawless - Drink Again 1896

Thomas Lawless, quarryman , Stacksteads was charged with being drunk and disorderly

P.C. Porter said that at 7.30 on Tuesday evening he was called to the Hare and Hounds Inn, Stacksteads to eject the prisoner, who refused to quit. He forcibly ejected the prisoner from the premises. On getting outside the prisoner was very violent, and they had a long struggle, prisoner throwing witness down breaking his watch. He called for assistance and eventually got prisoner on the tram and brought him to Bacup, where he was locked up. Prisoner had nothing to say except that he was very sorry. Mr Mitchell Magistrate said if he remembered rightly prisoner was very sorry the last time he was brought up. But he continued to get into trouble. Inspector Downing said prisoner had a old fine standing against him, and they could not get it, he kept promising to pay , but he drank the money away every Saturday. Prisoner was committed to gaol for 14 days hard labour.

George Taylor - Drunk And Disorderly

George Taylor quarryman, Yate Street, was summoned for being drunk and disorderly, P.C.Butler said he found the defendant Drunk and Disorderly in Yate Street at about 10.40 on Saturday night. He was thumping the door of a house, and using threatening language to those inside. He ascertained that defendant lodged there, and had been shut out owing to his drunkeness and disorderedly conduct. He got them to take him in. Defendant admitted having had a drop of drink, and was fined 5s and costs.

Edmund .H.Crabtree - Assault on Wife

At Bacup Police Court, on Monday, Edmund H Crabtree, 54 quarryman, of 29 Brandwood Road Stacksteads, was charged with assaulting his wife, by striking her on the head with a swilling brush. He was fined 7s 6d and costs and promised to be better in the future.

John McManus May 9th 1896 - Assault On The Police

John McManus 19, labourer, Taylorholme was charged with being drunk and disorderly and assaulting P.C.Stables, at Taylorholme at 2.30 on Sunday afternoon. P.C.Stables said he saw defendant drunk and behaving in a disorderly manner, at the time and place stated and ordered him away. Prisoner came back and struck witness on the face, and threw him down and he had to get the assistance of P.C.Porter to get him to the Police Station. In answer to the bench prisoner said he had been in a club at Waterfoot during the forenoon, and at opening time went into the Hare and Hounds Inn, Stacksteads, and had been drinking all day. The chairman remarked that assaults on Police were becoming to common, and unless there was an alteration, they would have to begin to send them to gaol without the option of a fine. As this was prisoners first offence he would be fines 5s and costs for being drunk and disorderly and 10s and costs for the assault.

Stephen Foley - Drunk And Disorderly

Stephen Foley, quarryman, Brick Houses, Stacksteads, was charged with being drunk and disorderly in Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, near the Railway station on Saturday afternoon. P.C.Porter proved the case and said prisoner refused to go home when asked and threatened to kill him. Prisoner admitted that he was drunk and said he was very sorry.

Fined 2s 6d and costs or eight days in gaol.

Thomas Grady - Been To Wedding

Thomas Grady, quarryman Stacksteads, made his 32nd appearance, charge with being drunk and disorderly in May last year, as the case was adjourned, as Grady had gone up with the Militia. There was also another adjourned case standing against him for the same offence, the case being adjourned on Dec 4th last, for six months to give him a chance at reforming. The Chief Constable withdrew the first case, as prisoner had kept out of the hands of police for five months. The second case was proved by P.C. Wilkinson. Prisoner who appeared in court with a beautiful black eye, explained to the bench that he got his black eye by a fall in the gym of the militia, and that it was not the result of drink. On the occasion of the second offence he had been to a wedding and got rather too much to drink. Fined 5s and costs.

William Moran - All Absentees To Be Apprehended

William Moran Quarryman of Taylorholme Stacksteads, was summoned for being drunk and disorderly, but failed to answer - Defendants mother appeared and said her son was so bad when he came home he could not give an account of what he was doing that night. He could not move stir,. nor speak, when they brought him home. A warrant was granted for his arrest

and the Chairman said he would like it to be distinctly understood that when summonses were sent out they expected the person summoned to appear there. There was really too much of this kind of work going on. They thought they could set the bench at defiance, but he thought it was about time they showed them they would not be set at defiance.

George S Mildenhall March 1901 Not Maintaining A Mother

George S Mildenhall, Quarryman, Stacksteads was summoned at the instance of the Haslingden Board of Guardians for not maintaining his mother. Defendant did not appear. Mr Isiah Luty, relieving officer, said defendant was summoned on the 12th of January for neglecting to maintain his mother. The amount of arrears at the time was 80s. Defendant promised to pay the amount, and to take his mothers name of the books and support her. He had only paid 10s. The reason defendant gave for not paying was that he had not been well., but he promised he would pay in a fortnight. The case was adjourned for two months to give the defendant a opportunity to pay.

Robert Proctor June 9th 1906 - Summoned For Assault

At the Bacup Petty Sessions on Wednesday before Messrs. James Haworth on the Chair . J.T.Hoyle and Capt Munn. Robert Proctor Quarryman, Brandwood Rd Stacksteads, was summoned by Robert Barret for assault. Complainant said the the trouble arose through some children sending balls into his fathers garden. He caught one of the boys going into the garden for the ball and pulled him back, but did not touch the ball, whereupon the lad said if he could not have the ball would " take it out " of his complainants son . Complainant told his son not to have anything to do with the boy, but on Monday of the previous week, he saw defendants son kicking his child, and went out to him. The Wednesday after he met defendant, who asked him what he had been hitting his son for, and complainant replied that " he should give over molesting my son". The defendant thereupon struck him a blow to the forehead which gave him a headache the following day. Complainant said he only wanted quietness. Defendant acknowledged the offence and said he thought it was childish. The magistrate ordered the defendant to pay costs.

Thomas Kelly June 9th 1906 - Drunkeness

Thomas Kelly a navvy of no fixed abode was charged with drunkenness. P.C.Walsh

deposed to finding prisoner drunk in St James Street, at ten o'clock the previous night. He was taken into custody. A fine of 2s.6d and costs, or eight days imprisonment was imposed.

Matthew Murray September 1906 - Asleep In The Street

Matthew Murray, Quarryman of Stacksteads was summoned for drunkeness.

P.S. Butler stated that at five minutes to twelve on Tuesday morning he was in company with P.C.Stables when they found defendant lying fast asleep in Bankfield Street, Stacksteads. They woke him and found he was helplessly drunk so they ascertained were he resided and took him there. Defendant admitted being drunk and was fined 2s 6d and costs or seven days hard labour.

Thomas Walsh Harold Brown 1920.

Thomas Walsh, Quarryman of 7 Blackwood Road Stacksteads, and Harold Brown, Labourer of 7 Wardle Street, Stacksteads were summoned for a breach of the Borough By ;Laws by fighting on the 28th Instant at 10.30 p.m in Blackwood Road

P.C. Bennington said that at the time stated he was on duty in Blackwood Road and saw the defendants fighting. A large crowd had gathered. As he was pushing his was through the crowd someone threw a bottle which smashed against at wall two yards in front of him. He stopped the defendants fighting and told them they would be reported. Both defendants appeared to have had something to drink, but they were not drunk. A fine of 7s.6d each or 7 days imprisonment was imposed, defendants being allowed 14 days in which to pay.