Memory Corner January 31st 2019

Friday February 7th, 1794 (previous week missing)

Captain Rowland Hill

LAST WEEK Captain Rowland Hill was presented to the King on his return from Toulon, and yesterday he was to have had the honour of kissing the Queen’s hand.  The providential escapes which this brave young officer experienced during his service in Toulon, to which place he went entirely as a volunteer, are very remarkable.  On 30thNovember one bullet passed between his arm and his side and tore his coat, another went through his boot without hurting his leg; a third bullet shot Captain Snow in the head while he and Captain Hill were talking together, not a moment after the latter had moved from the very spot where Captain Snow stood…

 

Friday January 29th, 1819

BOOKS – on 21stJanuary was published, in three volumes, The Charms of Dandyism, orLiving in Style, by Olivia Moreland, Chief of the Female Dandies. Edited by Captain Ashe, printed for AK Newman and Co, Leadenhall Street, London, and sold by J Watton, Shrewsbury, where also may be had, published this month, Son of Donnell, by Rosalia St Clair, author of The Blind Beggar, etc; 3 volumes, 16s 6d; The Veiled Protectress, or Mysterious Mother, by Mrs Meeke, 5 volumes, 27s 6d; My Old Cousin, or A Peep into Cochin-China, 3 volumes, 16s 6d.

 

Friday January 29th, 1869

A CHIMNEY ON FIRE – Benjamin Daly of Roushill was charged at the Borough Police Court on Wednesday with permitting his chimney to be on fire on Sunday evening last.  Police Constable Swallow proved the facts of the case, but the defendant called a sweep, who stated that he cleaned the chimney in November last, but it being an old-fashioned one it was very difficult to clean.  The charge was dismissed.

MUSHROOMS – On Saturday last Mr John Smedley of Castle Gates picked two fine mushrooms near Haughmond Abbey, one of which measured seven inches, and the other one ten inches in circumference.

 

Friday January 31st, 1919

BACK FROM GERMANY – at the Shrewsbury Borough Police Court on Tuesday Samuel Polston of the Grenadier Guards and Ernest Booth of the Hampshire Regiment, who both recently returned to Shrewsbury after being prisoners of war in Germany since 1914, were re-sworn as members of the Borough Police Force.  Both men looked remarkably fit and were apparently little the worse for their prolonged captivity.

WAR MEMORIAL – a meeting of inhabitants of the county will be held in the Shirehall, Shrewsbury on Saturday Feb 15that 12 noon to consider the provision of a war memorial for Shropshire.

 

Friday February 2nd, 1979

SHREWSBURY’S 2-0 FA Cup fourth round win against First Division glamour club Manchester City at the Gay Meadow on Saturday was possibly the club’s most glorious hour in their 75 years as a professional club.   It was the first time they had beaten First Division opposition in this competition, the match took pride of place in BBC’s Match of the Day, the second half was broadcast on Radio 2, it made the main sports page lead in the majority of the weekend national papers, and it brought record receipts for the club. What is more, the small Third Division club, whose team cost in the region of £80,000, out-played and out-witted the £1½million-pound team in virtually every facet of the game.

 

Thursday February 3rd, 1994

STAFF AT A SHREWSBURY BANK that closed last week have discovered an amazing coincidence – their first customer was also their last.  Mr Bill Morris, chairman of Morris Ltd, went to the National Westminster Bank branch in Castle Street last Friday with a book showing the preparations made by Morris’ for the bank’s opening in 1934.  In fact, Morris’s originally sold the premises to the old District Bank, which was a predecessor to NatWest.  NatWest says the branch’s eight staff are being redeployed and they have new Servicetills [ATMs] at Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.  The Castle Street Servicetill has been moved to the Mardol Head branch.

 

Thursday February 5th, 2009

THE ‘first class’ policing, bravery and tenacity of Shrewsbury police officers has been recognised – including the actions of two who have been given the Queen’s Recommendation for Bravery.  The immediate and decisive action of PC Richard Gray and PC Matt Crisp, who attended an incident in Castlefields on May 6th, 2007 resulting in PC Gray sustaining fatal injuries, were rewarded at a police commendation evening on Monday.  Up to 100 people gathered at the Prostar Stadium to see PC Crisp and PC Gray’s widow Jenny Lee-Gray accept the Queen’s Award from the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, Sir Algernon Heber-Percy.  PC Crisp said he was honoured to have been presented with the awards.  “I speak on behalf of Jenny as well; we’re very proud to receive the distinguished awards, although it is tinged with sadness for us,” he said.