1903

Only one edition appeared - Dursley, & Berkeley, Sharpness Gazette And Wotton-under-Edge Advertiser. (National news was included in the Gazette in those days.)

January

Front page is advertisements.

3 - Many adverts are for goods available from Bailey's, Gazette Office, Dursley, including diaries for 1903, dance and ball programmes ('supplied very cheap'), milk can labels (sixpence per hundred), and table tennis bats, balls and sets.

10 - Technical education was available at a Wotton-under-Edge centre, at the Free School, Berkeley and at the Dock School, Sharpness - classes included carving, needlework, agriculture, French, drawing for carpenters, commercial arithmetic and shorthand. It was hoped that all students would be present at the first class of the spring term - "as the secretary will attend to receive fees."

24 - A lengthy inspection was made, by Thornbury District Council, of workplaces in the Thornbury and Berkeley districts. The inspector found there were 50 bakehouses, 167 workshops, 142 workplaces, 25 factories, 17 outworkers, 1 laundry and 18 quarries - some were found to be in a bad condition, others medium and others in a passable condition.

February

7 - The renewal of the licence of the Railway Inn, Dursley, was objected to by the police - on the ground that it was not required, and that its renewal was not desirable in the interests of the public. Harry Lewis, who appeared for the owners (Brimscombe Brewery, Stroud), observed that the house objected to was fully licensed whereas the Lamb, the adjoining house, was not.

14 - A very successful 'long night', as a finish up of the dancing class that has been running at the Town Hall, Wotton-under-Edge, since the commencement of the winter months, took place at the Town Hall: a company of upwards of sixty were present, and dancing was kept up with great spirit until three o'clock in the morning.

14 - A public meeting, consisting of trustees, managers, members and congregation of he Charfield Congregational Chapel, was held in the British School - to consider what steps should be taken for the future management of the school under the new Education Act. The school dates back to 1845.

March

7 - Henry Hawker was fined two shillings for allowing swine to stray at North Nibley. George Bailey was fined half a crown, and six shillings costs, for using obscene language in Ludgate Hill, Wotton-under-Edge.

14 - Owing to the representations of Wotton-under-Edge Traders' Association, the Midland Railway Co. has decided to issue cheap tickets from certain stations in the district to Charfield by morning and afternoon trains on various fixed days of the week.

21 - The foundation stone of St Joseph's School, Nymphsfield (1903 spelling), was laid by the Prior of Woodchester. Trade in connection with the shipping at Sharpness may be briefly summed up in one word "dull".

April

4 - In aid of the new band room of the Uley Brass Band, a grand bazaar in the form of an Old English Village will take place in the National Schools. Discussion took place at Berkeley Parish Council, about buying a public clock suitable to commemorate the King's coronation (Edward V11).

11 - A domestic servant, lately of Dursley, maliciously set fire to a bed and bedding in the house of Mr Charles Goode, by whom she was employed.

18 - possible pic (page 5) ad, with drawing of monkey, for 'The Largest Travelling Zoo on Earth', touring Dursley and Wotton.... Licenses of Dog and Badger, Kingswood, and The Grapes, Wotton, were transferred to new licensees.

May

2 - At the annual meeting of Wotton-under-Edge Town Trust, the Clerk stated that he had not yet received a reply from the Charity Commissioners respecting the promised help towards the Bear Street improvements; also that the sale of stables at the back of the Town Hall had been completed, and the proceeds invested in Consols. A letter was read from the Rev Canon Sewell concerning a piece of ground attached to the Girls' National School.

9 - Alice Stinchcombe of Hawkesbury, was charged with stealing a fowl belonging to Miss Elizabeth Summers of the Fox Inn: she was ordered to pay ten shillings. Mr Crowther Gwynn, of Iron Acton, formerly of Thornbury, has been called to the Bar by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple. At Wotton-under-Edge Petty Sessions, Alfred Joseph Purnell was summoned by George William Meek, vaccination officer, for omitting to carry out an order for vaccination on his child, aged one year and ten months. Mr Purnell said he would rather pay any fine than have his child vaccinated , as he considered it was as good as trying to poison it, and the people in this country would in years to come find out their mistake in enforcing vaccination. He was fined £1 and six shillings costs.

June

6 - The Charfield Cattle Sale this week was unusually small, owing to holidays. There were 60 head of cattle which sold well, especially the young beasts; 50 sheep and lambs found ready buyers; 60 calves sold well; 400 pigs were on sale, but the demand was not so keen as at the previous market.

13 - An advertisement for Coombe Valley Brewery Co, Wotton-under-Edge, promoted special Harvest Ale: light, refreshing, wholesome; sixpence per gallon. Orders by post and telegram punctually attended to. "To let your wants be known you should insert an advertisement in the Gazette. Very large circulation. Small 'wanteds', twelve words for sixpence."

20 - A letter from Tockington told readers about a male magpie building a nest and hatching out young - "The bird collected any old bits, carried them to a small greenhouse, and made a nest; the owner procured eggs from a nest at Aust, placed them under the magpie, and three out of five the bird hatched out. Do you know if this is the habit of the male magpie?"

July

4 - Ten men, described as Dock labourers, were charged, at Gloucester Assizes, with rioting - at Berkeley, 'together with divers other persons to the number of 40'. The dispute was between certain men employed at Sharpness Docks and their masters.

11 - A man from London involved in the Berkeley riot died in hospital - he had been part of a group brought from London to Sharpness Docks by the Free Labour Association. When the deceased returned home, he told his wife that he had been struck on the head with a piece of iron piping. "There was not sufficient evidence to show under what circumstances the said blow was given."

18 - Mr J Shipman has been appointed school attendance officer for the Thornbury district, at a salary of £80 per annum.

In the sight of a large number of persons, a most serious accident occurred at Dursley. A young horse belonging to Steam Brewery, Dursley, was returning home with a dray load of 'empties' in charge of a very experienced man James Wood, when it apparently became frightened by the noise of the rifles being fired by the Dursley Volunteers on the parade ground. The horse then went mad, smashing into new houses and colliding with the Brewery offices. Eventually, the horse was caught at Kingscote, five miles away. Mr Wood sustained very severe cuts about the head - he was declared to be in a serious condition.

August

15 - Rev Canon Henry Sewell gave a farewell sermon as vicar of Wotton-under-Edge - St Mary's Church was crowded. The text of the sermon, from Romans chapter 8, was printed in the Gazette.

22 - An Aquatic Display was held in Wotton, at Coombe Lake (by permission of Coombe Valley Brewery Company) - this included fishing, swimming, a 'duck' hunt and greasy pole contest. A special attraction was a 'grand water polo match', between Stroud and Gloucester teams - this was billed as "positively the first time in Wotton-under-Edge". The secretaries were JM Jotcham and F Grimes Junior.

September

12 - A man was charged with driving a horse and cart without a light within prohibited hours, at Charfield. He was discharged with a caution, as he was delivering goods and had not done the journey before.

19 - Dursley Workhouse contained 65 inmates, as compared to 61 in the previous year. Rev J Hardyman and Mr Bendall visited, and reported a case of ringworm - a number of boys were under medical treatment.

October

3 - Thornbury Rural District Council resolved to support a resolution petitioning for legislation as to the compulsory repayment of costs of medical treatment for illness brought on by immorality.

10 - A deluge and gale did a considerable amount of small damage in Berkeley. "Since the early hours of Monday morning, the rain pelted down as though it would never stop, rendering streets and roads like small rivers, and miniature lakes formed wherever there was a low-lying space."

November

14 - A man from Hawkesbury was summoned for removing ten swine from Yate sale yard without licence. A licence was issued for removal of the swine to his own premises, where they should have remained for 28 days: the defendant said he could not read, and thought he could resell the pigs on his way home. He was "let off with 4s 6d costs."

21 - North Nibley well has been put into a thorough state of repair at last, much to the satisfaction of the ratepayers and the villagers generally. "The contractor, Mr Griffin, appears to have made a capital job of the work, and we are not likely to hear of any more leakages."

December

5 - Chipping Sodbury Rural District Council asked Gloucestershire County Council to discontinue the use on roads in the county of Clee Hill stone in those districts, such as Wickwar, in which good local stone is easily obtainable. "By using local stone, not only is local labour encouraged, and the money expended kept in the county, but the roads where such stone has been used will bear favourable comparison with other roads."

12 - At the Thornbury Police Court, a beggar was charged with stealing a pair of leather leggings, value 1 shilling, the property of George Wollen at Iron Acton. He was sent to Gaol for one month with hard labour.

26 - The show of meat at Wotton-under-Edge surpassed anything previously accomplished. The display of Mr A Richings was magnificent, and as the shop front has recently received some attention, the whole made up a really grand show, which met with the approval of the passers-by.