Charles and Ann Smith, and family.

Notes on the inhabitants of Doddenham, kept by the
Clergyman of the day, during the latter part of the 19th Century.

Smith m. 7/4/1857 -20\21

Charles

Willow Cottage
Ankerdine

Ann

d. 27/3/1888

Live in a cottage which they built for themselves.
Are both well known by the Worcester Bench.
Frequent visits to Salt Lane!!

1861

William

1864

Mary Jane

Drowned in brook, 1867 = 3 years.

1868

Louisa

d. 1868 = 6 weeks. Twin?

1870

Thomas

Sent to reformatory for 5 years, in 1882.

1876

Samuel

d. 10/1/1879 = 3 years.

County Petty Sessions - Yesterday 23/5/1882
Before Mr. R. Berkley (in the chair), Col. Middlemore, Major Lavie, Messrs. J. D. Perrins, E. B. Evans, J. G. Watkins, and F. Ames.
Placing Stones On The Railway.
Thomas Smith, a lad of ten years of age, whose parents live at Suckley, was summoned for placing a number of stones on the Worcester and Bromyard Railway at Suckley, with intent to disrupt the line. Mr. Bentley appeared for the Railway Company. On the 11th instant George William Nice, land surveyor, saw a pile of stones on the lines near Suckley Station, and communicated with the stationmaster, William Sherwood, who removed them to his office. A passenger train passed through the station about ten minutes afterwards. Defendant, who had been seen loitering about, was taken to the office, and asked what he had been about by Sergeant Haynes, to whom he admitted placing the stones on the line. In answer to the charge, defendant said he did not know whether he was guilty or not. The Bench sentenced him to ten days in imprisonment, and ordered him to be kept in a reformatory school for five years.

Reformatory Case 19/12/1882
Charles Smith, labourer, Doddenham, was summoned to show cause why he should not
contribute to the maintenance of his son, Thomas Smith, an inmate of Woodbury Hill
Reformatory. Ordered to pay 2s. a week and the costs.

Stealing at Doddenham 18/12/1883
Charles Smith, labourer, was charged with having stolen, on the 5th December, a bundle of
wood, value 3d., the property of Mr. H. Andrews, farmer of Doddenham, and with having, on the
same date, whilst making off with the wood, damaged a fence, the property of Mrs. Elizabeth
Smith, farmer. He was committed for six weeks' hard labour, and ordered to pay the costs, in
default and additional fortnight.

Salt Lane Prison - Worcester.

The County Gaol was built in 1813 in the style of a medieval castle, and because of this, the name was changed from Salt Lane to Castle Street. Mr Sandy's was the architect, following the principals agitation, when during the summer, the gaol was excessively crowded with Chartists from Dudley, with cells intended for one containing three. Further changes followed the next year under the superintendance of the local architect, Mr Eginton. It was an all male prison, and until 1873, debtors were kept there until their debts were paid.

The Governor resided at a house situated at the south east corner of the prison. In 1878, the Government took over the responsibility for the nations prisons and from that date the City prisoners were also kept at Castle Street.

The County Gaol was a general prison and held a variety of prisoners, from murderers and debtors to political agitators and men of religion who preached in the streets without a license, to boys who, had committed what today would have been classified as a minor misdemeanour. For the latter prisoners the gaol had its own schoolmaster who lived at No 1 Easy Row. It was a very secure gaol and only one prisoner is known to have escaped. He hid himself under sacks on the coal cart, and was driven out of gaol. He straightaway went home for tea, and was promptly sent back by his wife.

Public hangings and whippings took place in Castle Street until 1863, when great crowds gathered to witness the spectacle take place on the top of the gate-house. The favourite vantage point was in front of the Infirmary gates in Infirmary Walk. Afterwards the bodies were displayed and usually handed over to the surgeons at the Infirmary for dissection. Plaster casts of some of the heads of murders still remain in the possession of the Charles Hasting Museum.

The last public execution was on 2nd January, 1863 of William Ockold of Oldbury, aged 70. It was performed in ancient manner with a procession of Under-Sheriff and Officers, with six javelin men in front and six warders behind. The great crowd in front of the Gaol, mostly women and children, was restrained compared with the noisy display and hilarity which usually marked these occasions.

The last man to be executed at Worcester was a Chinaman, by the name of Djang Djin Sung who in 1919, was convicted of the murder of Zee Ming Wu another of his race at Warley Woods. The most notorious prisoner in Worcester Gaol was Herbert Rowse Armstrong, a cool and calculating solicitor, who killed his wife and was suspected of other murders. But in 1922, the Home Office announced the closure of seven gaols, Worcester being one, and Armstrong was transferred to Gloucester for execution.

At the end, Worcester Gaol held only 100 prisoners with 24 staff. Earlier, during the 1914 War, it had been almost empty, for many prisoners were given the opportunity to have their sentences respited provided they served in the forces overseas. Though the area it served was enlarged comprising the counties of Worcester, Hereford and parts of Radnorshire, a prison in Worcester became increasingly uneconomic so was consequently closed.

Six years later an auction was held and all the fittings were sold. The horse-drawn Black Marie was brought and converted into a summer house, and the prison bell was brought by Lt. Colonel J.C Flay and erected at Chamber Court, Longdon. Squatters moved into the empty building and most of the gaol was demolished, though some of the workshops and the cells remained and was used by Messrs. Rackstraws, the makers of furniture until it was demolished and the area redeveloped later in the 60s early 70s

 ©peh

Smith m. 7/4/1857 -20\21	Charles		Willow Cottage Ankerdine
Smith m. 7/4/1857 -20\21	Ann	d. 27/3/1888	Willow Cottage Ankerdine
Live in a cottage which they built for themselves. Are both well known by the Worcester Bench. Frequent visits to Salt Lane!!
	1861	William
	1864	Mary Jane	Drowned in brook, 1867 = 3 years.
	1868	Louisa	d. 1868 = 6 weeks. Twin?
	1870	Thomas	Sent to reformatory for 5 years, in 1882.
	1876	Samuel	d. 10/1/1879 = 3 years.
County Petty Sessions - Yesterday 23/5/1882 Before Mr. R. Berkley (in the chair), Col. Middlemore, Major Lavie, Messrs. J. D. Perrins, E. B. Evans, J. G. Watkins, and F. Ames. Placing Stones On The Railway. Thomas Smith, a lad of ten years of age, whose parents live at Suckley, was summoned for placing a number of stones on the Worcester and Bromyard Railway at Suckley, with intent to disrupt the line. Mr. Bentley appeared for the Railway Company. On the 11th instant George William Nice, land surveyor, saw a pile of stones on the lines near Suckley Station, and communicated with the stationmaster, William Sherwood, who removed them to his office. A passenger train passed through the station about ten minutes afterwards. Defendant, who had been seen loitering about, was taken to the office, and asked what he had been about by Sergeant Haynes, to whom he admitted placing the stones on the line. In answer to the charge, defendant said he did not know whether he was guilty or not. The Bench sentenced him to ten days in imprisonment, and ordered him to be kept in a reformatory school for five years.
Reformatory Case 19/12/1882 Charles Smith, labourer, Doddenham, was summoned to show cause why he should not contribute to the maintenance of his son, Thomas Smith, an inmate of Woodbury Hill Reformatory. Ordered to pay 2s. a week and the costs.
Stealing at Doddenham 18/12/1883 Charles Smith, labourer, was charged with having stolen, on the 5th December, a bundle of wood, value 3d., the property of Mr. H. Andrews, farmer of Doddenham, and with having, on the same date, whilst making off with the wood, damaged a fence, the property of Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, farmer. He was committed for six weeks' hard labour, and ordered to pay the costs, in default and additional fortnight.
Salt Lane Prison - Worcester. The County Gaol was built in 1813 in the style of a medieval castle, and because of this, the name was changed from Salt Lane to Castle Street. Mr Sandy's was the architect, following the principals agitation, when during the summer, the gaol was excessively crowded with Chartists from Dudley, with cells intended for one containing three. Further changes followed the next year under the superintendance of the local architect, Mr Eginton. It was an all male prison, and until 1873, debtors were kept there until their debts were paid. The Governor resided at a house situated at the south east corner of the prison. In 1878, the Government took over the responsibility for the nations prisons and from that date the City prisoners were also kept at Castle Street. The County Gaol was a general prison and held a variety of prisoners, from murderers and debtors to political agitators and men of religion who preached in the streets without a license, to boys who, had committed what today would have been classified as a minor misdemeanour. For the latter prisoners the gaol had its own schoolmaster who lived at No 1 Easy Row. It was a very secure gaol and only one prisoner is known to have escaped. He hid himself under sacks on the coal cart, and was driven out of gaol. He straightaway went home for tea, and was promptly sent back by his wife. Public hangings and whippings took place in Castle Street until 1863, when great crowds gathered to witness the spectacle take place on the top of the gate-house. The favourite vantage point was in front of the Infirmary gates in Infirmary Walk. Afterwards the bodies were displayed and usually handed over to the surgeons at the Infirmary for dissection. Plaster casts of some of the heads of murders still remain in the possession of the Charles Hasting Museum. The last public execution was on 2nd January, 1863 of William Ockold of Oldbury, aged 70. It was performed in ancient manner with a procession of Under-Sheriff and Officers, with six javelin men in front and six warders behind. The great crowd in front of the Gaol, mostly women and children, was restrained compared with the noisy display and hilarity which usually marked these occasions. The last man to be executed at Worcester was a Chinaman, by the name of Djang Djin Sung who in 1919, was convicted of the murder of Zee Ming Wu another of his race at Warley Woods. The most notorious prisoner in Worcester Gaol was Herbert Rowse Armstrong, a cool and calculating solicitor, who killed his wife and was suspected of other murders. But in 1922, the Home Office announced the closure of seven gaols, Worcester being one, and Armstrong was transferred to Gloucester for execution. At the end, Worcester Gaol held only 100 prisoners with 24 staff. Earlier, during the 1914 War, it had been almost empty, for many prisoners were given the opportunity to have their sentences respited provided they served in the forces overseas. Though the area it served was enlarged comprising the counties of Worcester, Hereford and parts of Radnorshire, a prison in Worcester became increasingly uneconomic so was consequently closed. Six years later an auction was held and all the fittings were sold. The horse-drawn Black Marie was brought and converted into a summer house, and the prison bell was brought by Lt. Colonel J.C Flay and erected at Chamber Court, Longdon. Squatters moved into the empty building and most of the gaol was demolished, though some of the workshops and the cells remained and was used by Messrs. Rackstraws, the makers of furniture until it was demolished and the area redeveloped later in the 60s early 70s