Each week the Advertiser's heritage writer David Borrett brings readers interesting news stories and letters from editions of the paper from years gone by.

ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FOUR YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 6 JANUARY 1860

ANOTHER NEW STREET FRACAS

George Goodall and Ann Davis were brought up by police on a warrant, charging them with having committed a violent assault on Ann Barnett on the night of 24 December last. Ann Barnett deposed that she was the wife of Frederick Barnett of Andover, licensed hawker, and that on Christmas Eve, about 11 o’clock, she went into the Pelican Inn, New Street, in company with Alfred Archer. She went into the tap room and while there, the defendant, George Goodall, said he had more pounds than the Knights and the Archers had shillings. She replied that she daresay he knew where to put his pounds as well as the Knights and the Archers did their shillings. Ann Davis then commenced using very abusive language to Mrs Barnett, and put her finger into her face. She then went towards Goodall and returned with a candlestick in her hand. Goodall then came up and struck Mrs Barnett a violent blow on the head with his fist and knocked her down. This was the first blow struck by anyone. Davis knelt down on the complainant and ill-used her by thrusting her hand in her hair, and Goodall kicked her and otherwise abused her while on the ground. Albert Archer deposed going to the Pelican with Mrs Barnett but said he did not see what took place. The magistrates fined the defendants 6d each and 9s. costs.  

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 6 JANUARY 1899

QUARLEY vs WONSTON

This village league match was played on Saturday last in the Walled Meadow, Andover, when the ground was in a deplorable state owing to the downpour of rain in the morning. Wonston were fully represented, but Quarley were minus two or three of their best players, in addition to playing one short. The game was not of a high order, the heavy going completely upsetting all attempts to play decent football. Wonston, who arrived half-an-hour late, proved the better team all through and eventually won by five goals to two. The winners possess two or three decent players, and with a dry ground and ball they would no doubt give a creditable account of themselves. Quarley have yet to win a match in this competition, and they will certainly have to strengthen their ranks and go in for plenty of practice before they can hope to be successful. H Crook is by far the best player, while his brother puts in a lot of work.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 4 JANUARY 1924

THE OLD YEAR

The old year has been a very disastrous one for Ludgershall, for the hand of death has robbed the people of two of its greatest benefactors in Dr James Evan Jones and the late rector, Rev Glenn Brabazon Dalrymple. A tablet has already been erected in the church to the memory of the late rector and a large number of subscriptions have been received by the hon. secretary, Mr G H Humphries, JP, towards the proposed memorial to the late Dr Jones, who was known for miles around as a real friend to the poor and sick. Even though the old year has passed, as other years have done before it, the memory of what he did for the people in the villages will remain ever green.

SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 7 JANUARY 1949

MUSEUM TO RE-OPEN NEXT WEEK

The stocks that stood in Andover market place in the old days will be among the exhibits in Andover Museum when it re-opens on Wednesday afternoon. The hon. curator, Mr R W Baker, and his helpers have re-arranged it after its war-time close-down. The ceremony will be the culmination of much hard work and research but the attractive display of many of the Borough’s treasures will no doubt draw many people to Bridge Street in the months to come. When an Advertiser representative visited the premises this week, he noticed the old manual fire engine, a relic of the time when fire-fighting - less of a science than it is today - meant hard work for the volunteer teams of pumpers who had to force the water through the branches. Two of the principal items which will be on view are Nelson’s chair, with its deep red seat, and the cloak which was wrapped around the famous admiral when he was wounded at the Battle of Trafalgar. Generally, however, the items have links with the town and district. They include the maul used by Mr John Lawes Maude, bailiff of Andover, to lay the foundation stone of the present Guildhall. It is, like other exhibits, in a splendid state of preservation, and has been cleaned with care. A pair of beam scales used by the Corporation at one time will also be seen.

FORTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO – FRIDAY 7 JANUARY 1977

OLD HOMES TO GO

Test Valley Borough Council has applied to the Department of the Environment for permission to demolish the buildings from East Street to the Fire Station in London Street bought by compulsory purchase. The council’s Housing Services Committee gave the go-ahead on Tuesday to the application for loan sanction approval. Around £4,600 would be needed for the clearance programme, and work would begin when all the occupants had been re-housed.