From this newspaper 150 years ago. - Sunday Trading. At the Richmond Police Court on Monday, before the Mayor (H P Bruno, Esq.,) and R S D R Roper, Esq., Eliza Winks was charged with selling beer during the hours of Divine service on Sunday, April 2nd. - John Watson said: - On Sunday the 2nd of April, at a quarter past ten o'clock in the morning, I saw Jane Poppleton coming away from Mrs Winks' house with a pitcher in her hand. I let her come down the yard, and she came down towards the pig stye or midden stead. She turned round and went up the wynd leading to Allison's. I followed on as quick as possible and got hold of her in Mr Musgrave's passage. She refused to let me see what she had. She had it under her shawl. I pulled her shawl away and got my hand into the pitcher or tin, I did not know which. The pitcher contained beer. She said "It is not for me, it is for Mrs Tanner." She made a great deal of noise and then went away. She was taking a drink at the time I saw her. - Cross-examined by Mr Robinson: I did not see her come out of Mrs Winks' door; when I first saw her I was at the bottom of the yard on the road. - Jane Poppleton said: I went to Mrs Winks' on Sunday morning at ten o'clock in the forenoon. I got some small beer out of the brew-house. I never saw Mrs Winks on this occasion. I saw John Watson and his son as I was coming down the yard. They followed me up Mr Musgrave's yard, and when at the top they took hold of me. His son held me while John Watson saw what was in the pitcher. It was small beer I had got out of Mrs Winks'. I have got small beer before. Cross-examined by Mr Robinson: The brew house is outside. The door was open and is always open. I paid no money at all for the beer. I said the beer was for Mrs Tanner. She lives on the Castle Hill. I live at the same place. Watson re-called. - I tasted the beer from my hand being in it. - Mrs Poppleton - He never tasted it. - Fined £5 and costs.

From this newspaper 100 years ago. - Boy labour in Durham County. Application to the Education Committee. - A meeting of the Durham County Education Committee was held at the Shire Hall, Durham, on Wednesday, Ald H Curry Wood presiding. Employment of Boy Labour. - The School Attendance Sub-Committee reported that Mr M H Kellett, colliery agent, had been employing boys at Eldon Colliery who were not exempt from school attendance, and that he had requested that the sub-committee should instruct the attendance officers to ignore the absence of these boys from school. On this the sub-committee resolved that as they had no power to alter the conditions of the County Council by-laws relating to school attendance, the district clerk be instructed to forward a statement of the case to the Education Committee in order that the colliery agent's request might be considered by them. Having considered the matter, it was recommended that the clerk be directed to prosecute in the 26 cases. The Chairman said fortunately this difficulty had been dealt with. The boys had been sent to school and there would be no need for discussion. Arising on this point, Mr Emerson pointed out that examinations had been held on April 7th and 24th of boys who claimed labour exemption certificates. He wished to know if the same boys to any extent attended the two examinations. The Secretary (Mr A J Dawson) said of the 90 boys examined 20 or more attended both examinations. Mr Emerson asked if it was in order that any of these boys should attend both examinations. The Secretary replied that it was not. Boys should not be examined twice within six months. They were marked on the schedule, and the attention of the inspector was drawn to it, but he decided to take their papers, and if his chief decided against accepting them then they would be of no use. The results were not yet known. The standard of the two examinations was precisely the same.

From this newspaper 50 years ago. - Thirsk Rural Council on Monday appointed a deputation to ask Major Peter Bell, the lord of the manor and owner of the market place, about the possibility of the market place being acquired by the Council. Coun Miss Joan Maynard said that the market place as it was at the present time was detrimental to the town and district. Coun Laurie Greensit said that he did not want Thirsk to be faced with the problem that faced Bedale where there was talk of about £50,000 being required to put their market place right. He would have thought that Miss Maynard would have been the last person to want the individual ratepayer to contribute to the purchase of a market place where the five big banks and other big business interested had their premises. He thought that as many as 50 per cent of the people who lived in the country would not be willing to contribute were the Council wanting to buy the market place from Major Bell. Coun Derek Davies said that the Council should have great regard for the opinions of the people in the centres of population. Lorries sometimes carried highly dangerous loads, and he wondered if the rural council was not sticking its neck out by having those lorries parked in the in the town centre without supervision. The Rural Council was the only authority that could do anything about the problem. They should support Thirsk in its efforts to get some sort of control.