From this newspaper of 150 years ago (August 12, 1865)

THE residents of Staindrop “had been invited to attend a meeting in the national school for the purpose of acknowledging the generous gift of a fountain pump, presented to the town by Lady Augusta Poulett”, said the D&S Times.

It was “a handsome fountain” which was to act “as a memorial of the late Henry and Sophia, duke and duchess of Cleveland”.

The Honourable Henry Vane, of Raby Castle, was born in 1788, and soon became known as the Earl of Darlington. He was MP for County Durham for three years from 1812, and from 1816 to 1842, he sat in the House representating such farflung constituencies as Winchelsea in Sussex, Totnes in Devon, Saltash in Cornwall and, for the last ten years, South Shropshire.

He was also in the army from 1815, rising to become a general.

He married his wife, Lady Sophia Poulett, on November 18, 1809. She was the eldest daughter of the 4th Earl Poulett from Gloucestershire.

He inherited his father’s titles in 1842, and became the 2nd Duke of Cleveland.

Lady Sophia died in 1859, followed by Henry in 1864. As they had no children, his titles passed to his brother, William, who also died childless just nine months later.

The residents of Staindrop, though, were pleased with the fountain, and 150 years ago at their meeting passed a resolution: “This meeting desires to express its most earnest thanks to her ladyship for the generous gift and cordially to accept the same on behalf of the inhabitants at large.”

After a century-and-a-half, the fountain still stands on Staindrop green – though it appears to have long been dry.

From this newspaper 100 years ago (August 14, 1915)

“Sensational case at Stockton”, said the headline – although really it was a truly appalling case.

“Drink was at the bottom of the trouble,” said the report, which concerned the trial of Nora Purvis, 29, of Norton, for putting her own son on the fire.

“At 7pm, Sunday last, after she had been drinking most of the day, she either ordered her little boy, aged eight, to go to bed or to fetch some beer, which he refused to do,” said the report.

“She picked up a bottle and struck the boy over the head with it, inflicting a wound one-and-a-quarter inches long down to the bone, smashed him over the head with a bucket, bit his shoulder, seized him by the mouth with each hand and tore his lips apart (the wounds, however, were not serious), then picked him up and actually put him on the fire.

“On the fire, a pan of boiling water was standing, and this was upset and scalded the child's legs, knees and ankles. The little fellow escaped from his mother and ran screaming into the street.

“Mr Reuben Cohen pleaded guilty on behalf of the woman, and said he did not think the magistrates would wish to be harrowed by the details any further.”

The child, though, was brought before them, bandaged around the head and the legs. His father, an exemplary character, pleaded that Nora should get one last chance as she had sworn never to drink again, but the magistrates sentenced her to six months hard labour, although they dropped the hard labour on appeal.

From this newspaper 50 years ago (August 14, 1965)

Nearly 750 descendants from two Wensleydale couples were to gather at a racecourse in New Zealand to celebrate the 150th anniversary of their emigration.

In 1865, Mr and Mrs Frank Croft and Mr and Mrs Tom Croft, had left Ellingstring, which is midway between Middleham and Masham, "to seek their fortune in far off New Zealand. They took with them one of the newly invented mechanical grasscutters, which was drawn by two horses.”

They had a little difficulty getting it through customs on the South Island, but eventually put it to good use.

“They cut a farmer’s field in such a short time with two horses that it brought prospects of a revolution in hay harvesting,” said the paper in 1965. “A revolution there nearly was as the scythe men of New Zealand resisted its introduction, even obstructing the ground with iron stakes to hamper the machine.

“Progress, however, could not be delayed and the brothers soon found their machine in great demand, and their fortunes flourished as they acquired more farmland.”

A century-and-a-half later, at Rangiora racecourse, 740 of the Crofts family were celebrating the anniversary.

In more recent times, Rangiora has been badly shaken by earthquakes. We wonder if the 200th anniversary, which falls this December, is also being commemorated.