It’s In the Papers
We’ve scoured the pages of newspapers recently added to the British Newspaper Archive website to bring you some P*rr*tt related articles.
NORTH BRITISH AGRICULTURIST (Midlothian) – 20 May 1885
‘AGRICULTURE’ AT THE INVENTIONS EXHIBITION. The exhibition at Kensington, which was opened in the beginning of this month by H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, is now assuming a more complete appearance, and bids well to eclipse in every way the successful Health Exhibition of last year … A serviceable novelty is Porritt’s patent sack hoist for loading or unloading grain by means of a horse, which is shown here for the first time by the inventor, Mr. N. Porritt, Clay, Dereham, Norfolk. It consists of a socket four square, which is let into the ground or floor, a jaw piece that slips into it, and a moveable head for meeting the load at any angle, provision thereby being made for the horse to walk in any direction desired.
EXPRESS (London) – 3 November 1866
Three wretched little fellows, named Michael White, Timothy Sullivan, and William Parrott, were charged before Mr. Knox with begging. Turner, Mendicity Society officer, said that between seven and eight the previous evening he saw the boys surrounding the passengers by the omnibuses stopping at the corner of the Tottenham Court road. They were offering fusees to the passengers, and when they could not sell them they begged of the persons. The parents of the boys were in court. White’s father stepped forward and said he was not aware his son went out begging, and that he would take care of him for the future. Turner said that Sullivan’s parents grossly abused him. Mr. Knox The boys are brought here in shoals. The story told me by the parents is always the same that they are sent out to sell fusees, but they are really sent out to beg … Sullivan denied sending his boy out to beg, and said that his boy had a bad foot … Parrott’s mother admitted she sent her boy out, as she was nearly blind. Turner said that the boy Parrott told him he wanted to go to school. Mr. Knox said he would send Parrott to Feltham, and remand the other boys, they being catholics, to see what could be done with them.
MONTROSE STANDARD (Montrose) – 15 December 1882
ASSAULT ON A SCHOOLMISTRESS. William Thomas Sutton, a school teacher, was on Saturday fined £10 and 35s. costs of two months’ imprisonment, for assaulting Margaret Porritt, who has a boys’ boarding school at Askern. Porritt complained of Sutton having ill used two boys, when Sutton attempted to force her out of the room. Porritt fell, and on rising defendant struck her, giving her a black eye. On hearing that Porritt had sent for a policeman, Sutton seized the poker and threatened to knock her brains out. The defence was that the complainant was a violent woman, and that the action had been brought on account of Sutton taking Porritt’s daughter’s part when her mother ill used her, also that Porritt pulled Sutton’s hair and ears before he struck her.
NORTHERN DAILY TIMES (Lancashire) – 26 June 1856
DEATHS. ON the 19th March, aged 19 years, at Melbourne, from the consequence of a fall, John, son of Mr. Joseph Porritt, Creen Mount, Stubbins Vale, near Manchester. The deceased was a midshipman in the Ocean Chief.
LIVERPOOL STANDARD AND GENERAL COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER (Liverpool) – 9 April 1850
THE ORPHAN WORKING SCHOOL. The Queen has been pleased to present to the above institution, as nominee in right of Her Majesty’s munificent donation of 250 guineas, Joseph Parrett, one of seven children of the Rev. C. E. Parrett, Independent minister of Mevagissey, Cornwall. His wife died of cholera last year, and his income arising from all sources is under £70 a year.