Another amusing insight into life in Salford from 100 years gleaned from the pages of the sadly defunct Salford City Reporter concerns two ‘ladies’ from Salford who came to blows after a night out.
Agnes Francis, who lived at Hartington Street in Ordsall, appeared before Mr Desquene at Salford Magistrates Court in June 1916 charged with assaulting Hilda Kelly and using abusive language.
The court heard that that the ladies were with their husbands at a dance at a local United Irish League Club when “words were spoken”.
As they were leaving the club Mrs Francis was spotted outside rolling up her sleeves and telling people that she was “going to wipe the street” with Hilda Kelly.
Hilda was leaving when Mrs Francis stayed true to her word, throwing a punch to her victim’s nose, causing it to bleed.
The attacker forced Hilda Kelly back inside, threatening more violence to come if she dared step outside.
It would appear that the argument started inside the club when it was alleged that Agnes Francis had shouted something derogatory about Hilda and her husband in front of a crowd of onlookers.
It was all a bit unclear, though.
Hilda’s husband was next to take the stand.
Thomas Edward Kelly appeared in the dock wearing khaki uniform – perhaps designed to sway the Magistrate – telling the court that he saw the whole thing.
Agnes Francis pleaded her innocence stating that she was the mother of seven children and had gone out for a quiet dance with her husband, then added that Mrs Kelly was the first one on the dance floor after the alleged assault.
A chap called Walter Ball told the court that he was responsible for maintaining order in the club.
He admitted that he saw Agnes Francis throw a punch, but didn’t see it connect, but said he could see the bruise on her face, today.
An exasperated Mr Desquenes asked Agnes’s husband “if he would swear that he didn’t see his wife throw the punch”.
He replied that it might have been caused by somebody else or accidentally.
By now the had heard enough and told Mrs Francis that it was a disgrace for her to “carry on like this on a Sunday evening”.
She was fined 15 shillings for each offence or 15 days imprisonment on each offence, and cleared the court.
I was intrigued to read of a United Irish League Club in Salford, I have no idea where it was – do any of our readers know?
The United Irish League Club was a nationalist political party in Ireland, launched 23 January 1898 with the motto “The Land for the People”.
Its aim was to compel larger farmers to surrender their lands for redistribution, presumably a knock on from the Great Famine of Ireland between 1845 and 1852.
One assumes this is when politics with a punch really started?
Main image (composite): Logo © University of Notre Dame/Tony Flynn
