AtoZ Challenge – S: Scenes at Haverfordwest

The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is for bloggers who wish to participate, by publishing a blog post every day in April except for Sundays. Each blog post will focus on a letter of the alphabet. For example April 1 will be A, April 2 will be B, April 3 will be C,  and on it goes. By the end of April, a blog post for every letter of the alphabet will have been published.   Blog posts are usually on a theme, or you can choose to post each day with no theme at all. My theme for 2024 is “Haverfordwest in the News”. Haverfordwest is a town in the county of Pembrokeshire, Wales.

From: South Wales Echo, Tuesday 10 May, 1887, page 4

SCENE IN A CHURCH AT HAVERFORDWEST
On Sunday morning a somewhat curious scene was witnessed in St. Martin’s Church. This church, which has for some time been notorious for its ritualistic practices, is now, in the temporary absence of its vicar, the Rev J. H Poppelwell, in charge of the Rev Mr Hopgood.

Before reading the Litany on Sunday morning, the Rev gentleman, leaving the lectern, proceeded to the top of the aisle and startled his hearers by asking “the prayers of the church on behalf of the Rev J. Bell Cox, priest, now imprisoned for obeying the Prayer Book.” He then knelt in the aisle and proceeded with the reading of the Litany, and at each response crossed himself and the book.

A very old member of the church, and who was for many years churchwarden, hereupon rose from his seat, and in making his exit was obliged to pass close alongside the prostrate priest, and in doing so his foot inadvertently touched the Rev gentleman’s somewhat extensive robes. In the sermon, or rather a history of the Bell Cox incarceration, the Rev. gentleman observed that a man had marched out of the church, and to express his indignation had given him a kick by passing.”

This position and good sense of the gentleman referred to are so well known in the town that this statement was received with incredulity, and after the service several famines removed their books, etc. from the church. The affair has given to a great deal of comment in the town.

From: South West Daily News, Thursday 15 October 1896, Page 6

SCENE AT HAVERFORDWEST WORKHOUSE.
The monotony of the Haverfordwest Board of Guardians’ meetings was disturbed on Wednesday morning by an unwanted scene. Four able bodied male inmates were hauled before the board for refusing to perform certain light work at the request of the master. One was an old man, who observed a respectful demeanour during the interrogations, but each of the other three in his turn showed a mutinous spirit.

One of them, a young strong looking fellow, became quite impudent, and openly defied the chairman and clerk to do their worst. When told he could be immediately expelled and brought before magistrates, he shouted, “I don’t care.”

The proposition was immediately made and seconded that this measure be resorted to, and the services of the porter were requisitioned.

from:  South Wales Daily News, Saturday 20 April, 1889, page 2

EXCITING SCENE AT HAVERFORDWEST.
AN INFURIATED COW AT LARGE.
A scene of an exciting nature occurred at Haverfordwest on Thursday, when a cow was being driven into the town from Henry’s Mote. On being driven down Prendergast the animal suddenly became infuriated, and charging a lad who was standing on the roadside, knocked him down, and inflicted a severe wound on his temple.

The lad is now in a dangerous condition. The beast then proceeded down Prendergast at a brisk trot, charging everybody she met. An unsuccessful attempt was made in Castle Square to secure her by throwing a rope over the horns.

She then went up High Street, and furiously charged a man named Morris, who was coming down the street with a wheelbarrow containing some jars of spirits. Morris was knocked down and seriously hurt, the jars were broken, and the liquor spilt. The maddened beast was subsequently brought down by a shot from the rifle of a member of the Haverfordwest Volunteers.

SCENE IN A CHURCH AT HAVERFORDWEST, South Wales Echo, Tuesday 10 May, 1887. Retrieved on 29 September 2023 from British Newspaper Archive

SCENE AT HAVERFORDWEST WORKHOUSE, South Wales Daily News, Thursday 15 October, 1896, page 6. Retrieved on 28 September, 2023 from British Newspaper Archive

EXCITING SCENE AT HAVERFORDWEST, South Wales Daily News, Saturday 20 April, 1899. Retrieved on 30 September, 2023 from British Newspaper Archive

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