Page 32 - November pages 1 to 48

This month in Gloucester

Here are a few random events that happened in November in the Gloucester area in
years gone by:
nd
2 November 1902 The Citizen reported the Council’s decision to erect a public
convenience for ladies in Bell Lane, at a cost of £2750. This involved the demolition
of a derelict house. There was an outcry about the cost, but the Council maintained
that there was a clear need for more ladies’ toilets in the City as a temporary facility
in Berkeley Street had collected over 20,000 pennies in 8 months!
rd
3 November 1906 The touring South African rugby team played Gloucestershire at
Kingsholm. The county team included players from Bristol, Lydney and Cheltenham,
and included four internationals. Over 14,000 spectators attended, to see the
Springboks win by 44 points to nil.
th
4 November 1962 Larry Parnes brought his “Mammoth Star Show” to the Regal,
Gloucester for one night only. The acts included Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, the Karl
Denver Trio, Joe Brown and the Bruvvers, Mark Wynter, Jimmy Justice and Peter
Jay and the Jaywalkers.
th
7 November 1942 P.E. Sayer, Gloster Aircraft’s chief test pilot, was killed in a flying
accident. He was the first man to fly a Gloster Gladiator, later tested the Hurricane
and piloted the E28, Britain’s first jet plane, on its maiden flight in 1941.
th
12 November 1931 The Devonian, a famous LMS express train, crashed through
Barton Gates in Gloucester. It seems that the gatekeeper was not fast enough to
open the gates in time. Nobody was hurt.
th
15 November 1799. It was announced in the Gloucester Journal that Signior
Rossignol, a famous performer, would give a concert of his bird imitations at Booth
Hall tonight.
th
18 November 1770 Gloucester was hit by a terrible flood today. Parts of the city
near the river were under water and many inhabitants had to leave their houses.
Between Foreign Bridge and Westgate there was over 3 feet of water and boats
were used in St. Mary’s Square and College churchyard.
th
25 November 1753 Anne Williams became the last person to be burned at the stake
in Gloucester. She had been found guilty of poisoning her husband.
th
26 November 1895 For about eight years, Gloucester had not been enforcing the
law requiring children to be vaccinated against smallpox. The Medical Officer of
Health for the city reported that there were eight cases in the isolation hospital and
argued that vaccination should be carried out immediately. The Board of Guardians
decided to do nothing, and this was endorsed by the Town Council. Much
correspondence for and against vaccination followed – one citizen advocated eating
apples as a sure cure! Regrettably, an epidemic followed, many lives were lost and
by August the following year, over 20,000 people had been vaccinated.
th
30 November 1938 Billy Thomas and his Gloucester Accordion Band played a dinner
dance at the New Hotel on Southgate Street. Tickets were priced at 7s.6d. For
anyone enjoying the sound of eight accordions playing together in a confined
space, this must have been a joy.
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