An incident in Millom Market Square

 This picture belongs to https://critchleysofsthelens.blogspot.com/2023/08/james-critchley-baker-of-st-helens.html It shows Jim Critchley leading a carriage horse in Knowsley Road, St Helens, probably for a Sunday school outing in the early years of the 20th century. The story below occurred in Market Square, Millom, Cumberland, before the Critchley family of St Helens, Lancashire, were united with the Darvells of Millom Cumberland, two decades later.

On October 26th, 1893, when Annie Louise Darvell was 15 years old, and probably working as a teacher-pupil at the local school, there was a notable omnibus upset outside her father's boot and shoe maker's shop in Market Square, Millom. Mr Brown's one-horse omnibus service to Haverigg had stopped in Millom Market Square, outside Darvell's the boot and shoe makers, to collect passengers. Mrs Cook, 70, and her sister entered to the 'bus and made themselves comfortable in  the back. Just before the bus embarked on its journey, two younger passengers, leapt on the back ledge of the bus, upending it and throwing the two women about with violence. Annie Louise's father, William Darvell, quickly came to the rescue and accommodated the distressed, shocked and slightly injured passengers in his shop, administering restoratives, until they were recovered enough to continue their journey to Haverigg. Fortunately the horse stayed calm and hadn't bolted. Source British Newspaper Archives, Millom Gazette.