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The Preston Guardian

February 27 1847

Burnley District News

Death By Burning
On Saturday last, a very fine and interesting little boy, aged four and a half years, names Miles Roger Robinson, was accidentally burnt to death, at Four Lane Ends, Habergham Eaves. It appears that about eight o'clock on the morning of that day, the woman with whom he lived, named Betty Laycock, had just gone out to the milkman, who was about forty yards from the door, to procure her usual supply of milk, leaving the deceased by the fire with only his shirt on. On her return in a few minutes, she found him running to the door, enveloped in flames; she immediately tried to put out the fire, and gave an alarm; Mr. Smirthwaite, surgeon, was on the spot as soon as possible, but, after enduring extreme agony, the poor child expired at about twelve o'clock. It appears from the statement of the child, who was sensible to the last, that the moment the woman had left the house he had lighted a lucifer match, and, hearing her footsteps, he had put it under his shirt which caught fire and caused the accident. The deceased was the youngest son of Mr. Miles Robinson, mason, who waskilled when the child was about six weeks old, and upon the mother being left a widow, she put him out to nurse, as she had taken the Thorn Inn Tap-room, for the purpose of obtaining a livelihood.

Races Extraordinary
An incident occurred on Wednesday evening week, in the neighbourhood of Burnley, which, though it may appear of little importance to persons at a distance, has excited no little mirth and jocularity in that locality, as the parties concerned are celbrated for their conviviality, if not for their swiftness and agility. At Mr. Jacob Nowell's, the Angel Inn, a wager was laid, between a very popular surgeon, who his descended from a long line of the disciples of Escalapius, and a no less well-known blacksmith, to run a race between that inn, and the gate of the residence of the incumbent of Habergham Eaves, a distance of about 400 yards, when the son of vulcan beat the man of medicine by half the distance, thus proving "that the battle is not always to the mighty, nor the race to the swift." The doctor for some time refused to "give in," but was at length persuaded to settle the matter, by the company present, and the whole passed off to the entire satisfaction of all the parties. At a subsequent part of the evening, the son of vulcan engaged with the worthy host, Mr. Nowell, to run 100 yards, whilst the latter ran fifty yards carry on his back a once merry landlord at Fulwood, near Preston, when the innkeeper won the race by ten yards.

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Mel

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