The news from 1895

Mercifully retrieved and handed over by a conscientious council worker, the papers, are all from the year 1895. The four editions of the Sentinel reveal a fantastic mixture of reports on what now would be considered massively politically incorrect-advertisements that would never be allowed to see the light of day in these times and letters pages that would most likely have modern libel lawyers rubbing their hands with glee in anticipation of easily earned fees.

The Sentinel was already 66 years old in 1895. Founded in 1829 as The Londonderry Sentinel & North West Advertiser, by the former editor of the then Londonderry Journal & General Advertiser (now the Derry Journal), William Wallen, who left that newspaper in protest at its moderate stance over Catholic emancipation. Initially published on Saturdays, it switched to twice-weekly publication on Tuesdays and Fridays in 1862, and for many years appeared three times a week, on Tuesday's, Thursday's and Saturday's.

Londonderry being a major naval and merchant port in that era, the Sentinel often carried material from across the globe as well as news from this city, county, Tyrone and Donegal.

Major events

Perhaps the story of the year in Ireland and England was the sensational libel trial of Oscar Wilde. His case against the Marquess of Queensberry. Of course, Wilde was cross-examined by one of the founding fathers of Unionism, Edward Carson. Carson is later re-elected as an MP from the Trinity College seat in Dublin and is susequently placed on the Privy Council of Ireland.

1895 also saw the opening of Belfast's Grand Opera House and also in Belfast the City Corporation purchases the Botanical Gardens from the Belfast Botanical and Horticultural Society.

Sporting reports

In international football in March of 1895, Ireland fall to a 9-0 defeat to England in a game played in Derby. At home the Irish Cup is won by Linfield after the defeat Bohemians 10-1. In Dublin, Shelbourne are founded at Ringsend by seven individuals including brothers Felix and Michael Wall.

In September the FA Cup is stolen from a shop window in Birmingham and in Huddersfield Rugby League is born when the Northern Rugby Football union is formed and in America, 19-year-old English Golfer Horace Rawlins becomes the first winner of the U.S. Open.

Other events

On October 12, 1895, Cecil Frances Alexander, a woman with huge connections to Londonderry and in particular, St Columb's Cathedral passed away. Amongst a massive contribution to music is her penning of the revered hymn, All things Bright and Beautiful.

The Lee-Enfield Rifle is adopted as standard issue by the British Army and remains in service until 1960. The name 'HP (Houses of Parliament) sauce is first registered, and on December 29, The Jameson Raid, signals the invasion of Transvaal in South Africa.

Then and now

Attention grabbing front page headlines and photographs are the staple fare for all newspapers in the modern era. But the Sentinel of 1895 was a different matter. Not only where there no photographs in this era, there was barely any front page news. The vast majority of the front page was taken up by advertising.

In the Londonderry Sentinel, edition of Thursday morning, December 5, 1895, advertisements told the tale of the age. Emigration from Ireland was rife and transportation from Londonderry to North America was readily available. One such advertisement for the Allan Shipping Line offered steerage to Halifax, Portland, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York.

The Sentinel of Saturday, December 28, 1985 lamented the sudden death of Sir Edward Harland-a passing which, according to the Sentinel's editorial, "deprives The Irish Unionist Party of one of its ablest and most influential figures in the representation of North Belfast."

If the name Harland sounds familiar to readers, then it is because it normally has the name Wolff beside it. Sir Edward James Harland, 1st Baronet, was Born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, he was educated at Edinburgh Academy. In 1846, aged 15, he took an apprenticeship at the engineering works of Robert Stephenson and Company in Newcastle upon Tyne. Afterwards he was employed in jobs in Glasgow and again in Newcastle, before moving to Belfast in 1854 to manage Robert Hickson's shipyard at Queen's Island. Four years later he bought the yard and renamed the business Edward James Harland and Company, before in 1861 he formed a business partnership with Gustav Wilhelm Wolff, his former personal assistant, creating Harland and Wolff. Later, Harland recruited William James Pirrie as another partner. Edward Harland, Gustav Wolff and William James Pirrie maintained a successful business, receiving regular orders from the White Star Line, before Harland's retirement in 1889, leaving Wolff and Pirrie to manage the shipyard.

Outside of his company, Harland served as a Belfast harbour commissioner. In 1885, Harland was granted a knighthood and a baronetcy. Harland was a member of the Conservative and Unionist Party, and served as Mayor of Belfast; later he moved to London and served as Member of Parliament for Belfast North until his death.

Locally, the paper reported 'Death under peculiar circumstances in the city'. The paper said: "Yesterday morning and old man named James McGinley, residing at 5 Ferguson Street, died rather suddenly under peculiar curcumstances.

"Deceased, who was about 70 years of age, and followed the occupation of a dealer in oil barrels and such like commodities lived with his brother. Both were unmarried. On Thursday morning deceased got up as usual and took his breakfast. Afterwards his brother went to service in the chapel,returning home about one o'clock. He then found deceased lying on the floor apparently asleep. He lifted him up and placed him in a chair, where he slept on until six o'clock. His brother then put him to bed in the same unconcious state that he found him. About three o'clock yesterday morning the brother thought the deceased was getting cold in bed. He accordingly got up, warmed a brick, wrapped it in a cloth and put it to his feet, but the old man, who had never spoken all this time, died about three hours afterwards. An inquest will be heard today."

Social life

The upper strata of Londonderry society also knew how to enjoy themselves in style. A concert was advertised for January 10, 1896 under the headline-'Masonic Concert In Derry'. "The grand evening concert in aid of the Masonic Orphan Schools, will be one of the most brilliant and fashionable attractions ever witnessed in the Guildhall.

"The Duke of Abercorn, the Most Worshipful the Grand Master of Ireland, accompanied by her grace the Duchess of Abercorn and other distinguished personages, will grace the proceedings by their presence, and there will be a grand procession of the Masonic brethren in full regalia. It is needless to say that the programme, for variety and merit, will be of a very high class, and will be contributed to by artistes of repute. The laudable object of the concert is its own commendation and a substantial sum is certain to be realised as a result of the indefatigable efforts in charge of the affair."

At Christmas 1895, the Sentinel reported brisk trade in Londonderry's bakeries and confectionery shops. The paper said: "The several bakery and confectionary establishments in the city, especially the manufacturing concerns, have had a busy time of it during the past week in catering for the extra supplies of fruit bread and ornamental cakes. The excellence of the bread stuffs manufactured in Londonderry has secured for them an extensive circulation and liberal patronage, so that the increased demand at the Christmas season necessitates a considerable amount of extra labour."

And at Christmas and at the end of 1895, in eccelesiatical affairs, the past seems to be ever present. A Reuter's News Agency piece carried in the Sentinel of Chistmas Eve 1895 said: "Rome-Monday: The Pope to-day received in solemn audience the cardinals, bishops and prelates who came to offer their Christmas wishes to his Holiness. The Pope, in reply to the customary address, said the numerous trials afflicting the Church and disturbing the world at the present juncture called for fervent and preserving prayer in order to assure the full development of the Catholic spirit now reawakening in several nations, obtain the return of the dissident forms of Christianity to the bosom of the Chutch and to overcome the spirit of impiety which rebelled against the supernatural order and the religious instruction of youth."