80 arrests for failing to clear snow from pathways – 137 years ago
As people struggle through the snow this weekend, spare a thought for people back in 1880 who were arrested for failing to clear snow from pathways.
West Midlands Police archives from 137 years ago show that ensuring roads and paths were snow free was a major priority for officers in Birmingham. In 1879 the budget for running the police jail − set by Birmingham Council - was £2,149 compared to £3,000 for clearing snow.
In 1886 the Mayor of Wolverhampton asked the police to employ 132 men to clear snow from the paths and thoroughfares.
The men applied for the jobs by presenting themselves to a local police station and officers held the responsibility for hiring and firing.
Police were also asked to enforce a by-law which said that residents were responsible for keeping roads and pathways near to their property free of snow.
The Birmingham Journal of January 1880 reported that 80 Birmingham residents appeared at court for not keeping their pathway clear of snow. Each were fined one shilling (5p).
And in January 1887 a barrister and an electro-plater were hauled before the courts after they failed to clear their path on Harborne Road in Birmingham. The barrister stated that he had “the misfortune to have 150 yards of frontage which was impossible to keep clear" but the court ruled that under the by-law he must clear the snow. He too was fined.
Two years later in January 1889, a 54-year-old man stole a set of dry clothes from a wash-house on Highgate Road in Balsall Heath. In his defence in court, he said that he borrowed the clothes after getting wet from clearing snow. He went on to say that he would have returned items “if it weren’t for the interference of the police". The man was jailed.
