the darker side of life
Content advisory: domestic abuse
Life for some of the Avon loop's residents was not easy.
Take, for example, Sarah Borrett, who had married Henry Borrett in 1875. In 1885, not long after the couple had moved into their new house at 5 Rees Street (pictured), Sarah - a laundress - took Henry to court to protect her earnings from him. She also accused Henry of kicking and attempting to strangle her and assaulting one of their children. At the time of the court proceedings, Henry and Sarah weren't living together, although they would cohabit again in the 1890s. Sarah was successful in her court case, and the judge ordered Henry to pay 12s 6d a week to support the two younger children (who lived with Sarah).
In 1892, Samuel McCormack brutally assaulted Elizabeth Tobin at the couple's home in Brightlings Lane. Elizabeth had been widowed nearly 20 years earlier, and had a child out of marriage a year or so later. At the time of the assault, she'd been living with Samuel for some two and a half years, although she had left him about a fortnight before the assault. She described their relationship: "They always lived happily together when accused kept away from drink." Samuel was sentenced to 2 months in gaol, with hard labour.
There was also Mary Wheatley, who bought land and built at 17 Hurley Street in 1875. Mary had been deserted by her husband Robert, and repeatedly had to take him to court to extract from him the financial support she was due.
