Large scale fights were a common occurrence in Ancoats in the late 1800s. Those fights took place on Butler Street between the growing Irish Catholic immigrants and the Orange Brigade of Ancoats and surrounding districts. The Orangemen - which included my great grandfather - would assemble at one end of Butler street and the Irish Catholics at the other, and as the two groups grew closer together an almighty battle would commence. During one of those battles, in 1887, as many as 30,000 Orangemen assembled at the bottom end of Butler Street ready to do their worst to the awaiting Irish contingent and on this particular occasion the Catholic 'army' were heavily outnumbered and took a terrible beating. A temporary Police Station was set up near to the scene of these massive brawls and during one battle in particular, a Police Constable was battered to death. The man held responsible was a member of the Orange Brigade, and after being tried for the offence, he was hung.

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At the turn of the century (according to T. Thompson of the Manchester Evening Chronicle) a good cook was one who could make a meal out of an old towel. The broth pan was a great standby and into it went almost anything that could be obtained. A 'ham pestle', some pearl barley, 'Pot herbs', which meant celery tops, leek trimmings, and vegetable debris which could be bought for a few coppers at the greengrocers, suet dumplings or bits of meat collected by the butcher to sell cheaply, all went into the pan to make a savoury mess which was cheap, filling and wholesome. A good potato pie also made a good meal. Almost every public house brewed its own beer and was open all day from six in the morning until the last customer decided to go home at night. It was considered no shame to go with a jug for the supper beer for the last meal of the day.

All bedrooms were whitewashed and only the living room was papered crudely. The gas pipe hung starkly from the ceiling and illumination was by a naked gas flame. Candles were used in bedrooms. At Christmas the gas pipe was decorated with twisted and crimped, coloured tissue paper. Sprigs of holly and mistletoe were tucked across the pictures on the wall and 'mottoes' were also tacked upon the wall wishing 'A Merry Christmas' or 'What is Home without a Mother'. The children hung their stockings up as now. The toffee shops gave Christmas boxes of boiled sweets. A local Tripe Works manager heated pennies on a shovel and tossed them over the gate to watch children burn their fingers as they scrambled for the untold wealth. Fathers got drunk and were either put to bed, or, if capable, kicked the family out of doors. It was indeed the festive season.

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