Author: secretary

M A Rothschild was born in Frankfurt (or Frankfort)and created an empire that came to prominence with his five sones. They were pioneers in international banking.

“The Jews’ Street in Frankfort. – In the Jews’ street at Frankfort-on-the-maine, in the midst of Gothic facades, black copings, and sombre alleys, there is a house of small exterior, distinguished from others by its luxurious neatness, which gives it an appearance of singular cheerfulness and freshness. The brass on the door is polished; the curtains of the windows are as white as snow; and the staircase (an unusual thing in the damp atmosphere of this dirty quarter) is always dry and shining. The traveller who from curiosity visits this street – a true specimen of the times when the Jews of Frankfort, subjected to the most intolerable vexations, were restricted to this infected quarter – will be induced to stop before this neat and simple house, and perhaps ask, ‘who is that venerable old lady, seated in a large armchair behind the little shining squares of the window on the first story?’ This is the reply every Frankforter will make:- ‘in that house dwelt an Israelite merchant, named M. A. Rothschild. He there acquired a good name, a great fortune, and a numerous family; and when he died, the widow* declared she would never quit, except for the tomb, the modest dwelling which had served as a cradle to that name, that fortune, and those children.’ Continued prosperity has attended the sons of this pious and modest widow. Their name is become European, and their wealth proverbial. They inhabit sumptuous palaces, in the most beautiful quarters of Paris, London, Vienna, Naples, and Frankfort. But their mother, persevering in her admirable modesty, has not quitted her comparatively humble house, where they come to visit her with respect and reverence, and discharge their duties in memory of their estimable father – thus presenting bright examples for the present time. The illustrious family are characterised for their modesty. They have generously provided for the unfortunate, assisted the persecuted and supported the feeble.”

The Stamford Mercury, 15th October, 1847.

* Gutle Schanpper, the daughter of a money changer. She married Rothschild in 1770 and gave birth to ten children – five sons and five daughters.

We are not sure if Mr. Isaac Newton of Wisbech was a relative of the polymath of Woolsthorpe Manor, or if he is a nom de plume (as a sort of joke). However, his solution to the scale problem, below, is very learned if a little daunting!

“To the Editor of the Mercury.

Wisbech, April, 1824.

Sir,

As scientific subjects sometimes have place in you columns, I choose to send you the following. It is a problem of perpetual use among Land-Surveyors; and as the method which I have here given of performing it, appears to me more simple, convenient, and accurate, than any which I have hitherto met with, I have no doubt that a perusal of it will prove interesting to some of your scientific readers. The problem is-

‘To transfer any map or plan of a given scale, to another scale, which shall be given integral number of times smaller or larger than the given scale.’

Solution.- Let the rectangular parallelogram ADCB represent the given map or plan, and let E, F, G, &c. be the points, places, or objects, depicted thereon. Bisect A B the base of the parallelogram in M, and make the perpendicular M P, below A B, equal to A D or B C, the adjacent side to A B: drawe the right lines P A, P D, P C, P B, P E, P F, P G, &c., in which lines take the points a, b, c, d, e, f, g, &c. respectively; making P A to P a, P D to P d, P C, to P c, P B to P b, P E to P e, P F to P f, P G to P g, &c., as the given scale to the required one; and draw the right lines a d, d c, c b, b a, so shall the figure abcd, containing the points e, f, g, &c. be the required plan; being similar to the given one, and on a scale a given integral number of times smalled than the given scale.

When the required plan is to be on a scale, a given integral number of times smaller than the given scale, it is only necessary to project P A, P D, P C, P B, P E, P F, P G, &c. at the extremities A, D, C, B, E, F, G, &c. and proceed as in the former case. In both cases whatever lines lie between the points, E, F, G, &c. in the given plan, the same or similar lines must also connect the corresponding points in the required plan, which will then be complete. – I am, &c. Isaac Newton.”

The Stamford Mercury, 16th April, 1824.

(We are indebted to John Riley for grappling with this problem and drawing the example above, which better demonstrates what this is all about!)

Mr. Black seems to have been an eccentric character, but he had obviously worked hard as a platelayer, roadman and gravedigger. It seems that there had not been a funeral in West Deeping for nigh on two years.

“No Work for Gravedigger Since 1951

‘They were swanking in your paper about North and South Witham not having had a funeral for a year.’ said Mr. Edwin Black from the comfort of his lunch-time wheelbarrow. ‘I have been gravedigger at West Deeping for about 23 years, and we can beat that. I have not had a funeral since March 21, 1951.’

Seventy-year-old Mr. Black, a roadman, was taking his ease on Monday when our reported and photographer came across him near Uffington station.

‘There is one thing about these old barrows, they make a good armchair.’ said Mr. Black. He had a sandwich in one hand and a flask of cold tea to his lips.

‘Only tea?’ we queried.

‘Can’t afford anything else,’ came the reply.

‘We had a drop of ‘short’ in for Christmas and this is the bottle,’ said Mr. Black.

He has been a roadman for 25 years, and before that was a platelayer on the Great Northern railway.”

The Stamford Mercury, 22nd May, 1953.

Two brave females took on the rescue of three men whose ships had been wrecked, despite the hardy seamen of the area warning that it could not be achieved in the dreadful weather conditions.

“Female Intrepidity – On the 22d. of October last, two vessels were wrecked off Fishguard, and three men were seen clinging to the rigging. Entreaties were in vain employed to induce the hardy seamen of that wild coast to attempt the rescue of the unfortunate men, all declaring that no boats could live in such a tremendous sea; but humanity induced two young females to enter upon a task which made the stout hearts of the seamen quail. Margaret Lewellyn lashed a rope round her body, and her noble example was followed by her sister Martha: they then dashed into the surf, which the spectators expected would throw them on the rocks lining that dangerous coast. After incredible exertions, they succeeded in conveying a rope to the wreck, and in bringing ashore the three sailors. All hopes had been abandoned of saving the wreck. The committee of Lloyd’s, having ascertained the accuracy of this statement, contributed 5l. towards the funds subscribed for the relief of these women : they are poor, and in very humble circumstances. The Royal Humane Society has also given 5l., besides honorary medals, to the two heroic females.”

The Stamford Mercury, 11th June, 1847.

Following our earlier post about the wonderful rat killer, Billy the dog, we found this in the newspaper some months later. It seems, even though Billy’s rat killing feats have been brought into question, he was still the fastest in the world! It doesn’t say, however, what happened to Billy’s owner, Mr. Dew. . .

“It has been generally understood, and bruited* about, that the dog Billy has killed one hundred full-grown rats in less than seven minutes! This is true; but in proportion as the wonder has increased, so will it subside, when the cognoscenti are informed, that by a skillful preparation of opium, these rats have been so deprived of their usual ferocious power of resistance, as to fall an easy prey to the efforts of the famous Billy. This fact we have from authority. The immense sums lost are referred to the Jockey Club. – Sunday Monitor.”

The Stamford Mercury, 9th January, 1824.

*rumoured.

The first transfusion to a human was in 1667, when a young man received blood from a lamb. They did not know, then of the different types of blood (that was discovered in 1900), of course, but this one seems to have been successful.

“The extraordinary operation of taking blood from the veins of a man, and injecting it into those of a woman, was lately performed by Dr. Blundell, lecturer on midwifery, at Guy’s Hospital, upon a poor woman aged 25 years. She was, to all appearance, dying from loss of blood, after a severe labout, when Dr. Blundell (seeing the imminent danger of the case) laid bare one of the veins of her left arm, taking care to prevent the blood flowing from the orifice. The husband of the woman, who was a robust man, was then called in, and two ounces of blood taken from his arm into a glass tumbler; this blood was then, by means of a syringe, slowly thrown into the vein of the woman , in the direction of the heart, and the same quantity immediately after repeated. In about ten minutes the woman rallied, and gradually recovered from the jaws of death. The syringe was of brass, and well tinned; to the mouth a pipe was fixed, of about two inches long, and the size of a crow’s quill, shaped like a pen at the end, but with a blunt point. All air was carefully expelled from the syringe when used.”

The Stamford Mercury, 7th October, 1825.

Could this be the first case of rhinoplasty? An horrific assault on a young man’s nose was happily repaired by a clever surgeon.

“On Saturday night last, a quarrel took place at the Vine Inn, Bilston, amongst a number of working men who were drinking there, when one of the party, of the name of Smith, succeeded in getting on the floor, a young man named Lowe, and in the most savage manner completely bit off his nose, the modern Crim-Tartar * immediately making his escape. The injured party, accompanied by some friends, went to the residence of the nearest surgeon,, where the denuded parts were dressed by his aassistant, evidently to the satisfaction of all parties. Lowe, however, on his returning home, began to reflect on the unpictureque effect which countenance bereft of the nasal appendage would produce, and he accordingly determined to have it remedied by any and every means possible. On a consultation with his friends, the idea occurred to them that all would be well if they could only restore to its original post of honour the missing remains of what was once considered by the owner to be a very respecable nose, although it was not stated whether the original nose was hooked or hatchet, or whether it belonged to the snub, the pug, or the turned-up family. Accordingly they returned to the scene of the action at the Vine, and after searching for nearly an hour, they at length discovered the object of their wishes lying in a dark corner of the room, begrimed with dirt. Having secured their prize, the party set off to a surgeon of the town, to whom they stated the case, and who very carefully united the parts together, and in a manner which completely restored the main element of facial beauty to its former shape and position, and a happy union of parts having ensued, the young man appears little the worse for his singular misfortune.”

The Stamford Mercury, 18th June, 1847.

*Generally a fierce or harsh person.

The huge Roman structure at Castor was built around 250 CE. The term ‘Castor Praetorium’ was used by Edmund Artis in the 19th century, to indicate that it had an administrative funcion.

“British Archeological Assocation

The second of a series of conversaziones, given by Mr. Pettigrew to the members of the association, was held on Wednesday evening the 18th inst., in Saville-row, London, and was numerously attended. The exhibitions of works of ancient art, which crowded the tables and walls of the apartment, displayed the resources of the association, and the activity with which it is carrying out the objects for which it was instituted. Among these was an extraordinaty collection of Romano-British remains, recently discovered by Mr. E. T. Artis, F.S.A., in the neighbourhood of Castor, near Peterboro’. It consists chiefly of an extensive variety of fictile* vessels, taken from the debris of Roman potteries, which it appears extended along the banks of the Nene for at least 20 miles. These vases are thus proved to be of home manufacture, and the mode in which they were worked, glazed, ornamented, and baked, was detailed by Mr. Artis himself, in a pleasing and familiar way, to a large group of the company. The subjects upon the vases are mythological, hunting, arabesques, or composed of animals and fanciful ornaments. These, which often display much force and beauty, were, Mr. Artis stated, composed in an off-hand way by the maker, without a mould. Near one of the kilns was found a portion of a mould, which had been made by some native artist for pottery, intended to resemble the beautiful red kind, familiar to antiquaries by the term ‘Samian.’ At Castor (the Durobrivæ of the Romans) were also fabricated many of the plated and debased coins which are still discovered in such profusion throughout England. Mr. Artis exhibited the very moulds in which these coins were made, and in some of which were the coins themselves, which had never been removed. They were chiefly of the family of Severus, and his immediate successors.”

The Stamford Mercury, 27th June, 1845.

*made of clay or earth by a potter.

What was this landlady thinking of? Was whe more enamoured with the quality of the damask silk than her youngest child? Luckily, she was shamed by her neighbours into going to fetch the baby back. As it happened, the offspring had caused such a fuss, that its new owner had abandoned it!

“A few days ago, the wife of an innkeeper at Caistor, who is the mother of five children, actually sold the youngest of them, an infant about three months old, for a damask silk shawl, of the value of 20s., to a licensed hawker of drapery goods, &c. who accidentally called for freshment. The man took away the child, and hastened on his journey, apparently well please with the disgraceful contract! A few hours afterwards, the occurrence becoming generally known throughout the town, the neighbours were not sparing in uttering vehement and deserved reproaches for the conduct of the unnatural parent, which compelled her to attempt recovery of the hapless infant. For this purpose, accompanied by two female friends, she set out, and succeeded in finding the child at a house in Grassby, a village about three miles on the Brigg road, where the man had left it, the child having become excessively troublesome, from the want of its accustomed nourishment. The party returned safe home with the child, at one o’clock next morning.”

The Stamford Mercury, 30th August, 1822.

Billy the dog was quite a celebrity in his day. He carried out his feat of killing 100 rats in twelve minutes on more than one occasion. He must have had very alert senses, because he had only one eye, which was lost to a rat! This probably explains why he was so keen to kill rats. See an update of this story.

“_ On Tuesday night the 3d Inst., the Cockpit in Tufton-street, Westminster, exhibited an almost unparalleled scene, when the celebrated dog Billy, for a bet of 20 sovereigns, exhibited to a multitude, at least 2000, the chief part of whom were amateurs well known in the sporting cirlces. The match was, that this extraordinary dog would kill 100 rats in twelve minutes, and the bet was made by Mr. Dew, the proprietor; but bets to the amount of several hundreds were pending. The floor of the pit was whitened, and the whole of the rats at once let loose. Dew and Cheetham, eminent rat-killers, were the only persons admitted into the pit. The company were arranged in the gallery, and had a perfect view of the whole. The space which the dog had to exhibit in was 12 feet square. When let loose, he viewed them with an eager eye; but on time being announced and the signal being given, he went to work, and in seven minutes and a half they were all killed in heaps, amid loud cheers. The dog was decorated with fancy ribands, and 50l. was offered for him upon the spot. His master declined the offer, but offered to back him 50l. against any dog in England.”

The Stamford Mercury, 13th September, 1822.

‘Quinhus flestrum’ – We have been unable to find an exact translation for this phrase, but it is similar to ‘Quinbus Flestrin’ – a name given to Lemuel Gulliver and meaning ‘The Great Man-Mountain’.