Mercuriosities

When a beautiful old arch was discovered during demolition work to make way for a two-storey block of flats and office space for Stamford School, Schoolmasters and Historians were intrigued.

“Revealed for a few hours

When four cottages were being demolished in St. Paul’s Street, Stamford, a fine four-centred arch was found dividing two of them – remains of a building which disappeared before the houses were built in probably the 18th centruy. Although the arch was know to be there, it was not until the concealing walls and rafters were torn away a few days ago that its simple beauty could at last be fully seen, as in the photograph on page one.

Masters from Stamford School, which owns the property, and local historians wee (sic) soon on the scene to watch as more of the graceful curve was revealed. However, the arch was reduced to rubble without affording any clues to its origin.

Some Guesses

Favourite opinion is that the arch dates back to the 13th century. Was it part of the old St. Paul’s Church, the remains of which are now the School chapel? The distance between them is too great for this to be likely. However, the arch was certainly the eastern end of the building. Another theory is that the wall was all that remained of the churches of St. Stephen and Holy Trinity. It is known, however, that St. Stephen’s was on the site of the Church Lads’ club. An identical arch exists in the wall of the cobbler’s shop of Mr. R. Coles, over 200 yards away in the same street. What is the connection between the two?

One certain thing about the arch was its great strength, which is probably why the houses were built against it. The demolishing contractor, Mr. W. L. Darnes of Bourne, attached a chain to the beam in the wall and then pulled with a tractor to bring the whole lot down, but though the later added stonework came away, the arch stood firm as ever.

The site has been cleared to make way for a two-storey stone building for Stamford School – two maisonettes, a business office, a small flat and a sanatorium. It will be in line with the present street level.

A letter of protest against the demolition of the arch appears on this page.*”

The Stamford Mercury, 21st November, 1958.

*See next week’s post.

Emigration to America became increasingly popular in the mid 19th Century. Despite the arduous journey, settlers were attracted by cheap farmland and artisans with special skills knew they were required in the new world.

“On Monday morning about 20 families left Boston in a Humber keel, called the True Blue, for Lincoln, whence they propose proceeding by canals to Liverpool, where they will finally embark. Among them was an aged couple, who had dwelt for more than 60 years in England: yet they severed every tie of acquaintance and friendship; they were going to deal with harsh and mercenary strangers, and their countenances betoken no sorrow for the many recollections which must have crowded their minds. They are Mr. and Mrs. Williams, from Leverton, and they take with them their children and grandchildren, – for whose sakes they make the sacrifice. Mr. Williams could not remain in England without ‘his bairns,’ and they had determined to go. It is said that he has taken 2000l. with him in hard cash. – A powerful excitement prevailed at Boston on Tuesday morning, owing to the departure of several families of that town; they were chiefly mecahnics, with small capitals; but among them was Mr. Whitworth, dyer, and his family, who having disposed of his estate and effects, has been some time preparing to depart for the United States; he designs, we have heard, to commence farming in the interior of America, but in th4 event of that not answering, has taken with him the proper materials for resuming his business. There were at least 1000 person assembled to witness the departure of the vessel, among whom were several near relatives of the emigrants, and consequently the adieus were fervent an affecting. Most of the individuals departed in high spirits, or at least assumed cheerfulness. It is generally believed that the dreariness of the passage to Liverpool, by canal boats, will induce several to take a more convenient and expeditious route: the quantity of goods stowed in the fold of the last vessel was very considerable, being packed in suitable cases, and consisting chiefly of those wares and merchandize which are dearest in America. There is scarcely a family in Boston, in the middling class, who has not now either a relative or acquaintance in the United States; and there are numbers who purpose emigrating, should the statement of those now gone agree with the flattering prospects held out by others. – On the arrival of the vessels at Dogdike, on the river Witham, on Monday and Tuesday, they received several additional families from Coningsby, the Fen, and Chapel Hill, and the concourse of persons to take leave of the voyagers became immense. Every thing, however, went off with perfect decorum.

Emigration to America seems to be on the increase in the neighbourhood of Lincoln also; besides several families which are moving from the city in a body, (consisting of the most industrious artizans, such as basket-makers, coopers, cabinet makers, & smiths,) there is scarcely a village which has not many instances of persons that either have recently departed, or are now setting off. – A native of Lincoln, who left England a few years since, and now resides at Philadelphia, write his astonishment in the following terms: – ‘When I left the old country, I thought to be amongst strangers,, but not a years passes without some of my old neighbours coming to settle in this place, or round about: to judge of the astonishing numbers of farmers and labourers who arrive every week in the ships from Liverpool, I should imagine that farms are to be got cheap and in plenty now in England, for I cannot think there are many left to take them! The influx of such a surprising multitude from Europe, is rapidly changing the face of the country; settlement and improvement are going on with wonderful speed, and several of the states are now just like England for cultivation and roads. The climate has particularly improved of late, in consequence of clearing the forest lands and draining the swampy parts.'”

The Stamford Mercury, 9th April, 1830.

An opium using con woman was jailed after defrauding many shops and businesses with stories of an expected legacy. The article gives a warning of her appearance to alert future potential victims.

“A woman, calling herself by the different names of Dickenson, Dickson, Sharp and Smith, was committed to Lincoln city gaol last week as a vagrant, after practising for several weeks upon the good-natured confidence of some of the inhabitants. By a well-managed story of a large sum of money daily expected from some place near Boston, she induced the landlord of the Brown Cow to trust her for more than three weeks’ lodging, leaving him at last unawares, and unpaid. – Messrs. Baldwin (cook-shop), Kidney, of Corporation-row, and Maplestone, of St.Peter’s at Gowts, also suffered in the same way, for longer or shorter periods. A poor washerwoman was persuaded to lend her 10s., in expectation of a ‘handsome present’ when the long-looked-for remittance should arrive; and a druggist gave her credit for a considerable quantity of opium, from an unwillingness to suspect one certainly among the most plausible of her sex. Various were the names and characters under which she defrauded these different parties: at one time she was on the point of receiving a large legacy, and in much anxiety as to the rate of duty chargeable, &c. &c. As, upon being discharged, she will be very likely to return to what she has found a profitable occupation, it may not be amiss to add to the above, that she appears to be from 30 to 40 years of age, rather low and broad-set in stature, with features which perhaps might not be disagreeable, but from the disgusting disfigurement caused by opium* of which she will consume about half an ounce a day; manners of course insinuating; an abundance of ready lies and inventions, and ‘the very d—-l to talk,’ as one of the aggrieved parties expresses it; –has, moreover, a little boy with her, which she suckles, although he is three or four years old. – One person who has seen her, thinks that she comes from Pinchbeck, that her real name is Vandyke, and that her husband was transported.”

The Stamford Mercury, 2nd February, 1827.

*generally early signs of ageing, skin blemishes and sores.

The language of the 1920s may be rather flowery for our liking, but this verse written by a father to his son, conjures up the Viking spirit in eastern England. Many places in Lincolnshire have names or suffixes which hark back to the Vikings.

"TO MY SON.

Spray of the Viking from over the sea,
Sprig of Old England entrusted to me:
Spray on the sprig ever hardens the tree,
Spray-toughened sprig, you are born to be free.

You are sprung from Eastern Counties, where the winds your strength renew
With their red loam's glowing riches and their skies flecked grey and blue,
Where the fathers of your fathers with patient, tireless skill
Have sewn and reaped and garnered o'er each beauteous vale and hill.

Where the glorious wolds sweep rolling, richly garlanded with trees,
With the keen winds ever blowing stiff with brine from off the seas.
Those seas whereof the rovers were forerunners of your race,
And gave to you your stature, and your vigour and your grace.

Let your courage ever harden, let your sinew never slack,
Fight on  grimly just as they did, and whatever else you lack,
You will have the exaltation of a struggle bravely fought - 
This the prize! whate'er the gleanings - so your Viking fathers taught.

C.N.G."

The Stamford Mercury, December, 1927.

In a rather insensitive juxtaposition, a tragedy about a new building falling in Manchester is followed by a light-hearted tale of one in Chester suffering a similar fate.

“On Tuesday the 21st, about eleven o’clock in the forenoon, the inhabitants of Hanover-street, Manchester, were alarmed by the falling of a newly-erected building, used principally as a cotton factory. – Unhappily there were, at the time of the accident, twenty-two people at work in it, all of whom were hurled in the ruins, for the misfortune was so sudden, as to leave no possibility of escape. One woman was taken from the ruins – dead – fourteen others, some of the dreadfully mangled, were carried to the infirmary, and it is with great concern that we observe the melancholy consequences thereof, as the appear on the face of this week’s report from that charitable institution. One of the unhappy sufferers, we understand, died almost immediately after he was carried to the hospital; his back bone being broken. The skull of another was dreadfully fractured; and in two others, some of the ribs were broke, and beat in upon the lungs.

The above building was used for different purposes. It had an arched cellar for liquor, and the ground floor was a stable, in which, at the time of its falling, were fifteen horses – four of which were killed, one of them of considerable value. – The cause of this calamity was from the springing of one of the arched cellars, and this appears to be confirmed by the building falling so instantaneously – for the whole of it came down with one dreadful crash! and the confusion and terror that followed was great indeed. – The proprietor of the works in ia (sic) narrowly escaped with his life.

A new building in Skinner’s lane, Chester, fell a sacrifice to the wind on Wednesday night. This accident happened a few hours after the workman had retired from a good supper, in celebrating the rearing!”

The Stamford Mercury, 31st December, 1790.

This article, about the last woad mill in Lincolnshire, was followed up a month later with a photograph showing the immense crushing machinery. The mill closed in 1932.

“Lincolnshire’s Latest Lost Industry.

That the Early Britons bedaubed themselves with blue paint was one of the fanciful touches which enlivened our history lessons. Their dye was obtained from woad, and until recently the crushing of the root-leaves of the plant could still be labelled an industry. The Lincolnshire Directory for 1909 recorded two woad-growers as still in business, a figure reduced to one in 1922. In the earlier year a woad mill could still be seen at Parson’s Drove, near Wisbech. Now, we learn, there is but one woad-grower left in England, and it is the Lincolnshire cultivator who has refrained from planting.

The Origin of ‘Wad’?

Regarding the treatment of woad, one of the most exhausting crops known, an authority says: – ‘The blue dye is obtained from the root-leaves, which are crushed in a mill by rude conical crushers dragged round by horses, and the pulp thus make is worked up into balls and laid out for some weeks to dry. These are then thrown in a heap in the dark, mixed with water, and fermented, being left for a considerable time before being packed into casks for sale. This dye is now always used with indigo.’ One of the leading national daily papers, commenting upon the industry, remarks: – ‘If the balls, or lumps, were ever known as ‘wads,’ the etymology of ‘wad,’ which the dictionary says is obscure, becomes perhaps intelligible.'”

The Stamford Mercury, 22nd December, 1927.

“Reference was recently made in our columns to the fact that only a solitary plant for the conduct of the ancient industry of woad milling survived in Lincolnshire. Depicted above is the cumbrous and archaic process followed in the mill at Parson Drove. The huge metalled wheels are used for crushing the plant, the motive power being provided by two horses.”

The Stamford Mercury, 30th December, 1927.

This building at 14, All Saints’ Street (now Duncan and Toplis Chartered Accountants) was altered at some point, because the right-hand bay has been flattened. It is not known, however, whether this was what Mr. Traylen objected to (it certainly altered the symmetry) or, indeed if it was done just after his appeal or much later.

“THE PARTICULAR INTEREST vested in the accompanying illustration is explained by the appended letter to the Mercury from Mr. H. F. Traylen, F.S.A., the well-known local architect and antiquary.

Sir, – All lovers of our beautiful old town will rejoice to hear the news of the rescue of a bit of old Stamford. I enclose a photograph of a 17th century house in St. Peter’s-street which it was proposed to alter, thus destroying its symmetry and character. I am pleased to inform you that after a talk the owner has realised the value of the building and has agreed that no alteration to the exterior shall be made.

I support there is no other town in England which possesses such a complete series of 17th and 18th century houses typifying the gradual development of this style as Stamford and in which this particular building forms such a vaulable line.

All those who love our ole town will feel a deep debt of gratitude to the owner of the property (Miss S. Wade) for her action, thus giving a lead to other owners and custodians of such interesting examples.

This is not only a local matter, but one of national importance in these days, when even foreigners are glad to chip such examples overseas.

A few enquiries before contemplated alterations of similar buildings would add to the number of Stamford’s admirers, and probably prevent the spoliation* of out links with past ages which can never be replaced.”

The Stamford Mercury, 25th November, 1927.

*The ruining or spoiling of something.

We have just seen some remarkable efforts in Tokyo, but the race described below and the feats accomplished in the story at the bottom are fantastic.

“A foot race of a novel description took place at Carlton, near Grantham, on Tuesday the 6th inst. Mr. Cleaver, a commercial gentleman, happening to be at the Coach and Horses Inn, offered to run any man in the place, or within ten miles, from Carlton to Barkston and back, a distance of seven miles, for any sum of money. A man named James Pick, totally blind, was backed against him for one sov*. The competitors started fair, but after two miles and a half had been accomplished, the gentleman who had eyesight gave up. His opponent executed the task easily, within three quarters of an hour. – Mr. Pulford, a friend of the loser in the race, not feeling satisfied with the result, offered to run the winner to his own home, a distance of three-quarters of a mile, for half a sovereign, which bet was instantly accepted. The blind man was again the victor, accomplishing his task in four minutes, and beating his opponent by several hundred yards. Pick in his first race was allowed to carry a stick; but after he had started in his second, his opponent objected to it, whereupon he threw it away, declaring he wished to take no advantage. It is said that he has offered to run any man within 20 miles, for 10l to 20l.”

*i.e. a Sovereign, face value £1.

The Stamford Mercury, 16th October, 1840.

“On Tuesday last, in Vauxhall gardens, Boston, a man named Cootes undertook to run a mile, walk a mile, wheel a barrow a mile, walk backwards a mile, hop one hundred yards, leap over fifty hurdles ten yards apart, and pick up fifty stones a yard apart and deposit them singly in a basket, within one hour; which task he accomplished three quarters of a minutes within the given time.”

The Stamford Mercury, 23rd October, 1840.

A girl goes missing, but her stepmother’s fearful dream points to the whereabouts of her murdered body. The case became notorious and was the subject of songs and plays and, in 1936, a film.

“On Monday evening a constable from Suffolk, of the name of Ayres, made an application at Lambeth-street police-office, stating that a strong suspicion was entertained that a most diabolical murder had been committed in Suffolk, by a person named William Corder. An inquest had been held that day on the body of the unhappy victim, which stands adjourned to Friday. In consequence of this communication, James Lee, an officer of this establishment, in company with Ayres, apprehended Corder; and a few minutes before the office closed on Tuesday evening, he was brought in custody before Matthew Wyatt, Esq. the sitting magistrate. From the statement, on oath, of the constable Ayres, it appeared that the murdered woman, whose name was Maria Martin*, aged 26, was decoyed, in male attire, on the 18th of last May, from the house of her parents at Polstead, in Suffolk, by the prisoner, who desired her to meet him at his red barn, when he promised her that they should go to Ipswich, and be married by licence. The unsuspecting girl (who was pregnant by the prisoner) accordingly attended at the time and place appointed. From that day to this, the girl has not been heard of. Since that time, however, many letters have been received by the parents of the unfortunate girl from the prisoner, in which he uniformly stated that he and their child were living most happily together in married state; and in the last letter he wrote, he stated that he should soon return and resume the occupation of his farm. He feigned many excuses for the silence of the deceased, from time to time. The mother of the girl, however, became alarmed, and the subject preyed so much on her mind, that she dreamed that her daughter was murdered, and her body buried under the floor of the barn by the prisoner, where he had appointed to meet her on the 18th of May. The corn which was in the barn having been recently thrashed, the mother requested that the floor might be taken up, which was accordingly done, when to her horror, she discovered the remains of a sack, in which was the mangled body of Maria Martin! The body was, of course, in a state of decomposition, but it was identified by one of the teeth in the jaw being out, which was her case. She was also dressed in the same male attire she wore on the fatal night. The prisoner was apprehended at Ealing, in Middlesex, and is reported to be married. At his house were found a passport for France, dated the 17th of December last, and a brace of pistols, which were bought at Ipswich. He said nothing, and was sent in the custody of the constable to Suffolk.”

The Stamford Mercury, 25th April, 1828.

*Her surname was really Marten.

Named after the ‘mythical’ outlaw of Sherwood Forest, this inn at Aslackby has now added Little John to its title presumably, because of the charming rhyme. It is still going strong and has excellent ratings.

"Gentlemen, if you think good,
Step in and drink with Robin Hood;
If Robin Hood abroad has gone.
Then take a drink with Little John.

Such is the invitation extended to those who visit the old-world village of Aslackby. ‘The Robin Hood’ which, incidentally, has just changed hands, is an ancient inn by the side of the main road as one enters from the north. If it has any connection with the famous outlaw it would be interesting to know in what way, though to what extent, if at all, ‘Robin Hood’ was an actual historical character has been much debated. Only two other inns in Lincolnshire – one at Boston, the other at Spalding – are known by the name of the jovial freebooter.”

The Stamford Mercury, June 24th, 1927.