Mercuriosities

A particularly gruesome murder is reported here, but there is no speculation as to the motive behind it. The murderer (a trooper in the blues) was clearly determined to carry out his task without worrying about the consequences.

“Considerable sensation was caused at Windsor on Sunday night in consequence of a very deliberate murder which was committed about nine o’clock in the Arthur-road, a thoroughfare leading from the vicinity of the Great Western station to Clewer village. The victim was Mrs. Laura Ellen Woolridge, aged 23, said to be a native of Bath, and who for about two years has been employed as an assistant to the postmistress in the post-office at High-street, Eton. There she was known under her maiden name of Glendell. She was, it is stated, married to a trooper in the Royal Horse Guards named Woolridge, but had lived very little with him. This man came to Windsor in the course of the evening, and went to 21, Alma-terrace, where Mrs. Woolridge was residing, and, under the pretence of signing a paper, was allowed to enter the house. Mrs. Woolridge thereupon asked Alice Cox, a young woman who was sitting with her in the front parlour, to fetch her hat and jacket, and while the latter was proceeding to the back room the man and woman went out of the the street door towards the iron wicket-gate separating the forecourt from the street. There he appears to have attempted to cut the throat of the unfortunate woman, who shrieked ‘Murder!’ and ran into the middle of the road, where he threw her down and accomplished his dreadful crime. The murderer is now in the hands of the Windsor Police.”

The Stamford Mercury, 3rd April, 1896.

Once again the issue of a north-south bypass raised its head. Some people welcomed it, but traders were worried that traffic would no longer come through the town centre and they would lose custom. After much debate and discussion in the 1920s, 30s and 50s, the bypass was finally opened in October, 1960.

“The question of the proposed bye-pass road though Stamford affords reason for serious consideration of other matters directly concerned with the welfare and progress of the borough.

In the old coaching days Stamford, by reason of its situation on the main trunk road between London and York, was an important and thriving centre, but with the advent of railways its progress, if not altogether stopped, was seriously impeded in favour of Peterborough, which since, ‘the great iron road’ was laid through that city, has reaped the benefit of enhanced commerce and all that follows in its wake.

To-day the roads are coming into their own once more, and now is the time for Stamford authorities to make every endeavour to regain what the town lost by reason of its isolation by the then modern means of transport.

It is freely mentioned that if the municipality does not carry out a scheme whereby better facilities are provided for the ever-increasing road traffic, the Ministry concerned will build a main road, which in all probability will run some miles west of the town, with the consequent result that Stamford will be once more left ‘high-and-dry’ – with every likelihood of never again having an opportunity of regaining its position.”

The Stamford Mercury, 17th June, 1927.

The recent discovery of a shackled skeleton in a Casterton garden is just one of a number of interesting finds around the Roman settlement over the years.

“1st.- Century Pottery Unearthed by Rampart Excavations

If a layman stands upon a ridge almost opposite Great Casterton secondary school and looks south and west, he sees the pretty village of Casterton, through which pours almost endless traffic on the A1 road.

Stand on the same ridge with an archaeologist, and a different picture is formed in the mind. He will build for you – as Mr. Philip Korda. M.A., and Mr. Graham Webster, F.S. A., created for me last week – a picture of a Roman township, surrounded by the River Gwash on the greater part of the circumference of an egg-shaped piece of land, the ridge upon which we were standing being the land barrier which completed the oval-shaped enclosure, while Ermine Street (the old Roman road) take the place of the busy Great North Road as we know it today.

For it had been discovered through new workings at Casterton that the ridge was indeed a rampart, surrounded by a ditch, which the Romans built to fortify the township.

Messrs. Korda and Webster told me that the new working was original archaeological research for, as far as they know, the ridge had never been examined before, although it has always been a source of speculation among local antiquaries.

Earthworks Opened

The earthworks have been opened during a fortnight’s summer school in archaeology for students interested in seeking information on the first century.

Casterton had been visited during the past two years by Mr. J. L. Barber, curator of Oakham School museum, and by boys from that school, who have been excavating a Roman villa site in a field off the Ryhall Road beyond the secondary school. Although research there had also occupied the summer school students part of their time, it was though that to open a new working on the rampart would provide a different type of excavating and work for them in contrast to the horizontal work that had been proceeding at the villa.

The whole idea of the course, as Mr. Korda (director of the course and excavations) explained, was for students to be instructed and have practical experience in these two kinds of work, and judging from the manner in which the students were earnestly working, it undoubtedly attained its object.

Added to Knowledge

The rampart must have closed up the vulnerable portion of the township facing in the general direction of Pickworth. When the archaeologists went to the sit they had no idea when it was built. It might have been Roman; it might have been mediaeval. The maiin task, therefore, hjad been to examine this, and towards the end of the course the earthworks have been identified as Roman. Thus the summer school can calim to have added something to the kknowledge of Roman Britain.

The highest part of the ridge had been the subject of the examination; no time was available to do anything in the former ditch. However, from the trench in the rampart, interesting discoveries have been made, including relics of the occupation before the rampart was built.

It was discovered that a wall had been made of clean material (clay and stone), some of whichi was no doubt taken from the ditch. A fair amount of early Roman pottery, however, had found its way into the construction, which indicated that, in addition to taking up material from the ditch, the builders also acraped up some belongings from the inside, or township.

Some pottery proved to be of the first century, while other finds included eye-brow pluckers! One of the diggers threw out a small glass blue bead while I was there.

Discovery of a hearth at the bottom of the newly-made pit was proof that there had been occupation before the building of the rampart. The pottery there indicated the last second century, which establishes the fact that it was after that period the the rampart was erected.

Valuable Exercise

Mr. Korda and Mr. Webster said that the exercise had been a very valuable one for the students, who included doctors, lawyers, undergraduates, medical officers, civil servants (male and female) and two housewives. Considering that lectures in the local secondary school occupied the mornings, the students got through a tremendous amount of work on the two sites. The parties for the villa and the rampart were chosen daily so as to afford variety, and the members performed a remarkable piece of digging for a group of volunteers not trained in pick and shovel work. The deep and fairly wide trench in the rampart was filled and the turf re-laid before the school broke up.

The director was very appreciative of the kindness of the Marquis of Exeter (owner of the land), Mr. Frank Healey, of Bridge Farm, Casterton (tenant) and of the Rutland Education Committee for the use of the school as accommodation and classrooms.

Experts’ Lectures

SApart from the practical work on the two sites in the adfternoons, the school was addressed in the mornings by Mr. Korda (on the Roman villa), Mr. Graham Webster (on Romad defences, etc.), Mr. M. W. Barley, M.A. F. S. A., of the Nottingham University Adult Education department, who organised the course (on local occupation of the Casterton area, etc.), Mr. J. P. Gillam, a lecturer at Durham University, and others.

Mr. E. G. Bolton, headmaster of the secondary school, himself a keen archaeologist, was most co-operative, and not a little of the success of the school could be attributed to him. Mr. J. L. Barber also gave consierable assistance.

Mr. Webster is, of course, an Old Stamfordian and curator of Grosvenor Museum, Chester.”

The Stamford Mercury, 18th August, 1950.

A suspicious noise alerted a householder to a potential break-in, but the burglar fled the scene, disturbing the neighbour’s ducks in the process. Like the sacred geese of Juno, it seems ducks make very good watchdogs.

“ATTEMPTED BURGLARY

AGILE NOCTURNAL INTRUDERS ESCAPE

Just before dawn on Wednesday morning an attempt was made to burglariously enter the house of Mr. H. A. Pearson, 24, St. Peter’s-Street. Mr. Pearson, who had been awakened some little time before by his young son, fancied he heard a peculiar noise downstairs, and, rising from his bed, distinctly heard what appeared to be a skeleton key being inserted in the door. He listened for several minutes, during which the noise continued intermittently, as though the would-be intruder was punctuating his attempts at forcing an entrance by looking along the street to ascertain that no-one was coming.

By this time the household was thoroughly aroused, and Mr. Pearson opened the bedroom window and called out. Owing to the verandah over the doorway, it was impossible to see who was tampering with the lock, but immediately there was a scuffling of feet and a man was heard to run along the pathway, dropping something which sounded like a small bag of tools. Nothing, however, was found, and it is thought the intruder had time to regain his property.

Mr. Pearson quickly slipped on a dressing-gown and ran downstairs, but the nocturnal visitor had disappeared.

A neighbour, who was awakened by the noise of the window opening, heard what appeared to be a man climbing the gates of Mrs. Starsmore’s yard, close by, and the theory that he hid there until the hue-and-cry subsided is borne out by the disturbance created by a number of ducks which are kept there. This quietened down, but about three-quarters of an hour later broke out again as though the depredator was surreptitiously making his escape.

A significant fact is that on Tuesday night Mr. Pearson had a large sum of money in the house, which he had received too late to be banked.”

The Stamford Mercury, 5th August, 1927.

An unfortunate hill climb from the Plains of Philippi in the last act of Julius Caesar is the subject of this amusing Stamford theatrical reminiscence.

“Act V. of Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar,’ if the bard’s dramatic pictures of battle of the period are correct, presents commanders of the Roman legions as highly cautious individuals. There is a familiar axiom that ‘Discretion if the better part of valour,’ and, if so, then had Cassius paid a preliminary visit to a phrenologist, his bump of discretion would have been diagnosed as about the size of a grape-fruit.

The stirring tragedy of Roman Empire days was presented in Stamford years ago, as a kind of scholastic jamboree, associated with an academy long since numbered among the vanished cradles of learning, and , of necessity, was very much adapted, owing to scenic economies.

All went fairly well until the final scrimmages began on the Plains of Phillippi (sic), and then it was more than apparent that the noble Cassius and other leaders had ample leisure for lengthy soliloquies and dialogue portions, the while less important but mote active, combatants, had their full share of ‘alarums and excursions.’ This attitude, peculiar to Gilbert’s Duke of Plaza-Toro *(whose place, when away had regiment ran, was always at the fore-ho!’) had its best example during the scene in which the stage boasted a sort of hill-top – really an expanse of painted canvas, intended to represent earth and grass.

Doubtless with praiseworthy modesty and not wishing to intrude upon battles where his presence might be unwelcome, Cassius requested the faithful Pindarus, another outsider in military enterprises, to ‘Go, get higher on that hill, and tell me what thou not’st about the field!’ The bearer of this absolutely risk-free errand started the climb up the hill-top, via the canvas, and, apparently, packing case supports, and then the edifice begun to sway. The messenger’s progress became more cautious, but the summit betrayed greater signs of shakiness. Cassius never had a reply, for suddenly the expected happened. The hill-top collapsed, and the hapless Pindarus vanished from the view of the startled audience, to the accompaniment of earthquake effects. The curtains were hastily drawn upon this scene of confusion, needless to say.”

The Stamford Mercury, 24th June, 1938.

• See The Gondoliers.

Now is the time of year when many people suffer with hay fever. The itchy eyes, runny nose and constant sneezing can be most unpleasant. Luckily, today we have efficacious anti-histamines (available not only for humans, but pets too!) and which also treat a number of other allergies. Of course, sadly they don’t work for everyone and certainly a visit to the coast or the Scottish heathlands should help. With regard to the suggestion that snuff be used – do not try this at home!

“Hay Fever, which, again has so many victims in its distressing grip, was long ago tackled in a very systematic manner by the Americans. Half-a-century ago a Hay Fever society was formed by a company of habitual sufferers, and applied itself to discovery of a means of prevention or cure of the malady. One conclusion arrived at was that in certain parts of the States residents were almost immune. In this country the problem had exercised the minds of members of the faculty, and zonal immunity appears to be a theory for which there is something to be said, the seaside, particularly if the patient avoid glare, being regarded as the best place for treatment. A high altitude – say, 1000 feet above sea level – is also recommended, and a gravel soil is said to afford alleviation. If means don’t allow of any of these courses of treatment, however, try snuff. If may have its objections, but it certainly is efficacious.”

The Stamford Mercury, 1st July, 1927.

A rather romantic view of spotting for trains at Oakham railway station in the 1950s. Does this still happen today or is it all ‘on line’?!

“Trains and railways have always held a fascination for boys of every generation – and what man will not admit to a boy-hood ambition of becoming an engine driver? – and the present generation is no exception.

A stroll round Oakham railway station will confirm this, for now, as in the past, boys wait patiently, notebook in hand, for the expresses, ordinary passenger trains, or slow-moving goods. As the great iron monsters clatter through, eyes eagerly scan the numbers on the engine, and pencils switfly jot them down.

Expert eyes, too, take another swift glance to ascertain whether it is a grimy little 0-6-0 goods engine or a smart-looking 4-6-2 monster, used for hauling the fast expresses.

With trains roaring or chugging through the station every few minutes, the Oakham ‘train-spotters’ have a wide choice. Who knows what the next puff of smoke may denote? Perhaps a London-to-the-North express or just a grimy coal train. Whatever it is, its number will be solemnly entered in the little books, and the boys will then settle down to wait the next arrival.”

The Stamford Mercury, 8th September, 1950.

Staying with last week’s theme of St Mary’s church, the discovery of a crumbling well fuelled gossip of an underground passage leading to the church.

ANOTHER DEATH TRAP DISCOVERED.

“Mr. Ald. Bettle having noticed that some of the brick pavement in a passage at the rear of his chop in St. Mary’s-street showed unaccountable signs of ‘settling,’ he called in a workman with the object of having the uneven surface made good. The man remarked that the ground sounded as though it were hollow, and acting with caution he found that a six-foot rod went down into space without meeting resistance. Mr. Richardson surveyor, to the Newcomb estate, of which the property is parcel, was at once informed, and measures were promptly taken to clear up the mystery and to remove all danger. A cavern 32 ft. 6 ins. deep and roughly 12 ft. wide was discovered, containing five feet of water. The cavity had long ago been in four feet on the west side by three ‘stepped’ flat arches with chamfered edges, and on the east side by a single arch, also chamfered. These sprang at the south end from a depressed arch running from east to west in the face of the south wall of the huge opening. All the arches are built of a remarkably hard stone, not unlike ‘Barnack rag,’ but less coarse than the specimens met with in ‘outside’ work which has stood the storms of centuries. News of the discovery soon travelled, and people glibly talked of a subterranean passage leading to St. Mary’s church! The fact is, it had merely been a well. Many loads of foundry clinkers have been thrown in, and a useful cellar will now be made of the place. Beans of oak resting on the arches had become rotten. It is lucky that the discovery was made in time, for there has been constant traffic over the spot.”

The Stamford Mercury, 25th October, 1901.

A rather lengthy description of the thunder and lightning pounding Stamford one summer Sunday, but it contains an interesting appreciation of the architecture of St. Mary’s church.

“A terrible thunderstorm which broke over Stamford on Sunday evening caused the most intense alarm throughout the town. Ever since the previous Thursday, when there was a heavy rain which lasted from early morning to midnight, the atmosphere appeared to have been charged with electricity, and in the intervals of rain the heat was oppressive. The sun had shone out brilliantly on Sunday morning and afternoon; but about 1/2 past 6 dense thunder clouds rose up from the south-west, and shortly after vivid flashes of lightning were followed by loud peals of thunder. For nearly a quarter of an hour there had been a cessation, and it was hoped the storm had passed, when at about 1/2 past 7 an awful flash of lightning, which illuminated every room in every house in the town was instantaneously accompanied by a thunder clap that startled the bravest, and conjured up fears for the safety of surrounding buildings. The lightning struck the tower and spire of St. Mary’s church, and seemed to fill the body of the edifice with one sheet of flame. Divine service was proceeding, and there was a large congregation, most of whom were filled with terror; many ladies rushed frantically and screaming from the pews, others fainted, and a scene of panic and alarming confusion prevailed. The preacher (the Rev. F. B. Paul, nephew of the Rector) rushed down from the pulpit, and the Ven. Archdeacon Paul from the reading desk, and endeavoured to prevail upon the congregation to keep their seats. Viscount Cranborne and the Re. Hon. Sir Stafford Northcote, who were among the worshippers, also assisted in the endeavour to calm the fear which prevailed. Dr. Newman, who was likewise present, rendered his aid to restore the ladies who had fainted. When order was somewhat re-established, the congregation ruched through the rain to seek shelter at their homes and elsewhere. Almost as much excitement prevailed in St. Michael’s church, where, such was the alarm, the service could not be proceeded with. The lightning appears to have struck St. Mary’s spire against the upper north-west window, which is about 30 feet from the apex, stripping off the coping and crockets on one side, which fell which a crash into the street: it also knocked off a piece of the stone-work of the upper north window, and forced out a stone of the arch of the centre lancet light in the west front of the tower, just under the clock. The wire connecting the clock work with the striking hammer was broken; and a large block of stone descended from the north-west window to the bell-chamber, where it rested on one of the cross-beams. The stone work around the window is much loosened; but in other respects the spire is not damaged. It would have have (sic) been a source of regret to all archaeologists if this beautiful tower and spire had been seriously injured: they are remarkably fine examples of mediaeval architecture. The tower is Early English, and its various stages are enriched with clank arcades having lancet and trefoil heads, triplets of lancets, quatrefoils in circles, Runic work in a circle, and a beautiful western doorway. The octagonal broach spire is Decorated, a style of architecture that succeeded the Early English: its details are very rich. each face being pierced with windows of two lights, under exquisitely-wrought canopies, and statues of saints with their emblems at the angles. The composition has been considered worthy of being engraved for a costly illustrated work, entitled ‘The Towers and Spires of England and Wales:’ it invariably elicited the admiration of Sir Walter Scott when travelling between Scotland and London, his veneration for it being such that he uncovered his head whenever he approached it. The spire was also struck by lightning on the 14th June, 1842, which necessitated the re-building of it from just above the upper windows.”

The Stamford Mercury, 14th July, 1865.

A gang of robbers had found a useful passage underneath a family home and had made themselves very comfortable. It was an ideal place to stash their hoard, until the family and servants began to wonder. . .

“Singular Apprehension of a Gang of Robbers. –

During the last six weeks, the family and domestics of Henry Alwin Soames, Esq., a gentleman residing in Vanbrugh Fields, next Maize-hill, Greenwich Park, have been subject to strange underground noises, and smoke proceeding from the same direction: there have generally occurred at night. The servants, when in the passages leading to the kitchen and cellars, considered that they heard persons talking and knocking with some heavy instrument near the cellar situated under the parlour, which faces the lawn in the rear of the mansion. On Sunday the 17th, the family and servants were all absent except the cook, and she became very seriously alarmed at the strange noises. She therefore determined upon securing every door on the premises, and on her master’s return told him that she must leave her situation, if left alone again – she felt convinced that the house was haunted. About four o’clock on the following Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Soames, being satisfied that some person or persons were at work underground, went into Greenwich Park and met a police constable, to whom he related the circumstances, and also that smoke frequently found its way into the lower part of the house, where there was neither chimney nor fire-place. The officer accompanied Mr. Soames to the house, a large old-fashioned family mansion, overlooking from the back front the Thames and a very steep and rugged hanging wood. The police constable, attended by the gardener, coachman, &c., went on the paddock or lawn, at the bottom of which, 140 yards from the house, in the hanging wood, his attention was drawn to an opening in the brickwork into a subterranean passage, leading to the centre of the mansion. A spaniel dog belonging to Mr. Soames being on the spot, the constable requested that he might be induced to search the cavern (as they called it) in search of rats, &c. The dog went freely in, and immediately a voice was heard at the far end calling upon the dog to quit the place. The dog returned, followed at a distance by a man, who, on seeing several persons at the entrance, retreated back to his hiding place, refusing to surrender himself. A bundle of straw was then brought from the stable, put into the mouth of the tunnel, and set fire to. This not having the desired effect, pickaxes and spades were procured, and two large openings made through the lawn to the brickwork sufficient to admit a stout man. More straw was then set fire to, and dropped into the openings made. This had the desired effect: three blackguard fellows presented themselves, nearly suffocated, and implored to be released from their perilous situation. They were taken into custody, after which two police constables and Mr. Soames’s servants, lanthorns* in hand, proceeded to explore the retreat. They entered the passage in the hanging wood, on their hands and knees, and on proceeding something more then 100 feet, they discovered an open space, the bottoms of which was boarded, and a quantity of bricks piled up and covered with boards for seats or tables, and on one side another quantity of bricks formed into a fire-place, and which had been used for that purpose. On removing the boards from the bottom of this cell, an immense quantity of feathers was discovered, and a cash-box and other small boxes which had been broken open and their contents removed: many appeared to be jewel and trinket boxes and cases. The searchers proceeded from this place through a passage in which they could stand nearly upright for about 50 yards, when they were stopped by a brick wall, from which about fifty bricks appeared to have been recently removed, and upon touching one an opening was made into the cellar of the house. But for this timely discovery, it is apparent that a robbery of the premises would shortly have been effected. Mr. Soames and his family had no knowledge of this subterranean passage, which is supposed to have existed for centuries. The prisoners were charged before Mr. Traill, at the Greenwich police-court, and remanded.

The Stamford Mercury, 29th January, 1847.

• an earlier spelling of lantern: the reflective pieces were often made out of animal horn.