Mercuriosities

In a letter complaining about Stamford clocks and time keeping, a grazier (not Mr. A. Grazier!) points the finger at political influence. He is probably referring to the 2nd Marquis of Exeter. He was to become a controversial figure in the town later on, by interfering in the route of the railway through Stamford and charging tolls to cross the new town bridge.

Mr. Editor, – Attending the fair here to-day (Wednesday), it would have been useful to me to know how time got on, and I tried at all the public clocks which I had occasion to pass to make this important discovery: judge of my surprise when I found that St. Mary’s had stopped for three weeks, – that St. Michael’s clock, according to the dial, was an hour too slow, – that the Bedehouse clock (like St Mary’s) had stopped, – and that All Saints’ clock was, at it long had been, quite unintelligible from want of a fresh painting of the face. – These, I presume, be the signs of the Tory influence in your borough: some folk think there is nothing like keeping people in ignorance, – and that the only information given should be with the view of enabling the rich and arrogant to intimidate the poor and independent. – Things are managed better at Deeping, as I found after quitting Stamford for that place: a desire is there shown to afford conveniences to the public, and it may always be seen what time of day it is. The sages of Stamford who drove away the fairs, seem to be keeping up their title for wisdom.

Nov 9, 1836 A GRAZIER.

The Stamford Mercury, 11th November, 1836.

The “Black-out” was imposed on 1st September, 1939, but by February the following year, people were still not complying with it properly. This warning from the Mercury explains what people could do to avoid prosecution.

‘The “Black-out” is to be strictly enforced from now on and it is authoritatively stated that warnings will not be given in the future.

Housekeepers, motorists, shopkeepers and torch-flashers will be well advised to see that they comply with the law, otherwise there is bound to be a crop of prosecutions – a state of affairs which is not desired.

It should be borne in mind that a proper “black-out” for a private dwelling-house means that from the outside there should be no evidence whatever of the existence of windows when the lights are on inside. In a good many cases ill-fitting curtains or screens, or the use of material which is not a hundred per cent. light proof, are causes of complaint, and in this direction stricter enforcement of the regulations is imminent. Cracks at the side of windows, slits in curtains and other defects will have to be remedied.

There are still some motorists who have not fitted the regulation mask to their vehicles. This equipment is compulsory, and it is no longer legal to drive with the cut-out paper mask.

Chief complaint, however, is with regard to the indiscriminate use of improperly-shielded flash-lamps. Recent inspection from the air has disclosed the danger of this form of illuminant. Flash-lamps must be held so that the beam shines only on the ground and they must be screened with two sheets of paper.

All these points should be carefully watched, for by co-operation with the authorities the civilian population can contribute their quota to safe-guarding their own and other people’s lives in the case of air attack.’

The Stamford Mercury, 9th February, 1940.

The phrase ‘a nation of shopkeepers’ is commonly attributed to Napoleon about the English, but did he ever use it? Or perhaps it was Adam Smith in his magnum opus ‘The Wealth of Nations’? And is the phrase derogatory or complimentary? Whatever the case, shopkeepers in 19th century London had their ‘absurd extravagance’ regarding the size and quality of their windows regulated by the Chief Justice of the King’s Bench.

“The Corsican’s reproach, that we are “a nation of shopkeepers,” has a new illustration in the window of a fancy dealer’s shop in the Quadrant, Regent-street, Piccadilly. The window is one entire pane of thick glass, measuring eight feet by six. The value of it is said to be 200l. Should a person in passing accidentally break it, the law (according to a recent decision) will not oblige him to pay more that 3s. 6d. to the owner, the Chief Justice of the King’s Bench having declared that shopkeepers may not increase the common perils of society by absurd extravagance in the size and quality of their windows and shop decorations.”

Stamford Mercury, 25th May, 1827.

For those who like a puzzle, here’s a very old one, not just a puzzle but an acrostic rebus. Two weeks later the answer to this puzzle appeared in the paper, please see below. Did the lady appreciate it though?

“For the LINCOLN, RUTLAND, and STAMFORD MERCURY.

ACROSTIC REBUS,

On Miss ——–.

A Creature fierce whom Hercules did tame,

A goddess who for gard’ning is in fame;

A city where an ivory statue stood;

What queen Semiramis to build thought good;

The first idolator —a monarch he;

Join these initials and the name you’ll see

Of an ingenious, lovely, charming fair,

Who’s lately caught my heart in Cupid’s snare.

Stamford. LEANDER.”

Stamford Mercury, 2nd February, 1789

“For the LINCOLN, RUTLAND, and STAMFORD MERCURY.

Answer to the Rebus in our paper of January 2.

NO sooner I the th’initals [sic] had set down,

Directly then appear’d the name of BROWN.”

Stamford Mercury, 16th February, 1789

An eclipse of the Sun was the subject of this very detailed report, outlining times, positions and duration of the event. It seems to predict an eclispe on Wednesday 20th December, 1826, but this has not been confirmed.

‘FOR THE MERCURY

It is three years since there was an eclipse of the Sun visible in England. One of these phenomena will happen on Wednesday the 20th inst., and will be visible to us. The eclipse will first touch the earth at the time of the sun’s rising in latitude 50 ͦ 50′ N., longitude 28 ͦ 52′ W., at 45 m. past 9 in the morning, Greenwich time. The middle will happen while the sun is in the horizon, latitude 68 ͦ 16′ N., longitude 8 ͦ 45′ East.: and at 1h. 8m. P.M., in latitude 46 ͦ N., longitude 48 ͦ 58′ E., it will quit the earth, at the time of the setting sun to traverse the boundless regions of space. This eclipse will not be central or total to any part of our globe, on account of the moon’s great north latitude (1 ͦ 2′ 34″); hence the nearest approach of the central track to the surface of the earth will be 792 miles, and which will be at 25m. past 11 in the morning. At Greenwich the eclipse will commence at 10h. 6m. A.M., the middle will be at 11h. 9m., the visible conjunction at 11h. 11m., and the end at 13m. P.M; duration 2h. 7m., and the digits obscured at the middle 6 ͦ 30′ on the sun’s northern limb, and which will incline 35 ͦ to the east of the vertical point of the solar circumference. – It will be almost six years before there will be another solar deliquium visible in this country.1

The Stamford Mercury, 24th November, 1826.

Corsets were a necessity for previous generations of women. No respectable woman would venture outside without squeezing herself into the fashionable shape of the moment.

“Fashion Decrees that 1915 Costumes shall define the lines and assert the pose of the NATURAL FIGURE. The lines of Bust must be long and sloping, the front effect slightly incurved, and for the Hips absolute freedom.

NEVER WAS CORRECT * CORSETING * MORE NECESSARY.

Ladies relieve themselves and their costumiers of ALL RESPONSIBILITY by wearing CORSETS “La Cybele” (PARIS MODELS) which give the right poise to every figure and add a distinctive charm not to be secured by other means.

Prices from 4/11 to 3 gns.

Illustrated Book, “The Corset Beautiful,” or special portfolio of SELECT CORSET DRAWINGS free from

G. H. TURNER & CO. 3 HIGH STREET, STAMFORD.”

Stamford and District News, 7 April, 1915.

A few months later corset fashions had changed a little and the following advertisement appeared.

Special Display in Corsets

• SEE OUR WINDOWS
• J.B. Corsets 2/11 ¹⁄₂.
• From 1/11 ¹⁄₂ to 8/11.
• Meys Corsets2/11 ¹⁄₂.
• From 1/11 ¹⁄₂ to 8/11.
• G. H. TURNER & CO.,
• 3 HIGH STREET, STAMFORD.

Stamford and Rutland News, 25th August, 1915.

In earlier times whalebone was used as an added stiffener. Luckily, we can only imagine how uncomfortable these items of clothing were.

• “NEW PATENT, CORSET, THE DUCHESS.
• DIAGONAL WHALEBONE FRONT.
• PATENT TAPER BUSK.
• AFFORDS PERMANENT SUPPORT.
• REDUCES AND IMPROVES THE FIGURE.
• Secures a graceful and fashionable appearance.
• SOLD BY CHARLES CHARGE,
• 8 HIGH-STREET,
• STAMFORD.”

Stamford and Rutland Guardian, 27 December, 1878.

It seems this lady had become so ‘attached’ to her horned appendage (and vice versa!), that she was determined to keep it.

‘Copy of a letter addressed to Dr. B. Rush, an eminent American physician, by Mr. Geo. R. Morton, a medical practitioner at Marlborough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, dated July 18th, 1826, and published in the American Medical Review for October. – “I take the liberty to forward for you the following case of a horned woman, hoping that, from its very rare occurrence, it may not prove unacceptable. The account may be relied on, as many others besides myself have seen her, and as she resides but five miles distant from this place – Mrs. B—- aged about 76 years, the wife of a farmer of Bucks County, of a robust constitution, was affected, four years ago with a troublesome itching over the centre of the parietal bone of the left side. In a short time she perceived a hard tumour of a horny structure occupying the place thus affected, which continued to increase, so that, by the end of 12 months, it was one inch in length. Without any great pain, it has progressed in growth an inch every year, and is at present four inches in length, and as thick as one’s little finger. It is not attached to the bone, but is evidently an affection of the cuticle, commencing with a granular hour glass- shaped tumour of three eighths of an inch in length, from which the horn abruptly rises.

After growing straight for one inch and three-quarters, it takes a sprial direction, and has completed nearly a circular turn and a half horizontally about the diameter of a quarter dollar piece. In appearance it so closely resembles the horn of a buck sheep, that was it placed near a real sheep’s horn, it would be difficult to distinguish between them. It is of the same colour, a dingy yellow; is as perfectly hard; and has all the rings natural to a horn of that animal, tapering also, as it does, to the end. As is occasions no pain,excpet when a blow compresses its heavy base between the horn and the bone – as it is perfectly concealed by her head-dress, and on account of what is of far more moment with her, a superstitious belief that it is a judgement from above for some of her manifold sins, she persists all persuasion to have it removed.”‘

The Stamford Mercury, 24th November, 1826.

The Hope Post-coach travelling between Stamford and Doncaster had been established in 1826 and operated from Standwell’s Hotel, Stamford. When a competitor began operating from Doncaster in 1827, the proprietors of the Hope post-coach felt it their duty to take action to enable them “to withstand an unnecessary and monopolizing opposition”. Clearly, coach travel was a precarious but lucrative business.

“NO FEES TO COACHMEN ! DONCASTER and STAMFORD HOPE POST-COACH.

The proprietors of the above Coach have with surprise observed an advertisement in the Doncaster Gazette, which states that Messrs. Wood, Dunhill, Whincup, Horner, and Company, having discovered “that the towns of Doncaster and Stamford, and the intermediate places, are not well accommodated,” intend to set out a coach to run betwixt those places, to start at eight o’clock every morning, and to be called The Times,- which announcement seems intended to insinuate that the public on that line of road had been hitherto unaccommodated with a Day Coach running at the same hours,- whereas the truth is, that a Coach called The Hope was established nearly twelve months ago, on the same principle as the London and Bath Coaches, viz. the Company paying their own Coachmen, who are not allowed to ask passengers for any fee, and still continues to run, leaving the RED LION INN, DONCASTER, and STANDWELL’S HOTEL, STAMFORD, every Morning at Eight o’clock, and arriving at those places respectively at half past Six in the Evening.

The Proprietors feel it a duty due to their friends and the public to thank them for the support which The Hope has hitherto received, and trust that, by adhering to their original determination to keep one steady regular pace, they shall continue to receive such support as will enable them to withstand an unnecessary and monopolizing opposition. THOs, STANDWELL & Co.

Stamford, May 16th, 1827.”

Stamford Mercury, May 18th, 1827.

Local school events to celebrate Christmas are reported here. All the children behaved very well, but then buns and plum cake were good bribes!

STAMFORD AND ST. MARTIN’S INFANT SCHOOL –

An examination of the children of this school took place in the presence of their parents, of the Mayor (who is president of the institution), of the committee and visitors, on Monday last,and a more interesting exhibition it was impossible to witness. The most perfect silence having been obtained at the sound of the teacher’s bell,the children commenced by singing a simple hymn, which was followed by the form of daily prayer used at the school, in which they all joined. Another hymn was then sung, and was succeeded by what is called “actions”, a rapid movement of the hands and feet, the object of which was to keep up the attention. After this, the alphabet and easy combinations of the letters were sung,- a practice found to be very effectual in impressing on the memory the right spelling of the words,on the principle, we conceive, that no letter can be left out by the child, without being out of time. They were then examined in their multiplication , pence, and farthing tables,and recited various pieces of poetry adapted to their comprehension, and this part of the proceedings was concluded by another hymn. Buns and milk were then given to each child, and presents of handkerchiefs and work bags,made up by themselves, bestowed on those girls who best deserved them. The schoolroom was crowded with the parents and friends of the children, who appeared to take the deepest interest in what was going forward. The holidays are to last a fortnight, at the expiration of which we look forward to a large addition to the number of scholars. There are now 134 names on the boards.

STAMFORD GIRLS NATIONAL SCHOOL.-

On Friday last the girls belonging to this school were regaled with tea and plum cake, as a reward for their general good conduct since the last holidays. The number of children present was 114, four only being absent from ill health. After tea, prayers were said by one of the senior girls,and a considerable portion of the school joined in singing a hymn in a very pleasing manner. The children seemed highly gratified with their treat,and their neat and cleanly appearance reflected great credit upon their parents, as did their orderly behaviour upon the mistress of the school. This excellent institution has derived very material support from an annual ball, and we trust that the one we understand is shortly to take place for this purpose will be as numerously attended as usual.

The Stamford Mercury, 27th December, 1833.

A couple tried to get one over the Lord Mayor and parish officers of Bishopsgate, causing some hilarity at the Mansion House, but the Beadle and Lord Mayor saw through them. The newspaper reports some of the conversation in the vernacular; note the pronunciation of Vs and Ws.

“MODEST REQUEST. – At the Mansion-house on Monday, the overseers of a parish were summoned by Mary Gush, a young woman who has been almost from her infancy a dependant upon parochial bounty. She stated that now she had an opportunity of making herself happy and independent for life, the parish officers of Bishopsgate refused to do their duty, in helping her out of her present degraded state. She had been “off and on” at the workhouse for 15 or 16 years, and at last a gentleman in the carpentering line, named Bill Flockton, axed her to be his wife: as she was tired of a single life, and Mr. Flockton had a matter of 14s. a week, she consented, and she applied to the parish-officers for their consent, but they refused (laughter). – The Lord Mayor – I didn’t know that the parish officers had the power to prevent you. – The Beadle said he never attempted to exercise any any such authority, but as these marriages generally aded to the burdens of the parish, he ought not to encourage them. – Miss Gush – Please you, my Lord, I don’t want to be no burden to the parish. I wants to cut it altogether, and I’m blessed if ever I soil a pump in the workus again. – The Lord Mayor – But if the gentleman you love really loves you, why doesn’t he take you off at once and marry you?- Flockton- Why, my Lord, you see when a man goes for to give himself to a voman wot comes off the parish, they gives a summut jist for to begin the world with: now, these here gentlemen won’t give no sich a thing, and they couldn’t expect I’d take a poor creetur like this ere to be my wife without a summut for a fort’n, for I a’nt a living man if I a’nt able to eat all my own wittles myself (laughter). – The Beadle – Their object is merely to get a pound or two, and to spend it in drunkenness. – Miss Gush – What a thundering lie! (a laugh). My Lord, this here dirty old Beadle wants to prevent people from being modest and wirtuous. It’s a shame to let such willains live – they deserve to be hanged up without judge or jury. Don’t they, Bill? (laughter). – Flockton – And no mistake. Please you, my Lord, it is this sort of consarn as sends so many poor creatures upon the streets what havn’t got no house nor home, nor nothing, barrin the flags for to stretch their bones upon. – The Lord Mayor – I am afraid that if the parish were to give you a fortune, you would not do much good with it. The lady’s voice seems to be rather affected, and it really sounds in my ears as if gin was the cause of it. (The young woman’s voice had that hoarseness which excessive drinking, if it will not give, is sure to perpetuate.) – Flockton – No, my Lord, the creetur got cold by sleeping in the open hair. – The Lord Mayor – I can’t compel the parish officers to give you a fortune. – Miss Gush – What, not a lousy two pound ten! Then I’m blessed if we don’t find a way to burden the parish without marrying at all; won’t us, Bill? – Flockton – Blowed if we don’t (loud laughter). – This promising couple then moved off, the carpentering gentleman having put on his hat before he left the room, while the Lord Mayor assured them that if they were ever brought before him for any offence, he should not forget their conduct that day. – It was stated that they have lived together in Petticoat-lane for the last twelve months.”

Stamford Mercury, 27th December, 1833.