Mercuriosities

In the 21st century, we’ve all heard about self-driving cars, but what about driverless coaches – led by horses..? In 1816, by sheer accident, a horse- drawn coach started without its coachman. The horses carried their coach, containing two passengers, three miles before it got into difficulty! Astonishingly, neither the passengers or horses were harmed.

“On Monday afternoon the Peterborough Perseverance Coach stopped, as usual, at the Royal Oak public-house in Walton, and the coachman entrusted his horses to the care of a man who attends to give them water, whilst he and the guard went into the house. From some cause unknown, as the man was adjusting the reins, the horses set off towards Peterboro’, and went at so regular a pace, that the two inside passengers (a lady and a gentleman) were not aware that they were without a coachmam, until they reached Peterboro’, where, in passing the corner of Westgate-street into the Long Causeway, the coach (in consequence of the sharpness of the turn) was upset. The passengers escaped without the least injury, as did also the horses; and we understand that the lady and gentleman do not attribute any blame either to the coachman or guard; indeed, they declared so to one of the proprietors and several other persons at Peterboro’. The distance which the horses drew the coach without a driver is about three miles, and they passed through two toll-bars.”

Stamford Mercury, 13 September, 1816.

Three further articles in our occasional series on the UK custom of wife-selling during the 18th and 19th centuries.

“On Tuesday se’nnight a fellow at Clipsham, in Rutland, publicly sold his wife, and a child about 7 months old, to a person living at Clipsham Quarries, for the sum of 10l. 5s.–The money was paid down, and the woman delivered to the purchaser in a halter.–It was the general opinion of the lookers on, that halters for two other persons were wanted, to make the bargain as binding as it should be.”

Stamford Mercury, 9 October 1818.

“Last Tuesday a Staymaker in Little Moorfields sold his wife, to whom he had been married several Years, to a Winedrawer near the said Place, and the same Day was married to a young Woman in the Neighbourhood.”

Stamford Mercury, 29th May, 1746.

“On Saturday morning last, one of the labouring bankers employed near Boston went to the market accompanied by his wife, for the purpose of disposing of her to the best bidder. According to the usual custom, he purchased a new halter, for which he gave 6d., and having tied it round his wife’s neck, he paraded her along the street, the impudent hussey being nothing loth to this public display of her attractions. A purchaser soon appeared, who bid eighteen-pence ! for the woman and the rope, and he and her husband soon came to terms. A bargain was struck, and the shameless parties retired, amid the jeers of the assembled crowd, to a public-house, where the money was spent, and the former owner of the woman drank to the luck of the purchaser, and the jade declared she was quite satisfied with the transfer, for she had ‘got the lad she loved !'”

Stamford Mercury, 26th June 1829.

In the late 16th century, children from poor families were assigned as apprentice chimney-sweepers to help cure large numbers of unemployment in the city. However, the article below details one of many instances where children were kidnapped from their families in order to climb and clean complicated chimney flues. Not only did these children have to overcome the suffocating, pitch-black, claustrophobic conditions of the flue, but some were forced to work more quickly by their master lighting a fire at the bottom of the chimney!

“A chimney-sweeper, named James Wilkes, travelled down from Lincoln in one of the steam-packets to Boston on Thursday the 18th inst., accompanied by an interesting-looking boy, about six years old. This child he took care should be in his sight as much as possible during the voyage; but, notwithstanding his caution, the boy availed himself of an opportunity to communicate something to one of the passengers, which induced that person to watch where the fellow took the child, and afterwards having procured the aid of a police-officer, they searched the premises, and rescued the unfortunate boy from the clutches of Wilkes, whose obvious intention was to make him labour in climbing chimneys. It is supposed that the parents reside in Yorkshire, and it may be imagined how intense must have been the agony they have endured since their child was missed. On Friday, Wilkes was examined before the Magistrates of Boston, and remanded for further examination, to give time for due enquiry into the circumstances of the case.”

Stamford Mercury, 26 June 1829.

You use your arms everyday. For brushing your teeth, combing your hair, getting dressed – but what if you were born without them? In nineteenth century Somerset, there lived an extraordinary man who not only made a living as a farmer, but also walked away victorious in a fight – without arms or shoulders!

PHENOMENON.- A London Paper says, “The following account of a most extraordinary phenomenon of Nature may be depended on for its authenticity :- In the village of Dicheat, four miles from Shepton Mallet, in Somersetshire, in the year 1765, a woman, of the name of Kingston, was delivered of a stout boy, without arms or shoulders. This singular man is probably still alive; he was living, to the writer’s knowledge, six years ago. He possesses, without the usual appendages of arms, all the strength, power and dexterity, of the ablest and most regular-made men, and exercises every function of life. He feeds, dresses, and undresses himself, combs his own hair, shaves his beard with the razor in his toes, cleans his shoes, lights his fire, writes out his own bills and accounts, and does almost every other domestic business. Being a farmer by occupation, he performs the usual business of the field, fodders his cattle, makes his ricks, cuts his hay, catches his horse, and saddles and bridles him with his feet and toes. He can lift ten pecks of beans with his teeth; with his feet he throws a large sledge hammer farther than any other man can with his arms; and he has fought a stout battle, and come off victorious. These facts are notorious in most parts of Somersetshire.”

Stamford Mercury, 3 September, 1819.