Read all about it……. Echoes of our past NEWS
What was in the local
news this weekend in 1882?
MAIN NEWS –
*Bakewell Board of Guardians monthly meeting –
The meeting was officiated over by Lord Edward Cavendish. Vice Chairmen G W Furniss and M Wood Esq’s, C
Sorby Esq and twenty of the Bakewell Union Guardians. The topics of discussion were -
Improvements in the house
The clothes drying area was “quite inadequate” to fulfil its
role and it was suggested by the Committee that a wall be removed at the back
of the house, in order to enlarge the present drying area. The cost to the Union would be low as the
land was not already in use. It was also
pointed out that the inmates would be able to provide the labour to dismantle
the wall.
The Guardians agreed that the improvements be carried
out.
Paupers Christmas Dinner
The Master of the Workhouse requested permission from the
Guardians to furnish the inmates with their usual “extra” dinner on Christmas
Day. The request however was received with
differing attitudes by the Guardians.
Mr Ward moved and Mr Garton seconded the request, but
added that non-inmates should attend by ticket only. Another Guardian stated that the extra
Christmas meal was for inmates only.
Mr Harrison put forward a proposal that “there should be
no Christmas dinner”. He added that he “neither
liked a feast nor a fast and a thing of that sort did neither rich nor poor
people any good, and he thought it was a waste”. The response from the Chairman to this
suggestion was to ask Mr Harrison if he thought others would second this
amendment. To which Mr Harrison replied “I
don’t know my Lord, they can please themselves”.
The result of the request that the poor of Bakewell and
district who found themselves in such a sad state to be inmates in the Bakewell
workhouse on Christmas Day should receive an extra Christmas meal was a resounding
“yes” and Mr Harrison was on his own with his “scrooge” opinion on Christmas.
Sick Club dispute
An elderly man named David Skelton wrote to the Guardians
for assistance in his claim for money from a sick club at Taddington, which he
had paid into for 25 years. Mr Skelton
was suffering from rheumatics, but as the sick club would not pay him his dues
he was forced to receive out-relief from the Union, which although he was “very
thankful” for he thought he should receive his money from the sick club
instead.
The case had been referred earlier to the County Court,
but the sick club claimed that Mr Skelton was too old when he joined the club
and was thus not entitled to any relief from them. Mr Skelton could however prove that a man
older than he was on joining was obtaining money from the club.
The committee heard how Mr Skelton was now living with
his daughter and was described as a “tottering old man”. It also transpired that Mr Skelton had been
withdrawn from the club as he was found working whilst receiving sick pay.
The board decided that the issue was to complex and that
is was best that they did interfere.
Previous items
The board heard how the suggestions made at an earlier meetingby Mr Basil Cane,
the Poor Law Inspector had all been achieved. The porters lodge had been enlarged, there
was now a receiving ward and the ventilation matters had been attended to. Mr Cane thought that the alterations would “add
to the comfort of the inmates” to which a round of applause was heard.
Scandal in the House
At the last meeting on 20th November discussion was
led involving an inmate named Fanny Goodwin.
The Committee had been left with instruction to discover the paternity
of the child. At this time the Committee
had failed to achieve their objectives, due to the mother refusing to give the
name of the father and also the “evasive and unwilling manner” of the inmates
to give evidence.
It was moved by Mr Senior and seconded by Mr Garton that the
issue is resolved and no further investigation would take place.
Music for inmates
The Master of the workhouse requested a harmonium, so
that it may be used at the services in the House. An instrument could be bought for £15-£20 and
the money would come from the collection which had been previously carried out
to purchase books for the Workhouse.
Almost all present agreed with this request, the inmates
would soon be listening to the beautiful music of the harmonium.
Not all the Guardians however saw the merits; Mr Harrison
stated “it seems to me we are going to make the place uncommonly nice
(laughter) so that everybody will want to come here”.
Final request from the Master
The meeting finished on a sad note, when the Master (Mr
Walters) announced that he and his wife had applied for a position in
London. They would be paid £250 plus
rations. Mr Walters requested that the Board would provide him with a character
testimonial if required.
The Chairman and other members responded that although they
would hope that they would not lose the service of Mr and Mrs Walters, they did
appreciate that they would benefit from bettering their position and so would
grant a testimonial if applied for.
OTHER ITEMS –
*Attempted suicide –
The wife of a Mr Thomspon an engine tenter of Danesmoor,
Clay Cross was found having had her throat cut and the razor still being left
in her throat. The Thompson’s lived in a
row of five cottages and their neighbour was a PC Thompson who had found Mrs
Thompson. At this time she is still
alive but in a serious condition. Mr
Thompson the husband was at work that afternoon being employed by the Clay
Cross Company.
*Emigration to Canada –
Due to the demand for labour in Canada assisted passage
was being advertised at £3 each. The
trip would leave from Liverpool to Quebec.
The sought after occupations were; agriculturalists, agricultural
labourers and female domestic servants.
For £4 passage general labourers and mechanics were also required.
*Disorderly women –
Mary Clare and Esther Holmes both of Stonegravels were charged
with being “common prostitutes” and behaving in a riotous manner in Knifesmith
Gate on 2nd December. Mary
Clare was sentenced to 6 weeks and Esther Holmes 5 week’s imprisonment.
MARRIAGES –
*Thomas Archer eldest son of Samuel Archer of Hilton Grange
to Sarah Ann Parker eldest daughter of Francis Parker of “the Oldhams”, married
on 20th November at Youlegreave.
*George Anthony Hartland youngest son of Mr William
Hartland of Woolhope, Herefordshire to Emily Rose Thompson of Derby, married on
14th November at St Luke’s Church, Derby.
DEATHS -
*Michael Smith aged 55 years at Lings Row, North
Wingfield
*Robert Henderson aged 5 months at Brickyard,
Chesterfield
*Lizzie Walton Eyre aged 1 year at White Bank Cottage,
Hasland
*Gertrude Slack aged 1 year at Knifesmith Gate,
Chesterfield
*G Landgraf head artist for Derby Crown Porcelain died on
26th November at Bamberg, Bavaria after a long illness he was 42
years old
*Isabella Rodgers daughter of Jacob and Emma Rodgers aged
2 years at Alfreton
*Joseph Collins aged 66 years at Cavendish Square,
Newbold
*Henry Heathcote aged 49 years at Marsden Street,
Chesterfield
WEATHER -
Snow was causing havoc over the North of Great Britain,
“the great snow block now extends more or less over the entire North of Great
Britain”. Many trains were abandoned
stuck in the snow. The trains in between
Sheffield and Manchester were all blocked in on Wednesday night and the passengers
which stopped at Penistone arrived at Sheffield at 6am next morning.
In North Derbyshire the snow had fallen “with great
violence”; not only the amount of snow but the gale that blew alongside. All traffic was almost suspended. The farmers at Taddington and Millers Dale
had great difficulty in transporting their milk to the railway station and
extra staff was kept on duty to clear the lines. Buxton and Chapel-en-le-frith were both
almost deserted as the snow fell and became blocked.
AND FINALLY…
The commercial aspect of Christmas was even evident back
in 1882 –
The South Kensington Fine art Association were
advertising “Grand Christmas Gifts” for sale.
Magnificent oil paintings for 2s 6d could be delivered all over England
and would provide a “more useful and lasting Christmas and New Year’s present.
The Association was also selling Christmas and New Year’s
cards with pictures taken from the original designs of the eminent English
artists. The cards included a prose or
verse, written by “writers of great talent”.
Thirteen cards could be purchased for 1s and would be forwarded to the
purchaser free of charge.
Local business man T P Wood was also aiming to flourish
from the Christmas season. He was
selling Christmas Boxes for 22s which would include the following refreshments –
1 bottle Old Rum
1 bottle Old Irish Whiskey
1 bottle Cognac Brandy
1 bottle Crusted Port
1 bottle Pale Sherry
1 bottle Best London Gin
1 bottle Essence of Punch (which would make 2 bowls of
punch)
After consuming the liquor, if you are able to safely find
the shop then on returning the bottles and the case a refund of 2s would be
given – who could resist such a bargain?
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