News Letter for SEPTEMBER[1]

8/14/2019 News Letter for SEPTEMBER[1]

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News Letter for


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Newsletter

September Issue

Hi AllDoesnt the time fly when you are having fun back round to

another months news for you?

From:

This sender is DomainKeys verified

"christine conroy"

1st August and thanks goes to Vera for finding newinformation for Susan's family tree. The relative being ElizabethAckroyd-Bennett. Susan had almost given up on Elizabeth but isnow eager to begin researching again. Born in Bradford,

Yorkshire 1903, she now has lots of new leads to go on. Sadly,Susan had to lend out her laptop to her son for a while and to

make things worse, caught glandular fever - just when she coulduse the computer to cheer her up whilst getting better. Vera alsofound out a lot on Susan's Martlew family - Thomas Born 1878and his father Alfred Born 1854.A lovely start to August for Melissa as her hubby and childrenbought her a new computer. Melissa also sent us a really goodlink called 'Ask About Ireland', which has more than 7,000 itemson Irish culture and heritage. The link is:http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_family_search_form.php

Use the family name search to enter your relatives details.Elizabeth in Texas was very grateful for this link - did you find
http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/classic/context/context-07.htmlhttp://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/classic/context/context-07.htmlhttp://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_family_search_form.phphttp://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_family_search_form.phphttp://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/mail/classic/context/context-07.html


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anything Elizabeth?5th August and Elizabeth off on her holidays but back on the 13thand eager to catch up now!6th August and Roger asked for help in finding whether his

ancestor William Wheatley married Mary Stevens in Ockbrook orDuffield, Derbyshire, this being in 1735. He is also looking fortheir parents. Vera fined a listing under Wheatley - Grocers andDealers in Sundries in Derbyshire. Was this any good, Roger?Christine found the answer to the question of whether Duffield orOckbrook by checking out this link:http://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/england/Derbyshire/towns/d/Duffield/index.htmlLook on page 95 and there is the answer.

Also today, Pat Wareing is off on her jollies.Did anyone check out the web page of England/Irish Genealogythat Melissa found for us to look at? It was a free trial for TheTimes Archives (The Times Newspaper) with a web page titledIrish Family History Online. It is also for England as it waspublished in London. You do have to register to use it and onlyfree for a limited time. The archives goes from 1 Jan. 1785-1985.Two links here:http://irishfamilyhistory.ie/blog/?p=153http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol.archive/

Let us know if you find anything interesting. The site allowssubscribers to access every issue published between 1785-1985.Newspapers have been digitally scanned and are fullysearchable. This could be useful for B.M.D.'s and Obituaries.Ah, poor Vera's over-worked computer died (can you blame it!!)and she had to buy a new one so she was several days trying toretrieve info that has been lost etc. You have no idea howhorrible this is until it has happened to you. Anyway, it only tookVera a day or two to resume things again.

10th August and Vera found some more details on the Lacyfamily for Liz from the 1861 census. It shows Robert Laceysdaughter is now married to Thomas Hubb and goes on to listmany family members.13th August and Elizabeth now back and trying to catch up.Roger is still looking for the parents of his William Wheatley andMary Stevens.A new member signs in on the 15th August. A big welcome toKelly from the USA. She is researching her family and also that of

her husbands and has only worked on the USA side of the familyat the moment. The surnames she is researching are: Adams,
http://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/england/Derbyshire/towns/d/Duffield/index.htmlhttp://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/england/Derbyshire/towns/d/Duffield/index.htmlhttp://irishfamilyhistory.ie/blog/?p=153http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol.archive/http://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/england/Derbyshire/towns/d/Duffield/index.htmlhttp://www.uk-genealogy.org.uk/england/Derbyshire/towns/d/Duffield/index.htmlhttp://irishfamilyhistory.ie/blog/?p=153http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol.archive/


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Benner, Holcomb, Nail and Watts.Christine made a suggestion to the Group to try typing in thesurnames they are researching into the Tribal Trees Web page.All the surnames that are being researched are listed there, see if

yours is there too and maybe make a new connection? Type inthe following link: www.tribalpages.com/Search-TP.html Pleaselet the Group know if you have any success.18th August and Vera's new computer is being put through itspaces! Pat Wareing is asking for help to find more info on DinahWareing and John Wareing, born Penshaw, Houghton-le-Springs,County Durham. Christine managed to find Dinah's marriedname via a census form but she still needs more help in findingthe siblings of Samson Wareing, Born Sept. 1897.

Christine found this site for Elizabeth to check out her JohnDwyer's family. This site is all about the Dwyer/O'Dwyer Clan.Now you have had a chance to read it, was it any use to you,Elizabeth? For others with Irish ancestors, take a look, the link is:www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/passengerurls/index.cfm?

Bank Holiday was quite quiet but Kelly asked for help with hergrandfather's family - Greyson James Benner Born 1910 in Columbus,Ohio. Vera spent some time on this and came up with lots of info forKelly.The 20th August and we welcome new members, Vic and Rona from

Norfolk, who are embarking on the long search for family treemembers. Helen in Australia was having a family get together andhopes to get a copy of research done by someone else in the familyand see what new info she can get. She had some good news in thather sister placed an ad in a Sydney Newspaper that resulted in themdiscovering a new lost 2nd cousin. So lots to talk about there!Vera finishes more or less this months messages with a really goodsite all about Kensington in London, which is now known as Notting Hill. The link is veryinteresting and here it is: http://www.worley.org.uk/NOTTING

%20DALE.htmWell, shall finish off now. This month has been very interesting withmore new members, totalling 54 now. Last year August produced 173messages, this year the total for this August is 179. So, come on, letsmake September a bumper month for increasing the volume ofmessages. Lets make more time to research our family trees andreally push back to the 1700's if we can. Anything you are stuck on,

just place the details and between us all we should come up with the

goods. You know Detectives Vera and Christine are on here from6.00 am until late most days, so you are never alone!
http://www.tribalpages.com/Search-TP.htmlhttp://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/passengerurls/index.cfmhttp://www.worley.org.uk/NOTTING%20DALE.htmhttp://www.worley.org.uk/NOTTING%20DALE.htmhttp://www.tribalpages.com/Search-TP.htmlhttp://www.irishtimes.com/ancestor/fuses/passengerurls/index.cfmhttp://www.worley.org.uk/NOTTING%20DALE.htmhttp://www.worley.org.uk/NOTTING%20DALE.htm


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Macclesfield Silk HistoryThis article is about two young men who decided to leave their families

behind in Macclesfield, Cheshire and seek a new life in America. It tells

of the life they left behind and more interestingly, about their voyage.

This will interest anyone whose relatives undertook similar voyages.

Voyage of '' The Marion'', 1839 and the journey of two silk workers to theUnited StatesTwo young men climbed 108 steps alongside a medieval cathedral toreach the higher ground of the ancient Cheshire town of Macclesfield,England. They emerged into a bustling marketplace, the social andbusiness centre of the town since the middle ages. The first Anglo-Saxon settlement was on this site since by the steps, a steep drop downto the River below provided a natural defence.

In the looming presence of St Michaels Cathedral had dominated the

market square since 1278. In the centre of the market was an ancientCeltic stone cross. Proclamations were made to the peasant populationfrom this spot, and early traders had set up their stalls around the cross.Here all business transactions were made in times before the writtenword.

All deals made within the shadow of the cross were considered binding.Tudor timber frame buildings lined the square housed the town hall,guildhalls and inns. Butchers, fishmongers and merchants boisterouslyhawking cattle, sheep, wool, iron pots, cloth and corn filled other stallsin front of the buildings. Farmers from surrounding villages brought

their produce here by the horse load.

From the high ground the two looked down on Waters Green, the lowertown. In earlier times this was 'The Gutters', a slum area whereslaughterhouses, tallow chandlers and other unsavoury activities werelocated. Open drainage flowed past squalid dwellings into the riverBollin. This part of town was savaged, far beyond other sections of thetown by the plague of 1603.

By 1839, evidence of a new age was apparent everywhere in the valleybelow. Waters Green was now a conglomeration of mills, houses, inns,

dye works on the river graveyards and even a school. But Macclesfieldwas not typical of small English country villages of that time.


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Spawned by the industrial revolution and impacted by events in theoutside world, over the past 100 years the bucolic feudal village hadtransformed into a thriving commercial town, a canal completed justeight years before in 1831 served the mills by providing a conduit for the

textiles manufactured in the town to be transported to the large city ofManchester in the north, as well as other major cities and ports.

The home of one of the young men could be seen on the opposite bankof the river in the suburb of Sutton. It was one of a long row of stonegarret houses, usually with three stories and long windows to admitlight. Weavers could work handlooms on the top floor and live below.

Further up the bank was the mill where it is likely both were employed. Itwas owned by the older brothers of one of the youths. The river flowingpast furnished its power. Silk was the business of Macclesfield. It was

the hub of that industry in England. The young men, James Mayers andJohn Ryle were silk weavers as were generations of their families backto the middle of the 1700s. These were times of great distress in the silkindustry.

After the boom years of the 1820s, reduced tariffs were causingcompetition with imports. But even worse, the introduction of powerlooms was causing high unemployment among the handloom weavers.Jobs had declined by sixty percent and many silk workers, reduced toabject poverty were returning to surrounding villages. Workers ventedtheir rage by destroying the new machinery.

There were frequent riots and the windows of many mills had beensmashed. James and John talked about their future and agreed that itheld little promise for them.As skilled weavers they were better off than most, but with an excess ofavailable workers in their trade, their talents had little value.

The opportunity to improve the quality of their lives and to advance theirprospects in the world did not appear to exist in this setting. They faceda lifetime of insecurity and the drudgery of fourteen hour days.

Yet, they knew there was a place in the world where their abilities mightbe valued and where they could improve their chances: a classless landwhere their skills were still considered high-tech and where they heardthat opportunity was limited only by lack of resourcefulness. ButAmerica did not have a silk industry and nobody from Macclesfield hadeven considered going there earlier. Even for two optimistic andadventurous young men with little to lose, leaving was a dauntingdecision.

But at the same time, with America needing to import all of its silk,bringing their skills here would be the greatest challenge of their lives.

James Mayers, age 19 would leave a large family. His father was a silkcarter and all eight of his siblings worked in the mills. John Ryle, age 21


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had started work as a bobbin boy at the astonishing age of five. Likehundreds of other mill children, both had gained a rudimentaryeducation at a "Sabbath School" which they attended for 10 hours eachSunday, their one day off. (The works of Charles Dickens graphicallydepict life in England at this time).

Coming from a family of mill owners, John was the better off of the two.It is likely that his brothers were willing contributors to the modestexpenses of a voyage. They too envisioned extending their businessinterests in the new land through these young emissaries.

Despite uncertain prospects for employment and the ominous prospectsof an ocean crossing fraught with peril, they decided to embark on avoyage from which few ever returned. Winter crossings of the NorthAtlantic were best avoided. They would have to book passage fromLiverpool to sail as early as possible in the spring. It was a poignant

time as the young men took a final look at their ancestral home and saidfarewell to their families and friends. This scene was repeated endlesstimes as nine million immigrants left the British Isles through the Port ofLiverpool for America during the 1800s.

Tim Boddingtons a Cheshire Area historian describes the details of ajourney that the two young men would take to reach Liverpool in 1839.

"The first leg of the trip, before the railroad had reached Macclesfield,would be by stagecoach, north to Manchester, and a distance of aboutfifteen miles. The coach left from the Bull Inn in Macclesfield oppositethe Town Hall. The inn remains open to this day. They would ride all daythrough the stark wintry landscape of the Cheshire Peak Country".

"At Manchester they would board the Manchester-Liverpool Railway, thefirst public passenger train in the world, for a 30 mile ride. LiverpoolRoad Station still exists in Manchester, and is part of a very populartechnology museum there.

"Upon arrival in the port city of Liverpool, tickets for the trip to Americawere purchased at the ship owners office on the waterfront. They would

sail on a packet."

These ships carried both freight and passengers on a fixed route. Thesewere the first vessels to cross the Atlantic on a regular schedule and formany years were the only means of communication between the twocontinents. Amid the forest of masts they found their ship, the Marion.She was small for a transatlantic crossing, only 112 feet long and 27 feetat her widest. But this was the average size for an immigrant packet ofthis time.

Built in St John, Canada in 1836,the Marion was a wooden, square-

rigged vessel with a "burthen" (carrying capacity) of 427 tons. She wastypical of the hundreds of ships in this service until about 1860 when


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steamships began replacing sail. Liverpool to New York was by far themost common route for the packets. At that time there were abouttwenty making the run?

The Marion carried 71 passengers on this trip to New York. Passage was

booked for as little as ten dollars per person. Tickets provided forminimum space, typically 10 feet, for each passenger and their luggage.A water ration of six pints for drinking, washing, and cooking and onepound of food per day were provided. This usually consisted of bread orbiscuit, rice, oatmeal or potatoes.

When the time at sea exceeded the predicted length of the trip, thesemeagre rations were reduced. To supplement this bare subsistence diet,people often brought some of their own provisions which soon spoiledor were consumed a short time into the trip. Captain William Bonny manwas her master. Time was needed to unload her cargo of lumber from

Canada and install accommodations for her new human cargo As usual,many of immigrants brought more baggage than allowed, and it was notpermitted on board.

It must have been painful to see dock scavengers eagerly snatch up thebeloved possessions carefully selected for the trip. As the young menascended the gangway and stepped aboard for the first time they werein the midst of great activity. A roll call was being taken and a doctorinspected the passengers as ship owners could be fined for carrying thesick or disabled. Emigrants were warned that bylaw they were under thesame disciplinary rules as the crew and could even be charged withmutiny for disruptive behaviour.

The bewildered passengers were herded below. Bunks, four tiers highwere assigned and baggage was stowed. To prevent futuredisagreements, a schedule was set up for turns at the firebox. Cookingcould be done on deck, if the weather permitted. Voices with an Irishbrogue were heard everywhere and such Gallic sounding names asMulligan, Malloy, McKeon and Fitzpatrick were detected above the din.This was the start of the vast wave of Irish migration caused by thepotato famine.

This exodus would peak over the next decade. A few days after the twoarrived, they sailed on the first day of March 1839. Orders shouted fromthe helm alerted sailors to scamper up the rigging. Lines to the dockwere singled up and then quickly cast off in order to catch the morningtide. Most of the first day the Marion cruised down the Mersey and itsestuaries and then across the Irish Sea. Often the last land sighted wasthe coast of Ireland, which the more naive often mistook for an earlyarrival in America.

Before breaking out into the open sea everyone came on deck to take

his or her last glimpse of land. Few would ever see their homeland,families or friends again. Captain Bonny man set the course for New


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York, sails bellied out and the ship plunged into the first surge of theopen North Atlantic. A wave of nausea swept though the passengers.The Captain, a seasoned mariner, would exert every seamanship skill toshorten the trip. Under ideal conditions the trip had been made in as fewas 20 days.

But March still brought freezing weather, strong gales and icebergs.This was to be a hard voyage; the Marion would be at sea for 50 days.The winter of 1839 had been very severe. Even before leaving home, thetwo young men had learned that in a storm in January, just two monthsbefore the departure of the Marion, two immigrant packets had gonemissing and a third was driven ashore with the loss of all hands.

Forty Packets were lost over this 30-year period that marked the heightof their use. During the spring, icebergs broke loose and a longersoutherly course was necessary. Even on this southerly route the ship

often had to slowdown in fog and to take temperature readings of thewater to see if ice was near. Ice sank many packets in these years andmany were last seen heading into the ice fields.

Seventy three years later, in April of1912 the Titanic would be lost in thissame area, at the same time, as the Marion passed through. A list of allpassengers was drawn up at sea as soon as everyone had settled into adaily routine. It would be required immediately on arrival. The Listprovided the names, ages, occupations and country of origin of all 71passengers. All were from Great Britain or Ireland. It showed the nameof the ship its date of departure from Liverpool and arrival in New York,its tonnage and the captains name.

So frequent were deaths during these voyages that the printed form hada separate column "Died on Voyage. On this trip there were no entrieshere, attesting to the skills of Captain Bonny man. On most ships nameslisted in this column were those of small children. Who were the fortytwo men, twenty three women and six children on this perilous trip?Most were young; forty two were in their twenties and sixteen teenagers.Only two people were over forty. Hugh Scott and Mary Gannon, both ageforty, appear together on the list.

Does this suggest an on board romance or would Hugh later send forhis family and Mary be greeted by a husband on arrival? Strangely, thewere no married couples aboard. All the women are listed as "spinsters"or "labourers". There are several brother and sister combinations,usually an older sibling in charge of younger children. James Cox, agetwenty was accompanied by his sister Bridget, 20, and three youngerbrothers. The sisters, Mary and Ann Fitzpatrick travelled together.

Were they orphans or would they later send for their parents asconditions worsened in the old world? Only one single parent, Mary

McKeon, age thirty, was aboard with her three-year-old son. Was Mary awidow or did her husband await her in the new world? Many were alone.


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Would anyone be there to greet them in the new land? Few among thetravellers had any skills or a trade. Other than our silk weavers, JamesMayers and John Ryle, there was a tanner, a saddler, and a baker, allother passengers are identified as "labourers".

Yet these young people, all ready to start work, would dig the canals,build the railroads and provide all the muscle and talent that wouldpropel America into a leading world power in just a few decades. Andtheir descendents would provide much of the leadership that would, inless than a century, create the greatest nation on earth. With so manyyoung, unmarried people meeting for the first time and being confined inclose quarters, we can only imagine the many relationships that mayhave developed.

How many love affairs, future marriages and lasting friendships

occurred? Or how much disagreement and animosity arose in thecramped quarters? At first a festive, party atmosphere would prevail.But this was short lived and as private caches of food and beveragesdwindled, most settled into the monotonous daily routine. Passengerswere allowed above decks in small groups to wash clothes and toattempt to bathe. There was a chance to cook any unspoiled food theyhad brought.

Most of the trip would be through bad weather with rough seas.Everyone would stay below in their cold, wet bunks in completedarkness. As weather worsened, sails were shortened and hatchwayssecured. Pitching and rolling as heavy seas spilled over the main deck,the ship laboured westward, for the next seven weeks. About the timeeveryone despaired of the journey ever ending, a lookout, on the topspar of the mainmast, cried out, "Land Ho".

As if in a dream, James and John were able to see a small fringe of landbacked by high hills on the horizon. This was Sandy Hook, New Jerseyand the Highlands of the Nave sink River. This landfall looks the sametoday, and for that matter, as it did in1609 when first sighted by HedrickHudson. A lighthouse gradually became visible on the highland. This

was the predecessor of the Twin Lights that can be seen today. As theMarion sailed closer into the approach to New York Bay, she wasapproached by a fleet of small, fast cutters. These were the boats of theSandy Hook Pilots who competed for the job of guiding ships into theport. With a pilot aboard, Captain Bonny man could now step back fromthe wheel, as a skilled seaman with the local knowledge of the inlandwaters, conned the ship past shoals.

They moved down Ambrose Channel and through the Narrows, nowspanned by the Verrazano Bridge. Everyone experienced an uncannysense of stillness. The pitching, rolling and groaning of the ships

timbers, which everyone had grown accustomed to, suddenly stopped,as the ship entered calm waters of New York Harbour. There was no


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of James Mayers and Sarah Allison living in the US.

Many are still in New Jersey. As years passed, many from Macclesfieldfollowed Mayers and Ryle to Paterson where it was possible to rise fromweaver to affluent entrepreneur in a short time. Many fortunes were

made here by Macclesfield weavers, Lambert, Strange, Dougherty,Wadsworth, Grim Shaw, Crewe and Henshall all rose from the loom tobecome wealthy and prominent. By 1900, there were 3000 Macclesfieldpeople living in Paterson.

The PATERSON CALL published the births, deaths and marriage columnfrom the MACCLESFIELD COURIER. In their travels about the city andbusiness dealings, James and John met so many old friends that it oftenseemed like they were back atop the 108 steps in the marketplace in theshadow of St Michaels.

I wonder how many appreciated their role as the pioneers who madePaterson the Industrial Cradle of America. The Marion would continue tosail to the US and Canada on future transatlantic voyages-passengersoutbound with lumber back on the return trip. But not under theCommand of Captain Bonnyman whose fate is unknown.

In 1844 her homeport was changed to Cork, a more convenientembarkation point for the flood of Irish emigrants. Shown in LloydsRegister at various times in Quebec, Halifax, New Orleans, Boston andNew York, she disappears from the records in 1851.

From Bagshaws Directory of Cheshire 1850The Italians previously possessed the art of silk throwing by machinery,and the French excelled in the fabric of piece goods, but all attempts torival these productions here were unavailable, till an enterprisingmechanic, John Lombe, proceeded, in 1715, to Italy, clandestinely and atgreat personal risk, investigated the whole process, and returned in1717, with plans and models, and with two Italian workmen.

He immediately went to Derby and erected the first silk mill in England.Which was long esteemed a master piece of mechanical skill. In 1718, he

obtained a patent for fourteen years, but dying shortly afterwards, frompoison, as it was suspected administered by an Italian, sent to Englandfor that purpose, his brother William succeeded to the business, butshortly after transferred the concern to his cousin, Thomas Lombe whocontinued the silk manufacture till 1732, at which time, about 300 handsare said to have been employed.

The patent then expired and on application for a renewal, he wasknighted, and a model of the works deposited at the Tower of London.Charles Roe, a native of Castleton, Derbyshire, first engaged in thebutton and twist trade, but saw vast profits in silk manufacture and

obtained a model of the machinery in the silk mill at Derby, erected amachine in 1756 and commenced work in Park Green, Macclesfield.


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http://www.lambinn.org.uk/history.htm - some Information on CharlesRoe.Family Genealogy - Mayers - LOC L2 (1) MAYThe History of Silk Dyeing in the USJohn Ryle is universally referred to as the Father of the Silk Industry

in Paterson, New Jersey. He was born in Bollington, near Macclesfield,on 22nd October 1817.Mayers Family Genealogy. 'Prepared in honor of the 50th weddinganniversary of Minnie D and Robert E Mayers - December 23 1927 andDecember 23rd 1977.William Mere son of William Mayers (Mears) Thomas Mayers - SilkWorker, son of William Mere, baptised February 4th 1753 at St Michael's,married Elizabeth Hough at Prestbury Parish Church in 1778. They hadthe following children: Mary 1779 Christ Church, David 1781 StMichael's, Rebecca 1782 St Michael's, Betty 1787. Thomas 1788, William1793 Christ Church, Joshua 1795 Christ Church, David 1798 Christ

Church.David 1781 married Ann and had: Sarah, Thomas, Jessie, David, Samuel.Thomas 1788 married Elizabeth Brown and had: William 1809, David1813, Betty 1814, Martha 1817, Sarah 1819, James 1820, Rebecca 1821,Mary Ann 1827, David 1828.Thomas Mayers Born 1758 Silkworker. He had Thomas Mayers born1787 Silkman, Carter. He had James Mayers born 1820 Silk Weaver,Dyer. He had John Mayers born 1858 Silk Weaver, Paterson, NJ.Hugonis/Hugo/Hugh Meyers/Meare Baptised 1670.|William Mayrs/Meare Baptised 1694. Married Margaret Shelmerdine.William Meare Baptised 1731.Thomas Mayers Silkworker had born 1753. Married Elizabeth Hough atPrestbury in 1778.Thomas Mayers Silkman/Carter born 1788. Married Betty Brown.James Mayers Silk Dyer had born 1820. Went to USA 1839. Married SarahAnn Albinson born New York 1823.John Meyers Silk Weaver, Paterson, NJ born 1858. Married Margaret Bertramborn Scotland 1859.

As the years passed, many others from Macclesfield followed Mayers and

Ryle to Paterson. Here it was possible to rise from weaver to entrepreneurand take advantage of the great opportunity for upward mobility. Manyfortunes were made in Paterson by former Macclesfield weavers, names likeLambert, Strange, Dougherty, Wadsworth, Grimshaw, Crewe and Henshall allrose from the loom to become prominent. Even today a visit to Lambert Castleoverlooking the city attests to their great wealth.

By 1900, there were 3000 people living in Paterson, The Paterson Callpublished regularly the Births, Marriages and Deaths from the MacclesfieldCourier. In his travels about the City and business dealings through the years,James Mayers must have met many old friends from his youth in England. I

wonder if they fully acknowledged the fact that all followed in his footsteps andthose of John Ryle, the first Englishman, in the silk industry, to arrive in


14/43

Paterson, the Industrial Cradle of America.

A History of Macclesfield by C S Davies Published 1961'Emigration from England to other countries was a feature of the second halfof the nineteenth century and this provided a safety-value for the increasing

population. In 1839, John Ryle, superintendent of a Macclesfield throwing mill,emigrated to America where, in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1845, heestablished the first manufacture of spooled sewing silk n the United States.In 1846, John Ryle and his partner commenced the weaving of silk. Two otherMacclesfield men, Alfred Crewe and Thomas Henshall, later founded a silkfinishing business, also in Paterson. These two firms attracted manyMacclesfield silk workers during the succeeding years and, in 1900, therewere 3,000 Macclesfield people in Paterson.

They maintained their interest in their native town, for the local newspaperregularly published copies of the Births, Marriages and Deaths column from

the Macclesfield Courier. Enquiries are still received at the Town Hall and theMacclesfield Public Library from the descendants of these emigrants askingfor information about their ancestors.'

One of my husbands grand

fathersThe Camden- Town RailwayHE prodigious extent of buildings in the suburbs of

London has rendered a corresponding increase of the

means of conveyance from one district to another

indispensable. A few years since, Chelsea, Brompton,

Kensington, and Bayswater, forming the beautiful westernsuburbs of the metropolis, were comparatively unknown to

most of the inhabitants of Eastern London. Many of the

parishioners of Shadwell, Limehouse, and Poplar might have heard

of the Regent's-park and Primrose-hill; but had never visited either,

for want of some direct communication brought, as it were, to their

very doors. Such a facility has just been provided by the opening of

the line already known as "the Camden Town Railway," which

traverses the eastern and northern suburbs of the metropolis, and

enables the Londoner to take the "overland Journey" from

Fenchurch-street, City, to Primrose-hill and the Regent's-park (the


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latter attractive at all seasons by its

"Zoological Gardens"), at a very trifling

expenditure of time and money. Our Artist has

made the trip, pencil and sketch-book in hand,

and here are the graphic results:-

The building shown within the above initial

letter is the entrance to the terminus in

Fenchurch-street, where we took a sixpenny return ticket (second-

class carriage), the distance from the spot where we stood, to the

terminus in the Hampstead-road, being four miles and a half - the

entire journey and return being, accordingly, nine miles for sixpence!

The trains start every quarter of an hour from half-past eight in themorning till ten at night. There was no puffing or snorting of the

engine; but by a silent signal the train was set in motion. We

proceeded for a considerable distance under a covered way, lit by

sash windows: this was considered necessary at the original

construction of the Blackwall Railway to prevent accidents by horses

taking fright from the noise and smoke of the engines as they dart

over the bridges crossing the streets of London. We have engraved

the bridge crossing the Minories, as a specimen of these viaducts.

Through the windows we had a glimpse of the Tower of London; but

soon emerged from the covered way, amid roofs of houses, an ocean

of pantiles, and groves of chimneys. We passed the sugar-baking

district of Goodman's-fields, the London Docks, Wapping, and St.

George's-in-the-East - a neighbourhood densely crowded with a busy,

dingy, working or sea-going population. On the left we passed near

Shadwell Church, and also St. Mary's Church and Schools, recently

erected. We next arrived at Stepney Station, and began to breathe

more freely, for we had left behind the region of smoke and giganticchimneys. On the right is a new district church of the parish of

Shadwell, built on the site of the house that was so marvellously

preserved at the great fire of Ratcliff-cross, which broke out on the

23rd of July, 1794, and which consumed more houses than any one

conflagration since the Great Fire of 1666.

On the left, but at some

distance from the railway, is

seen the square tower of

Stepney Church, the mother


16/43

church of most of the parishes in the eastern part of London.

Immediately beneath us on the left is the Commercial-road, leading

from Whitechapel to Blackwall, a distance of nearly four miles. Near

the junction of the Camden-town and Blackwall Railway the

Commercial-road is 80 feet in width, and is crossed by an ironviaduct, called Bow Spring Bridge, designed by L. Clare, Esq., and

constructed by Messrs. Fox and Henderson, of Birmingham. The

reader will perceived that, notwithstanding the great length of the

viaduct, and the material of which it is constructed, it has a light and

picturesque appearance.

At Stepney Station the Blackwall Railroad forms a junction with the

Camden-town Railroad. The former

Continues its course nearly parallel to the Commercial-road, bycrossing a stone bridge the north side of the Regent's Canal Dock, the

terminus of the Regent's-canal.

Having crossed the Commercial-road by Bow Spring Bridge, we soon

leave the City and Pool of London behind us; and pass through fields

to Bow-common, where to the right we have an extensive but distant

view of the East India Docks; and, beyond them, a view of Surrey

and Kentish Hills; on the left, the City of London and Tower Hamlets

Cemetery, occupying nearly thirty acres of ground, beautifullydisposed, and ornamented with cypress, cedar, and other trees, and

most of the graves ornamented with flowers and shrubs. This

cemetery, with an adjacent field, containing nearly one hundred and

forty acres of land, is about to be purchased by the Commissioners

appointed by Act of Parliament to regulate the burial-grounds of the

metropolis. Beyond the cemetery is seen the extensive buildings of the

City of London Union Workhouse, which from its extent and

architecture has a palatial appearance.

We next descended into a deep cutting, and, passing under the Bow-

road, arrived at the Bow Station. Here the train received passengers;

and soon after starting we found ourselves in an open country: on the

right the newly-formed Victoria Park; on the left we had an extensive

view over the Hackney marshes, terminating with a considerable

portion of the well-wooded scenery of Essex.

Passing onward, through the verdant

fields, we came to the retired village

of Homerton, formerly a district of


17/43

the parish of Hackney, but with the last six years formed into a

separate parish; from the railroad is seen a new church, erected

about four years ago, from the design of Mr. Ashpitel.

The church will accommodate 1800 persons, and cost less than 5000,the whole raised by subscriptions. The parsonage-house is a pleasing

specimen of domestic architecture. We have now arrived at the

Hackney Station: on the right, from the midst of roofs of houses and

the thickly-planted trees in the churchyard and adjacent gardens,

rises the picturesque tower of the old church; and to the right the

pyramidal tower of the new church. Looking leftward, we were

somewhat

puzzled at the appearance of several long ditches, or rather trenches,

filled with running water, nearly covered with what we took to beweeds; but, upon inquiry, we found this was one of the artificial

streams for the continual growth of watercresss for the London

market. Annexed is a representation of this singular species of

cultivation, which affords a living to a great number of poor men,

women, and children. The square building on the right side is the

Hackney Railway Station, here the train halted for a few seconds,

and then moved on towards Kingsland, which is in a deep cutting

passing under the Kingsland-road.

In this district, large tracts of land,

belonging to the Lord of the Manor,

W. G. D. Tyssen, Esq., are now being

laid out for building detached villas

of a better class: the railway has, no

doubt, greatly accelerated the

profitable occupation of this very

fine estate; for, although it has the

advantage, from the nature of its soil, according to the Registrar-General's Return, of being decidedly the most healthy locality near

London, yet, until the railway brought it into notice, and opened a

communication for it, no measures taken for its improvement appear

to have been successful.

Through the high level of Islington the railway is in a cutting

averaging 16 feet deep, with walls of massive brickwork to sustain

the clay soil of which the district consists. We quit this cutting near

the Caledonian-road and cross the same by a bridge. Within the last

year the site of the Roman encampment, and for a great distance


18/43

around, has been entirely covered with terraces, streets, and squares.

The Model prison at Pentonville, which, when it was erected a few

years back, stood in the midst of the fields, is now nearly surrounded

by houses. We next passed over the Great Northern Railway; and it

was a curious sight to see a monster northern train, sixty feet belowus, entering the tunnel running under the extensive tract of land

known as Copenhagen-fields. This is, indeed, one of the most singular

views through which the railroad passes. It will be best

comprehended by referring to the annexed Engraving, taken from

the bridge over the Direct York Railway, at the upper end of the

ancient northern road to London called Maiden-lane. From this

bridge, looking down the gorge of a deep valley, we observe the lines

of the direct York Railway gently curving to the entrance of the

tunnel, which is a massive stone arch, with thick brick walls on eitherside, terminated by immense octangular piers formed of brick, with

stone dressings. In the centre of the Great Northern Railway, a short

distance from the tunnel, are two immense piers, upwards of sixty

feet in height, which support the viaduct of the Camden-town

Railway.

Beyond this viaduct lie Copenhagen-fields, the proposed site of the

new Smithfield Market. In the centre is the tavern called

Copenhagen House, where Kossuth addressed the operatives on

Monday week. The large building with the lofty tower is the newprison now in the course of erection at the expense of the

Corporation of the city of London.

After passing several beautiful villas, we arrived at Camden-town,

where the Railway is constructed upon a brick viaduct of good

proportions. The main roads are crossed by wrought iron boiler-

plate bridges of the same principle as that of the celebrated tubular

bridge over the Menai Straits. Some of these bridges are of

considerable span, and the details of their constructing are wellworthy the close examination of those who can appreciate works of

this kind.

We soon enter upon ground

intersected with the rails of

the Great North-Western

Railway, until we reach the


19/43

end of our journey at the terminus of the Camden-town Railway, in

the Hampstead-road.

We started by the next train upon our return. Our fellow-passengers

were journeying from this extreme north-western suburb toMargate. They accompanied us as far as the Stepney Station, where

we parted - they to proceed to Blackwall, to embark in a steamer for

Margate; we to return to the great city, much pleased with our

economical journey, and the excellence of the accommodation

afforded by the Camden-town Railway Company. We are happy to

hear that their spirit and liberality are appreciated by the public,

since upwards of 105,000 passengers were conveyed upon this line

during the previous week.

1. Here lies the body of Richard TURNOR late of this parish, Gent, whodeparted this life 11th July 1705 aged 54. And also the body of SamuelTHOYTS late of this parish who departed this life the 4th day of August

1729 aged 56. Likewise the body of Elizabeth, wife of the said SamuelThoyte, eldest daughter of the said Richard Turnor who departed thislife the 15th November 1724 aged 43. And also the body of ElizabethThoyte their daughter who departed this life the 18th July 1735 aged 22.And likewise of three other of their children who died in their infancy.Also the body of Mr Richard TURNER, son of the above mentionedRichard Turner, who departed this life June 28th 1745 aged 59.

2. On a square urned monument are these inscriptions: Here lays thebody of Mr James HARRIS of this parish who died October 21st 1772aged 53 years, and two daughters, Ann Harris aged 3 weeks, andMargaret 3 hours, and Mrs Ann Harris, widow of the said Mr JamesHarris, and daughter of Mr Henry and Lucy DISMORR of this parish, andthree children, Lucy, James and Ann Patty, all surviving him. He was atender husband and affectionate father, and a sincere friend. Here alsolieth the body of Mr Henry Dismorr Junr. who departed this life February5th 1777 aged 47 years. Here lies the body of Mr Henry Dismorr of thisparish, who died May 17, 1756 aged 62 years. And as a memorial of hissincere love, and esteem of his widow, this monument was erected at hersole expense. Likewise the body of Mrs Lucy Dismorr, wife of the aboveMr Henry Dismorr, who departed this life on 14th June 1757 aged 55

years. She was an affectionate Wife, a tender Mother, a sincere friend,and lamented by all who knew her. Prepare to follow.


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3. Here lieth the body of Sarah, the wife of John HARRIS of Plumstead,who departed this life ye 7th February 1773 aged 42 years. Thismonument was repaired and beautified, and the iron railings placedaround, by Eleaner RICKARDS, youngest daughter of the late Henry

DISMORR, August 1832. John Harris of Plumstead he died February 1st1756 aged 39 years. He married the eldest daughter of Mr HenryDismorr. Was a dutiful son, a tender husband and indulgent father, indue regard to his merit Mrs Dismorr placed this inscription. Also of Lucyhis daughter, died Oct. 4th 1752 aged 5 months.

4. On a plain headstone: Here lies the body of Richard THARPE, whodeparted this life ye 5th January 1690 aged 28 years.

Barfreston church


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6 Mary Ann JURY of Haselden House, Sissinghurst, 13th March 1892.James Jury her husband, 21st January 1888. Interred at Highgatecemetery.

7 John Thurston WATTS only son of Richard and Sophia Watts, born atBiddenden, 26th July 1844, died suddenly at Gillingham, Kent 8th August1915 aged 71. Sarah Maria BROWNE Eldest daughter of Richard and

Sophia Watts, wife of William Browne, born 8th May 1834, died 25th April1917. William Browne formerly Band Sergeant Royal Engineers,husband of above born 14th December 1845 died [not filled in].

8 Richard WATTS, 11th October 1855 aged 49. Jane his daughter, 22nd

September 1856 aged 18.

9 Emily wife of George TAYLOR of this parish, 5th November 1908 aged55.

9A. (Footstone) J.W. 1856.

10. (This and 11 are in one enclosure) James BOURNE, 11th September1873 aged 62. Sarah Ann wife of James Bourne of this parish, 27th

August 1865 aged 51. Albert their son, 27th October 1840 aged 5.

11 John BOURNE, 7th December 1905 aged 63.


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I am so sorry for this month the news letter is a little mixed

up Christine and I have had to do it twice over with my

computer breaking down

I think there is a large selection for you to read

This month we have put a mixture of things in for you of all

kinds as there were quite a few things that we wanted to do

so here is a selection of them we hope you may find them

interesting.

The Pearly Kings and Queens

PEARLY KINGS AND QUEENS

One of the great traditions at theEpsom horseracing course, on the

southern outskirts of London, onDerby Day is the arrival of the PearlyKing and Queen in their decorateddonkey-cart.

The Pearly Royals started in Victorian

days and some still reign today in their

various London districts.

The 'Pearlies' were costermonger's

street vendors of fruit and vegetables, and their distinctive costumes are


23/43

said to have sprung from the arrival of a big cargo of pearl-buttons from

Japan in the 1860's.

It seems that one of the costers sewed some of the buttons round the edge

of his wide-bottomed trousers, and the fashion caught on.

Traditionally, costers elected 'Kings' to lead them against bullies seeking

to drive them from their pitches.

Each individual area of London had a king and

his 'donah', (as the wives are called) and both

were elaborately turned out.

The magnificent suits, hats and dresses, handed

down together with hereditary titles, are sewnwith mystic symbols, stars, moons, suns,

flowers, diamonds, Trees of Life, Eyes of God

and fertility designs.

Each outfit can have as many as 30,000 buttons

on it and can weigh as much as 30 kilograms or

more.

These suits are worn at charity events,christenings, weddings and funerals.

Where there is a special charity drive the kings and queens ride in

splendour on their decorated carts.

At the annual autumn Harvest Festival service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields

church in London, the Pearly princesses take bouquets of vegetables as

thank - offerings.

It will be very sad if the tradition of the Pearly King and Queen dies out,as they are a very colourful part of London's history. Long live the Pearly

Kings and Queens!

The Pearly Tradition: A Very Brief Synopsis

Pearly Kings & Queens originated in the 19th century from the 'CosterKings & Queens', who originated in the 18th century, who originated fromthe 'Costermongers', who originated from London's 'Street Traders', whohave been around for over a 1000 years... with that out of the way let'sget down to the nitty gritty!


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Street traders, or 'Costermongers' as they became known, have been animportant feature of London life since the 11th century - and for the bestpart of 900 of those years they were unlicensed and itinerant - at timeshounded by the authorities & bureaucracy. They cried their wares toattract customers with vigour and panache - much to the annoyance ofLondon's 'well-to-do' society - yet they provided an essential service toLondon's poor; mainly selling their wares in small quantities around thestreets & alleyways - at first from baskets, then progressing to barrows -then permanent static pitches from stalls - until they finally evolved intotoday's familiar and popular Markets. Oh yes, we owe a great deal to ourancestral costermongers - but like so many things we take for grantedtoday, their fight was long and hard.

Because of London's unique geographical position it grew and thrived as atrading centre - the City grew up not just around its financial market, but

around its famous markets that provided the necessities oflife - markets such as Billingsgate (where the fish werelanded), Smithfield (for cattle & livestock) and CoventGarden and Spitalfields (for fruit, veg & flowers).

Although each Coster family traded independently, theyremained loyal to other costers - collecting for those thatfell on particularly hard times. Their philosophy of life wasone of fate - some you win, some you lose - when thingswent bad you just had to pick yourself up and start all overagain. They liked a gamble - be it on boxing matches, pigeonracing, dog fighting and even rat-killing matches! Most of

all, of course, they liked to indulge in a tipple or two. Notbecause they enjoyed a good old booze-up and sing-song,you understand - 'no guv', more to do with being suspicious ofwater, what with cholera & typhoid and all that! Besides, the AleHouses, Gin Palaces & the Penny Gaff Music Halls were warm &welcoming compared to their squalid lodgings. By now most ofLondon's poorer working classes were hoarded together outsidethe thriving City - dockers, sailors, immigrants & factory girls - allliving in slum conditions with little or no sanitation.

Some Pictures

Of old Pearlies

The First Pearly'Henry Croft'


25/43

SLANG MEANING

Adam and Eve believe

Almond rocks socks

Apple fritter bitter (beer)

Apple peeling feeling

Apple tart heart

Apples and

pearsstairs

Aunty Lou flu

Barnet Fair hair

Bee hams pill hill

Bees n honey moneyBernard Miles piles (haemorrhoids)

Boat race face

Bo-peep sleep

Bottle and glass arse

Bow & arrow barrow

Box of toys noise

Brown bread dead

Bubble and

squeakspeak

Bunnytalk (from rabbit and

pork)


26/43

SLANG MEANING

Burnt cinder window

Butcher s hook look

Cain & Able table

Chalk Farm armCherry-og dog

China plate mate (friend)

Coach n badge cadge (get money off)

Cock n hen ten or 10

Currant bun sun

Derby Kelly belly

Dicky Dirt shirt

Dig in the grave shave

Dr. Crippen dripping

Dog and bone telephone

Donald Duck luck

Duke of Kent rent

Friar Tuck luck

Frog and toad road

George Raft daft (crazy)

Ginger beer queer

Gold watch scotch

Ham and eggs legs

HampsteadHeath

teeth

Harry Lime time

Heap of coke bloke

Hen n fox box

Holy friar liar

Holy ghost toast

House to let bet

Jack n Jill till

Jam jar car

Jam tart heart

Jeremiah fire

Jim Skinner dinner

Joanna piano

Joe Blake steak

Kate Karney army

Lemon squash wash

Linen draper paper

Loaf of bread head

Max Miller pillarMince pies eyes


27/43

SLANG MEANING

Mother Hubbard cupboard

Mutt and Jeff deaf

Peck ham Rye tie

Pigs ear beerPlates of meat feet

Pork pie lie

Pot n pan old man

Rabbit n pork talk

Reads and

writesfights

Reels of cotton rotten

Rocking horse sauce

Rory OMoorefloor

Rosie Lee tea

Salmon and

troutgout

Saucepan lid kid (child)

Sexton Blake cake

Joe Blake steak

Six to four whore

Skin n blister sister

Sky rocket pocket

Taters in the

mouldcold

Tea leaf thief

Tit for tat hat

Tom and Dick sick

Trouble and

strifewife

Shoe Makers

Nantwich shoemakers' strikehow they settled dispute in 1872

in 1872, in Nantwich; it was a currier who became an arbitrator andfinallyhelped settle a strike with local shoemakers.


28/43

The currier (a person employed in the leather trade) was WilliamCooper who found himself at the centre of a bitter wrangle between the

shoemakers and their masters.

The strike had arisen after a period of national prosperity in the tradeand in Nantwich the shoemakers asked for 3d per pair increase in rates,

followed by the riveters and finishers who demanded an overall 25%increase in pay.

The masters hit back by refusing to employ any riveters or finishers andsoon there was a lock-out, though the dispute was confined to

Nantwich. As a result, upwards of 200 shoemakers went off to othertowns for better rewards.

At this stage the Cordwainers Union, of London and Stafford, got

involved, but the Nantwich masters said they could not match the ratesof elsewhere because of increased costs in raw materials..

Altogether about 500 men were laid-off, along with the women in fivemachine shops, because of the shortage of boot tops.

Enter Mr Cooper, who knew the mens leader socially. It was he whosuggested the two sides enter into give and take negotiations.

The idea met with a favourable response and the discussions were heldat the Crown, Nantwich, both parties in separate rooms, Mr Cooper

acting for hours as ago-between.

Eventually a deal was struck at midnight it was a compromise; themen agreed to accept half their original demand, whilst the masters

promised there would be no victimisation.

A large crowd has gathered outside the Crown, eager for an end to thedispute. Local tradesmen, especially drapers, grocers and publicans,

had been badly affected, so the news was met with general jollification.

Both sides thanked Mr Cooper for his time and trouble, though in justover twelve months they were all back where they startedanotherstrike, more lock-outs and a three-day week.

In 1872, in Nantwich, it was a currier who became an arbitrator andfinally helped settle a strike with local shoemakers.

The currier (a person employed in the leather trade) was WilliamCooper who found himself at the centre of a bitter wrangle between the

shoemakers and their masters.

The strike had arisen after a period of national prosperity in the tradeand in Nantwich the shoemakers asked for 3d per pair increase in rates,


29/43

followed by the riveters and finishers who demanded an overall 25%increase in pay.

The masters hit back by refusing to employ any riveters or finishers andsoon there was a lock-out, though the dispute was confined to

Nantwich. As a result, upwards of 200 shoemakers went off to othertowns for better rewards.

At this stage the Cordwainers Union, of London and Stafford, gotinvolved, but the Nantwich masters said they could not match the rates

of elsewhere because of increased costs in raw materials..

Altogether about 500 men were laid-off, along with the women in fivemachine shops, because of the shortage of boot tops.

Enter Mr Cooper, who knew the mens leader socially. It was he who

suggested the two sides enter into give and take negotiations.

The idea met with a favourable response and the discussions were heldat the Crown, Nantwich, both parties in separate rooms, Mr Cooper

acting for hours as ago-between.

Eventually a deal was struck at midnight it was a compromise; themen agreed to accept half their original demand, whilst the masters

promised there would be no victimisation.

A large crowd has gathered outside the Crown, eager for an end to thedispute. Local tradesmen, especially drapers, grocers and publicans,

had been badly affected, so the news was met with general jollification.

Both sides thanked Mr Cooper for his time and trouble, though in justover twelve months they were all back where they startedanother

strike, more lock-outs and a three-day week.

********

A strike of 8 May, 1873 was reported in the 'Crewe Guardian' under anotice about men leaving Nantwich for Stafford, whilst their familieswere locked out by the masters. Those not otherwise involved were

working a three day week.

The strike was, like the previous one, over a wage demand. This timethere was no compromise or arbitration. By mid June the affair was a'matter of endurance' and the workers' demands were getting smaller.

Some intimidation, physical or moral, was put on suspected scabs. One

case came to light in court. In front of the Rev. Folliot and W.Tollemache Esq., was heard the dispute between Thomas Sutton,


30/43

shoemaker, and William Wild, shoe manufacturer. Sutton was a presserat Wild's factory and requested Mr. Wild to send him 29 pairs of tops and

bottoms with lasts, presses and rivets so he could make them up, athome. When Mr. Wild asked for the competed work to be returned

Sutton replied that he had not done anything for fear of the other men,

and returned the goods unfinished. Wild said he would not press thecase if the work was done, which Sutton was bound to do by the court

on a 10 bond.

By July there were signs of a possible breakthrough:'The masters on Tuesday night offered removals of restrictions on union

men and exactly half demands on everything. The men refused. Mr.Heap has kept aloof throughout the strike, giving the men what they

asked. Elsewhere the strike continues as before'.

The next week 'the men sought interviews with their masters (on

Saturday) which took place on Monday. Meetings have been held almostdaily since. Terms were telegraphed to the Nantwich men working inStafford. On 18 July a meeting was held that ended the strike, when

delegates from the local union and national officials from Stafford andLondon agreed with the masters a formula of roughly 50% of the claim

on most items.

Work recommenced the following Monday 'quite a little army' of menreturning on the night train that Saturday. The trade remained fairly

quiet from then on, with few if any disputes.

The master's victory was a somewhat picric one, as other centres tookNantwich markets. Nonetheless, the masters seemed prepared to face

these consequences rather than accede to union demands, even thoughthe main demand was only for pay parity with nearby centres.

Mr. John Heath of the Barony was noted in the 'Guardian' as stayingaloof from the disputes, by acceding to union demands. His company

fared no better or worse than his intransigent companions, because heremained in the Directories as boot and shoe manufacture until 1892.

The town came to rely upon clothing factories for prosperity, but theseemployed mostly female labour. It could be argued that they saved thetown's prosperity, but a cynic might ask whether they attracted away

cheap female labour from shoemaking, so damaging that trade.

In the end the Nantwich shoe trade was not a victim of militant tradeunionism. The strikes, especially in 1873 were bitter, but it takes two to

make a quarrel. The masters defeated the men, but did not have theinitiative to build on the victory. They just wanted to keep wages low sothey could stay producing cheap boots using hand powered machinery,

a trade and technology that died after 1900, taking the town's

shoemaking industry with it.


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42-46/48 Bethel Street:

Described as facing - short Bethel Street (now called Little Bethel Street) and thelunatic hospital (Mary Chapman House opposite) these three properties were partof a street lined with small shops, houses and courtyards during the 19th century.

The shops in the street included boot and shoemakers, grocers, tailors,hairdressers, fishmonger, furniture broker, watchmaker, baker, confectioner andlodging house. The Norwich Directory of 1883 lists Andrew R. Massingham as the baker at No. 48, Samuel Jerred as coachman at No. 46 and MrHoward Junior & Sons as woodcarvers at No. 44. The misses Elizabethand Sarah Nichols are identified as dressmakers at No. 42.

There are numerousreferences to the Coachand Horses pub, (whichremains in the streettoday), along with the

Coach makers Arms,Kings Arms and theWheat sheaf. The Wheatsheaf pub was listed asNo. 3 Bethel Street andKings Arms stood at No.7. These would have beenon the site, where theForum now stands. TheCoach makers Arms , stood at No. 36 on the site where the Fire-stationstands.

Mrs Matilda E. Springall is registered as living at Springalls court in 1883and Springalls court is listed in the Jarrold's Norwich Directory in 1896as being between No. 44 and 46 Bethel Street. It is still possible to seepart of a brick arch in the current Greenhouse kitchen that indicateswhere the entrance to the yard at the rear of 42 once was.

The facade of 42- 48 was constructed around 1909. In 1997, whilst thefloor of the existing shop was being altered, it was possible to see wherethe house at No. 46 had once had its own internal chimney breast anddividing walls. These had been removed during the 1930's in order tocreate the first printing works (Goose Press).

The 1897 annual - of the Ancient Order of Foresters refers to the NorwichBranch, known as the 'Sons of Freedom'. Many of the Jarrold, Gurney andColeman families were involved. Jeremiah J. Coleman, Sheriff in 1862/63and Mayor in 1887/8 is amongst the early Norwich Foresters. TheForesters purchase No's 42, 44 and 46 for 1,415.

By 1911. The 2nd FieldAmbulance (R.A.M.C.)Territorial Force isidentified as occupyingNo. 44. Isaac Eagle islisted as the resident

coachman. This wouldindicate that the AncientOrder of Foresters


32/43

operated from No. 42. and this is confirmed in Kelly's directory of 1924,which lists Ernest William Seaman as both the shopkeeper at No. 42 andthe Secretary of the Ancient Order of Foresters.

In January of 1928 the buildings are bought by the Rev. Goose for thesum of 1,600. The sale is listed as the purchase to two shops (42, 44),along with enclosed garden at rear of 42 and coachman's cottage (theflat above the passageway at No. 44), which is occupied by members ofthe Goose family until the death of Rev. Goose in 1954.

In 1946, the property is leased to Messrs Coleman, Sutton and Le Dieuwho rename the printers Modern Press and bring in new lead typemachinery. Many of the older pieces of printing equipment were donatedto Jarrold's printing museum by the Greenhouse Trust on arrival in 1993.The lease of the building to the original Modern Press Companycontinued after the death of Rev. Goose until 1954. In 1979 Norwich CityCouncil purchase the property from the estate of Rev. Goose for 19,000.Modern Press continue to be council tenants. Alfred E Gudgin is listed in

Kellys' Directory as the last occupant of the coachman's residence(No.44) in 1960. No. 44 becomes part of the printing works during thistime. Some of interior dcor from the 1900's remained until theGreenhouse Trust began reconstruction work. However, with virtually nomaintenance or investment made in the property since the mid 1950'sthe building is in a very poor state. Many of the finishings in the existingGreenhouse are based on decorative remnants left behind.

Modern Press cease to use the industrial steam radiators in the building(re-installed in the Greenhouse) and the owners demolish the boilerhouse and paper store in the garden. The yard of 42 is concreted overand a steel framed workshop built on the original garden site. Modern

Press Ltd., is taken over by Mr John Farr and Mike Murphy who purchasethe property from Norwich City Council in 1989 for 98,000 and run theprinting works until 1993.

In November 1993 the buildings are bought by the Greenhouse Trust for153,000. The building is semi-derelict and in need of major repair andrenovation. After a decade of building work and major funding thebuilding can now be appreciated as both a historic building given newlife, and a listed building fit for the future.

Life in Cawston between 1870-1900

(Victorian Age)

1. Houses

Many of the cottages and farm houses in Cawston during thelate 19th century dated back to the 17th and 18th century when


33/43

the housing construction was simple. These houses have

therefore disappeared due to the short term nature of the

construction.

I remember my grandmother who lived at the Rat catchersRow telling me about the cottage where her parents lived in

the 1870-1890s. The main living room was the kitchen

where the fire was kept burning all year round in order to

cook and bake, to dry the washing and to boil the black

kettle for hot water. The main pieces of furniture in the

house were a large wooden table for preparing the food, a

few wooden chairs and a large cupboard. The floors were

made of stone or boards which were not level. They were

kept clean by scrubbing them with simple brushes, some

which were self-made from the twigs of trees. In the front

room the floor was covered with linoleum with small rugs in

front of the fireplace. The cottage had a scullery with a

built-in stone sink. This was a luxury as some had merely a

bowl on a stand or table for personal washing and washing

up the dishes. The dirty water that accumulated was tipped

into a bucket and thrown into the back garden.

Mrs. May Monsey once described his mothers bedroom as

follows: A door led upstairs by a winding staircase to twobedrooms directly from the living room. Each bedroom had

beds with iron bedsteads and brass knobs that were polished

regularly. In one corner of the room there was a washstand

with a matching set of bowls on a small table near the bed.

The essential chamber pots were under each bed. Clothes

were kept in wooden chests of drawers.

The villagers of Cawston collected water from wells that

were mostly situated near their cottages. Normally each rowof cottages had its own water well. May Monsey once told

me about the wash-houses which her parents had to share.

Each family was allocated a certain washing day each week

to do the family washing, irrespective of the weather.

The copper was filled with buckets of water that was

collected from the well. Under the copper was a fire that

was lit and kept hot to heat the water.

2. Work


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35/43

3. Children and Schools

I do not recall anyone telling me about Cawston School

in the 19th century but I do remember

being told about a handful of privatepeople who gave school lessons. In

the second of the 19th century some

children learnt the basic skills of

reading and writing with private

tutors in the mornings and would

then joined their mothers in the

afternoons to help with the housework or with the

harvest in the summer months.

Child labour was common even in Cawston in the second

part of the 19th century. As children May Monseys

parents had to work on farms e.g. weeding and marigold

pulling after attending school lessons for a few hours

each day.

4. Health and Sickness

Due to the sanitary conditions there were frequent

outbreaks of whooping cough, measles, mumps,diphtheria and smallpox. Several people of the older

generation have told me about a brother, sister or parent

of theirs that had died when the illness was particularly

bad.

In the Victorian Age there was no state insurance

coverage against sickness. Various charities tried to

provide for the needs of these people. The sick went sent

to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital that had beenfounded a century earlier. The famous opera singer

Jenny Lind made possible the opening of a hospital for

children named after her in the early 1880s.

I once visited Mrs. Monsey and noticed that she had

cotton wool fixed to a finger. She said that she had burnt

her finger and used an effective relief her mother had

taught her. She covered her finger with flour, put cotton

wool over it and applied a plaster to keep it firm and

from air contract. I remember my grandfather telling


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me that he had an uncle who always smoked a pipe with

caraway seed when he had a toothache. Mrs. Monsey

had another method which she learned from her

parents. She would relieve pain by applying a small bag

of salt heated in the oven to the affected part. FlorenceNightingale, the famous nurse who did wonders at a

military hospital during the Crimean War (1853-56) was

a household word for many and taken as an example for

self-healing in the absence of health coverage.

5. Shops, Food and Clothes

Shops in the Victorian Age were different from what weknow today. It was common to barter and exchange

goods. Gradually, specialist shops were started in the

front rooms of the cottages, e.g. bakers, grocers,

shoemakers and tailors. In grocery shops life was

leisurely as each loose item had to be weighted or

counted and wrapped individually. This continues until

the late 1950s. I remember this myself in the 1950s in

Rileys shop (near the Wesleyan Reform chapel) where

e.g. cheese was weighed and each piece was individuallywrapped in greaseproof paper. in Cawston after the

harvest. She told me that mice frequently used to make

their way into the sacks. The purchasing of large sacks

of flour indicates that people in the Victorian Age made

their own bread.

I do not recall anyone telling me about butchers shop in

Cawston in the Victorian Age. Several ancestors of the

people named above kept their own poultry and pigs intheir gardens which they slaughtered from time to time

as meat was expensive to buy.

My grandfather often talked about the fruit and

vegetables that his uncles grew in their gardens and on

allotments. The surplus was exchanged between

neighbours.

Milk was available from any farm which had dairy cows.

Mrs Monsey remembered collecting fresh milk from the


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local farm in long tall cans and told me that their parents

did the same.

As a child I was always fascinated how quickly Mrs

Monseys rhubarb grew behind her garden shed. Shewould tell me how her parents would make rhubarb wine

and gooseberry wine in the summer which would be kept

as a treat for Christmas. I recall once how I had the

hiccups and Mrs. Monsey gave me some rhubarb mixed

with syrup, an effective old remedy. Mrs. Monsey also

told me how her parents pickled plums, made chestnut

jam and elderberry chutney. Food in the Victorian Age

was perceived more as a fuel for the body than as

something to be enjoyed for its own sake.

Mrs. Monsey had lots of Victorian tips which she

inherited from her mother and grandmother. She would

rub some soap on door hinges to prevent them from

creaking. On the jars of her home made jams she would

add a little honey to flour paste to make the labels stick

to the jar. These are tips that have long been forgotten

but were common more than 120 years ago.

Clothing was mostly home-produced or made by theincreasing number of dressmakers who worked at home.

Although my Aunt Bee left Cawston for London at a

young age she would often talk about her parents and

grandparents making her clothes and gloves as birthday

presents when she was a child in Cawston.

Mrs. Monseys parents always bought sacks of flour

from the farmers in long tall cans and told me did the

same. Thattheir parents

As a child I was always fascinated how quickly Mrs

Monseys rhubarb grew behind her garden shed. She

would tell me how her parents would make rhubarb wine

and gooseberry wine in the summer which would be kept

as a treat for Christmas. I recall once how I had the

hiccups and Mrs. Monsey gave me some rhubarb mixed

with syrup, an effective old remedy. Mrs. Monsey also

told me how her parents pickled plums, made chestnut

jam and elderberry chutney. Food in the Victorian Age


38/43

was perceived more as a fuel for the body than as

something to be enjoyed for its own sake.

Mrs. Monsey had lots of Victorian tips which she

inherited from her mother and grandmother. She wouldrub some soap on door hinges to prevent them from

creaking. On the jars of her home made jams she would

add a little honey to flour paste to make the labels stick

to the jar. These are tips that have long been forgotten

but were common more than 120 years ago.

Clothing was mostly home-produced or made by the

increasing number of dressmakers who worked at home.

Although my Aunt Bee left Cawston for London at a

young age she would often talk about her parents andgrandparents making her clothes and gloves as birthday

presents when she was a child in Cawston.

6. Christmas

I was told on various occasions that there was often deep

snow and sparkling frost at Christmas in Cawston in the

late Victorian Age which added to the seasonal pleasure.

My grandmother told me that as a child she, as well asher parents, had no luxuries. Colourful home-made

paper chains and holly and ivy decorated the front room

and piles of wood filled the hearth. There were home-

made cakes, puddings and mince pies which filled the

pantry shelves and were brought out on Christmas Day.

Towards the end of the 19th century a few dates and figs

as well as a selection of nuts became available. There

was a wide range of home-made wines, but no Christmas

tree. The saying was, Eat, drink and be merry. Andthat is exactly what they did.

Mrs. Monsey always remembered her parents talking

about the little white and pink sugar mice and watches

that hung on a Christmas line that stretched from one

corner of the room to the other. The children were

blind-folded and were lifted to pick a present from the

line. This replaced a Christmas tree and had been

tradition in her family for several decades. In fact, it was

a tradition in many families at that time.


39/43

7. Entertainment in the Victorian Age

There was not much time for entertainment in the

Victorian Age. Men worked for long hours and the

housewives looked after the family and cooking. On

Sundays the men spent the free time in the gardens and

looking after their animals. My grandfather also told me

about the touring menageries and circuses that visited

Cawston when he was a boy. They were always big

attractions for the village.

Such was life in Cawston in the late Victorian Age.

New Street early 1900's

Clothes Worn in the Valleys


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Horsehair sofas and high-backed chairs in the parlour ... themantle piece was made of slate ... above it stood a woodenover mantle with a centre mirror and small statues withknickknacks. On the wall enlarged photographs of parents,grandparents . . . Boer War generals or King Edward VII orMr. Gladstone ... Comfortable chairs were scorned as aweakness and arm chairs, like the beds, were made forSpartans (people used to hard living). Iron bedsteads withbrass decoration and wire mattresses cost2.10.0d. Double,1.10.0d. Single ... Eiderdowns were too expensive, so extrawarmth in winter was provided by heavy quilts made in WestWales or else home-made patchwork quilts.

The same source is also interesting for the fashions inclothes of the period. Here is a description of some of the

fashions worn:

Men still wore Welsh flannel shirts ... Best or 'Sunday suits,of dark cloth ... No one went hatless; the bowler or cap formost people ... Everyone wore boots; Shoes for men wereconsidered effeminate ... In the early 1900s infant boys stillwore frocks until they were "breeched' at three or four yearsof age, and Until they were seven or eight might be decked

Out on Sundays in sailor suits ... Older boys Wore heavynailed boots, long thick stockings, breeches fastened at theknee, waistcoats, belted jackets, caps ... Female clothingwas also heavy and cumbersome (awkward).Women wore long frocks, dresses or shirts over corsets orstays and abundant underclothing. High necked blouses and'picture' hats decked with flowers were in fashion in thesummer. Generally the only difference between the clothingof women and girls was that the girls were allowed brightercolours ... Shawls were much used . . . babies were carried

'Welsh fashion' in a large warm flannel shawl tucked aroundthe mother's waist...

The food eaten at this time was fairly basic and although thequantity of food eaten by people was less than we eat today,it would seem from recent studies by experts that the quality

and balance of their diet was much healthier than ourstoday. One hot meal would be eaten each day when the

miner returned home from the pit. Welsh crawl (soup) waspopular or otherwise a meat and potato dinner. Our Ebbw

Vale source is also very good for the food of the period 1900-1914 and its price:


41/43

Milk was 1 1/2 d a pint, butter 10 1/2d to 1/ld a lb, eggs 1d, sugar 1 lb for 3 1/2d, tea l0d to 1/10 a lb, large loaves 5

1/2d, small 3d, pork pies 2d, cooked ham 1/ 6d to 1 / 1Od a

lb, oranges 1/2d to Id each, Gold Flake cigarettes were 10for 3d, Lucky Star 6 for Id. Bananas 2 for 1 1/2d ... 1/2d andId bars of plain chocolate ... Id ribbons of liquorice ... 1/2dpaper bags of sherbet ... ice-cream in 1/2d or Id wafers ...Fish and chips shops selling fried fish 2d and 4d and chips ld

and 2d.

Poverty in the South Wales Valleys

The 'Welfare State' that we have in Britain today did notbegin until the early 20th century. In the 19th century if aminer was not in work (through illness, old age,unemployment etc.) he and his family had no automatic rightto social security benefits as we do today. Therefore, even infairly prosperous years there was always some real poverty.In such circumstances the poor would have to rely on helpfrom their family and on tick (credit) from the shops.During periods of unemployment and strikes they often hadto resort to picking coal from the tips and selling it, and soupkitchens where free meals were provided.

If help and charity were not enough the only alternative wasto 'go on the Parish'. This meant applying to the Poor LawAuthorities for help. Each Parish set aside some of the mmoney raised from the rates for poor relief which was doledout by Guardians, who were elected by the ratepayers. Afterthe Poor Law Amendment Act was passed by Parliament in1834 the Poor Law Unions (a number of parishes joinedtogether) had to set up Workhouses. Usually those who

applied for poor relief had to go into these Workhouseswhere conditions were harsh, for example, is the food givenin Swansea Workhouse in 1862:

3/4 lb of potatoes or 1/21b of rice with 4ozvegetables. One lb of pudding was given on twodays and 4oz of bread and 1!/2 pints of pea-soupon the other two. Supper was 7oz of bread and 11/2pints of broth, with 2oz of cheese and breadon two nights.


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Entering the Workhouse was called receiving 'in-relief' andusually the authorities did not believe in giving out-relief(money or food to people outside the workhouse) except invery few cases and then it would be no more than 2s. 6d. perweek. By the end of the 19th century when there was a great

deal of unemployment or a major strike, out-relief could begiven only if work was done in return. This work was oftenvery hard.

Self Help

Because of the poverty and hardship which might befall aminer as a result of an accident at work, some collierycompanies set up their own Insurance . Funds which paidsickness benefit for short periods. However, the main

method chosen by working people to guard against thepoverty which might come from illness and old age, was tojoin a Friendly Society. People paid a weekly subscription tothese Societies and in return they would receive assistanceduring difficult times.

These societies began in the early 19th century and werethen organised on particular trades or areas and evenindividual public houses. After 1850 there was a tremendousgrowth in the societies and by the end of the century there

were some 1,500 societies in Glamorgan and Monmouthshirealone, with nearly 250,000 members. By then it was the bignational orders which were dominant-the Oddfellows, Heartsof Oak, the Ivorites. Not only were they a popular form ofself-help, the societies were also organisations which peoplejoined for the enjoyment that was had on 'club nights' andon processions and marches that were held. They were alsovery democratic organisations and gave training to manyfuture community leaders. The societies did not pay verygood benefits on the death of a member and with so many

deaths from mining disasters taking place in South Wales, bythe 1890s insurance companies such as the Prudential andspecial insurance funds (known as Permanent Relief Funds)were also active in the valleys.

We have come to the end of this months news we hope youhave enjoyed it


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Christine and Vera

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