Author: secretary

John Parry was a welsh harpist and composer, although in this performance at Stamford, he appears to be playing a keyboard. Attendees paid the large sum of four or five shillings for the evening’s entertainment.

“The entertainment of Mr. John Parry at the Assembly-rooms, Stamford, on Friday evening last, attracted a large and fashionalbe audience. It was at first thought that the prices of admission were too high for ‘free trade times,’ and that the soirée would be only moderately countenanced; but the reminiscences of Mr. Parry’s former entertainment in Stamford, and his increased fame, were too powerful to be resisted, and the consequence was a full attendance. And, however much some of those who paid 4s. or 5s. for admission may have grumbled before taking tickets, there was not a shadow of discontent or disappointment on their leaving the room : the performance was declared inimitable, the applause was general, and the gratification imparted seemed prefect. Mt. Parry’s illustrations of the power of music were as varied as they were astonishing : he passed ‘from grave to gay, from lively to severe,’ at one time eliciting roars of laughter, at another almost making the piano articulate word, and anon causing breathless suspense by describing the fearful character of an Alpine store, a tragic incident connect with it, driving as it were from his instrument reverberating peals of thunder, and then modulating the sound till it seemed to die away in distance. Every person present showed an appreciation of the extraordinaty acquirements of the performer, who it is said has amassed a respectable fortune by his profession.”

The Stamford Mercury, 12th April, 1850.

Tolthorpe Hall seems to have had a very interesting past as well as having a highly popular theatrical future.

“R. Harrison, Esq., of Tolthorpe Hall, near Stamford, has been recently employing some of the labourers in his parish (Little Casterton) to level a portion of the grounds on the west of his residence. In the course of their operations, the men turned up the massive keystone of a handsomely carved arched window – a discovery which it is supposed gives a clue to the site of a hospital and chapel founded on the manor in 1301. Tolthorpe was anciently a manor of some importance: in the reign of the Conqueror, it was in possession of Ausculf, one of the greatest barons of the age : subsequently it became the property of John de Oketon, or John de Tolthorpe, who built and endowed a hospital for seven poor men, and a chantry for the befit of his soul. In after-times, Tolthorpe belonged for some generation to the Brown family, one of whose ancestors was a draper at Stamford and a wealthy merchant of the staple. The advowson of the chantry or college of Tolthorpe is frequently mentioned in official documents during the reigns of the early Plantegenets. Wright, the historian of Rutland, mentions that the chapelry was transferred in the 50th Edw. III.; but Blore disputes the statement, though he believes it was dissolved before the reign of Edward VI., as it is not mentioned in an inquisition taken during that reign of one of the Cecils. Blore farther speaks of unsuccessful efforts to discover the site of the chapelry. If the keystone recently discovered formed a portion of the hospital, it is probable its situation was on the edge of the slope extending from the river Gwash to the plateau in the centre of which stands the existing mansion. The stone is too heavy to have been conveyed from any considerable distance for any other than a useful purpose. Portions of stone which were found neat the same spot, seem to have undergone the action of fire : hence it is not improbable the hospital and chapelry were destroyed by a conflagration.”

The Stamford Mercury, 19th April, 1850.

Stamford’s Assembly Rooms was built in 1727, leased from the Earl of Exeter. The theatre was built in 1766 – 8 and opened in March 1786. In 1969, the Marquis of Exeter suggested that three of his building in St. George’s Square could form a hub for the Arts and offered to rent them out at £5 p.a. 1972 saw the official opening of the Arts’Centre. Eventually, the Stamford Theatre Co. and the Arts’ Centre were merged. The centre underwent another refurbishment in 2o16.

“Very extensive alterations are being made in the Theatre at Stamford, at the joint expense of the landlord and the lessee (Mr. Caple.) A new stage is to be laid down, ata lower altitude than that of the old one; and the pit also is to be lowered, thus effecting a greater separation between the pit and the boxes. The entire house is to be re-decoration, and ample provision is to be made for rendering it warm and comfortable. Mr. Caple seemed determined to revive, if possible, the patronage of the drama in Stamford, as he has done in other towns which he hqas visited with his company.”

The dulness of the ‘long evenings before Christmas’ in Stamford is to be relieved on Monday and Tuesday next by the performances of a party of femail serenaders, for whom the banquetting-room at the Stamford Hotel has been engaged. ~We perceive that all the popular Ethiopian ballads and glees are announced in the programme, and that the “sable sisters of song” have published a broad sheet of favorable criticisms upon their performances.”

Stamford Mercury, 15th December, 1848.

Use up and down arrow keys to resize the meta box pane.

The lords enjoyed a lively debate about the National Exhibition, planned for the following year. There was ‘much laughter’!

House of Lords, Friday March 22.

“Lord Brougham, with reference to the National Exhibition of 1851, said tradesmen ought not to be called upon the subscribe towards it, as it would be predjudicial to their present interest, though in after years it might produce benefits. He though the nation should subscribe 50,000l. or 60,000l. He complained that at the Lord Mayor’s banquest, or, as he designated it, the meeting of the ‘House of Mayors,’ Lord Stanley had spoen of his (Lord Brougham) as being volatile. – Earl Granville defended the object of the exhibitions from the sarcasms of Lord Brougham; and Lord Overstone, in an admirable maiden speech, said that the sneers of the noble and learnéd lord at the assembly at the Mansion-house were unbecoming, and ill assorted with those principles by the advocacy of which Lord Brougham obtained political station and power. – Lord Stanley also replied to Lord Brougham, and remarked of him, ‘In point of quickness, of activity, or rapidity, and pungency, I think that sal volatile* is nothing to him. I defy any human power, I defy even the noble and learnéd lord himself, – to apply a stopper, whether of glass or any other material, to the intensity, the activity, the ingenuity, and the pungency of his mind. (Much laughter.) But for the future, in order to form a more correct estimate of the noble and learnéd lord’s character, I shall regard him, upon his own showing, as a grave, a serious, a plodding, proper, slow, heaavy individual, not apt to form a hasty judgement, still less to pass a hasty opinion, and never making use of an expression which it might be desirable to recall (laughter), but as one who, by intense labour and study, makes himself master of one subject at a time and no more, never venturing to speak upon any question until he has made himself thoroughly master of it. (Much laughter.)”

The Stamford Mercury, 29th March, 1850.

*sal volatile – a type of smelling salts.

Most people would pay anything to be rid of the dreaded tooth-ache, so Mr. Sweeting and his chemist associates probably made good money from sales of his wonderful elixir.

“My curse on your envenom’d stang,

That shoots my tortur’d gums alang,

And thro’ my lugs gies mony a bang,

Wi’ gnawing vengeance;

Tearing my nerves wi’ bitter twang,

Like racking engines.”

The TOOTH-ACHE Cured by SWEETING’s TOOTH-ACHE ELIXIR.

“This troublesome complaint, which has hitherto been considered incurable except by extraction, is now no longer so: my Elixir has cured up to this time at least 100,000 people. I beg most distinctly to state it is no matter how long or violent the pain may have been, or how many teeth decayed; the Elixir will be found to stop decay, and be a permanent cure in every case of real tooth-ache, without the least danger to the most delicate constitution.”

Knaresborough, 1849. MARTIN SWEETING.

“No 10, Bow Church-yard, London, Jan. 2, 1850.

“To Mr. Sweeting, – Please send as usual 72 dozen Tooth-ache Elixir at 1s. 1 1/2d., and 12 dozen ditto at 2s. 9d.

“For W. SUTTON and Co., G. JONES.”

Prepared only by Martin Sweeting, chemist, Knaresboro’, who has appointed W. Sutton and Co., London, and Jas. Drury, Lincoln; Robson, Louth; Strawson, Market Rasen; Cartwright, Horncastle; Noble, Boston; Bowden, Gainsboro’; Skelton, Grimsby; Ridge, Grantham; Gibson, Kirton Lindsey; E. B. Robinson, Nottingham; Cressey, Brigg; F. Milns, Spalding; Creasey, Sleaford; Mountain, Alford; Leach, Wisbech; Thew, Lynn; and Hattersley, Barton; in bottles at 1s. 1 1/2d. and 2s. 9d. each. – N.B. Any medicine vender who has not got it, will procure it on being applied to.”

The Stamford Mercury, 5th April, 1850.

An experiment to test electric light aparatus for use on the railways.

“On Saturday night an experiment was made on the Great Western Railway, to test the power of a new species of light produced by electricity, particularly with a view to its being used by railway trains. The light is produced by an apparatus invented by M. Le Mott, a French gentleman, who has been for several years employed in electrical experiments in Russia, and whose discoveries in that department are well known to the scientific world. At half past six o’clock a truck, containing a wooden square box, about the size of a sentry-box, and having a galvanic battery of some sixty or seventy small jars disposed around it, was attached to the last carriage of the train then about to proceed from Paddington. The light was produced inside the box, and the rays, condensed and heightened by a powerful reflector, were emitted by an aperture contrived for the purpose. The light was produced before the train left Paddington, when a dazzling blaze filled the whole of the spacious station, casting the numerous gas lamps there completely into the shade. As the train proceeded on its way, the reflection left a long train of clear bright light for the distance of a mile and more behind it, in such a manner as to render it utterly impossible that any train coming up behind should run into it, except as the effect of deliberate intention. The reflection, as seen from the carriage, was very beautiful, the prismatic colours being distinctly and vividly delineated along the outer edge of the circle of radiation; and as these fell upon the dense column of smoke ascending from the engine, the effect was singular and striking. The night was dark, but clear, and so far favourable to the experiment; and objects, such as a bridge, were rendered distinctly visible at the distance of two miles. The experiment was made as far as Slough, on arrivinig at which station the truck was detached from the train, and continued there for about half an hour, till the up-train arrived, with which it returned to town. While at Slough, the light was turned in the direction of Windsor Castle, as it was the expectation of M. Le Mott, who accompanied the experiement, that it would be seen from thence. While there, a gentleman stationed himself at the distance of 200 yards or so from the apparatus, and read a newspaper by the light produced, which he found he could do with perfect ease. The apparatus then returned to town in the same manner, the light being continuously intense during the whole of the journey and return; and it was stated by the ingenious inventor that there could be no difficulty in keeping it up for the whole night. The experiment afforded great satisfaction to all who witnessed it, the only drawback being that the apparatus, having been in the first instance adapted for stationary experiments, suffered considerably from the jolting inseparable from railway motion, a defect which the inventor considered might be with ease overcome in any future experiment. This is the first time that light produced by electricity has been applied to railway purposes; and if its use should be fouind practicable, there can be no doubt that it will add greatly to the safety of night-travelling by railway.”

The Stamford Mercury, 24th November, 1848.

Or the BEDE-HOUSE in STAMFORD.

Oh dear! It seems the Bishop of Lincoln had been letting out hospital properties for incorrect charges and for longer periods than he should.

“The Vice-Chancellor’s decree on this important case has just been promulgated, and is in the following words:-

‘This Court doth declare that, upon the true construction of the letters patent of his Majesty King James the First, the Bishop of Lincoln for the time being has not any power or authority [as it was pretended he had] to make or constitute any statutes, or to revoke, change, determine, enlarge, alter, or make new the same, or any of the existing statutes touching or concerning or relating to the management of the estates and property of the said Hospital, or the distribution of the revenues thereof; but that the power and authority given by the said letters patent to the Bishop of LIncoln for the time being to make and constitute statutes, and to revoke, change, determine, enlarge, alter, or make new the same, or any of the existing statutes, is limited to the making and consituting, revoking, changing, determining, enlarging, alterinig, and making new, statutes touching and concerning the performance of divine service in the said hospital, and touching and concerning the personal conduct and government of the Warden, Confrater, and Poor Persons of the said hospital; and that such limited power of making and constituting, revoking, changing determining, enlarging, altering, and making new, the said statutes, to be exercised so as not to be contrary or repugnant or derogatory to such of the ancient statutes of the said hospital as are consistent with the laws and statutes of the kingdom.

‘And this court doth declare that the practice of letting the estates and property of the said hospital, and that the same ought to be discontinued, at such time and in such manner as the Master in Chancery in settling any scheme under this decree shall direct. And that the said estates and property ought thenceforward to be let at rackrent*, either from year to year, or for terms of years not exceeding twenty-one years in possession, and not in reversion.'”

The Stamford Mercury, 1st March, 1850.

* Rackrent is the full market annual value of a property or estate. It is usually the maximum rent a landlord can charge.

The people of Stamford were alarmed by a very bright light in the sky and a rumbling noise. They thought it might be an earthquake, but it turned out to be a meteor.

“A curious phenomenon was witnessed in Stamford and the country for many miles round at ½ past 10 o’clock on Monday night last.  At a time when the atmosphere was beautifully clear, the heavens were suddenly illuminated with an intensely vivid light, which lasted for several seconds, and eclipsed the effect of gas and candles: this was followed by a hollow rumbling sound, which gradually increased to a report like thunder: it vibrated in the air, and shook buildings to their foundations.  The alarm was general. Domestics who were in underground kitchens describe the noise as a seemingly proceeding from the bowels of the earth; and many thought their neighbours’ houses has fallen in.  There was no repetition of either the light or the sound: hence  some attribute the phenomenon to an earthquake, and others to meteoric agency.

– A gentleman who devotes much attention to scientific pursuits, has supplied us with the following account:- A meteor passed over Stamford on Monday night, its course being from west to east.  The splendour of its light far exceeded that of the full moon : and in brilliancy it surpassed the electric light.  Its shape was that of a ball surrounded by a dazzling light of a pale blue colour: from the nucleus, or head, proceeded an elongated stream of tortuous light, which displayed magnificently all the colours of the rainbow, and throughout its extent continued to throw off bright sparks, or rather masses of incandescent matter, resembling in appearance the effect produced by the discharge of a ticket.  It was visible for three or four seconds.  In about three or four minutes after it disappeared, a loud heavy noise resembling distant thunder was heard, producing the effects usually resulting from an earthquake.  The altitude of meteors of this character is estimated to be about 90 miles, and the velocity of their motion is about 1000 miles in a minutes: their origin, as well as the matter of which they consist, have in all ages been subjects of debate, but their appearance has seldom failed to produce considerable alarm, and as ‘blazing stars’ they no doubt constitute on part of the ancient prodigies.”

The Stamford Mercury, 15th February, 1850.

‘The old tunes are the best’, so they say, but some of these chimes rung from churches in Stafford and Stamford do not sound at all familiar. It’s a shame we don’t hear them so much nowadays.

“The Merry Church Bells, – In the Staffordshire Advertiser of last week, there is an account of the chimes newly fitted up in the venerable tower of St. Mary’s, Stafford, and a list is given of the tunes adapted to each day.  On Sunday, a psalm tune;  Monday, ‘Life let us cherish,’ Tuesday, ‘My lodging is on the cold ground;’ Wednesday, ‘There is nae luck about the house;’ Thursday, ‘The Harmonious Blacksmith;’ Friday, ‘We won’t go home till morning;’ and Saturday (being market-day), ‘Oh, dear, what can the matter be?’ – In the venerable church of St. Mary’s at Stamford, the chimes play two psalm tunes alternately on Sundays; on Monday, ‘General Toast;’ Tuesday, ‘Tight Little Island;’ Wednesday, ‘Grammachre  Molly;’ Thursday, ‘My lodging is on the cold ground;’ Friday, ‘God save the Queen;’ and Saturday, ‘Highland Laddie.’ – We have often heard it remarked that the Stamford chimes are not excelled by any in England.”

The Stamford Mercury, 27th October, 1848.