Mercuriosities

A mouse’s nocturnal activities caused a man to imagine a dancing mussel. One wonders if he had taken a little too much of a nightcap! (Apparently, rodents do like shellfish.)

“Singular Capture.

A man named Grant, who lives at Sidlesham, in the western part of Sussex, a few days ago, deposited for a night a large quantity of mussels in an empty room, and went to bed. Early next morning he was awakened by a strange noise in the empty room, which sounded to him as if the mussels had taken to dancing, and were clattering up and down the floor. After listening for some little time, and the noise still continuing, he got up, went into the room, and, to his no little wonderment, found that the noise was caused by a mussel indeed, but that the more active party in it was a mouse, which was scampering about the room with a mussel attached to one of its legs! and which both impeded its locomotive powers and prevented it from returning to its hole. The poor little thing, already half a prisoner, was soon fully captured, and, on the mussel’s being examined, its shell was found to have been partlky nibbled away . The mystery was now cleared up: the mouse had flattered itself with the hope of making a meal off the mussel; but, whilst effecting an entrance, the mussel had closed its shell on one of its assailant’s legs, and held it fest, in spite of all the little creature’s endeavours to shake it off.”

Brighton Herald.

The Stamford Mercury, 3rd August, 1840.

‘Wizard’ Joseph Jacobs toured the world amazing people with his spectacular ‘experiments’. He visited many towns in Lincolnshire in 1847.

“The Great Original WIZARD VENTRILOQUIST, Professor of Modern Philosphy, and Improvisatore.

Mr. Jacobs, from the Strand Theatre, London, respectfully announces his inimitable and popular entertainment at the Assembly Rooms, Stamford, on Monday the 20th; at the Assembly Rooms, Grantham, on Tuesday the 21st; at the Theatre, Sleaford, on Wednesday the 22d; and at the Assembly Rooms, Boston, on Thursday the 23rd.

Since his last appearance in Lincolnshire, he has visited many of the principal Cities on the continent, and has now to introduce such a variety of ‘new experiments’ that will eclipse all his former efforts, and throw completely into the shade all other Wizards, whether from the East, West, North, or South. His philosophical and Scientific Illusions have gained for him the title of Modern Faustus. No conception can be formed of the effects produced, unless seen. Mr. Jacobs rests his claims to popularity on the ground of combining the intellectual with the amusing – not only are the eyes deceived but the senses are gratified: he has studied the sciences of ‘Chemistry,’ ‘Electricity,’ ‘Galvanism,’ ‘Mechanism,’ and ‘Hydraulics.’ The result of which is that he stands unrivalled – his Apparatus is splendid, and produces the appearance of Arabian Romance – forming a complete Temple of Enchantment. His ‘Ventriloquism’ is also highly amusing, and his ‘Extemporaneous Songs’ on Proposed Subjects by the Audience, after the style of the Italian Improvisatore, as pleasing as they are novel. The whole forms a treat rarely to be met with.

Doors open at Half past Seven, and commence at Eight o’clock precisely. – Children under 12 years of age, Half price. – Front Seats, 2s.; Back Seats, 1s.

N.B. The Wizard will perform also at Spilsby, on Tuesday, December 28th; at Alford, on Wednesday the 29th; At Louth, on Thursday the 30th, and Friday the 31st; and at Horncastle, on Monday, January 3d.”

The Stamford Mercury, 17th December, 1847.

An exciting account of a motor race at Donington (near Derby). The E. R. A. team were doing well until various parts failed.

“NARROW ESCAPE FOR RAYMOND MAYS

E. R. A. ‘s UNLUCKY AT DONNINGTON

Bad luck dogged the E. R. A.* works team in the Empire Trophy Race at Donington Park on Saturday and Raymond Mays, the Bourne Driver, had a narrow escape which his brakes failed at 140 m. p. h.

In their first race of the season, the works E. R. A. cars, two of 1500 c.c., were driven by Mays and Earl Howe, the former winning the trophy last year.

From the spectacular massed start, Mays was soon in the first three, and after going on the grass at the hairpin bend took the lead in the third lap. This he gradually increased, and in the seventh lap Earl Howe passed ‘B. Bira,’ the Siamese Prince, to take second place.

Thus the two E. R. A.’s led on handicap although they were three laps behind the Austins, who were credited with seven laps out of the 64, against the E. R. A.’s three.

Earl Howe had to retire in the 18th lap with valve trouble, but Mays looked as if he had the race in his pocket and was rapidly overhauling the small cars. With the race nearly half over, however, and when he was travelling at 140 m.p.h. down the straight towards the hairpin bend at Melbourne corner, his brakes failed.

‘NEARLY PULLED BACK AXLE OUT’

‘ The pedal went limply to the floorboards,’ said Mays in an interview. ‘The only thing I could do was to change down to first gear. It nearly pulled the back axle out, and the car ran on the grass, nearly turned over and stopped only a few inches from the densely-packed crowd by the fences.

The crown at the grandstand, including quite a number of people from Bourne, saw Mays roll up at the pits, where he made a lengthy stop, during which his brakes were adjusted. He had to retire soon afterwards, however, as the brakes still refused to function.

Much of the interest went out of the race when Mays retired, and Charlie Dobson, in the 700 c.c. Austin, crossed the finishing line nearly a lap ahead of Bira, driving one of last year’s E. R. A. team cars. Billy Cotton, the dance band leader, in another E. R. A., was third.

It is understood that Raymond Mays was testing out a new braking system which it is proposed to employ on the new 2 1/2-litre cars now in course of production at Bourne.”

The Stamford Mercury, 15th April, 1938.

*English Racing Automobiles – Mays’ business at Bourne.

The facts and more details about the poisoned blanc-mange. The colouring may well have been Scheel’s green.

“On Wednesday the 7th Inst., the public recognition of the Rev. G. Nicholson, B. A., as the minister of King-street chapel, Northampton, in the room of the Rev. T. Milner, took place in that chapel. At the close of the ordination services, a dinner, which had been prepared for the accommodation of the ministers and friends, took place at the New Hall. Between 30 and 40 persons were present. About an hour after dinner, several of them were seized with violent sickness, and among them Mr. Wm. Cornfield, a well-known and much-respected accountant of Northampton. After suffering for a considerable time, he was conveyed home in a fly and put to bed. He took some tea, and apparently grew better and slept. About 5 in the morning he awoke and wished to have some toast, and while Mrs. Cornfield was gone to prepare it, he died. Mr. George Macquire, Mr. John Groom, Alderman Porter, Mr. Betts and his son, were all taken severely ill, apparently from the same cause – the partaking of some blanc-mange, ornamented on the top with green colouring. On Thursday afternoon an inquest on Mr. Cornfield, was commenced before P. Hicks, Gent., at the Guildhall, and adjourned till Friday. The evidence went to show that the deceased partook freely of blancmange, which was ornamented in the form of a cucumber – the principal part being coloured green. A Mr. Franklin supplied the dinner, and a man named Randall, as assistant, made the jellies and the blanc-mange. – Thos. Sharp, Esq., a magistrate, deposed – I sent for Randall, and questioned him as to the composition of the sweets, particularly as to the material with which they coloured the blanc-mange. He told me they used emerald green. I answered, it must be poison, inasmuch as all mineral greens were poison. He said he had been frequently told so; but he did not appear to know it from his own knowledge – and they always told their customers when they expressed fears about using it, that they need not be afraid, as it was extract of spinach. I said that was very extraordinary, and he replied, If we did not tell them that, they would not buy it. I then questioned him as to the quantity of this mineral he had used. He said he had to color the cucumber and the foliage around it, and he should think it was about the thickness of a sixpence. Mr. Saml. Walker was present, and he said he was sure it was one-third of an inch thick. – On as post-mortem examination being made, it seemed that the deceased had suffered from double hernia, but Mr. Faircloth, Mr. Bryan, and Mr. Greville (medical gentlemen) were all of opinion that death was produced by an irritant poison. – Mr. Greville analysed a portion of the ’emerald green,’ and found that it contained copper and arsenic. The inquest was again adjourned.”

The Stamford Mercury, 16th June, 1848.

A misunderstanding about green colouring in a kitchen poisoned twenty-one people at a public dinner (one of them fatally). It seems the colouring used in the green blanc-mange contained and arsenic and copper. See a similar story in our blogs.

“Northampton, June 14. – The inquiry which had been opened before the county coroner, Mr. Hicks, respecting the death of Mr. Wm. Cornfield, an accountant, who with twenty others, was poisoned at a public dinner given here on Wednesday the 7th, was concluded at a late hour last night at the Guildhall. The evidence adduced was very voluminous, but the facts are given in our 4th page. The medical witnesses stated that they had detected copper in the green colouring stuff which coated the blanc mange used at the dinner. A verdict of ‘manslaughter’ was accordingly returned against Mr. Franklin, by whom the dinner was provided, and against Randall, the cook.”

The Stamford Mercury, 16th June, 1848.

The jatropha berry (a type of spurge) was to blame for this mass poinsoning. But then the people who ate them were rather trusting and uncurious.

” – Bristol, May 24, – This city was yesterday the scene of an extraorodinary and alarming event:- that of upwards of a hundred persons being seized almost simultaneously with alarming symptoms, through eating of a poisonous berry, called the jatropha. Messrs. Visger, Miller, and Co., who are large manufacturers of a peculiar kind of oil which is extracted from these berries, are in the habit of importing large quantities of them, and recently had a cargo arrive, in a vessel called the Miranda. This ship has been discharging her cargo, and yesterday, the packages of berries were being removed from the wharf on the quay to the manufactory, when one of them by some means broke, and its contents were cast out and scattered about the streets. A number of children and some grown persons ate a quantity of the berries, and immediately became so alarmingly ill that it was found necessary to place them in the Infirmary and under the care of various medical gentlemen in the city. The greatest apprehensions were felt for the results, not fewer than 100 persons having been thus violently attacked with illness. However, in the evening it was announced that a considerable number had been effectually cured, and the remainder of the sufferers were convalescent.”

The Stamford Mercury, 26th May, 1848.

A brave Captain nearly met his end over a chevaux-de-frise, when the balloon he was in brushed nearby trees.

“Providential Escape. – Mr. Graham attempted to ascend in his balloon at Chelmsford on Thursday the 11th inst., but failed from want of gas. On Friday a second attempt was made, accompanied by Captain Gape, but the power was not sufficient to carry up both, and the Captain resolved to go alone; he was however with some difficulty persuaded to forego his purpose, which from his inexperience might prove dangerous; and Mr. Graham, determined to gratify the anxiety of the concourse of people assembled, again got into the car, but it still refused to rise. Some of the crowd injudiciously called out ‘the Captain’, whose courage immediately got the better of his prudence, and he rushed into the car, which then rose sideways, brushing the trees in its progress, and he could with difficulty keep his seat. In passing over the House of Correction, the car caught one of the chimneys, which suspended Capt. Gape over a chevaux-de-frise, upon which he was momentarily in danger of being precipitated, but he providentially extricated himself and remained at the top of the building. The balloon then rose, continued in sight about an hour, and suddenly fell at Little Baddow, Essex. The populace were so delighted with the courage, and so happy at the preservation of Captain Gape, that they carried him in triumph round the town. His father resides at St. Alban’s, and we understand the Captain greatly distinguished himself at the memorable battle of Waterloo.”

The Stamford Mercury, 19th August, 1825.

A sign of the times? What had once been a major, formal ball had in war-time become a more relaxed ‘dance’ with hot-dogs on the menu. However, it was still an enjoyable function.

“Less Formal but most Enjoyable

The Old Stamfordians‘ annual ball was suitably replaced this season with a less formal and most enjoyable dance, held on Monday in the School-hall, which was tastefully decorated by Mrs. G. Staveley Parker (who also provided the floral decorations), Mrs. H. E. Packer, and M. J. Aitken, H. C. Packer, C. Banks and C. R. Nutt, boys of the School. The evergreens were sent by Mr. A. Bowman, of the Pantiles.

Music was provided by the Alhambra Players from the Leicester Palais de Dance, and the catering, including a ‘hot-dog’ speciality, was undertaken in typical style by Mrs. Miles-Barton, of Stamford. A private bar was conducted by ex-Sergt. Instructor G. W. Reeve, of the Hit or Miss inn, Stamford. Stewards for the band were Messrs. H. E. Packer and L. A. Clark, and at the door were Messrs. M. J. Aitken and H. C. Packer.

About 120 guests greatly enjoyed the party, which went with a swing from start to finish.

Owing to prevailing conditions, the Old Stamfordians were neither able to help with the organisation nor assist by their presence, as they have done in the past. Their sincere thanks are extended to Mrs. J. D. Day, chairman, and the following committee, who have been responsible for all the arrangements, and without whose efforts an enjoyable function would have lapsed completely: Mrs. N. A. Pledger, Mrs L. C. Potter, Mrs. Staveley-Parker, Miss Aline Prior, and Messrs. C. A. M. Bowman and J. D. Dolby.”

The Stamford Mercury, 5th January, 1940.

A comic review of behaviour and etiquette for a gentleman. Who knew it was not on to carry a brown paper parcel or partridges, but de rigueur to wear gloves! For those of you worried about committing a faux pas, here is a more up-to-date guide.

“What a Gentleman may do, and what he may not do. – He may carry a brace of partridges, but not a leg of mutton. He may be seen in the omnibus-box at the opera, but not on an omnibus. He may be seen in a stall inside a theatre, but not at a stall outside one. He may dust another person’s jacket, but must not brush his own. He may kill a man in a dual, but he mustn’t ask twice for soup. He may pay his debts of honour, but he need not trouble himslef about his tradesmen’s bills. He may drive a stage-coach, but he mustn’t take or carry coppers. He may ride a horse as a jockey, but he mustn’t exert himself in the least to get his living. He must never forget what he owes to himself as a gentleman, but he need not mind what he owes as a gentleman to his tailor. He may do anything or anybody in fact within the range of a gentleman – go through the Insolvent Debtors’ Court, or turn billiard-market; but he must never on any account carry a brown paper parcel, or appear in the street without a pair of gloves. – Comic Almanack.”

The Stamford Mercury, 31st December, 1847.