On a rare occasion, I recently found myself sitting waiting for someone to cook my dinner for me! As I twiddled my thumbs, did a bit of doom scrolling, and a bit of people watching (feeling glad I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t be bothered to cook!!) I happened to glance out of the window, where my attention was caught by the advertising board. Of course, I’d noticed that the traditional poster board had been replaced across town with electronic boards – who hadn’t! But it got me to thinking …
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| There was a glitch the day I looked, so this was a permanent advert! |
At one time there was actually a company called the Loughborough Bill Posting Company, based at 35 Ashby Road, so let’s have a bit of a wander around the world of billposting.
It’s a bit of an odd term, to my mind, bill posting. We tend to think of a bill in terms of money that we need to pay out, and indeed the technical meaning of ‘bill’ is about it being a written list. Arguably, written bills have been around since the invention of moveable type printing, invented by Gutenberg in 1450. Posters, used as a term for people who put up bills, as in adverts, is a much newer concept, probably coined around 1830, and the combination of the terms, i.e. ‘billposter’ came about around 1864. However …
In an 1854 trade directory for Leicestershire, we find one Cornelius Wooding listed as a newsagent and billposter on Church Gate (some sources say at No.15, others at No.16). The same entry appeared in an 1863 directory, and throughout his life, Cornelius was referred to variously as a newsagent, tobacconist, billposter, and stationer. He advertised his services in various newspapers, adding ‘publicity agent’ to his roles. This advert appeared in the ‘Hinckley News and General Advertiser’ in April 1868:
Cornelius’s billposting activities seem to take place around the same time as those of Joseph Ryder, although I’ve only been able to find Joseph advertising in 1866-7. Also working around the same time was Charles Adcock, whose offices were on Upper Charles Street in Leicester, but who by 1872 appears to have offices in Loughborough, too.
Billposting was quite a fraught occupation, and in 1862 the United Kingdom Bill Posting Association was created 1862 by Edward Sheldon. Sheldon was a billposter in Briggate, Leeds, where he’d taken over the business from his father-in-law. I say the occupation was fraught because the industry was unregulated, and there was a lot of competition, with people sticking up bills without permission, which caused friction with other billposters. Hence, Sheldon’s association, which changed its name in 1890 to the United Billposters’ Association, was created to turn the chaos that was billposting into a respectable trade by standardising practice, enforcing ethical working practice, thereby unifying the industry. The Association had its own journal, the ‘Bill Poster’ which ran from 1887-1910, and was published monthly. Charles Adcock’s business in Leicester was a member of the United Kingdom Bill Posting Association.
Back to Loughborough …
In 1868, another billposter appears on the Loughborough scene – John Preston, working from Court A on Fennel Street. Preston is a member of the United Kingdom Bill Posters’ Association, and in mid-February he also advertises in the ‘Hinckley News and General Advertiser’:
In late February 1868, Preston accused Cornelius Wooding of defacing his posters, which Preston had posted on walls that cost him 5s. a year to rent. However, the case was dismissed as Preston had permission from the landlord or owner of the premises, while Cornelius had permission from the tenant. Strangely, a similar charge was brought against Joseph Ryder, but was not carried through. This is the report that appeared in the ‘Leicester Mail’ on 25 April 1868:
“RIVAL Bill Posters - John Preston v. Cornelius Wooding.
The plaintiff in this case sued defendant for the sum of £3 - £1 for damages alleged to have been sustained by him by defendant having fixed placards upon certain stations rented by him; £1 12s. 6d. for expenses involved in a previous suit taken before the magistrates; and 7s. 6d. for loss of time incurred by going before the magistrates and watching his walls.
His Honour said the two last items could not be sustained.
It appeared from the evidence brought before the court that plaintiff rented two posting-stations, one in Pinfold-gate and the other in Pinfold-jetty, from Mr. Start and Mr. Capewell, at a nominal rate of 5s. and 3s. 6d. per annum respectively.
A spirit of rivalry or animosity existing between the parties at suit in respect to the posting of their bills, plaintiff, to ensure himself if possible from the repeated annoyances to which he was subjected by defendant placing his placards over those fixed by him, took the precaution in February last of renting the places above mentioned.
However, notwithstanding that he published notices notifying that these stations were exclusively his by right of tenure, his bills continued to be torn down and posted over, in consequence of which he contended his business was disparaged, and to recover damages for which he brought the present action.
In cross-examination plaintiff said he had pulled defendant’s bills down many times from the walls, but he did not go out purposely to do so.
He knew a wall on the Ashby-road, but he did not get an iron rake one night to tear some of the placards down.
It had been a custom for anyone to post bills on those walls before he rented them.
He put a notice on the walls stating that they were rented by him, and that those who covered his bills would be prosecuted according to law; someone however had even put a bill right over the notice.
There was another bill-poster in the town beside defendant, named Ryder, and they were determined, if possible, to put him down, but he would not be put down (laughter).
Mr. Ryder and Mr. Capewell spoke as to the treaty entered into.
Mr. Black said that on Thursday, the 20th of February, he saw defendant pulling down bills and sticking others up on Mr. Capewell’s walls, in Pinfold-gate.
His Honour said his judgment would involve the suggestion of the reply of the Irish rebel to his brother, when he had killed one of the Hessians troops brought over from Germany to quell the insurrection, who, as he was proceeding to rob him of his green uniform, wished to go shares in the spoil; but he replied, “Go, and kill a Hessian yourself.”
So he would say to defendant, “Go and rent walls of your own, and don’t interfere with plaintiff any more.”
Plaintiff had simply proved that defendant had interfered with the wall belonging to Mr. Capewell, and he would therefore only give the amount of rent paid, 8s. 6d., as damages.
If, however, either interfered again with any portion of the walls rented by them, they would render themselves liable to damages for a considerable amount as, those practices must necessarily do the aggrieved person injury.”
An interesting name in the above report was that of Alfred Start who himself went into the billposting business, and who married Emma Wooding, one of Cornelius’s daughters in 1874. Preston continued billposting until at least 1877, but there his trail runs dry. Start, who was based at 23 School Street, had moved to 35 Ashby Road by 1887, and by 1889 also had offices in Ashby, under the business name of Start and Co.. On 10 October 1900, Start’s wife, Emma, née Wooding, was admitted to the Leicester County Lunatic Asylum where she died three days later. In 1901, Start married again. On 5 June 1902, when Start died he was described as a retired billposter, living at 124 King Street. Probate was granted 7 October to his son Lewis, the tobacconist. Effects were £2,455 8s.
From 1908, the billposting company based at 35 Ashby Road, became the Loughborough Bill Posting Company. By 1910, the company was being run by Harry Fellows (12 February 1869-18 July 1944). Harry’s father, Thomas, had been a billposter living at upper Charles Street, Leicester in 1881, so maybe he worked for Adcocks? Harry lived in Leicester in 1891 where he was a billposter; in 1901 he was a billposter in Blackpool, and on the 1911 census, he was working at 35 Ashby Road, as manager of the Loughborough Bill Posting Co.. James Forbes worked as a billposter with the company, around 1921, probably after Fallows had left to start his own company at 17 Derby Square. Sometime between 1928 and 1939, Harry moved his business to 13 The Rushes, where he died in 1944.
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What follows is a short timeline associated with Cornelius Wooding and Harry Fallows:
Cornelius
Wooding Timeline
2
April 1823 – birth of Cornelius Wooding to
Abolsom Wooding and his wife Mary. Cornelius was baptised on 8 June 1823 in
Yardley Hastings, Northampton
1824 – birth of Alice Hefford to Samuel and wife Julia,
baptised at St Sepulchre in Northampton, later to become wife of Cornelius
3
September 1831 and 22 April 1837 – Cornelius attended
the Northampton General Hospital as an out-patient, the reason for which is not
known
1841 – the census records Cornelius Wooding aged 17 living on
Bath Street, Northampton, surrounded by shoemakers and cordwainers. Cornelius
himself is a cordwainer, and is sharing part of a property with two other
cordwainers, while the other part is inhabited by another cordwainer, his wife,
and two children
12
June 1843 – Cornelius Wooding married Alice
Hefford at St Sepulchre church in Northampton. Cornelius was a shoemaker, as
was Alice’s father, Samuel, while Cornelius’s own father, Absolom, was a
labourer. Bride and groom were both resident at Harding Street, Northampton
1851 – Cornelius aged 28 and his wife, Alice aged 27 are living
on Church Gate with their children, George aged 7, Charles aged 6, and Ann aged
2, where Cornelius is a newsagent. The premises is next door to Dr Fosbrooke,
the surgeon and general practitioner
1854 – a trade directory lists Cornlius as a newsagent and
billposter on Church Gate
1861 – the 1861 classes Cornelius as a newsvendor on Church
Gate, living with his wife Alice aged 36, sons George aged 17 who is an
assistant in his father’s shop, Charles aged 16 who is working in a ribbon
factory, and daughters Mary Ann aged 11, and Emma aged 9 who are both at school
1862/1863 – trade directories list Cornlius as a tobacconist on
Church Gate
1870 - a trade directory lists Cornlius as a newsagent and
billposter on Church Gate, and his son George as a tobacconist in Market Place
1871 – Cornelius, the newsagent, aged 48, is living at 15
Church Gate with his wife Alice aged 46, and two daughters, Mary Ann aged 22
and Emma aged 19
1874 – marriage of Cornelius’s daughter, Emma to Alfred Start,
a billposter and tobacconist
1875 - a trade directory lists Cornlius as a newsagent and tobacconist
at 16 Church Gate, and his son George as a tobacconist at 23 Market Place
1877 - a trade directory lists Cornlius as a billposter, newsagent,
stationer, and tobacconist at 16 Church Gate, and his son George as a
tobacconist at 23 Market Place
September
1880 – death of Alice, wife of Cornelius
1880 - a trade directory lists Cornlius as a newsagent and tobacconist
at 15 Church Gate, and his son George as a tobacconist at 23 Market Place
1881 – widow Cornelius is living with his daughter, Mary, who
is the head of the household and running the newsagent and stationers at 15
Church Gate. On the night of the census returns, the shop was employing two
assistants and an errand boy.
1883/1887 - trade directories list Cornlius as a newsagent and tobacconist
at 15 Church Gate, and his son George as a cigar merchant and tobacconist at 23
Market Place
31
January 1889 – death of Cornelius
Wooding aged 65, registered in Loughborough, and listed as being of 16 Church
Gate
____________________________________
Harry
Fallows Timeline
12
February 1869 – birth of Harry
Fallows to Thomas Fallows an engine driver, and his wife Emma, in West Gorton,
Lancaster
1871 – the family moved to Leicester, and lived at Court B off
Talbot Lane. Thomas was now a clicker (working in the shoemaking trade), while
Emma his wife was a mechanical sewer. Their son, Thomas was aged 5, and at
school, while Harry was aged 2
1881 – Harry was now aged 12 and at school, along with his
younger siblings, Charlotte aged 10, Charles aged 8, and Frederick aged 5,
while older brother Thomas now aged 16 was out of work. Father Thomas was now a
billposter, and mother Emma was not listed as working. The family were living
at Upper Charles Street. It’s possible that Thomas Fallows was working for
Charles Adcock
1888 – Harry Fallows married Mary Laffar in Leicester
1891 – Harry was employed as a billposter and was living at 64
Upper Charles Street, Leicester, with wife Mary aged 23 daughter Emma aged 2,
and son Edgar aged 7 months.
February
1893 – Harry was a billposter in Leicester,
and commented on the state of a wall and hoardings in Belgrave Gate, Leicester that
had fallen and killed Henry Scotton of Leicester
1901
– by 1901 the family had moved to Blackpool,
where Harry, now aged 32, was a billposter. Mary was also 32, Emma was now 12,
Edgar was now 10, and there was another daughter, Ellen Mabel, aged 8
April
1910 – some boys broke some windows in the
offices of architect Willie Thomas Hampton, and also a window at the
Loughborough Billposting Company on Ashby Road where Harry Fallows was the
manager, having succeeded Alfred Start who had retired by 1901
1911 – by 1911, Harry was manager of the Loughborough Bill
Posting Company which was based at 35 Ashby Road. Living with him was his
mother Emma now aged 69, who was widowed, son Edgar now aged 20 who was a
machine hand in an electrical company (possibly The Brush), daughter Mabel aged
18, an overlocker in the hosiery trade, and youngest daughter, Florence Mary
aged 7. Meanwhile, wife Mary was living at No.2, Court H, Upper Charles Street,
Leicester, and was occupied as a box maker
1921 – by 1921, Harry, now aged 52, had moved to 17 Derby
Square where he was running his own billposting company. Also at the address
were Florence May Briers aged 47, a second hand wardrobe dealer, and her
children Alfred aged 24, Colin aged 20, Philip aged 17, and Winifred aged 12, and
two boarders – a coach painter and an upholsterer who were with Loughborough
Technical College. Meanwhile, wife Mary was still at No.2 Court H, Upper
Charles Street, Leicester, working as a box maker for Jane Cox and Co, box
makers at 30 York Road, Leicester
1928 – a trade directory lists Harry Fallows as a billposter living
at 17 Derby Square
1939 – by 1939, Harry Fallows was still working as a
billposter, but had moved to 13 The Rushes, along with Florence May Briers, who
was still dealing in second hand wardrobes, and Harry’s son Charles, now aged
66 and a commercial traveller
18 July 1944 – death of Harry Follows of 13 The Rushes, Loughborough. Probate was granted on 30 November 1944 to Alfred Briers, a foreman fitter. Effects were £974 4s. 3d.
____________________________________
Posted by lynneaboutloughborough
With apologies for
typos which are all mine!
_______________________________________________
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Dyer, Lynne (2026). Billposters. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2026/07/billposters.html [Accessed 14 July 2026]
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