Two hundred years ago in Loughborough

Again, this week I've been busy attending events, like the Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society talk delivered by James Wright, FSA, on Mediaeval fireplaces, a trip to Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, a visit to Market Bosworth and attendance at an election hustings. I feel the need to go back in time a bit and see what was going on in Loughborough in December 1819 ...

The hustings were focussed particularly on the future of the NHS, and one of the things mentioned was health promotion and prevention of illness. Set me thinking about walking, as this is what I do to keep myself relatively fit, which suits me as I have no interest nor ability in sport. I'm not sure though that I could even begin to contemplate what Mr Samuel Yates of Loughborough did in December 1819:

"Mr Samuel Yates, of Loughborough, has undertaken for a wager, to walk from the Bull's Head Inn, in that town [High Street, most recently Browns beauty salon], to the Black's Head [1] in Nottingham, and back again each day for six successive days between the hours of eight in the morning and eight in the evening. He commenced his task on Monday morning last [Monday 7 December 1819], and there is now (Thursday morning) every probability of his succeeding, unless the leg, which he accidentally broke in going down Bunny Hill, about eighteen months ago, and from which misfortune he is but imperfectively recovered, should be incapable of sustaining the exertion till the end of the appointed term. Mr Yates sometimes walks with one, and sometimes with two sticks, is in his 53rd year, and his diurnal trip thirty miles and a half. The bets are two to one in his favour: indeed, he himself, so confident of winning, sacrificed the like odds in making the wager." 

From:
Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties, 10 December, 1819, pg 3

Mr Joseph Barnsdall, was a builder and timber surveyor, based at Loughborough Dock, and

it was from him that further details of an amazing private contract sale could be obtained: 

"An entire new packet boat, partly decked over and fitted up for the convenience of passengers, and is well calculated for the conveyance of goods and merchandize [sic] on the River Trent and adjoining canals, to all parts of the kingdom. A good opportunity is now offered to persons who may be desirous of embarking in the conveying of goods etc. on the River Trent, the above packet being remarkably well built, and calculated to be worked by steam, and will be sold at half the original cost of steam packets in general."

From:
Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties, 10 December, 1819, pg 1


[1] The only Black's Head in Nottingham that I have so far managed to find is one that is on Burton Road, Carlton, which via today's roads is just about 17 miles.

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Dyer, Lynne (2019). Two hundred years ago in Loughborough. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2019/12/two-hundred-years-ago-in-loughborough.html [Accessed 8 December 2019]

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