Billposters

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 …

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

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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.

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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Goadby’s History of Loughborough Chapter 4

In this blogpost, we continue the story of Loughborough as presented by journalist Edwin Goadby back in 1864. In this chapter, chapter 4, Goadby discusses life – particularly trade and travel – in the fourteenth century.

As previously mentioned, for the most part, I've kept the text and the layout as it appeared in the original newspaper serialisation, although have split some of the text into separate paragraphs to aid reading. I've added a few explanatory notes at the end, if I think these might be useful. In the 160 years since the original publication appeared, there have been many more discoveries and revelations about Loughborough's history, and some terminology will have changed, so some of the information contained in this article will be wrong: I have not tried to amend these in any way, so reader, beware!

 

THE HISTORY OF LOUGHBOROUGH FROM THE TIME OF THE BRITONS TO THE MIDDLE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

Chapter 4 Trade and travelling in the fourteenth century.

In: Loughborough Monitor 13 October 1864, pg 5

Chapter IV The Feudal system oppressive to the Trading Class - No security for Person, Land, or Goods - Danger of being abroad after Curfew - Murder of William of Loughborough, in Leicester, etc. - A Specimen of a Trader's Grievance, in the case of Richard Calf, of Loughborough - Danger of Travelling on the King's Highway - A Merchant Robbed and Slain, returning from the Market - Bad state of the Roads in and about the Town - Dispute about the Repairing of Cotes' Bridges, and how settled.

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The Feudal ages are stirring times to look at through some martial romance, read in a cosy nook by a bright fire on a frosty night, but they were miserable enough to live in, unless one were a mighty baron or a doughty retainer. The castles were bold, picturesque-looking objects, no doubt; the jousts and tourneys [1], excellent; adventures, daring and plentiful enough; and the women handsome, the men stalwart, the children hardy; but for all that it was not an agreeable period for an honest man to live in.

Provisions were cheap and pretty plentiful, and a man could build his own house, spin his own garments, grow his own corn, kill his own cattle, and brew his own beer if he pleased, subject to a few manorial imposts. And yet, being an honest man, he would find it a queerish age that he had been born into, and had to do a man's work in. "Honesty is the best policy," was a maxim as yet undiscovered. Many men tried hard to discover it, and failed. Indeed, how trade, excepting that concerned with eating and drinking, ever managed to struggle into a respectable existence at all in these days, is a puzzle to all our political economy. The trader did somehow vindicate his right to be, in this bickering Barondom [2], and we admire him for it, but he had to submit to robbery, spoliation, violence, and occasional incarceration for his imprudence. Now and then he thrived, and got patronised by the warriors, as a man who ought to have been a jolly baron but had missed his vocation. In the small towns this was painfully evident, but in larger ones it was not so bad. In fact, a burgess [3], who carried a short sword with him, as a final piece of constitutional law, was not a man to be spirited away at the sight of a suit of mail and a poleaxe [4].

Outside of a fortified town matters were different. A man wore side-arms just the same, but he rarely used them except to wound his neighbour in a drunken brawl. In the city, tradesmen were protected, but out of it they were treated as individuals expressly created for baronial experiments, in the spirit of that celebrated aphorism of Lord Orford's [5], which describes timber as "an excrescence on the face of the earth, placed there by Providence for the payment of (gentlemen's) debts". This may seem humour now, but was sternest fact then. Magna Charta [6] was a fine thing, but it did not cure the Barons of their injustice.

We have already hinted at one or two inconveniences resulting from this system, as to corn-grinding, market tolls, and the like. But matters did not end there, and we can never know the amount of petty tyranny our townsmen had to bear in their daily life and trade. A Loughborough tradesman of the thirteenth and fourteenth century was a happy man if he had no other grievances than those just named, and went to church in a thankful spirit, as became him, on the Sabbath Day, and sold his commodities, and reared his children honestly and well. But, unfortunately, there were others who had no honesty, and did no work, and they hung about him perpetually. After the curfew had sounded - and it is but a few years since it left off sounding - such villains stole from their hiding places and made their spoil of his property. If he ventured out of doors, they waylaid him, and if he stayed at home, they might burn him out of his house, and chuckle over his hard earnings and captured goods. If pursued, the thick forest sheltered them, and the game sustained them. It was a rare time for thieves and poachers.

No doubt the manorial Lord had some protective kind of an institution for the town in the shape of a watchman, who hung about the market cross, stamped along in thick-soled jackboots, and made weather notes, like an accomplished member of a meteorological society. But so long as the Lord himself claimed all the waifs, that is, the stolen goods, left or thrown away by the felon when pursued, his interest could not be said to be identical with that of his vassals [7] and tenants. Neither life nor property could be secure in this general lawlessness. It might be that your neighbour wanted a little more land, or a few heads of cattle, that the Lord's bailiff was short of money, or some noble baron found that his retainers were getting overfed and wanted exercise; all a man could do was to grin and bear it. We do not say there was no redress for these grievances, or that Loughborough was in any way worse off than other towns. One of the benefits derived from that local parliamentary representation which Simon de Montfort brought about, was a pretty direct communication of these evils to Parliament, and their amelioration, if possible; and as one of the Dispensers was his associate and confidant, there is good reason to suppose that, in his time at least, such evils would hardly exist. That they did, however, after his death, is easily shown by facts.

Such facts as have come down to us are not very extensive, but they suggest a great deal as to the actual conditions under which they could occur. Here is an adventure that happened to a townsman at Leicester. Now, Leicester was walled, well ruled, and garrisoned, and if such an affair could happen there, it plainly shows what a spirit of misrule would sway in a smaller town open to waste lands on every side, and with only a semblance of municipal government. The event happened in 1301, on the night of St. Stephen's. William of Loughborough was in Leicester, but whether occasionally or not, does not appear, and was proceeding, after the curfew had tolled, along the lane near to the Church of St. Martin, and had reached the Church of the Grey Friars, when he met one Adam, a groom in the service of Lady Pitchford, in company with Richard the Smith, of Leicester. No provocation or altercation ensued, yet Adam immediately drew his bow, shot William of Loughborough with a barbed arrow just above the belt, and then fled. His companion the Smith, then drew his sword, and struck the wounded man across the left hand, leaving his fingers hanging by the thumb. In a few hours the man received the last rites of the Church, and died. His wife, Hawys, who seems to have been in the town and opportunely informed of the disaster, raised the alarm at the town gates, but the murderer had already escaped, and the Smith alone was apprehended. He was taken to Warwick gaol, and there tried, but was strangely enough, acquitted. The very same year, Elias of Loughborough, with Richard of Quorndon, Alicia his wife, Walter of Langton, and William of Keythorpe, committed a robbery in Leicester, by night, upon the goods of Melicent of Quorndon, and were all tried, sentenced, and executed. Land, we have said, was also seized and appropriated, and the Parliamentary petitions enable us to record a case in which a Loughborough man was the thief. There was a bovate of land - that is, as much as an ox could plough in a year - situate in the township of Stanford, belonging to one Mabell, the sister of the grandfather of one "William, the son of William, the son of Adam, the clerk, of Stanford," which this last patriarchally designated person complained to the King, had been illegally seized upon by Robert Stier, of Loughborough, and sold to the elder Spencer, who was then Lord of the Manor of Loughborough. As the petition is on record, the complainant probably got redress, but it would be in a roundabout way.

A notable instance of how the poor merchants were experimented upon, is given us in another Parliamentary petition of one Richard Calf, a wool merchant of this place, in 1321-2. The original is in Norman-French, and so curious that we present a translation of it:

"To our Lord the King and his Council. Richard Calf, of Loughborough (Loughteburgh), merchant, showed, that on the Gules of August (August 1) last past, the Lord Ralph of Crophull came to Hemynton and Bonyngton; and the Wool of the same Richard -  which he had put in two chambers under a good lock, namely, four sacks of good Wool, of the value of XLiiii Li (£44) - he hath taken and carried away, and thereof hath done his will. And besides this, the goods and locks of the chambers aforesaid he hath broken in pieces, wrongfully, and against the peace of our Lord the King, and to the grievous damage of the afore-named Richard.

Wherefore, the same Richard prayeth to our Lord the King for his grace and a remedy, for the said Lord Ralph is 'of so great power in his country that no man can have recovery from him at the Common Law'".

We have purposely italicised the last clause of this petition; it speaks volumes. The petition was answered in the usual form - "Habeat Breve de gratia Regis" ("Let him have a brief by the King's grace"), and there can be little doubt that the issue of the trial would be in favour of the suffering merchant.

These are specimens of the indignities to which people, and especially harmless tradesmen, were liable in these remarkably "good old times," which seem so romantic in the chronicles of Froissart [8], or the novels of Scott [9], that sentimental young ladies and dreaming boys would sooner live in those days than be safe, successful, and matter-of-fact people in our own!

Travelling was not even then "a fool's paradise," as it has been called, much less a wise man's delight. One needed to have a navvy [10], a woodsman, and a couple of soldiers with one continually. Adventures with robbers were so common that any diarist would have been extremely short of materials to have made the most of the sight of half-a-dozen fierce-looking men and an arrow-stricken horse. Every wood had got stocked with banditti [11], just as every park had with game. Even the King's retainers varied their employment by a little occasional free-booting excursion for pocket-money. Before the year 1285 matters were so bad, that in that year a statute was passed, commanding that the highways leading from one market town to another should be increased in width, and that no trees or bushes likely to shelter an assailant should remain within 200 feet of the roadway. Whatever townships failed to carry out these orders were made responsible for the robberies that might be committed within their several jurisdictions. This measure might disclose an assailant, but did not much diminish the chances of robbery. It was a common practice to waylay a man returning from market with his goods, or the proceeds of his commodities.

Here is an instance. Robert of London, a mercer, had been to Loughborough market, and was returning to Leicester on the Thursday following the feast of St. Nicholas (i.e. December 13), 1322, and had proceeded as far as a part of Wanlip, then called Langdale, when he was suddenly shot at by some persons concealed near the wood, and wounded by an arrow underneath the left shoulder blade. He immediately fell to the ground, when an assailant, leaping out upon him, smote him on the head with a sword, inflicting a mortal wound. He was plundered of all his goods, and left on the road. He survived until the Monday following, when he died at his own house at Leicester, whither he had been conveyed. Thomas Fraunceys, of Ratby, John, son of Richard of London, of Quorndon, Richard Hart and Robert Duval, of Cropston, were concerned in the affair, but all of them escaped the hands of justice.

The roads were not only dangerous by reason of robbers, but by reason of their rugged unpaved condition. A ploughed field was comparatively smooth beside them. The roads were in ruts, widened and deepened year after year until they were like brooks in wet weather and ran mud. The old notion of roadmaking was, that you had only to make the sides of the road higher than the middle, and the rain would keep it in repair by washing down the gravel from the sides into the centre. This was the pre-Macadamite, concave system, [12] and had its enthusiastic believers for years, but unfortunately water was an element that would not disappear immediately it was done with, and so the traveller slipped about like a drowning man in a quicksand, only that he did not drown. And then huge blocks of stone lay about the road in the most ugly positions, and there were holes you went into before you knew what you were doing, that threatened to engulf man, horse, and waggon, for ever. Sir Walter Raleigh's cloak would have been of little use even in a civilised town.

Loughborough was no better than its fellows. Its streets were narrow, unpaved, boggy. Yea, blocks of stone as big as wheelbarrows lay about them as late as the end of last century. There were only two good through roads, the Leicester and Nottingham and the Leicester and Derby highway. Carriers went along these when they could collect goods enough, taking a good long day to reach any of the three places from Loughborough. Letters went seldom. A man did not exactly write his letters and take them himself, but he did very much like it. He must either send them by his own messenger, or wait for a passing pilgrim, whose rags sheltered him from assault. Pilgrims and minstrels were the only news-bringers, and what people found to talk about is one of those mysteries that Lord Dundreary [13] might appropriately consider past understanding. The Ashby turnpike only extended as far as Snell's Nook Gate, then called Highway End, and beyond it was an open waste. The Forest Lane Gate was about where the Woodbrook Bridge is now, and beyond that all was waste. The Meadow-lane was probably in existence, but would be nothing like so long as it is now, and all open to the fields.

The road to Nottingham appears to have been most important, and the bridges between Loughborough and Cotes the wonder of travellers. They were erected in some degree of substantiality in the second half of the thirteenth century, if not before, and probably upon piles. Very early in the fourteenth century we find that the question of their repair was agitated. A good deal of dispute was indulged in as to who ought to repair them. It was alleged that William Bosard, of Loughborough, and Robert Oseveyne, of Cotes, the keepers of the bridges, with the surrounding villages benefitted by them, Stanford, Cotes, Rempstone, and, we know not why, the Abbey of Garendon, were responsible for the proper repair of the bridges in question. This they denied.

The two bridge keepers were the representatives of the Lord of the Manor, and collected tolls upon the corn passing over it to the water-mills, but as they alone are mentioned as responsible, and not the Lord of the Manor for the time being, it is pretty clear that they paid him an annual sum for the tolls, and squeezed their profits out of their unfortunate neighbours who were obliged to take their corn to the mills or submit to unpleasant consequences. Private tolls, as we have good reason still to know over some bridges a few miles away, are very heavy affairs, and when men farmed them out like this for a living they were extremely likely to be extortionate, and probably Loughborough people were only retaliating when they said, "The bridge-keepers get more out of the bridges than anybody else; let them pay for their repairs".

The matter was sufficient to attract general attention. Probably the King was petitioned about it, as in 1322, an inquisition was held at Nottingham to settle the question. The Chartulary of Garendon Abbey fortunately preserved an account of this inquisition, or we should hardly have known of it. The inquiry was held in the presence of Lord Radulph de Neville, Lord John Sturmyn, Peter de Crete, William of Walton, and others of the King's Counsel. The whole matter was investigated by them, and the following witnesses examined upon oath:

William, Lord of Stanford, John, Lord of Rempstone, John Poutrel of Cotes, Thomas of Thorp, William, the son of Stephen of Prestwold, Robert the Juryman, of Loughborough, Thomas Marshall, Robert Pegg, of Loughborough, Robert Ingaram, of Walton, Henry Jordan of Burton, Roger Barkoff of Cotes, and Peter Herbert of Shenton. The result was they affirmed upon oath, that the said keepers, townships, and abbey ought not of themselves to repair the bridges, but that the work ought of right to be done by the free-offerings of the whole country, "as the sheaves of wheat in autumn (the tithes), the money given at the Sacrament, the various gifts and legacies of infirm folk, and the tolls asked and collected of the passengers by the bridge keepers". This toll was called ponting, from the Latin word for a bridge, and was chiefly paid by agriculturists and merchants, the clergy and the poorer peasantry being sometimes exempt. This appears to have settled the matter for some considerable time, until these and other bridges about the town were repaired out of the proceeds of the lands and tenements left by the town's great benefactor, Thomas Burton. And there can be little doubt that this inquisition shaped the proceedings of a later one in Henry VIII's time, when the charities were diverted from their originally religious uses to relieve the neighbourhood of this somewhat heavy burden.

Flooding on the A60 at Cotes Bridge, February 2020

____________________________________

NOTES

[1] A tourney is a tournament

[2] on the physical territory of, or under the rule of the local baron

[3] an inhabitant, or fully-fledged citizen

[4] a poleaxe is simply a battleaxe

[5] Probably Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, 1717-1797

[6] The Magna Carta was issued in June 1215 and was the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law. It sought to prevent the king from exploiting his power, and placed limits of royal authority by establishing law as a power in itself. See: https://www.parliament.uk/magnacarta/

[7] landowners in feudal times

[8] A French-speaking poet and historian from the Low Countries

[9] Sir Walter Scott, author of such novels as ‘Ivanhoe’ and ‘Waverley’

[10] a general labourer

[11] gangs of robbers or outlaws

[12] Thomas Telford was probably a supporter of the concave road surface, and John Loudon McAdam was the proponent of the layer of soil with a crust of stone atop

[13] Lord Dundreary, a good-natured, harmless aristocrat, is a character in the 1858 play ‘Our American Cousin’, which was written by Tom Taylor.

____________________________________

Transcribed and presented here with the kind permission of the British Newspaper Archive. https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/

____________________________________

Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

_______________________________________________

Thank you for reading this blog.

Copyright:

The copyright © of all content on this blog rests with me, however, you are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follows:

Dyer, Lynne (2025). Goadby’s History of Loughborough, Chapter 4. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2025/12/goadbys-history-of-loughborough-chapter.html  [Accessed 7 December 2025]

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Christie and Cook

On the blog last week mention was made of Thomas Cook, and his first package tour from Leicester to Loughborough in 1841. If I remember rightly, the company was taken over by Hays, and it was around that time (2018??) that the Thomas Cook archive was deposited at the Record Office for Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland. I believe Thomas Cook is now part of eSky. Anyway, I think I also mentioned Agatha Christie last week? So now seems like a good time to combine Cook and Christie!!!

While I was reading all the Agatha Christie novels last year, I was struck by the number of times ‘Cook’s’ was mentioned – and I may have missed some of them! Seems to me, that throughout the appearance of Cook’s in the books, starting in 1924 in The Man in the Brown Suit, to Cat Among the Pigeons in 1959, the company must have been very well known, since in no instances does Christie expand upon what exactly the business was about. Admittedly, such information is usually obvious from the context in which the reference to Cook’s appears, so that makes it rather interesting, and not unlike passing references to shops of the period, maybe like Harrods, or Fortnum and Masons. The Mystery of the Blue Train contains the most references, while most of the others contain only one.

So, here are some extracts from the mentions I’ve found of Thomas Cook’s travel agency business in Agatha Christie’s novels. The page numbers are taken from the editions I read, which were published by Heron Books, c. 1976. 

Today, you can follow a heritage trail linked to places connected with Thomas Cook - e.g. Loughborough railway station; on the entrance to Southfields Park; his birthplace in Melbourne; Leicester railway station, and a building on King Street and Welford Place, Leicester. The Loughborough ones are on the plaque trail on this blog. A new plaque was unveiled at Loughborough railway station a few years ago, too.

Thomas Cook at Leicester Railway Station

 

New plaque at Loughborough Railway Station

The Man in the Brown Suit, 1924, Chapter 1, page 9

An anthropologist and his daughter are planning to travel to see a newly discovered antique skull:

“There is not time to be lost. We must be on the spot – there are doubtless incalculable finds to be found in the neighbourhood. I shall be interested to note whether the implements are typical of the Mousterian period – there will be the remains of the primitive ox. I should say, but not those of the woolly rhinoceros. Yes, a little army will be starting soon. We must get ahead of them. You will write to Cook’s today, Anne?’

‘What about money, Papa?’ I hinted delicately.

He turned a reproachful eye upon me.

‘Your point of view always depresses me, my child. We must not be sordid. No, no, in the cause of science one must not be sordid.’

‘I feel Cook’s might be sordid, Papa.’

Papa looked pained.

‘My dear Anne, you will pay them in ready money.’

‘I haven’t got any ready money.’

Papa looked thoroughly exasperated.

‘My child, I really cannot be bothered with these vulgar money details …’”

 

The Mystery of the Blue Train, 1928, Chapter 8, pg 59

Lady Tamplin has invited her cousin, Katherine Grey, to visit her:

“[Katherine] drew out from her handbag the letter she had received that morning from Lady Tamplin. Katherine was no fool. She understood the nuances of that letter as well as anybody and the reason of Lady Tamplin’s sudden show of affection towards a long-forgotten cousin was not lost upon her. It was for profit and not for pleasure that lady Tamplin was so anxious for the company of her dear cousin. Well, why not? There would be profit on both sides.

‘I will go,’ said Katherine.

She was walking down Piccadilly at the moment, and turned into Cook’s to clinch the matter then and there. She had to wait a few minutes, The man with whom the clerk was engaged was also going to the Riviera…”

Ditto, Chapter 9, page 60

“Derek Kettering … strolled along deep in thought … He walked up St James’s Street, across Picadilly, and strolled along it in the direction of Piccadilly Circus. As he passed the offices of Messrs. Thomas Cook & Sons his footsteps slackened. He walked on, however, still turning the matter over in his mind. Finally, he gave a brief nod of his head, turned sharply, so sharply as to collide with a couple of pedestrians who were following in his footsteps, and went back the way he had come. This time he did not pass Cook’s, but went in. The office was comparatively empty, and he got attended to at once.

‘I want to go to Nice next week. Will you give me particulars?’

‘What date, sir?’

‘The fourteenth. What is the best train?’

‘Well, of course, the best train is what they call ‘The Blue Train.’ You avoid the tiresome Customs business at Calais.’

Derek nodded. He knew all this, none better.

‘The fourteenth’ murmured the clerk; ‘that is rather soon. The Blue Train is nearly always all booked up.’

‘See if there is a berth left,’ said Derek. ‘If there is not –‘ He left the sentence unfinished, with a curious smile on his face.

The clerk disappeared for a few minutes and presently returned. ‘That is all right, sir; still three berths left. I will book you one of them. What name?’

‘Pavett,’ said Derek. He gave the address of his rooms in Jermyn Street.

The clerk nodded, finished writing it down, wished Derek good morning politely, and turned his attention to the next client.”

Ditto, chapter 10, page 77

Katherine Grey awoke during the middle of the night on the train, so decided to walk along the carriage

“She looked down the long, dim line of the corridor and saw, to her surprise, that a man was standing with his hand on the door of the compartment occupied by the lady in the mink coat. That is to say, she thought it was the compartment. Probably, however, she was mistaken. He stood there for a moment or two with his back to her, seeming uncertain and hesitating in his attitude. Then he slowly turned, and with an odd feeling of fatality, Katherine recognised him as the same man whom she had noticed twice before – once in the corridor of the Savoy Hotel and once in Cook’s offices. Then he opened the door of the compartment and passed in, drawing it to behind him.”

Ditto, Chapter 12, page 96

Following the murder of one of the passengers, Katherine remembers her nocturnal wander:

“But suddenly Katherine remembered a small fact … She had certainly thought that she had seen a man going into that particular compartment, but she realised that she might easily have been mistaken. It might have been the compartment next door, and certainly the man in question could be no train robber. She recalled him very clearly as she had seen him on those two previous occasions – once at The Savoy and once at Cook’s office. No, doubtless she had been mistaken, He had not gone into the dead woman’s compartment, and it was perhaps as well that she had said nothing to the police. She might have done incalculable harm by doing so.”

 

Evil Under the Sun, 1941, Chapter 1, part 2, pg 3:

“Mrs Gardener was saying: … all I want now is to get to some quiet spot by the seaside and just relax. That’s what I said, wasn’t it Odell? Just relax. I feel I must relax, I said. That’s so, isn’t it Odell?

Mr Gardener, from behind his hat murmured:

“Yes darling.”

Mrs Gardener pursued the theme.

“And so when I mentioned it to Mr Kelso, at Cook’s – He’s arranged all our itinerary for us and been most helpful in every way. I don’t really know what we’d have done without him! – well, as I say when I mentioned it to him, Mr Kelso said that we couldn’t do better than come here [Leathercombe Bay]. A most picturesque spot, he said, quite out of the world, and at the same time very comfortable and most exclusive in every way.”

 

Destination Unknown, 1954, Chapter 2, page 46:

“[Hilary Craven, in disguise as Mrs Olive Betterton] had already inquired at the desk [in the hotel], but there had been no messages or letters for her there. The first steps in her new role had to be taken very much in the dark. Olive Betterton might perhaps have been told to ring a certain number or contact a certain person at Casablanca. As to that, there was no clue. All the knowledge she had to go on was Olive Betterton’s passport, her letter of credit, and her book of cooks’ tickets and reservations. These provided for two days in Casablanca, six days in Fez, and five days in Marrakesh. These reservations were now, of course, out of date, and would have to be dealt with accordingly. The passport, the Letter of Credit and the accompanying Letter of Identification had been suitably dealt with. The photograph on the passport was not that of Hilary, the signatures on the Letter of Credit was Olive Betterton in Hilary’s handwriting. Her credentials were all in order. Her task was to play her part adequately and to wait. Her master card must be the plane accident and its resultant loss of memory and general haziness.”  

Ditto page 48:

“The evening so far had been quite indecisive. The two women who had talked to [Hilary] had been such well-known travelling types that she could hardly believe that they were other than they seemed. Tomorrow, she decided, if she had received no word or communication of any kind, she would go to Cooks, and raise the question of fresh reservations at Fez and Marrakesh.”

 

4.50 from Paddington, 1957, Chapter 18, pt 2, page 177

Inspector Craddock is questioning Cedric Crackenthorpe about his arrival in England from Iviza:

“… ‘You told me, Mr Crackenthorpe, that you left Iviza on 21st December and arrived in England the same day?’

‘So I did. Em! Hi, Em!’

Emma Crackenthorpe came through the adjoining door from the small morning-room. She looked inquiringly from Cedric to the inspector.

‘Look here, Em. I arrived for Christmas on the Sunday before, didn’t I? Came straight from the airport?’

‘Yes,’ said Emma wonderingly. ‘You got here about lunch time.’

‘There you are,’ said Cedric to the inspector.

‘You must think us very foolish, Mr Crackenthorpe,’ said Craddock pleasantly. ’We can check on these things, you know. I think, if you’ll show me your passport –‘

He paused expectantly.

‘Can’t find the damned thing,’ said Cedric. ‘Was looking for it this morning. Wanted to send it to Cook’s.’”

 

Cat Among the Pigeons, 1959, Chapter 19, pt 2

Inspector Kelsey is trying to trace a woman called Mrs Upjohn.

“Easier said than done,’ said Kelsey. ‘We’ve been trying to get in contact with Mrs Upjohn, but the whole thing’s a headache! When the child said a bus, I thought she meant a proper coach tour, running to schedule, and a party all booked together. But that’s not it at all. Seems she’s just taking local buses to any place she happens to fancy! She’s not done it through Cook’s or a recognised travel agency. She’s all on her own, wandering about. What can you do with a woman like that? She might be anywhere!” 

 

____________________________________

Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

_______________________________________________

Thank you for reading this blog.

Copyright:

The copyright © of all content on this blog rests with me, however, you are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follows:

Dyer, Lynne (2025). Christie and Cook. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2025/08/christie-and-cook.html  [Accessed 24 August 2025]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

External Links:

By including links to external sources I am not endorsing the websites, the authors, nor the information contained therein, and will not check back to update out-of-date links. Using these links to access external information is entirely the responsibility of the reader of the blog.

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If you are viewing this blog in mobile format, you will not be able to easily access the blog archive, or the clickable links to various topics. These can be accessed if you scroll to the bottom of the page, and click 'View Web Version'. Alternatively, there is also a complete list of posts, which when clicked will take you to the page you are interested in.

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Thank you for reading this blog.

Lynne

All the fun of the seaside!

Since completing my challenge of reading all the Agatha Christie novels, I’ve had a chance to read a few more books, including some more crime novels, and other books like The Observant Walker, Postal Paths, and Newark-on-Trent. 

I’ve just started To the Sea by Train which seems an appropriate book to read, given that it’s summer, so holidays are on the cards, and that there’s an exhibition at the public library about the Leicester Fortnight – so the time when all the local factories closed down for two weeks so workers could go on holiday, but probably more likely was because it meant that the company could completely shut down for a period and save some money on overheads, like lighting, heating, and general energy consumption.

Of course, it wasn’t just Leicester and Leicestershire that closed down for a short period. Other towns and cities did too, Coventry, for example. According to this article, while Leicester and Leicestershire folk made their way by train to Skegness, people from Coventry went by bus to Great Yarmouth.

Anyway, back to “To the Sea by Train”. Only 39 pages in and I did a bit of a double-take! I wasn’t expecting to find our lovely town mentioned, but there it was, in black and white! The author was considering a trip to the seaside town of Brighton, that had taken place in August 1844, and which was organised by Rowland Hill, who is perhaps better known for beginning the Penny Post. On this particular trip people were going to Brighton races, and the author presumes that these groups of racegoers were not members of the Temperance Society!

He says:

“Surely it was almost impossible to go to Brighton races and not drink, and this early excursion was presumably a rowdier affair than the landmark event organised by the temperance campaigner and holiday entrepreneur Thomas Cook.”

Hmmm … Our author continues:

“He [Cook] is taken to be the originator of the railway excursion, having laid on a jaunt from Leicester to Loughborough on 5 July 1841, which, given the absence of sea, doesn’t like it would have been much fun even had alcohol been involved.”

Hmmm, again …

If I’ve tracked down the right newspaper report of the event, either the reporter wasn’t a member of the Temperance Society, or people really did actually have a fun time! The Nottingham Review of 9 July 1841 had this to say:

“Tee-total Festival at Loughborough

A number of delegates from different parts of the midland counties, having had to meet at Loughborough this week, for the transaction of the general business of the societies, it was agreed upon to take advantage of the occasion and have a festival, which the tee-totallers of Nottingham, Derby, Leicester, Harborough, and other places should be invited to attend: William Pagett [sic.] Esq., although not, we believe, a tee-totaller himself, kindly granted them the use of his park [Southfields] for the occasion.

The morning dawned rather inauspiciously, but as the day advanced the weather became fine, and dissipated the fears of those who took an interest in the holiday. Engagements had been made with the railway directors, for the persons coming from Leicester and Derby, at half the usual prices; and at about eleven o’clock, crowds of people were seen wending their way towards the railway station to witness the arrival of the train from Leicester. The committee of the Loughborough Tee-Total Society were in attendance with a flag to receive them. About half past eleven the train arrived, consisting of one second class carriage, and nine third-class carriages, each crowded with respectably dressed and apparently happy tee-totallers.

We understand there were about five hundred in all. They had with them the Leicester Independent Band dressed in uniform, and two flags. Having joined the Loughborough friends, they proceeded in procession towards the Market Place, and were met by a number of the members of the Catholic Society with a banner, near the Barracks. [1] The number of spectators was immense, the Nottingham Road from the Canal Bridge to the Barracks being one mass of human beings.

A number of the Dragoons at the Barracks, had got astride the roof, and being stripped to their shirts, and wide white trousers, their fine proportions were swelled to those of Patagonians. The windows were also crowded with fierce moustachioed faces, one of which in particular attracted our attention. This soldier, like those on the roof, was stripped, his head was covered with a red woollen night-cap, his moustaches were black and of great size, and he regarded the moving, joyful crowd with the imperturbable gravity of a Turk. The procession having arrived at the park, more from Leicester partook of ham and other refreshments, which had been provided at the general expense.

At two, the procession was again formed, and they then proceeded to the station house, to meet the Derby and Nottingham friends. In consequence of the late excited state of Nottingham [2], but few came over from that place, but from Derby above one hundred had arrived. After they had joined the procession, the whole then paraded the town. On arriving in the Market Place, they formed into a circle, and sung the National Anthem accompanied by the band. They then went to the park and dispersed themselves into separate parties to amuse themselves with dancing, “drop handkerchief” [3] and other games.

Owing to the large number, more than was expected, attending, the preparations for tea were hardly so complete as would have been wished. After tea, addresses were delivered to those who could be prevailed on to leave their amusement to listen. The Rev. Mr Babbington, took the chair; Mr Forth, from Nottingham, Mr Robinson from Leicester, Mr Cook from Harborough, editor of the Temperance Messenger, Mr Burne from Wolverhampton, the Rev. Mr Jones, Unitarian minister, from Derby, Mr Vaughan, from Mountsorrel, and others delivered addresses. About nine, the procession again formed and proceeded to the station house, but a considerable number remained in the park until darkness had ended the day and their innocent sports.”      

Sounds to me like people actually did have fun on their visit to Loughborough, and I cannot imagine why one would think otherwise!

Now, what had I intended to write about … Thomas Cook … Agatha Christie … ah, yes connections!! Next week maybe!!

_______________________________________________

NOTES

[1] All that remains of the barracks is a little road called Barrack Row, which runs beside the Post Office sorting office on Nottingham Road, and leads out onto Duke Street.

[2] I’m not sure if that might have been Chartist riots, perhaps?

[3] Here’s some information about the game:

https://www.ludozofi.com/home/games/drop-the-handkerchief/

____________________________________

Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

_______________________________________________

Thank you for reading this blog.

Copyright:

The copyright © of all content on this blog rests with me, however, you are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follows:

Dyer, Lynne (2025). All the fun of the seaside. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2025/08/all-fun-of-seaside.html  [Accessed 10 August 2025]

Take down policy:

I post no pictures that are not my own, unless I have express permission so to do. All text is my own, and not copied from any other information sources, printed or electronic, unless identified and credited as such. If you find I have posted something in contravention of these statements, or if there are photographs of you which you would prefer not to be here, please contact me at the address listed on the About Me page, and I will remove these.

External Links:

By including links to external sources I am not endorsing the websites, the authors, nor the information contained therein, and will not check back to update out-of-date links. Using these links to access external information is entirely the responsibility of the reader of the blog.

Blog archive and tags:

If you are viewing this blog in mobile format, you will not be able to easily access the blog archive, or the clickable links to various topics. These can be accessed if you scroll to the bottom of the page, and click 'View Web Version'. Alternatively, there is also a complete list of posts, which when clicked will take you to the page you are interested in.

Searching the blog:

You can search the blog using the dedicated search box that appears near the top of the blog when viewed in the web version. Alternatively, you can search using your usual search engine (e.g. Bing, Google, DuckDuckGo etc.) by following this example:

site: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/ “Radmoor House”

NOTE – the words you’re actually looking for must be in “” and the first of these must be preceded by a space

Thank you for reading this blog.

Lynne