Loughborough trinket box

You've probably noticed it's coming up to Christmas! Lights in the town centre, Christmas trees in the church, Christmas music in the shops, board games at Fearon Hall! And lots of opportunities to get out and about and see some different things.

This weekend I popped along to an antique fair, held in the Hodson Hall in the grounds of the Endowed Schools on Burton Walks. I've been to lots of antique shops over the years, but not to a fair for quite some time - and I was pleasantly surprised!! Lots of interesting artefacts - from jewellery, to glass, from china to wood working tools, and everything in between. Also, cigarette cards, old money, postcards and ephemera. So, what better present to buy for a lover of Loughborough than a trinket box? No ordinary box though. A little china affair, with a Loughborough "coat of arms" (i) on it: a little but worn, but still recognisable.

The lion at the top (the crest) is related to the Beaumont family, who were lords of the manor, from the time of the reign of Henry III (around 1265) and Henry VI (around 1422).

Now, my knowledge of heraldry is scant, so I may not be able to accurately describe the shield. What I do know, however, is that the motif on the top right is a maunche which represents the Hastings family, who were the lords of the manor following the Beaumonts. The bull on the bottom of the shield is also a motif associated with the Hastings family.

The diagonal strip across the middle of the shield shows a cockle shell top and bottom, and a fret or lace pattern in the middle, all of which are part of the coat of arms of the Despencer family, Hugh le Despenser being lord of the manor until his death at the battle of Evesham in 1265.

The motto is just about discernible and says: "In veritate victoria". A modern-day interpretation of this would be "Victory is in truth", and this was the motto associated with the former Barons of Loughborough, that is, the Hastings family.

The arms were officially granted in 1889, which was the year of the incorporation of the borough. In 1974 the Borough of Charnwood was granted use of the arms. 

i) This is not strictly a coat of arms, as there are no supporters included. Supporters usually appear on each side of the shield, and often appear to be holding up the shield. 

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

Dyer, Lynne (2018). Loughborough trinket box. Available from: https://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.com/2018/12/loughborough-trinket-box.html  

[Accessed 9 December 2018]

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Loughborough to Tiverton Pt 3

A third post about connections between Loughborough and Tiverton, I hear you ask? Well, yes, there were so many that I spotted while I was there that I wanted to share them all with you, but I hadn't realised I'd be doing so many other things in between posts that I haven't had time to research much else! Anyway, checkout parts 1 and 2, just to remind yourself of connections I've already covered, then read on for yet more!

So, one of the connections between our two towns is that we were both part of the second round of Mary Portas towns, that saw lots of different initiatives taking place in our towns to improve footfall, to make the towns more attractive and to ensure the towns survived and even thrived in the economic downturn.

In the mid-19th century, both towns (as did practically the whole of the British Isles) experienced deaths from the various illnesses (cholera etc.) that abounded at that time. In Tiverton, Thomas Webster Rammell was appointed to investigate and in 1849 he suggested a supply of water should be piped to every house and hydrants placed in the streets to help combat the numerous fires there were. He made lots of other recommendations, but these were rejected in 1851 as costing too much, so it wasn't until 1875 that some recommendations were acted upon. Meanwhile, in Loughborough, in 1870, the Reverend Henry Fearon arranged for Loughborough's first clean water supply, which is commemorated by the Fearon Fountain in the market place. 

Information board on public health in Tiverton Museum

Our Fearon Fountain in Market Place

Tiverton Museum of Mid-Devon Life had a lovely information board about fingerposts and milestones. This reminded me of the tale of the milestone in Loughborough, on Wood Gate, just outside the Organ Grinder pub (formerly the Old Pack Horse).

Fingerposts and milestones in Tiverton Museum

Our misplaced milestone

One of the major exhibition areas in the Tiverton Museum was a specially created room housing a wonderful collection of railway memorabilia, including a steam engine! Tiverton was on the Great Western Railway, whilst Loughborough had (and still has) the Great Central Railway.

A water fountain installed at the Great Western station 

The re-created booking office at Tiverton GWR station

The station exhibition at Tiverton

The steam engine at Tiverton Museum

The steam engine at Tiverton museum

Our GCR

Both towns are lucky enough to have canals. The canal that ends in Tiverton is the Great Western Canal, which runs from Taunton, and although the Somerset part is now closed, the stretch at Tiverton is still navigable.

The information board at Tiverton Museum

Our lovely canal

Sticking with transport, I was really excited to read that the Morrison Electricar was used in Tiverton as a milkfloat, for, this electric vehicle was developed in Leicester by the grandfather of a very close friend of mine, and at one time, until 1935, the bodies were built by the Brush.

The Morrison Electricar

Tiverton Museum also had a small section on clubs and societies. I've already talked about the Temperance Society, but there was also a bowl from the United Order of Druids in a glass case. The connection here is that our Windmill inn was home to a meeting of this society way back in 1837!

The United Order of Druids bowl

Our own Windmill Inn

Of course, the biggest connection between our two towns is John Heathcoat, owner of a lacemaking factory which was attacked by Luddites in 1816, and who left Loughborough to set up a new factory in Tiverton. Sorry, that's a bit brief, isn't it? Pop over to my virtual walk to learn more.

The Heathcoat exhibition in Tiverton Museum

  

Other connections include pubs of the same name. So, for example, both towns had a Bishop Blaize pub, a pub called the Barley Mow, a White Hart, a Cross Keys, a Three Tuns (the name of the Loughborough one was changed to the Three Nuns), a Royal Oak, a Black Horse, a Red Lion, a Railway Inn, and a White Horse. Refer to Billy's book of Loughborough boozers if you want to know more about ours, or have a go at my easy pub quiz! 

There are also many similarities in shops. So, for example, both towns had a Home and Colonial Stores. In Tiverton the local jewellers is called GW Pack: Loughborough's is Denhams. The drapers in Tiverton was Thorne Brothers, whilst in Loughborough it was Pilsbury's. Today, Tiverton has a bakers called Number 33: Loughborough has a deli, selling artisan bread, called Number 58!

Denhams the Jewellers on the corner of High Street and Baxter Gate

Loughborough's Home and Colonial Store in Market Place

This has certainly been an interesting series of posts to write and do hope you've found them interesting!

You are welcome to quote passages from any of my posts, with appropriate credit. The correct citation for this looks as follow:

[Dyer, Lynne (2016). Loughborough Union Workhouse. [Online] Available from: 

http://lynneaboutloughborough.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/loughborough-to-tiverton-pt-3.html [Accessed 21 August 2016]