Author: Harriet
Thomas Hetherington: A policeman’s lot
Thomas Hetherington gave at least 13 years of his life to the police service at a time when police forces in the UK were in their infancy. During that time he was attacked, praised, rewarded, risked h... Read More
Montague Crackanthorpe, a Cumbrian eugenicist
Montague Crackanthorpe was born in Somerset, a sixth son (his birth surname was actually Cookson). Sixth sons usually don’t hope for much, inheritance-wise, but in his 60s, he inherited a Cumbrian e... Read More
First motor cars: a Cumbrian take
First motor cars isn’t a particularly Cumbrian topic, but if you’ve ever driven over Kirkstone Pass, you’ll appreciate the anecdote at the end of this post. First motor cars – or n... Read More
Beer prices in 1959
Beer prices in 1959 may seem a random date, but it’s one I happen to have a record for. Because a battered notebook, handed down to me, records the income and outgoings of a family pub/farm. It gi... Read More
Yanwath: the charming Elizabeth Tremble
Yanwath may be a small village, but it’s a good source of historic stories. Though in fairness to Yanwath, the charming Elizabeth Tremble owned property there, rather than being a resident. A quick ... Read More
More Victorian humour
In these worrying times, we could all use a good laugh. So, having visited Victorian jokes in a previous post, here are a few more, from 1888. (I did point out in the previous post that humour really... Read More
Old occupations: the bellman
If you see ‘bellman’ on a census entry or certificate as a person’s occupation, what did it mean? Being Cumbrian Characters, this post includes an example with a story to tell. Bellm... Read More
Poor Relief – and some Cumbrian cases
Poor Relief; Parochial Relief; ‘on the parish’… if you see any of those words alongside the name of one of your ancestors, then it was all that stood between them and destitution –... Read More