Author: HarrietP
Journalist and amateur genealogist
Kendal town clock
Kendal town clock has told the time on the town hall since 1861. But it had a predecessor. By 1837, the previous town clock (with a wooden face) had been marking time for 70 years. It was atop the old... Read More
Abraham Greenhow Penrith postman
Abraham Greenhow: the man who delivered the mail. Continuing a look into the lives of just a few of the thousands of people buried at Beacon Edge Cemetery, Penrith: Abraham Jacques Greenhow was baptis... Read More
Jubilee time, in 1832
The Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was celebrated from June 2-5, 2022. In June 1832, there were jubilee celebrations of a different kind – they marked a move to make Parliamentary elections ... Read More
Wicked Jimmy’s ghost
Wicked Jimmy’s ghost : James Lowther, the first Earl of Lonsdale, was feared and hated in life. And like all heavy-duty villains, those feelings didn’t end when he died, aged 66, in 1802. His name... Read More
Jonathan Thompson quiet Penrith hero
Jonathan Thompson wasn’t perhaps not a hero in the sense of brave deeds (though he put himself in danger as a fire fighter). But he was well-regarded by his contemporaries and deserves to be remembe... Read More
May Day – ruined by the Puritans!
May Day celebrations have been more lamented than practised since the killjoy Puritans came on the scene, even if the village of Temple Sowerby still has a maypole (main image). Origins of May Day cel... Read More
Easter in Carlisle 1803
Easter in Carlisle Easter in Carlisle has previously been mentioned on Cumbrian Characters, in a post on the public space by Carlisle Castle known as the Sorceries. The post covered the old tradition ... Read More
Thomas Lambert Penrith grocer
When I looked at the photos I’d taken of ‘random’ gravestones at Beacon Edge Cemetery, Penrith, the name ‘Thomas Lambert’ seemed familiar. A little digging, and I worked out why. Thomas Lamb... Read More