Category: Cumbria history
Breach of promise: a true-life Frank Churchill
A breach of promise case is an odd post for Valentine’s Day, perhaps. But then this Cumbrian Frank Churchill sent a Valentine to the woman he later wronged. Compare and contrast Frank Churchill,... Read More
Sarah Nicholson, no merry widow!
Sarah Nicholson ‘had the misfortune to marry a man 25 years her senior’. This seemingly unlucky accident (!) led to villagers trying to drive her out in 1879. But she was no strange to violence he... Read More
Carlisle 1810: Jollie’s Cumberland Guide
‘Carlisle 1810’ may sound a random date, but thanks to Jollie’s Cumberland Guide and Directory, we have a good (if partial!) idea of what the city was like then. The guide, published in two part... Read More
Lancelot Pattinson the Patterdale cave man
The ‘case’ of Lancelot Pattinson of Patterdale is a useful one for any family historian tempted to excitement over what seems an unusual name – or indeed a good yarn! The Matterdale puzzle A Lan... Read More
Jacobite occupation: Carlisle 1745
The Jacobite rising of 1745 greatly affected Cumberland and Westmorland. This is Carlisle’s story. In my post on the celebrations at the opening of the Carlisle Canal, in 1823, I mentioned that one... Read More
Holly, a unique Westmorland tradition
A look into a Twelfth Night tradition, involving holly, in Westmorland leads to the story of a worthy Cumbrian Character. But in this post, it’s all about the holly! Holly, a Brough-under-Stainmore ... Read More
Christmas 1843 in Cumbria
Charles Dickens’ arguably most-popular work, A Christmas Carol, was published in 1843. It was also the year of the first Christmas card. So, how did folk in Westmorland celebrate Christmas 1843?’ ... Read More
Hubert Crackanthorpe and Leila Macdonald
The last Crackanthorpe to be recorded on Cumbrian Characters was a tragic one. And the short version is that Hubert Crackanthorpe was an author who died young, likely as a result of suicide. With fact... Read More