Category: Cumbria history
William Jackson – no Mr Darcy
William Jackson, yeoman, of Yanwath, was 44 and a wealthy bachelor when he married Emma Pears in 1872. It’s hard not to read the marriage certificate without thinking of such great novels as Middlem... Read More
Mardale Green – and the tipsy parson
Mardale Green is one of those ‘ghost’ communities that have been a casualty to ‘progress’. Being Cumbrian Characters, this post isn’t just about the lost buildings: it al... Read More
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
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
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