Category: Cumbrian people
Thomas Fenton Crimean War veteran
Thomas Fenton. Death of a Penrith Crimean War veteran Penrith Observer, May 11, 1897: ‘We have to record the death of Mr. Thomas Fenton, Scotland Road, Penrith, at the age of 68 years. Decease... Read More
Lamb the butcher
William Lamb the butcher is a fine example of nominative determinism. Or makes you think about the card game Happy Families (Mr Bun the baker, etc). Or both. His gravestone is one of those you can see... Read More
Railway tragedy
‘Railway tragedy’ was sadly a common heading in old newspapers. Anything to do with the railways was an incredibly dangerous occupation. Though unlike mining, the tragedies were mostly individuals... Read More
Hutton in the Forest Christmas 1808
Hutton in the Forest (the parish church, not the pictured hall) was the venue for ‘an uncommon occurrence’ just before Christmas 1808. Hutton in the Forest parish register, 1808. December ... Read More
Last of the Inglewood Rifles
In my post on the Inglewood Rifles I finished with a section called Last of the volunteers. That reported that by 1926, only four of the original volunteer riflemen had died. And that the last of them... Read More
Thomas Smith’s library
Thomas Smith, Bishop of Carlisle, has featured on this blog already. I didn’t then mention Thomas Smith’s library. When he died, in 1702, Bishop Thomas Smith left his library to Carlisle Cathedral... Read More
Jonathan Ritson, the drunken wood carver
Jonathan Ritson, the drunken wood carver What links the magnificent Arundel Castle, in Sussex, with Cumbria? Primarily, it’s the complex family history of one of the great families of England, the H... Read More
Carlisle doctors
Dr Henry Lonsdale is recorded today as much as a writer of biographies as for his ‘day job’. But while I am sure he was rightly proud of his books on such people as the Blamires and Loshes, his ef... Read More