Category: social history
Thursby Post Office
Thursby Post Office these days is sited within the Parish Hall, in Matty Lonning (possibly my favourite-ever street name, as it sounds like the name of the hero in a folk song! The original Thursby Po... 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
Charles Gilder – and hydropathy
The gravestone of Charles Gilder and his wife Hannah Gilder, née Maud, has a bird on the top. Presumably a dove, its wings are outstretched and its head high. The symbolism may not have been intentio... Read More
Life in Georgian Cumbria
Cumbrian Characters doesn’t touch much on Georgian Cumbria. Mainly because it’s easier to find information on the 19th century. Births, marriages and deaths were standardised as a civil matter... Read More
Put the kettle on – it’s tea time for some history
Tea isn’t just a beverage in Britain, it’s a social institution, part of the very fabric of life. Tea time (and afternoon tea) may now seem quaint. But we still use it as a panacea for all ill... Read More
Workhouse life in Victorian England/Britain
Workhouse orphan Oliver Twist, one of Charles Dickens’ best-known creations, famously gets into trouble for daring to ask for second helpings of food. Researching the life of George Fawell (born Dac... Read More
Help, My House is Haunted: unlikely ghost
Help, my House is Haunted: unlikely ghost Help, my House is Haunted, is a UK-based paranormal investigations programme. Things have moved on since the early days of the genre. When a few ‘orbs’ (t... Read More