Category: social history
Carlisle Police – a mixed honour
Carlisle Police has the honour of being the first ‘proper’ police force in Engoand and Wales. The reason why is something to be less proud of! Sir Robert Peel Sir Robert Peel (pictured) is synonym... Read More
New Year’s Eve 1859-1867
New Year’s Eve is traditionally a time for Reviews of the Year. Partly because people do like to reflect back on the previous 12 months, as they prepare to welcome in the next. But mainly because it... Read More
Fishing rights
Fishing rights may not sound an exciting topic, but for people researching their family history, they can be an unexpected source of ‘treasure’. Signs saying ‘no fishing’ are a familiar part o... Read More
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