Recent Posts
Punishments in 1841 – in Cumberland
Punishments in 1841 – in Cumberland This post illustrates a few of the punishments in 1841 for ‘minor offences’. As meted out by magistrates in Cumberland. The 1841 Easter Sessions The Easter Se... Read More
Legends and Historical Notes on the Places of North Westmorland
Legends and Historical Notes on Places of North Westmorland, published in 1887, remains a useful resource for family historians and local historians some 134 years later. But who was Thomas Gibson, ... Read More
Solway ships in the 1800s
Solway ships and the canal When the Carlisle Canal was officially opened, on March 12, 1823, a flotilla of eleven ships and several smaller vessels sailed its length into the city.The sight of sailing... Read More
Census 2021: and those of old
Census 2021: and those of old Census 2021 is upon us! By now, every household in the UK is likely to have received a letter addressed to The Householder, asking them to complete the details. These day... Read More
Time to catch up
Cumbrian Characters has been taking a break from new posts for a couple of weeks. You can read some lovely old ones in the meantime! For instance (picking a variety of topics): the post on haaf net f... Read More
Wrong certificate: a lesson for family historians
The wrong certificate A death certificate that turned out not to be the person I was looking for isn’t all ‘bad news’. It eliminates that possibility. And this being Cumbrian Characters, won’t... Read More
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