Recent Posts
Newbiggin to Serbia and the First World War
Newbiggin Hall, in Cumbria, is more than 2,500km from Belgrade. But it has an important connection to the events that tipped Europe into the madness of the First World War. This third post on the Crac... Read More
Whisky and water on tap (or not)
Whisky and water link three otherwise random news stories, two from 1895 and one from 1833. The first is a cautionary tale about drink (but not as you might expect). The second shows an interesting at... Read More
William Dacre, vicar of Irthington
William Dacre, the vicar of Irthington, featured in my post on Cumbrian wedding invitations, because of his not-unreasonable objection to being barred from his own church. What started as a quick che... Read More
Wedding invitations with a Cumbrian twist
Wedding invitations are a mixed blessing for the recipient (I am not alone in thinking this, right?!). You have to set aside a weekend and spend a fortune on accommodation, getting there and back, a n... Read More
The Staffield Murder of 1856
The Staffield Murder of 1856 filled a lot of column inches in newspapers: likely the first and last time this little Cumbrian hamlet featured on the wider public consciousness. Whodunnit? While TV dra... Read More
Deodands – in case of death, forfeit the horse
Deodands, a strange ‘gift to God’ Deodands – [ dee-uh-dand ] noun English Law. Animals or articles that, having been the immediate cause of the death of a human being, were forfeited to... Read More
Cumbrian superstitions
The Cumbrian superstitions in this post may not be unique to Cumberland and Westmorland, but they were claimed as such by writers in Victorian times. “I’m not superstitious, but…” Friday the 1... Read More
Frances Farlam, a ‘lunatic’ from grief
The sad story of Frances Farlam tells us a lot about bereavement, mental health, and how both were ‘treated’ towards the end of the 19th century. It also shows that infant deaths – so common t... Read More