Recent Posts
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
The telephone: ‘useless for postal purposes’
A 2016 survey by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) asked people what two possessions (non-living things) they’d save from a fire if they had three minutes to do safely. The results were Cr... Read More
William Jackson – no Mr Darcy
William Jackson, yeoman, of Yanwath, was 44 and a wealthy bachelor when he married Emma Pears in 1872. It’s hard not to read the marriage certificate without thinking of such great novels as Middlem... Read More
Mardale Green – and the tipsy parson
Mardale Green is one of those ‘ghost’ communities that have been a casualty to ‘progress’. Being Cumbrian Characters, this post isn’t just about the lost buildings: it al... Read More
Sunstroke – a novel defence
Sunstroke is an unpleasant experience. But strangely, the NHS website makes no mention of it leading to sudden bouts of ‘periodic excitement’ years after exposure.Which means the case of George Se... Read More
Thomas Hetherington: A policeman’s lot
Thomas Hetherington gave at least 13 years of his life to the police service at a time when police forces in the UK were in their infancy. During that time he was attacked, praised, rewarded, risked h... Read More
Montague Crackanthorpe, a Cumbrian eugenicist
Montague Crackanthorpe was born in Somerset, a sixth son (his birth surname was actually Cookson). Sixth sons usually don’t hope for much, inheritance-wise, but in his 60s, he inherited a Cumbrian e... Read More