{"id":1262,"date":"2020-04-13T11:12:04","date_gmt":"2020-04-13T11:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/?p=1262"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:39:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:39:16","slug":"old-occupations-the-bellman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2020\/04\/13\/old-occupations-the-bellman\/","title":{"rendered":"Old occupations: the bellman"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you see ‘bellman’ on a census entry or certificate as a person’s occupation, what did it mean? Being Cumbrian Characters,<\/em> this post includes an example with a story to tell.<\/p>\n

Bellman and bill-poster<\/h2>\n

In the 1860s and 1870s, one William Howson, of Penrith, advertised his services as \u2018bellman, bill-poster, and bill distributor\u2019.<\/p>\n

So, who was this Cumbrian Character, and how did he earn a living?<\/p>\n

\u2018Bill poster\u2019 seems clear enough. We\u2019ve all seen signs on things urging: \u2018stick no bills\u2019. Or: \u2018Bill stickers will be prosecuted\u2019.<\/p>\n

And we all get leaflets advertising all sorts of local goods and services pushed through our letterboxes.<\/p>\n

\u2018Bellman,\u2019 however, is an occupation that has not survived the centuries\u2026 except perhaps in a way, it has.<\/p>\n

A definition<\/h2>\n

One concise definition<\/a>\u00a0of what a bellman did is:<\/p>\n

BELLMAN Employed as a watchman or town crier or who worked for the post office and collected letters for the mail coach by walking the streets and ringing a bell.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It seems it was a role that wasn\u2019t exclusive \u2013 and could be fiercely contested. Certainly in the case of William Howson.<\/p>\n

It also seems the official pay was just a token, and the actual money was made based on private commissions.<\/p>\n

And it appears, from the case, that there is a reason that \u2018bellman\u2019 and \u2018bill poster\u2019 go together. Namely, that a bellman (for a fee) would also go round town shouting out about special offers, or sales to be held.<\/p>\n

So his modern equivalent would be someone wearing a sandwich board or dressed up as pirate or a bear.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>William Howson<\/h2>\n

William Howson was born in Skelton parish, circa 1813.<\/p>\n

He had a wife called Elizabeth, n\u00e9e Stockdale, born Blencow circa 1815.<\/p>\n

In 1841, on the Skelton census, they had the first two of their children (Jabob, 5, and Pearson, 2, who grew up to be a mason and saddler respectively. Pearson Howson was on the fringes of the Jane Boak case<\/a>).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At least five other children followed and survived to be recorded on subsequent censuses.<\/p>\n

In 1851, William Howson is recorded on the Penrith census as a master shoemaker, changing his trade by 1861 to \u2018tea and coffee dealer\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The strongest pair of lungs<\/b><\/h2>\n

In November 1863, the Cumberland and Westmorland Advertiser, and Penrith Literary Chronicle<\/i> reported that there were two applicants fo the post of bellman: John Stalker of Townhead, and William Howson, of Castlegate. Both applications had the support of ratepayers.<\/p>\n

John Stalker had already had a trial, and William Howson was to use the bell for the next fortnight, so the Board could judge who had the strongest pair of lungs.<\/p>\n

The Board would also fix the district, and the rate of charge.<\/p>\n

I will come back to why it was within the Penrith Local Board of Health\u2019s remit later.<\/p>\n

A few weeks later, the Penrith Observer<\/i> reported that William Bewley the Middlegate fishmonger thought William Howson the better man for the job. And Mr Bewley spoke as the tradesman who most used the bellman\u2019s services.<\/p>\n

Curious factors<\/h2>\n

However, some members of the Board seem to have forgotten the primary qualification.<\/p>\n

Mr Nevison wanted to appoint John Stalker (at 6d a year), as this would perhaps keep from parochial relief.<\/p>\n

Mr Goodrun said John Stalker, in the event of distress, would become chargeable to the parish, whereas William Howson would only become chargeable to the Union. (For more on parish relief, see last week’s post<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Others brought things back to the candidates\u2019 suitability.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr Graham, who had had custody of the bell since the vacancy, said John Stalker had \u2018broken down\u2019 during his trial and they should be giving the role to someone who could actually perform it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a split decision (four votes to three), but William Howson got the job, on a basis of \u2018six months, subject to good behaviour and a week\u2019s notice\u2019.<\/p>\n

Bellman for hire<\/h2>\n

William Howson immediately started advertising his services in the local press (moving from Castlegate to 12 Little Dockray).<\/p>\n

Was the parish relief debate hypothetical in his case? Or was he taking the role in need because he couldn\u2019t make a go of tea and coffee\/shoemaking?<\/p>\n

For sure, 6d a year was a very nominal payment: and he was paying the newspaper for a weekly advertisement. The \u2018real money\u2019 had to be made from the trade he, er, drummed up with his bell (!).<\/p>\n

The rival bellman<\/h2>\n

The six-month contract must have been renewed. But John Stalker had not given up!<\/p>\n

And in October 1866, it becomes a little clearer as to why Penrith Local Board of Health had anything to do with it at all.<\/p>\n

The answer to that being that the bell belonged to the Duke of Devonshire (William Cavendish, the 7th Duke) and the Board just handled things for him: they appointed the town crier or bellman.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carlisle Journal,<\/em> October 2, 1866<\/p>\n

Gentlemen, \u2014Allow me to call your attention to the protection of the town’s belman, as John Vartey and companey has bought new bell, and employed John Stalker to make youse of it, and deprive me of the benefit that arises from it, as well being injurious to my carracter from various stories that Stalker makes youse of when asked what as hapned the o’d belman that he has taken his place.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Spelling wasn\u2019t something William Howson had picked up from the bills he posted and distributed.<\/p>\n

Gentlemen, I have lost 3s. 4d. for calls that John Stalker has got last week. Those calls is my according to old accustomed times when Robert Railton was belman. Whoever employed fresh belman paid Robert Railton the dews. Mr. Hudson was the last that paid Robert Railton when he was in town for six weeks, which I can prove by his son, William Railton.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your obedient servant, Wm. Howson, Belman.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Board weren\u2019t sure they had the power to stop someone else ringing a bell in Penrith. But were concerned that if they didn\u2019t, they may as well not bother setting tolls either. Their concern seems to have been the interests of the Duke, and the authority of the Board, rather than William Howson being deprived of his \u2018dews\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The Duke\u2019s agent, when he replied, didn\u2019t seem too sure on the point, and the Board couldn\u2019t agree.<\/p>\n

A tragic end<\/h2>\n

William Howson died in the summer of 1877, aged 65 \u2013 as the result of a terrible accident. In short, he was run over by a cart belonging to Mr Armstrong, of the George Hotel, and driven by Joseph Campbell, who \u2018thought he was 17\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The inquest jury recorded a verdict of Accidental Death \u2013 and \u2018very kindly handed their fees over to the deceased\u2019s widow\u2019.<\/p>\n

There was further grief in store for Elizabeth a few weeks later, when daughter Jane (Rowley) died, in Liverpool, aged 27.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By February 1878, a T Atkinson of Burrowgate was advertising his services as a bellman and bill poster. The official bellman, appointed in May 1878, was Thomas Barker.<\/p>\n

Robert Railton and Jimmy Parkin<\/h2>\n

The 1866 dispute does give us the name of the previous bellman. Robert Railton, in 1861, was a widowed \u2018yeoman and parish bellman\u2019, living in Old Crown Yard. Born circa 1795, he\u2019d held the post of bellman for around 30 years when he decided to retire in 1863. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Robert Railton was paid one shilling a year (so the Board halved the fee when giving the job to William Howson).<\/p>\n

Penrith Museum<\/a> has a photo of James Parkin, ‘the last bellman’. And what may be his bell.<\/p>\n

\"
A photo of the last bellman, James ‘Jimmy’ Parkin, in Penrith Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

No colourful costume<\/h2>\n

And if you are picturing a town crier in costume, as they wear today, forget it.<\/p>\n

The Board thought the bellman should wear livery \u2013 a cocked hat and scarlet coat \u2013 but the suggestions were reported as \u2018loud laughter\u2019, so they were clearly just joking.<\/p>\n

John Varty and Company<\/h2>\n

Possibly this was John Varty, auctioneer, who had set up as such in Penrith a few months before William Howson\u2019s complaint. He\u2019d have wanted someone to publicise auction sales.<\/p>\n

A Carlisle bellman<\/h2>\n

In 1866, John Cameron, bellman and bill poster, Carlisle, called \u2018the attention of advertisers to his new perambulating van, as the best and cheapest mode of obtaining publicity\u2019.<\/p>\n

An 1866 joke:<\/h2>\n

Who is the most tender-hearted man in any small town?<\/p>\n

The bellman, because he will cry if you give him a shilling.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • The main image shows a modern-day equivalent of part of the bellman’s role<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If you see ‘bellman’ on a census entry or certificate as a person’s occupation, what did it mean? Being Cumbrian Characters, this post includes an example with a story to tell. Bellman and bill-poster In the 1860s and 1870s, one William Howson, of Penrith, advertised his services as \u2018bellman, bill-poster, and bill distributor\u2019. So, who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,2,3],"tags":[279,186],"class_list":["post-1262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cumbria-history","category-family-history","category-social-history","tag-occupations","tag-penrith"],"yoast_head":"\nOld occupations: the bellman - Cumbrian Characters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A bellman in Victorian times performed several roles, from town crier to advertising. 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