{"id":1818,"date":"2021-04-18T10:34:24","date_gmt":"2021-04-18T10:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/?p=1818"},"modified":"2025-07-15T15:25:29","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:25:29","slug":"samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/","title":{"rendered":"Samuel Ladyman Keswick philanthropist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Samuel Ladyman was one of the best-known people in Keswick in his lifetime. Multi-talented and a real philanthropist, he also grew a mean potato!<\/p>\n

The name of Samuel Ladyman lives on through his Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick and its Inhabitants during Sixty Years.<\/i> For despite being published (in 1885) \u2018for private circulation only,\u2019 it can still be read today. It is of interest to anyone with Keswick connections. But who was Samuel Ladyman and what makes him a Cumbrian Character?<\/p>\n

Samuel Ladyman: a varied career\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Samuel Ladyman was born in 1812, son of Thomas Ladyman and his wife Mary Wharton. In Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick<\/i>, he says:<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been in six different businesses \u2013 a cabinet maker; an ironmonger; a joiner; a spirit merchant; a pencil maker, and; a butcher.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He started out as an apprentice joiner and cabinet maker, in the family business. Before taking over from his cousin Joseph Ladyman as a black lead pencil manufacturer.<\/p>\n

In November 1853, he was advertising that he\u2019d taken over Samuel Wickham\u2019s business as a wine and spirit merchant.<\/p>\n

The anonymous introduction to Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick <\/i>describes him as:<\/p>\n

\u201cA Jack of many trades and master of all.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Newpaper articles also show he was, at times. a trustee of Keswick Free Grammar School, a church warden, and an elected member of Keswick Board of Health.<\/p>\n

Samuel Ladyman: a generous philanthropist<\/h2>\n

A plaque on a drinking fountain in Keswick reads:<\/p>\n

Samuel Ladyman\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Drinking Water Fountain\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

One of four erected circa 1875\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Cleaned and marked by Keswick Civic Society 2003<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You can see a photo here: \u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/www.geograph.org.uk\/photo\/5984798<\/a><\/p>\n

And here is another of the four, which I took myself:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick, <\/i>he says:<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>I placed about five years ago four fountains and sixteen seats at places, with good views of Skiddaw, Druids’ Temple, Watendlath, Bowder Stone, Honister, Buttermere Hawse, on Catbells at the back of the lake, Castlerigg, and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

All largely at his own expense, though he was given some contributions towards the cost.<\/p>\n

I placed my seat near Grange Bridge, and the fountain near the school at High Hill\u2026\u00a0 <\/span>The cost of the lot was \u00a3140, out of which \u00a321 8s. 9d. was given me towards the same.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Food for the poor<\/h2>\n

Samuel Ladyman had been helping poor families in and around Keswick for decades. News articles show that in December 1859 he, \u2018as usual,\u2019 provided tickets to butchers to provide meat to 50 poor families in the town and neighbourhood.<\/p>\n

And in November 1878, he paid for 4 cwt of best coal to be sent to each of 22 poor families.<\/p>\n

He describes in 1885\u2019s Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick<\/i> how:<\/p>\n

On a very hard winter, four years ago, I had six collecting boxes at various places to provide for a soup kitchen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Many people were generous, but donations included a fake guinea, while someone claimed to have put money in when he hadn\u2019t. And \u2018a gentleman\u2019 interruped a woman trying to break into one box.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Generous gifts<\/h2>\n

In Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick, <\/i>Samuel Ladyman describes giving \u2018Mr. and Mrs. John Jenkinson a silver kettle, weighing 74 oz., on their 25th marriage anniversary\u2019. And investing \u00a3400 in a field, as a present for a baby god-daughter.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a news report in May 1863 describes a rifle match at Keswick that took place despite \u2018a gale from the north-east\u2019 hindering accuracy.<\/p>\n

The disagreeableness of cold and damp were most kindly alleviated by the generous consideration of Mr. Samuel Ladyman, who, keeping with his character as a “jolly good fellow,” surprised the company by driving up a cart-load of sandwiches, bottled beer, bread and cheese, etc, the spontaneous offering of his patriotic and liberal heart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Samuel Ladyman and family<\/h2>\n

Samuel Ladyman was married \u2013 and widowed \u2013 three times. His first wife , Isabella Dixon, bore him two sons. But tragically, Joseph Dixon Ladyman, born early in 1843 died aged just a few months. And history repeated in 1846, with the birth and death of William Dixon Ladyman.<\/p>\n

Poor Isabella followed them to the grave in August 1848, and was buried \u2018behind the old Parish Church\u2019.<\/p>\n

Samuel married again a year later, to a Mary Wharton (the same as his mother\u2019s maiden name). She was about 39. They were together until February 21, 1863, when Mary died \u2018suddenly\u2019 and \u2018much-respected,\u2019 aged 55. She was buried at St. John’s Church.<\/p>\n

Samuel didn\u2019t remain a widower for long. Eight months later, on October 6, 1863, he married Jane Routledge, described in the newspaper announcement as\u00a0 <\/span>\u2018niece of Mrs Turner, Derwent Hill, near Keswick. But alas, Jane died in 1869, aged 43. She was buried at Bolton Gate.<\/p>\n

Samuel Ladyman said of his three wives:<\/p>\n

They were all three good, faithful, and industrious women!\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The prolific potato!<\/h2>\n

In September 1864, it was reported how Samuel Ladyman, spirit merchant, Keswick, had cut a single potato into five. He\u2019d bought it while visiting Scotland. He\u2019d planted the pieces in his garden in April last.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These five sets have produced the astonishing number of 106 potatoes, which weigh altogether no less than one stone ten pounds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Tributes<\/h2>\n

Samuel Ladyman wrote in Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick<\/i> that he had been living for 13 years at Storey’s Hotel, and has been \u2018confined to my room a long time through ill-health\u2019. And it was at Storey\u2019s Temperance, Hotel, St. John Street, Keswick, he died later that year \u2013 on July 31, 1885.<\/p>\n

The English Lakes Visitor <\/i>reported that there were \u2018great demonstrations of respect by relatives and a large gathering of friends and acquaintances\u2019.<\/p>\n

Samuel was \u2018an estimable and highly respected townsman\u2019 and \u2018a man of a liberal and considerate disposition\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He was \u2018constantly giving his aid in all matters promoting the welfare of the town, and in assisting really needy persons\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018His decease will be regretted by all who knew his kindly and genial disposition, which was combined with great simplicity, sincerity, and openness of character.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Samuel Ladyman’s will<\/h2>\n

The will runs to three pages, with bequests to friends and family. They include: ‘to my friend John Fisher, of Crosthwaite, a large oil painting of a school, the likeness of George Moore, John Peel, Woodcock Grave*, and his spectacles’.<\/p>\n

He leaves his own likeness to his friend Robert Broach. Personal effects valued at \u00a32,657.<\/p>\n

*John\u00a0Woodcock Graves\u00a0(9 February 1795 \u2013 17 August 1886) was a composer and author of “D’ye ken John Peel\u201d. George Moore was a Cumbrian philanthropist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Samuel Ladyman was one of the best-known people in Keswick in his lifetime. Multi-talented and a real philanthropist, he also grew a mean potato! The name of Samuel Ladyman lives on through his Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick and its Inhabitants during Sixty Years. For despite being published (in 1885) \u2018for private circulation only,\u2019 it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1819,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[355,356,357,358],"class_list":["post-1818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cumbria-history","tag-fountains","tag-keswick","tag-lake-district","tag-thoughts-and-recollections-of-keswick"],"yoast_head":"\nSamuel Ladyman Keswick philanthropist - Cumbrian Characters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Samuel Ladyman, of Keswick, was a generous philanthropist: providing food and fresh water for the poor. He was also multi-talented.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Samuel Ladyman Keswick philanthropist - Cumbrian Characters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Samuel Ladyman, of Keswick, was a generous philanthropist: providing food and fresh water for the poor. He was also multi-talented.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cumbrian Characters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-04-18T10:34:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-07-15T14:25:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Samuel-Ladyman-book.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"HarrietP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GnaOxdown\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GnaOxdown\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"HarrietP\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Samuel Ladyman Keswick philanthropist - Cumbrian Characters","description":"Samuel Ladyman, of Keswick, was a generous philanthropist: providing food and fresh water for the poor. He was also multi-talented.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Samuel Ladyman Keswick philanthropist - Cumbrian Characters","og_description":"Samuel Ladyman, of Keswick, was a generous philanthropist: providing food and fresh water for the poor. He was also multi-talented.","og_url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/","og_site_name":"Cumbrian Characters","article_published_time":"2021-04-18T10:34:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-07-15T14:25:29+00:00","og_image":[{"width":500,"height":675,"url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Samuel-Ladyman-book.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"HarrietP","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@GnaOxdown","twitter_site":"@GnaOxdown","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"HarrietP","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/"},"author":{"name":"HarrietP","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ca7d1ea06be5c263e8aaedf7f4af34c7"},"headline":"Samuel Ladyman Keswick philanthropist","datePublished":"2021-04-18T10:34:24+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-15T14:25:29+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/"},"wordCount":1058,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ca7d1ea06be5c263e8aaedf7f4af34c7"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Samuel-Ladyman-book.jpg","keywords":["fountains","Keswick","Lake District","Thoughts and Recollections of Keswick"],"articleSection":["Cumbria history"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/","url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/","name":"Samuel Ladyman Keswick philanthropist - Cumbrian Characters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Samuel-Ladyman-book.jpg","datePublished":"2021-04-18T10:34:24+00:00","dateModified":"2025-07-15T14:25:29+00:00","description":"Samuel Ladyman, of Keswick, was a generous philanthropist: providing food and fresh water for the poor. He was also multi-talented.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Samuel-Ladyman-book.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Samuel-Ladyman-book.jpg","width":500,"height":675,"caption":"Samuel Ladyman, Cumbrian Characters,"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/2021\/04\/18\/samuel-ladyman-keswick-philanthropist\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Samuel Ladyman Keswick philanthropist"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/","name":"Cumbrian Characters","description":"Family history is so much more than names and dates","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ca7d1ea06be5c263e8aaedf7f4af34c7"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ca7d1ea06be5c263e8aaedf7f4af34c7","name":"HarrietP","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Harriet-CoA-avatar-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Harriet-CoA-avatar-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Harriet-CoA-avatar-1.jpg","width":1200,"height":800,"caption":"HarrietP"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Harriet-CoA-avatar-1.jpg"},"description":"Journalist and amateur genealogist","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.pinterest.co.uk\/harrietpears\/","https:\/\/x.com\/GnaOxdown"],"url":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/author\/harriet\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1818"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2874,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1818\/revisions\/2874"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crimesofthecenturies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}