QUADRUPLE EVENTS, EXETER, 2026.

Yesterday I personally experienced four thought-provoking happenings that seemed to me to be uncannily related.  These were:  The  television broadcast of the  May 9th, Victory Parade in Red Square, Moscow,  the results of the Exeter City Council Elections with Labour battered but still clinging to power, the too numerous turn-out for the Exeter Pride Procession into Northernhay Gardens, and this passage from an eighteenth century literary work which I just happened to be reading in the afternoon:

" O Pharnabazus, I must confess that the very circumstance which is the cause of so much mirth to the gentlemen that accompany you, is the reason for my fears.  On one side I see gold, and jewels, and purple in abundance; but when I look for men, I can find nothing but barbers, cooks, confectioners, fiddlers, dancers, and everything that is most unmanly and unfit for war.

"On the Grecian side I  discern none of these costly trifles; but I see iron that forms their weapons, and composes impenetrable arms.  I see men that have been brought up to despise every hardship and  to face every danger that are accustomed to observe their ranks, to obey their leader, to take every advantage of their enemy, and to fall dead in their places rather than to turn their backs. 

"Were the contest about who should dress a dinner, or curl hair with the greatest nicety, I should not doubt that the Persians would gain the advantage; but when it is necessary to contend in battle, where the prize is won by hardiness and valour,  I cannot help dreading men that are inured to wounds and labours, and suffering; nor can I ever think that the Persian gold will be able to resist the Grecian iron.

"Pharnabazus was so struck with the truth and justice of these remarks, that, from that very hour, he determined to contend no more with such invincible troops; but bent all his cares towards making peace with the Spartans, by which means he preserved himself and his country from destruction." (my emphasis.)

 l leave readers to find, or not to find, connections. 

Source: Thomas Day, The History of Sandford and Merton, 1783.

SOUL DEBASEMENT, EXETER, 1845.

"SARAH THOMAS, a diminutive girl, who said she was sixteen, and who from her appearance might have been younger, was charged by Hamlin with creating a disturbance in the streets, on the previous Satuday night.

"The defendant was one of that too numerous class, who infest our streets, and though so young in years seem to have got rid of all the modesty of her sex.

"We would adduce her to those to those well meaning individuals who are in the habit of subscribing their money to christianize savages, thousands of miles off, as an instance of how much profligacy, vice, and irreligion, how much ignorance and soul debasement may be found in our streets, and at our own thresholds.

"Hamlin said that very early on the Sunday morning about half past one, he heard a great noise in the Cathedral Yard, and found Thomas there crying murder and saying she had lost her bonnet. He took her into custody, but on her depositing seven shillings at the Station house, she was suffered to depart.  In her defence she said with great coolness, a gentleman had given her some money, and afterwards wanted it again, she refused to give it up, he knocked her down three times , took away her bonnet and she cried murder; she had left her father's home a week.

"A letter from her father was put in expressing a wish that she might be severely punished, her conduct was so bad.  It was stated in court, that the conduct of the father was likewise so bad that it was not to be wondered his child had become so thoroughly demoralised.

"The decision was postponed, as the bench intended to make enquiries."

*

It would seem from newspaper reports that, in Exeter, there was no shortage of little girls on the streets and in the parks who survived by, one way or another, persuading 'gentlemen' to part with shillings.  I surmise they were very often 'modest' enough not to deliver what the gentlemen were seeking which seems to be the case here with little Sarah Thomas whose gentleman wanted his money back.  

It is of course scandalous that the constable and the court showed little interest in the soul debasement of this gentleman who, if we believe Sarah's evidence, knocked her down three times and stole her bonnet.

Hamlin was a constable so well know to its Exeter readers that the newspaper needed only to refer to him as Hamlin.

Adduce: is being used correctly here to mean to bring forward for consideration.  The Times, though a liberal newspaper, clearly has noticed that there are savages and infidels enough in Exeter and considers that charity should begin at home.

The peace of the cathedral yard  in Exeter is still frequently disturbed.  I witnessed it yesterday evening.  Nobody, it seems, is ever taken into custody.  Is this progress or regress?     

Source: The Western Times, 10th May, 1845.

A JUMPING SON, EXETER, 1845

It was Good Friday, 1845 when the Trinitarians beat their bounds  "with great glee.  

"At the foot of  Colleton Row, the parish boundary stretches into the river Exe - we saw no less than three of the trinitarians, stripped of their upper garments, leap into the silver stream, and swim to the shore - as a testimony of the extent of their boundaries.

"Some of the leading men, and the late misleading parson accompanied the procession.

"At the Shilhay bridge, which unites the quay with the shilhay, the boundary commissioners mounted the central pier, on the upper side, and jumped into the turbid waters of the muddy leat.

"One of them, a grey headed man, who had all is clothes on, was followed by his jumping son of about 14 years of age,  The party reached terra firma by the dipping steps." 

*

Trinitarians: were Exeter citizens of the lost parish of Holy Trinity Church, Southgate, (later and until recently the White Ensign Club in South Street)  some of whom, to establish their parish boundary, were prepared to go swimming with all their clothes on, or at least, their trousers.

The late misleading parson: was, I think, the young Reverend Joseph Corfe, a zealous supporter of Bishop Henry Phillpotts and something of a Tractarian and therefore not loved by The Western Times. 

The dipping steps: so called because the water-sellers filled their barrels at that place and carried, on primitive donkey-carts, water into the city.

No less than three!  Tut-tut!

I like the word glee. ( I like it better than ghee!) We don't hear much about it these days. The word relates, I read, to glitter and gleam. One can never get enough of it!

Source: The Western Times, 3rd May 1845.          

A DISORDERLY APPRENTICE, EXETER, 1845.

 "CHARLES HART, a rather undersized lad of 17, but who had the appearance of being what his master described him, 'a sassy chap' was charged wiith a violent assault on his master, Mr Richd Down, of the firm of Down and Woodman, coach builders.

"Mr Down stated that on the previous afternoon, the defendant, who was his apprentice, was ordered to clean a carriage.  He had absented himself without leave, and on his return he gave him a 'cuff' which was returned with a black eye.

"In his defence, he stated that he ran home with his tea can, was not absent a quarter of an hour, that his master began to knock him about, and not well knowing what he was doing, he and accidentally struck him in the face.  The defendant smiled at his ingenious defence, but was told by the magistrates it was no laughing matter.

"Mr. Down being asked as to his general conduct, stated it was very bad, and he was ordered to be imprisoned two weeks hard labour as a disorderly apprentice, and fined 2s 6d for the assault, and in default of payment a further imprisonment for two weeks."

*

A cuff:  A blow with the open hand. The Times puts the word in inverted commas, perhaps thinking it to be slang, but it is a highly respectable word, to be found in Hamlet, deriving from the Anglo-Saxon word for a glove.  I was not there but I am inclined to believe young Charles' version of events, i.e. his master began to knock him about.

A sassy chap;  The lexicographers think sassy, a dialect version of saucy, originates in the United States (or else in Sierra Leone!) but perhaps, like loon for the Great Northern Diver, it is a Devon dialect form that crossed the Atlantic long since.  1845 is a bit early for Mr, Down to be reading Westerns.

We are not told if Charles Hart, seventeen, undersized and with a mighty punch, before the Bench but still smiling, found the half-crown, plus costs, to prevent his sentence being doubled, but I hope he did.

Source: The Western Times, 19th April, 1845.

 

SABLE GARMENTS, EXETER, 1845.

  J. SOLOMON and Co.,  City Tailoring and Oufitting Establishment at at 193, High Street Exeter,  is once again advertising its wares, this time in the Western Times, of 5th April 1845.  This time the citizens of Exeter are being invited to buy new clothes for the Spring.  J. Solomon's versifier has been working hard and has produced four excruciating stanzas by way of advertisement of which these are the second and the last:

"I love, Oh! I love to trace

"The crocus and the primrose face

"Whilst feather'd songsters joyous ring

"Their merry notes to welcome Spring;

"And verdure green adorns the earth,

"Thrice welcom then , to you I sing,

"First flowers of the genial Spring.

"For Spring, then, make a glorious start,

"By calling in at SOLOMON'S fam'd Mart,

"His bounteous Stock of Varied hues,

"A leisure hour will well amuse;

"His prices will increase the fame,

"Which swells his glory and his name:

"Whilst England will triumphant ring.

"With SOLOMON'S's Fashions for the Spring." 

But our Orpheus knows that, also in Arcadia, Death is lurking, He adds a stanza to cheer up the bereaved under the title:

 MOURNING, , &c.

"When death dissevers a domestic tie,

"This mart your sable garments can supply,

"With that attention which we ever show

"To gayer features of our fam'd depot.

"Five hours of time is all that we require

"To measure and to make a suit entire;

"Or if you wish with ready-made to meet,

"As many minutes will the clothes complete."

A three-piece mourning suit cost one pound, sixteen shillings.

Five hours of time  to make a three-piece suit conjures up an image of  tailors, mostly Jewish, sitting cross-legged in a row working their needles on jackets like trousers from dawn to dusk.

CORKCUTTING, EXETER, 1845.

The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 5th April 1845  reported how the Magistrates at the Exeter Guildhall were obliged to consider the following:

 "Jon Stockham, a master corkcutter, charged Samuel Tozer, a small lad, his apprentice, with having neglected his work.

"It appeared that he was expected to cut 16 gross of phial corks in a day, and on a day named he had only cut 8 gross.

"In answer from an enquiry from the Bench, the master stated that the hours of the trade according to the indenture were from six in the morning to nine at night.

"Mr. Justice Kingdon said, an indenture from six to nine was in these times an absurdity, and no Magistrate would think of interfering to enforce it,

"Mr. Justice Harris and Mr. Justice Davy, who were on the Bench, also expressed their surprise at the number of hours required, and desired to have the indenture produced, for which purpose the case was adjourned to Saturday"

*

Corkmaking must have been miserable work.  It seems the corkmaker sat at a table and made corks one by one using special knives and punches.  A gross (is it still widely known?) is 144, which means that little Samuel  Tozer was required to produce 2,304 corks every long working day. 

One has the impression that some of these Victorian Exeter indentures had continued unchanged from the Middle Ages.

HOOKING THE BRAT IN, EXETER, 1845

 "At the committee meeting, [of the Exeter Humane Society] held at the Globe Hotel on Monday last, Harry Leeke Gibbs, Esq., in the chair, rewards were distribute to several persons for having at their risk of life and health, plunged into the water to save persons in danger of being drowned.

"The Chairman in distributing the awards, expressed regret that the funds of the society did not enable the committee to give more - ten shillings was the maximum sum awarded, and in that case the recipient, George Soper, had saved a couple of children belonging to a navigator, whose hair breadth escape we recorded at the time.

"In some instances the recipients had plunged into the river at the coldest season of the year: in one case the gallant fellow (Scoynes) had plunged through the ice, and shown not only a gallant impulse, but pluck and fortitude in carrying it out.

"It is a pity that the society is not better supported, in order that these rewards might be given with greater effect. Some honorary distinction should, if possible, accompany the recognition of these acts of heroism in humble life - the society feels this - but have not the funds.

"One case, rejected, was an application by an old man for a reward for having saved a boy at the Shilhay leat, by putting out his walking stick and hooking the brat in.  The old gentleman was informed that he had done no more than his duty, and that the application did him no credit, for if he had not stretched forth his stick he would have been a very wicked old man indeed.  He admitted the force of the objection, and retired somewhat chopfallen."

*

The Globe Hotel  was in the cathedal yard next to St. Petroc's church.

Here is George Soper again from Exe Lane, receiving ten bob, but no silver medal, from the Chairman of the Exeter Humane Society. Perhaps only in London were medals awarded.

Ten shillings was the average weekly wage of a workman in 1845 and so not to be despised.

It is perhaps noteworthy that the chairman seems to have felt that it was only necessary for the Humane Society to consider the heroism of persons of the humbler life. To reward courageous, respectable people with shillings would not make much sense.

Chopfallen (chapfallen) is hardly used these days but it has a long pedigree.  It occurs in Hamlet.  Crestfallen is even earlier.

Being myself an old man, I wish I were in a position to point out to the chairman of the Exeter Humane Society that he did not need to to treat the old gentleman, who hooked the brat out of Shilhay leat, so discourteously.  I should like to know the details.  Did the old fellow perhaps run towards the drowning child?  What was his state of health?  The least the chairman could have done was to commend his action.  Some of us, old men, find it difficult to tie our shoelaces, never mind lean out over a river and hold out a walking stick and rescue people.  I would not be surprised if, in his own way, this old man demonstrated pluck and fortitude like the best of them. God stand up for old gentlemen!

Source: The Western Times, 26th April, 1845,