A TALKING HORSE, EXETER, 1801.

"Christopher Lee Sugg was an entertainer, a 'professor of internal elocution',  that is, a ventriloquist, patronised by not less than the Duke of Cumberland.   He performed in August,1801 at the Hotel Assembly Room in Exeter for the inhabitants of the city and tickets sold at three shillings a ticket.   The Exeter Flying Post of 20th August printed this story:

"LEE SUGG, wishing to embrace every opportunity of making his singular talents the subject of public conversation, created no inconsiderable alarm on the public road the other day, as he was riding from this city to Exmouth. 

"The turnpike gate being opened, he rode hastily through,when, of a sudden, stopping his voice to the horse's head, exclaiming,  'I'll not go any further.'  'Why not? says Lee Sugg.-  'Because you have not payed for me, replied the horse.

"The woman at the gate was much alarmed at so extraordinary a phenomenon; however, after a little altercation between L.S. and his horse, they set off. but had not proceeded many yards, when they overtook an old woman, whom Lee Sugg's horse 'swore he would kiss.'  The old woman cries out, 'For God;s sake,  do not hurt me.'  L.S. replies 'He won't hurt you; did you never hear of the talking horse?'  -'Oh! sir! (says she)  'I know as well as you it is no horse; if you have any power over him, for Heaven's sake keep him from me.'  ;Why, what do you think it is then?' says Lee Sugg -  "Oh! do not, do not let him approach me, for I know too well that it is the Devil, though in the shape of a horse.'  Then L.S. again throwing his voice to the horse's head, excliams, ;Well, good woman, since you know me, I shall leave you to yourself for the present.  Remember me.'  -  The old woman replies -  'remember,  I am sure I shall never forget you; and I am happy you are gone.'" 

   

A QUESTION OF DISCIPLINE, EXETER, 1896,

At an inquest on yet another drowned woman held at the Exeter Police Court reported in The Exeter Flying Post of 6th June 1896, there was a row between the Mace-Sergeant and the Coroner, thus:

"Mace-Sergeant Gillard was in attendance as Coroner's officer.  The Coroner said he had given the warrant to Inspector Wicks.- Gillard: He is out of town.- The Coroner: I don't care for that.- Gillard:  But I am here in his place. - The Coroner:  I can't allow you to appear here in the present state of affairs.- Gillard:  Very good, sir. - The Coroner:  The officer I gave the warrant to, Wicks; he is not here;  it is his duty. - Gillard:  Very well, sir, I don;t want to have an argument;  if you want to have Wicks I will go and look for him but he is is out of town, and I summoned the jurymen.  The Coroner: I don't care;  I gave the warrant to Wicks and gave him my instructions...."   And so on.

Inspector Wicks was not out of town he was in his lodgings in Sidwell Street and was soon winkled out.   Over the years you can still hear the not so dumb insolence, the surly voice of the bolshy mace-sergeant and the tremulous insistence of the Coroner.

The story of this trivial quarrel simmered on and was made much of by the City Council.   Most of them wanted to side with the mace-sergeant because he was their own man whereas the Coroner, perhaps, somewhat like Bernard Knight's wonderful 'Crowner John', was seen as the Queen's officer and an outsider. 

TOUCHSTONE of The Flying Post, however, had no doubt as to the rights of the matter.  The case was still being discussed by the Council a month later.   He wote in his column of 11th July 1896. 

"It is not a question of superior or inferior, or both losing temper.  It is not a question of animus or provocation.  It is simply a question of discipline - of respect for a high and ancient office,....Nothing can justify a subordinate returnng an insolent answer to a superior,  The relative position, too, of the two men now in question is not recognised by the majority of the Council.  It is not an altercation between those practically on an equality.  It is as though an Admiral and a petty officer, a General and a Corporal, or a Judge and an usher of the Court were concerned."  

THE BEDFORD CHURCH CHILDREN'S OUTING, EXETER, 1889.

"The children attending Bedford Church Select Bible-classes and the Day and Sunday Schools were favoured with fine weather on the occasion of their annual outings to Woodbury Common\.  The members of the Select Bible classes. numbering 90. went on Saturday, and the Day and Sunday Schools. numbering 130, on Monday.

On both occasions the parties were conveyed in breaks and wagonettes, supplied by Mr, Bickford, of the Bedford Mews, and great praise is due to the drivers for the careful way in which they did their work, the journeys there and back each day being accomplished without a hitch,

It is needless to say that one and all thoroughly enjoyed the drives.  The hedges, with the wild rose and honeysuckle in full bloom, and the newly-mown fields added fragrance to the beauty of the scene.  On ariving at Black-hill at 3 o'clock it was found that the bracing air had sharpened the appetites of the young folk, and each one was speedily served with a substantial ham sandwich, after which the company resolved itself into small parties, which roamed over the moor and through the woods, returning at 4.30 p.m. for tea.

The remainder of the days was spent in various games, prizes for which had generouly been given by members of the congregation.  Two of the prizes on Saturday were specially valuable, one being a pair of hand-embroidered braces and the other a silver pencil-case, the gift of the wardens.  The amusements and recreations were brought to an end by the ascent of fire-balloons after which the homeward journey was begun.

Bedford Church was reached at about 10 o'clock, and the enjoyable outings were brought to a close by the parties before leaving the breaks standing up and singing the Doxology." 

Glory, what an image!   At ten o'clock on that Monday, one hundred and thirty boys and girls in Bedford Square, were standing up on their 'breaks and wagonettes' and singing the Doxology! 

"Praise God from whom all Blessings flow!"

Source: The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 26th June, 1889.

A DISGRACEFUL OFFENCE, EXETER, 1819

 In May 1819 the 'active' Chief Magistrate (Mayor) of Exeter took a stand against a local custom that must have dated back to before Henry Vlll's break with Rome.

Maundy Thursday,  Holy Thursday,  Shere Thursday is associated with washing and cleansing.  This because it was the day, so the authors of the gospels tell us, Christ washed the feet of his disciples.   Shere carries the meaning bright or pure, hence cleansed. 

It appears that generations of Exonians, surely not only the idle and ill-disposed, thought it fun to go out on the streets on Holy Thursday and purify their neighbours by throwing water over them.   The Exeter establishment did not approve.   The Exeter Flying Post of 20th May 1819 informed its readers:

"It has long been a subject of just complaint with the inhabitants of this city, that they are prevented from walking the streets on Holy Thursday, in consequence of a most shameful and lawless practice which prevails with the idle and ill-disposed, of throwing water on the passengers, without distinction of age or sex.

"We are happy to find that our active Chief Magistrate has caused hand-bills to be issued declaring his determination to punish, with the utmost severity all who are found guilty of an offence so highly disgraceful." 

Is it not curious how nowadays we almost exclusively use  passenger for one who rides in cars, trains, planes and buses?  In 1819 it simply meant one who passes on his way.

I should like to see one of those hand-bills. 

A MISCHIEVOUS IDEA, EXETER 1889.

In March, 1889, the Managers of  The Exeter Training College (i.e. for schoolmasters.  Nobody seems to want to call it Saint Luke's yet.) met at the College for their Annual General Meeting.  There were more than forty of them.  Mr. Alexander Henry Abercromby Hamilton, who was only one of them, addressed the meeting.   He said....

"he would not underestimate learning , but they must remember that the duty of these young men must be that of imparting elementary education to children, and it was quite possible that men might do that work better even if they had not obtained a first class in classics or mathematics.  The chief object in this college was education in the principles and objects of the Church of England.

"The tendency which had arisen in the present day of separating religion from education must be guarded against in every possible way.  They could not teach children morality, honesty and temperence unless they based it on Christianity. He hoped they would always remember that religion was the one thing needful, and that the idea of separating morality from religion was dangerous and mischievous. - (Applause)" 

A.H.A. Hamilton I take to be the lawyer and legal historian who lived at Millbrook House, Exeter,   His contention, 'no morality without Christianity!' was altogether mainstream at the time.

Source: The Western Times, 22nd March 1889.   

THE STOKE HILL HEN, EXETER, 1817

"A gentleman residing on Stoke Hill, near this city, has in his possession a hen which answers the purposes of a cat, 

"She is constantly seen watching close to a corn rick, and the moment a mouse appears she seizes him in her beak and carries him to a meadow adjoining where she amuses herself by playing with her victim until he is dead:   She then leaves him, repairs again to her post, and is frequently known to catch four or five in a day'

"This has been her constant practice for months past, during which time she has killed a great number of those destructive vermin,"

The fact that the poor mouse is given a masculine pronoun seems to me to add terror and pathos to this mind-shattering story from 1817!  

This monstrous hen was clearly her master's pride and joy as well as being a celebrity who was reported in the newspaper.  There should, perhaps, hang a portrait of her in the parlour at the Stoke Arms.  

Source: The Exeter Flying Post,  30th January 1817 

IDLE AND VULGAR, EXETER, 1898.

"The idle and vulgar men and youths who find sport in annoying other people who enjoy a walk in Hoopern Fields had better take a hint if they desire to escape an appearance before the City Magistrates.  Their disorderly conduct,  and the damage to property of which they are the cause, have been communicated to the Council.

"The Watch Committee have had the complaints under consideration,  and they have instructed the Chief-Constable to send a few plain clothes men to the path fields at frequent intervals and especially on Sunday afternoons and evenings,   

"The order will be welcomed by all decent folk, and it is to be hoped the Magistrates, if they get any offenders before them, will so deal with them that they will not quickly forget that the pleasant and secluded walks in the city are no longer to be permitted to be a rendezvous for disorderly persons who fancy themselves licenced to be offensive to anyone they meet."

The pleasant and secluded walks in Hoopern Fields were a good way out of town.   Nowadays the equivalent annoyers of other people have taken over Exeter's city centre: the cathedral green, the parks. the gardens and even the open streets.  One has the impression that when decent folk complain to the so-called authorities about the anti-social behaviour of the idle and vulgar, such complaints  disappear like snow in summer and there is no chance at all that anything will ever be done about their disorderly conduct.  At least these Victorians made an effort and the newspapers published the progress of their determinations to the citizens, 

Not that I imagine the idle and vulgar were likely to read this Note of the Day in The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 8th June 1898.