THE KEEPER OF EXETER CASTLE, 1872.

In July 1872 the business of the County was being examined by a large gathering of Worthies at the commencement of  the Exeter City Quarter Sessions,   Mr Snow, the keeper of Exeter's Castle and its town-crier, had died and a new keeper needed to be appointed.

 "In answer to Mr Coleridge as to the emoluments of the office, Sir J. DUCKWORTH said the fees as crier amounted to something under £37 a year, and the allowances as Castle keeper was £28 8s, besides which the County Court paid him £12 a year for cleaning the court for County Court purposes; besides that he had a house, candles, fire and garden."

It was a dream of a job! Three names were put forward including that of William Peter, "a policeman who had been in the force 14 years" and whose conduct had been exemplary.   His proposers argued that it would be a good precedent to establish, and one that would do good to the police force- to know that when there were such vacancies, claims of long and good servitude on their part should be fully considered and recognised."   William Peters was elected keeper of the Castle by a healthy majority and then was unanimously elected crier also.  The Castle of Exeter had a new keeper.  I hope he was happy living in his castle and dining by fire and candlelight at the City's expense.

Servitude is an odd word to have used here.  My 1895 dictionary gives: servitude:  the quality or condition of a slave; slavery, bondage.  Well,  I dare say police-service must feel like that sometimes.

What fun if the city of Exeter still had a Castle Keeper!

What fun if the city of Exeter still had a Castle!

Alas, we have sold our birthright for a mess of pottage!

Source: The Western Times, 5th July 1872.

  

THE BLESSED RESTORATION, EXETER, 1857.

On Oak Apple Day, 29th May, in 1857, the city remembered the  Restoration of the Monarchy but an Exeter custom that had lasted almost two hundred years was discontinued:  

"the bells of the cathedral and those of several of the parish churches in the city, according to the annual custom, rang merry peals in commemoration of the Restoration.  The ringing of the bell at the St. Katherine's Almhouse, Catherine-street, as was the practice on such occasion, and which was a source of annoyance to the residents in the neighbourhood, was discontinued.  The bell had been rung by one of the junior choristers of the cathedral, and a sum of money - half of which went to the occupiers of the almshouse, and the other half to the ten junior choristers - was received from funds left for that purpose by the will (proved 1663) of Edward Young, D.D., Dean of Exeter.  It was believed that the money was given only on the condition that the bell of the almshouse was rung, but this proved to be incorrect and the practice of ringing it has been discontinued.  The will in question provides that 40s. a year be given to the almshouses and 40s a year to the choristers, on the day of the blessed restoration of his sacred Majesty."

I would bet it was some big-wig residents in the Cathedral Close who complained about the noise and thus spoiled the fun of one of the junior choristers  for ever after. What's more I suspect some legal chicanery here.  I would recommend that someone re-examine the good Dean Young's will but it is hardly worth the effort seeing that, in Catherine Street, there is no longer an almshouse bell worth ringing, 

Source, The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 6th June 1857

TALE OF A HAT, EXETER, 1859.

This is a second story of this kind but I publish it because I think it re-inforces the essential daftness of some Victorian parsons.  To me, these silly tales of hats &c. echo faintly the sea of faith's melancholy, long, withdrawing roar.  (- Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach was being composed just about this time.) : 

"At the Mary Steps Easter meeting, when the business was concluded, Mr Upright put on his hat, The Rector (Rev. R Shutte) exclaimed 'Take off your hat, my good fellow!'  

Mr.U.- Never mind my hat. 

The Rector - Do take it off. 

Mr. U - Will you hold it then?  

The Rector - Yes, with pleasure.

Mr Upright took off his hat and handed it to the Rector, who dropped it on the floor at the foot of the font.

The incident caused a good laugh in the church.  Very shortly after, another amiable parishioner clapped his tile on and grinned, in expectation that the Rector would remove it, but his reverence took no notice of the offender."

One has to feel sorry for the grinning parishioner who was deemed unworthy of the rector's notice.

Source The Western Times, 30th April 1859.

HITTING A PROSTITUTE, EXETER, 1853.

At the Exeter Guildhall in March, 1853:

 "JANE WILLIAMS, a prostitute. was charged with using indecent language in the public streets.  P.C. Moore heard the cry of 'Stop Thief," whilst on duty in High-street; and presently he saw the defendant turn the corner of Paris-street, in full speed after a gentleman, who took refuge in the Bude Haven Hotel.  The door was shut, and defendant evinced great violence in attempting to push it open.  Mr. Southcott, landlord of the Bude Haven, stated that the defendant's conduct was very violent, and that it had caused much annoyance to his lodgers.

"In her defence, Williams said that she had accosted the gentleman in the street, who instead of replying to her kind enquiries after his health, had struck her twice across the head with his stick.  Being enraged at this assault upon her she followed the gentleman, who ran into the Bude Haven; and she now expressed contrition for having evinced such violent behaviour.

"The Bench fined her 5s and the expenses, informing her that if she came there again for a similar offence. she would be imprisoned, without being afforded the opportunity of paying a fine." 

These days we are more considerate of sex-workers.  The policeman, the landlord and the Bench seem to have been oblivious to the fact that an assault was alleged to have taken place.  They did not for a moment consider asking the 'gentleman', who perhaps was an incipient Jack the Ripper who got his kicks by hitting the women-of-the-streets over the head with a stick and then running like smoke to escape their wrath, to account for his extraordinary behaviour.

Source: The Western Times, 5th March 1853.                 

MISCHIEVOUS FOLLY, EXETER, 1811.

On Wednesday , 30th January 1811,  readers of the Exeter Flying Post could read, right at the top of the social column, the following announcement:

"On Monday last was married, at St. Paul's church by the Rev. J. P. Carrington, the Rev. William Warren of Ottery St. Mary, to Miss Hicks, only daughter of Mr. William Hicks, of this city, builder."

A week later they were informed by the Flying Post: 

"The Paragraph inserted in our last paper, announcing the marriage of Miss Hicks of this city, to the Rev, Mr Warren of Ottery, is totally void of foundation.  The editors of both the Exeter papers were imposed upon by the mischievous folly of a young man, of this city, who has since expressed his sorrow for having been guilty of so great an impropriety, and of having been the cause of so much unpleasantness to the parties concerned."

There are mysteries to be winkled out here!

 Of  William Warren I can find no trace.  (I haven't looked very closely)  A  Rev. John Warren was the head master of the King's school in Ottery and his wife was, at least by 1815, a Frances Hicks.  Can this be a coincidence?  

Was perhaps the young man a King's scholar?  He sounds to me like he might have been a younger brother. 

In any case the announcement in the papers must have given rise to much shaking of heads and, I hope, quite a lot of giggling, both at Exeter, especially in  the congregation of St. Paul, and at Ottery St. Mary.

Source: The Exeter Flying Post, 31st January/6th February, 1811. 

SPLASHING JOCKIES, EXETER, 1806.

 "Our lammas fair commenced yesterday,  there was a large shew of cattle, but the expectations of peace rendered the sale heavy at reduced prices.  The price of leather also experienced a considerable fall.  Good horses were scarce, those of the middling and inferior order abounded, and were cutting capers in all directions, to catch the eye of the inexperienced purchasers, but in general, the whip, the spur and the ginger were equally unavailing, as, tho' the spectators were many, the buyers were few.

"Two of  these splashing jockies, galloping to catch the eye of a customer, rode against each other. and were thrown; one of them had his thigh broken, the other was severely wounded on the head, and was otherwise much bruised.  - They were both taken to the Devon and Exeter hospital, where the formerr lies, in a fair way of recovery; the latter was soon enabled to be moved under the care of his own friends, his wounds being not dangerous.  We could wish this accident might operate as a caution, to deter others from such improper conduct in future." 

The tanning industry and the sale of hides were among the city's major sources of income.  A fall in the price of leather was therefore significant,   The Lammas Fair was the high spot of the year and people came in their thousands to Exeter.  What with horses cutting capers and splashing jockeys and ginger, in the sense of high spirits, the fair must have been an animated occasion even when sales were depressed.

I wonder if Lammas (traditionally 1st August) was, from the first, a particular holiday in Exeter because it coincides with the festival of Saint Peter in Chains.  Saint Peter being the patron of our city.

Source: The Exeter Flying Post. 31st July 1806.

A PLAIN CLOTHES POLICEMAN, EXETER, 1848.

 In February 1848 at the Exeter Guildhall before the Mayor and a full Bench of magistrates:

"several Irish and other vagrants, men, women and chldren, were brought up by Fulford, who had been sent out in civilian clothes to catch them, for begging in the streets.  The city is over-run with vagrants and charitable people act injudiciously in giving to persons whom they do not know.

"One or two persons were summoned for using obscene language in the public streets;  and the magistrates, having expressed their determination to put a stop to this disgusting practice, imposed heavy fines.

For example, the cases of Tom and Jerry.  First,  the case of Tom Hamlin and family:

"THOS. HAMLIN, MARY HAMLIN, and MARGARET HAMLIN, were charged with offering needles and laces for sale in Magdalen-road, on Saturday last.  The case was proved by Policeman Fulford, who had been perambulating the streets in private clothes for the last two or thee days for the purpose of detecting vagrants.  The Defendant complained that Fulford had not taken other beggars into custody, but had pounced on him and his family because they were Irish.  Fulford said he could not catch them, or he should have teken them into custody.   Sent to prison for a week, hard labour."

The case of Jeremiah Macarthy:

"A very old offender, who, Mr Justice Kingdon said had been before them 100 times, was brought up on this 101st time for vagrancy.  He had been convicted of using abusive language on the 7th and fined 5s. or a week's imprisonment, with a hint to make himself scarce.  He had not done so but had been found begging on Sunday.  He was sent to prson for a week, on the previous conviction at the expiratin of which he is to be brought up again."

And so on ad infinitum.  The truth would seem to be that there is no easy answer to clearing the streets of vagrants.  

Vagrant and beggar have both become boo-words these days but the 'homeless' are still with us.  Let's face it, they are still begging and still vagranting but at least nowadays they don't bring their little ones with them..  The injudicious giving by citizens to persons whom they do not know seems also to be a constant. .   How some other countries manage to keep their city streets clear of the homeless I do not know but I suspect their methods must be un-English.  Mind you, sending that Policeman Fulford out in civilian clothes to round them up also seems pretty un-English.

Source: The Western Times, 19th February 1848.