< Back The Bridge Gate at Stamford and John Frammesley Chris Hunt 2023 The date of the establishment of the final line of Stamford’s town walls is not known, so far archaeology has not provided us with an answer. And although surviving murage grants for the building or repair of a defensive wall exist between 1261 and 1352. Such grants do not provide us with the line of the town wall. Further uncertainty is raised as to the date of the completion of the first bridge over the River Welland on the St Martin’s High Street – St Mary’s Hill axis. A date post 1086 seemingly most likely, and even then the dog legged route of the Great North Road could have skirted the Danish Burg before the construction of the Town Wall and thus even after this road alignment would have not needed a Bridge Gate. The river with the bridge and its gate at Stamford provided a defensive pinch point on the main road through Stamford. The gate also served other purposes, for by the late Middle Ages a room above it was used as a meeting place almost certainly linked to a Guild and where the town’s Alderman and Burgesses met in a Common Hall. Also, by this date the town’s gaol adjoined it on the west side. The Bridge Gate carried on these functions until its demolition in the late 1770’s and the construction of the present Town Hall on St Mary’s Hill. It could be said that the most famous English bridge from the medieval period was London Bridge over the River Thames, with its gate, drawbridge, chapel and shops. This was the site where the heads of traitors were displayed to remind the populace and visitors to the City that they should remain loyal to the monarch. Such judicial executions were finally formulated through the Treason Act of 1351/52. A person was guilty of high treason under the Act if they: Planned or imagined, the death of the king, his wife or his eldest son and heir. Violate the king's companion, the king's eldest daughter if she was unmarried or the wife of the king's eldest son and heir. Commit war against the king in his realm. Adhered to the king's enemies in his realm, giving them aid and comfort in his realm or elsewhere. Counterfeiting the Great Seal, or the Privy Seal. Counterfeiting English coinage or imported counterfeit English coinage. Killing the Chancellor, Treasurer, one of the king's justices, a justice in eyre, an assize judge, and Justices, while performing their offices. The convicted traitor was fastened to a hurdle, or wooden panel, and drawn by horse to the place of execution, where he was then hanged (almost to the point of death), emasculated, disembowelled, quartered (chopped into four pieces). His remains would then often be displayed in prominent places across the country, very much serving as a warning to others. It was common for the “quarters” to be sent to either major cities or towns which were seen as perhaps not totally loyal to the monarch. In March 1450 rebellion was in the English air and to defuse the situation King Henry VIth banished the Duke of Suffolk for five years. This was seen by some as a signal that this would herald the end of Henry’s regime and was an impetus for the London mob to take to the streets. As a result on March 21st 1450 there was an abortive rising, John Frammesley, a London vintner’s servant, was accused of sedition and treason and was arrested for chanting in the streets a rhyme picked up by the populace:- “By this town, by this town, For this array, the king shall lose his crown.” This was enough for Frammesley to be hung, drawn and quartered. His head was placed on London Bridge along with other traitors. The King’s Council in June 1451 sent one of his “quarters” to Stamford to be placed on the Bridge Gate, which quarter is not recorded. So why Stamford? The reason of course has not survived. It might just simple be that the town being on the Great North Road was a place where plenty of travellers would have seen John Frammesley’s remains and been reminded of the danger of rebellion. Another reason could be that Stamford was a seen as a potential source of trouble. After all it was part of the estate of Richard Duke of York whose death later propelled his son Edward to the Battle of Towton and the Crown. Of course we shall never know. So when you next cross the town bridge remember that the remains of a traitor were displayed above the entrance to the town. Chris Hunt, February 2023 A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Rate Book 1836 Alan Rogers 2017 STAMFORD IN 1836: A TRANSCRIPT OF THE RATE ASSESSMENT OF THE TOWN. INTRODUCTION: THE TOWN OF STAMFORD IN 1836: BOROUGH RATE BOOK In the Town Hall archives at Stamford is a survey of the whole borough (including St Martin’s parish) of 1836. It consists of six separate books giving the rateable value of every property in the six parishes of the town. The books are standard with printed columns with name of occupier, name of owner, nature of the property (house, garden, shop etc), its location in the town (usually by street but not street number), and rateable value. The survey was conducted by two eminent land agents in the town, Bryan Browning (architect, responsible for Barn Hill House, Bourne Town Hall and Folkingham Castle [1] ) and William Hack [2]; but there were also others involved, for several of the books have a note to say that these pages were ‘examined by EWC’. The books are well preserved and written on the whole clearly although the scribe, who seems to have copied from original schedules, had some peculiarities of handwriting which on occasion makes it difficult to determine a name exactly - especially capital letters. Many first names are abbreviated and are not always clear; and ‘Mr’, ‘Mrs’ and ‘Ms’ are not always distinguishable. It would seem that occasionally the surveyors guessed at the spelling of a name or used a variant spelling different from (for example) the contemporary Pigot’s Directory (1835). Mallory Lane is often (but not always) given as ‘Mannerly Lane’. The books have had pencil additions from time to time and some entries have the writing ‘qu’ against them [query]; some blanks have been filled in in pencil, names of occupants and especially owners have been changed, and valuations changed (almost always downwards); these are in italics in this transcript as far as they can be read. It is not known when these changes were made. Not all these pencil additions are legible. The assessors or the copyist have made one or two errors in transcription - these are noted in the footnotes. [1] Royal Commission of Historical Monuments, Stamford 1976 p lxxxiv for brief biography; it seems Browning had not yet moved into Stamford’; he is not in Pigot’s Directory of 1835. [2] Searches have not yet revealed anything about Hack. While most of the books have page numbers, some do not. We have added page numbers to our transcript where they do not exist in the original for ease of reference. On occasion, the writers have made an error in the page numbering - these are indicated in the footnotes. The enormous value of this record - a house-by-house survey of the whole town with occupant, owner and usage in 1836 - cannot be overestimated. Not all the owners of course were resident; and it is possible that some of those listed as occupiers (i.e. the actual ratepayers) may perhaps be tenants who have sub-let the property, but on the whole it would seem that they were in fact real occupants. And the nature and location of each property is also of great value. This was just before the major expansion of the town in the later nineteenth century, but new building can be seen at the bottom of Empingham Road near Rock Terrace (Stamford New Town). This survey can be compared with the very detailed Knipe’s map of 1833. In addition, the location of some of the properties in the streets may be identified by comparing this survey (especially the large number of properties listed as belonging to Browne’s Hospital) with the full and very detailed survey of all the Hospital’s properties in 1845 [also available as a .pdf from the Stamford and District Local History Society]; in this 1845 survey, each of Browne’s Hospital properties is located with a map giving the owners of adjacent properties. This transcript was typed by Peter Tomalin of Lyddington from a photocopy of the rate books held by the Stamford Survey Group (now the Stamford and District Local History Society); but some additional material was provided by John Hopson, Hon. Archivist to the Borough Council. It has been checked by Alan Rogers and John Hartley. We are immensely grateful to these people and to the Borough Council for helping with making this available. The importance of the borough archives and their accessibility for promoting the history of the town cannot be over-estimated. In this format, these records can now be searched easily for personal names or inns or other features of Stamford’ s early nineteenth century history. page Parish of All Saints 1 Parish of St George 29 Parish of St John 49 Parish of St Martin 65 Parish of St Mary 78 Parish of St Michael 83 A PDF of the transcript of the Rate Book can be accessed HERE Previous Next

< Back Black Sabbath Plays Baston 1970 It might come as a surprise that Black Sabbath with their original line-up of Ozzy Osbourne on vocals, Tony Iommi on guitar, Geezer Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums, played on Saturday July 11 th 1970 in a Marquee on the Baston Playing Field. A Barbecue and Dance was organised by the Baston Community Association and for 12 shillings and 6 pence (62½ new pence) you would have heard a band that became the founders of Heavy Metal music and led by the legend that is Ozzy Osbourne. SOURCE SLEAFORD STANDARD (FRIDAY) JULY 10 TH 1970 p4/c8-10 A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Agreement between Stamford Town Council and Little Casterton for the use of the Stamford Horse Drawn Steam Fire Engine 1904 By Chris Hunt Introduction The following transcript is from a four paged signed copy of a Legal Document between Stamford Town Council and the inhabitants of Little Casterton (Rutland). Memorandum of Agreement made this seventeenth day of December one thousand nine hundred and four. Between the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of Stamford acting as the Urban District Council for the Borough of Stamford and hereinafter called the Town Council of the one part and The Parish Meeting of Little Casterton in the County of Rutland, hereinafter called the Parish Meeting of the other part. Whereas the Town Council has recently acquired from Messrs Shand Mason and Company of London a Steam Fire Engine with the necessary appliances and equipment which said Steam Fire Engine for the purposes of identity has the word “Stamford” painted thereon. And Whereas the Parish Meeting has with the consent of the County Council and in conjunction with other Parish Meetings and Parish Councils agreed to pay the Town Council a yearly contribution for the use of the said Steam Fire Engine for the purpose of extinguishing fires occurring within the district of Little Casterton aforesaid during the period hereinafter mentioned. Now it is mutually agreed as follows: - 1) The Parish Meeting will during and throughout the continuance of this agreement pay to the Treasurer for the time being of the Borough of Stamford for the use of the Town Council the yearly sum of Two Pounds six shillings and three pence without any deduction the last mentioned sum, to be paid by two equal instalments on the first day of September and the first day of March in each year during the continuance of this agreement the first of such instalments to be paid on the first day of September one thousand nine hundred and four. 2) In consideration of such payments the Town Council agrees with the Parish Meeting that at all times during the period of five years from the date hereof on demand therefore being made to the Captain Superintendent or other Officer of the Stamford Fire Brigade or upon notice given or left at the Stamford Police Station of a fire however caused happening to any house, building, stack, agricultural produce or premises within the Parish of Little Casterton, the Town Council will, except as provided by Clause 4 of these presents, with all due promptitude by day or by night cause the said Steam Fire Engine properly equipped, manned and horsed to be sent to any such house, building, stack, agricultural produce or premises for the purpose of extinguishing or dealing with such fire. 3) NO charge or payment of any kind so ever shall be made or paid to the Town Council by the occupier of the premises where the fire occupier of the premises where the fire occurs or at which the said Engine shall be used or employed for the use of such Steam Fire Engine, but such occupier shall be liable to pay to the Town Council the reasonable and proper charges of the Brigade for their attendance and service at such fire and for the use of the horses employed in drawing the Engine from Stamford to the scene of the Fire and home again and the damage done to any hose or other appliance not forming part of the equipment of the said Engine. 4) Provided always that the liability upon the Town Council to supply the said engine aforesaid shall be suspended in all cases where owing to a prior call or claim (either in or out of the Borough) the Engine for the purposes of extinguishing or dealing with a fire have been taken or sent into another Parish with whose Parish Council or Parish Meeting the Town Council shall have entered into an agreement similar in all respects to these presents. No pecuniary liability shall rest upon or be incurred by the Town Council for any delay in despatching the said Engine to any fire nor shall the Town Council be called upon to make compensation for any damage which may arise from any cause whatever in connection with the despatching of the said Engine. 5) The Town Council will cause the said Engine at all times to be kept in a thorough state of repair and if the Engine shall at any time during the said period of 5 years become disabled or useless, the Town Council will forthwith hire another Engine pending the reparation of the said Engine, and the terms and conditions therein contained shall be applicable to the Engine so hired. 6) In case the said sum hereby agreed to be paid as aforesaid or any part or instalment thereof shall remain unpaid for 28 days next after the day fixed for the payment thereof it shall be lawful for but not obligatory upon the Town Council by notice in writing signed by the Town Clerk and directed to and served upon the Clerk to the said Parish Meeting to determine and put an end to this agreement and from and after the giving of such notice the respective rights and liabilities of the parties hereto shall cease and determine. The power hereby given to the Town Council shall be ancillary to their remedy for recovery by action at law of the said sum or any part thereof payable by the Parish Meeting as aforesaid and it shall be at the option of the Town Council either to exercise the power hereby given of determining this agreement or of proceeding by action for recovery of the said sum or any part thereof as this Town Council shall decide. 7) At the expiration of the said period of 5 years or upon the determination of this agreement the Parish Meeting shall have no claim upon the Town Council in respect of the subject matter of this Agreement nor to any matter or thing herein contained or referred to. 8) If any dispute or difference shall arise between the Town Council and the Parish Meeting touching any of the matters contained in this agreement such dispute or difference shall be referred to two justices of the Borough (not being members of the Town Council) whose decision shall be final and binding upon all parties. 9) The said Steam Fire Engine shall be and remain the absolute property of the Town Council. In Witness whereof the Common Seal of the Town Council was hereunto affixed and the Presiding Chairman and two Members of the Parish Meeting at a meeting of the said Parish Meeting have hereunto set their hands and seals as the act of the Parish Meeting. Testing the Shand Mason Horse Drawn Steam Fire Engine at Bath Row on March 28th 1904. Notes. 1) The above document had the Common Seal of the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Stamford affixed at a Meeting of the Town Council, on February 6 th 1905 in the presence of George Higgs, Mayor of Stamford. The original document was countersigned and sealed by Charles Ormston Eaton, the Presiding Chairman of the Parish Meeting of Little Casterton, and by Mr Arthur Templeman and Mr Albert Broughton, two of the Members of the Parish Meeting, at a Parish Meeting held on December 17 th 1904 in the presence of Mr Henry Green. 2) The Town Council at this time offered villages around Stamford the opportunity to make legally binding agreements, for the use of the town’s fire-fighting equipment. This was made more possible as a result of the Town acquiring a second Messrs Shand Mason and Co. horse drawn steam fire engine in 1904. 3) The Mayor, Mr George Higgs (1852-1918) was a merchant of multiple shops in the East Midlands operating as a wholesaler and retailer, selling tobacco, briars, cigars and cigarettes and tobacconists’ sundries. starting with a tobacconist shop on St John’s Street in Stamford. By the turn of the century, he had expanded his business with shops in Newark, Nottingham, Sleaford, and three in Lincoln. He was a Kesteven County Councillor and served on several Committees and Charities within the town. His wife was a descendant of Sir Isaac Newton in the female line. 4) Charles Ormston Eaton (1827-1907) lived at Tolethorpe Hall. Born at Ketton Hall, he attended Harrow School and graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge. He was a director of the Stamford, Spalding, and Boston Bank which after his death became part of Barclays Bank in 1911. He purchased the site for the Roman Catholic Church of St Mary and St Augustine in Stamford, assisted in financing its building and paid for the organ. Chris Hunt December 2025 A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Andy Capp Daily Mirror Cartoon Character Born Near Stamford in 1956 By Chris Hunt Although there is some debate as to the actual year that Andy Capp, all be it a cartoon character, was born. What is certain, is that in an interview printed in the TV Times in June 1975, Andy’s creator, Reg Smythe (1917-1998), claimed that he was born in 1956, somewhere on the A1 between Stamford and Grantham. This was before the days of the Stamford By-Pass, so perhaps a blue plaque is needed on the old Great North Road, somewhere within the Borough boundaries. His international reputation has waned over the years; however, Andy Capp still appears in the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Mirror. The British Cartoon Archive claims he has been syndicated into around 1700 newspapers, in 51 countries and translated into 14 languages. He is truly an international character. Chris Hunt December 2025 A Print version is available HERE Previous Next

< Back Belgian Refugees in Stamford Jean Orpin 2014 This paper was prepared by Jean Orpin as part of the research carried out for the Stamford commemoration of the start of World war I in August 1914. Between late August 1914 and May 1915, 250,000 Belgian Refugees came to Britain. It was the largest influx of political refugees in British history. Today it is almost entirely forgotten. Yet in the early part of the war helping Belgian refugees was a significant part of Stamford’s contribution to the war effort. October 16th 1914 Stamford Mercury An appeal is made by Mr Samuel, President of the Local Government Board for hospitality which is urgently necessary for town and country organisations to provide accommodation on a considerable scale and is asking for places to take 50-100 or more. He also appealed for individuals to offer care. The Belgian refugees tell an awful story of savagery which compelled them to flee from Mekelen, a manufacturing town of 60,000. On Sunday September 27th after German bombardment the whole town lay in ruins. It was then occupied by German soldiers. Refugees fled to Welhem where they stayed for 3 days and nights then that town was invaded and they went to Antwerp and were shipped to Harwich. October 23rd A crowded meeting was held at the Town Hall to consider the maintenance of the refugees attended by the Mayoress, the Marchioness of Exeter, Countess Villiers, the Countess of Ancaster and other prominent residents. The Mayor hoped that everyone would do all they could and they needed to think of expenses. Mrs Edmonds had offered furniture and the Mayor had bought 9 beds and 16 blankets and would make the gift up to £20. The estimated cost of maintenance was 7/- per week. Mr Halliday and Reverend Rogers advised proceeding cautiously as many of Stamford’s own residents might need help before the war was over. Mr Coulson said that the town could be divided into districts and ladies appointed to collect weekly subscriptions. The Roman Catholic priest asked if they could get French refugees as he did not understand Flemish. The Mayor proposed that they proceed with arrangements for 20 and appointed a committee. The Mayor said that gifts of clothing, bedding, furniture and linen were acceptable. Satisfactory arrangements were made with the owner of Eversley House School, Mr R. G. Evans. This commodious dwelling has been furnished for the reception of the refugees. Large quantities of bedding, furniture and household requisites have been given or loaned by the townspeople. The gas company undertook to supply gas free of cost and the Urban Electric Company would supply electric light at 2d a unit instead of 5d. A letter to the Mercury suggested that a quiet reception be made as he had already noticed a lot of schoolchildren peering through the windows of Eversley House as if something in the nature of a freek show was taking place. Villages were participating too. Easton had a house available. Collyweston planned to make a weekly collection. Folkingham had a scheme for entertaining and accommodating a number of refugees. Duddington and Ryhall also offered support. October 30th The Belgian Refugee fund had £389 in the bank. Mrs Pepper of Red Lion Square collected 2040 pennies.Madame Matilde Dorzou was put in charge of Eversley House, which had been fitted up to house about 30 refugees. The first party of 30 including a banker, an accountant and the postmaster of Louvain arrived on the 22nd and was met at the station by the Mayor and Mayoress, the Town Clerk and Reverend Father West, the Honourable Mrs Geoffrey Pearson and Mr Orlando Edmonds. Brakes conveyed the refugees to Eversley House where they were addressed by the Mayor. Ten more refugees arrived on Saturday evening. They attended mass each morning. The light and gas company supplied fuel on special terms. Drs Greenwood and Attenborough were in attendance. November 6th £462 has been paid into the Relief Fund. Another party of refugees were expected and preparations were made at a house on Broad Street, formerly occupied by Mr Hassan which brought the number of refugees up to 60. November 13th Relief Fund £ 493. To avoid difficulties at Eversley House two families left for Manchester. November 20th A whist drive raised £8 10s 6d for the refugees. December 6th A party arrived but soon moved on. Peasant classes arrived to occupy premises at 18 and 19 Broad Street. December 11th Relief fund £689. December 18th It was agreed that empty houses occupied by refugees should not pay rates. T he Invasion of Belgium Germany planned to conquer France quickly. As the border was heavily fortified they planned to avoid the French fortifications by invading neutral Belgium as part of the Schleifflen Plan to capture Paris quickly. This act was seen as a violation of International law as Belgium was a neutral country. Belgian neutrality had been respected in the past and Britain had guaranteed Belgium independence with the Treaty of London in 1839. The invasion took place on August 4th. King Albert, declaring that Belgium was a country not a road, led the Belgian army which resisted the invasion. The first battle in Belgium was at Liege (August 5-16th). This delayed the German progress and gave the British time to send a British Expeditionary Force to Belgium to join the Belgian army. It was small but highly professional. (The British did not have a large army and depended on the Navy as a main line of defence.) Although the Germans were stopped, they had overrun Belgium which remained in their hands for the rest of the war. Over a million refugees fled the country, a quarter a million to England. War Refugee Committees were set up to cope with the refugees.Belgium had a population of 7.5 million. It was a prosperous country with an economy based on trade and industry including a steel industry and coal and iron but imported food. The major ports were Antwerp and Ostend. A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Stamford and the Gough Map, The Earliest Known Image of the Town. Chris Hunt 2014 In 1809 Richard Gough donated a medieval map to the Bodleian Library which today bears his name. The age of the map is uncertain. The previous owner of the map to Gough believed that it dated from the reign of Edward III (1327-1377), whilst scholarship in the 19th century considered a date of c.1300. Historical evidence from the map itself suggested a date between 1355 and 1366. The reasons behind these dates is that the image of Coventry shows a city wall which was first constructed in 1355, and the latter date of 1366 as in that year the town of Sheppey in Kent was renamed Queenborough. More recent studies have however suggested a later date for the map based on handwriting and stylistic evidence towards then end of the 14th century and then revised as late as the 1430’s. Although of course the original map may date from the time of Edward I (1272-1307) and the Gough Map is a later revised and updated copy produced in the time of his grandson. The map has the east to the top of map with the west to the bottom of the page. Stamford is shown on the Gough Map as a walled town with two gates and a church with a spire on a river which is shown in green (on the image below). A road running from the south in this image (top right) which crosses another water course at Wansford, then passes through Stamford before going north to Grantham (bottom left). A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back New Footbridge over the River Welland 1863 Submitted by Chris Hunt The new footbridge across the River Welland, leading from Terra-cotta Lane to the Water Street railway station, was formally opened on Saturday last by Alderman Octavius N. Simpson, chairman of the committee, and attended by the Mayor and other members of the committee. The structure will be found exceedingly convenient to the residents of the eastern half of Stamford, more especially to those residing in St George’s parish. It has a very pretty appearance as viewed from the town bridge, and is quite an ornament to the part of the river which it spans. The structure consists of two stone abutments and one arch of 80 feet span, with a roadway of 6 feet wide, which is carried on Mallet’s buckled plates overlaid with asphalt. The main portion of the bridge is of rolled angle tee and plate iron, cast iron is only used in the bed plates and parapets, and the whole is put together with more than 8,000 rivets, and contains about 7 tons of iron. The stonework has been carried out by Messrs. Roberts, the ironwork by Mr. Cliffe, and the asphalt has been laid by Mr. Reedman, the whole having been done according to the plans and under the superintendence of Mr. Wright, Civil Engineer, Stamford whose plans it will be remembered were selected in competition out of 17 others. The total cost from first to last, including professional charges, will not exceed £400. Source STAMFORD MERCURY (FRIDAY) JULY 10TH 1863 p4/c3 Note. This footbridge was swept away by the floods of July 1880 and was replaced with the present Albert Bridge. Terra-cotta Lane was renamed Albert Road after Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, who died in 1861. The railway station mentioned above is of course the old Stamford and Essendine Railway station whose main building and goods shed still stand at the east end of Water Street. A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

From 1977 to 1982 the Stamford Survey Group (the forerunner to the Stamford Local History Society) published The Stamford Historian, and a sample of its scholarly articles is included in this section. A detailed list of all of the articles can also be accessed, and the actual articles can be viewed at Stamford Library. STAMFORD HISTORIAN From 1977 to 1982 the Stamford Survey Group (the forerunner to this Society) published The Stamford Historian, and a sample of its scholarly articles can be viewed below. A detailed list of all of the articles can be accessed HERE , and the actual articles can be viewed at Stamford Library. Death by Misadventure: Coroners Inquests 1700-1850 - Part 1 investigating Stamford deaths John Hartley Stamford Historian September 1978 Read Article Death by Misadventure: Coroners Inquests 1700-1850 - Part 2 a list of inquests John Hartley Stamford Historian September 1978 Read Article Queen Eleanor's Cross location of the Stamford cross Ken Coles Stamford Historian February 1980 Read Article St Cuthbert's Fee in Stamford the third manor of Stamford Dr E C Till Stamford Historian February 1982 Read Article Stamford Poor Law Union a history of Stamford's workhouse Dr Stella Henriques Stamford Historian February 1979 Read Article Stamford and the Plague the plague and parish registers Aubrey Plowman Stamford Historian February 1980 Read Article The Cecil's Monopoly of Milling in Stamford 1561-1640 the townspeople, millers and the Cecils Dr D L Thomas Stamford Historian February 1982 Read Article

< Back Stamford Borough Police Force 1836 to 1889 By Chris Hunt Today in 2026 there is much talk in political circles of reform to the structures of the police forces across England and Wales with amalgamations and the construction of a National Police Force. Such restructuring is not new. The Stamford Borough Police Force came into existence on January 2 nd 1836 when Mr William Reed was appointed Chief Constable, assisted by nine constables. Mr Reed was very much a trusted member of society in Stamford. He also held the posts of Sergeant at Mace, Deputy Clerk of the Borough’s Markets with additional responsibility for Weights and Measures, for which he held the title of Inspector, and Clerk of one of the local Turnpike Trusts. The force was amalgamated into the Lincolnshire Constabulary in 1889. Prior to this date, the town had fallen under a system of Watch and Ward, although controlled by the Borough Council, it was very much structured around the five parishes. This system had evolved from the powers granted to the town under the Charter granted by Edward IV in 1462. The powers within the Charter did not extend south of the River Welland. It was not until the 1830s that parts of St Martin’s Parish became part of Stamford for some political functions. Stamford police on the steps of the Town Hall The Police Force was very much under the control of the Borough Council through the Watch Committee, who drew up the Rules and Regulations which were then agreed by the full Council before being sent to the Home Office for endorsement. In 1842 the regulations insisted the police constables wore their complete uniform when on duty. They were all issued with their own numbered personal truncheon, which had the Royal Cypher and the Borough Crest. The truncheon, in addition to being for personal protection, was also their authority, and was similar to a warrant card today. One of their responsibilities was to visit public houses during the hours of divine service on a Sunday to make sure that no intoxicating liquors were being sold or consumed. Another duty was to look out for gambling on a sabbath. This involved visiting the outlying areas of the town where groups of men would congregate to play cards for money, Uffington Meadows being a favoured spot. The problem that these early policemen had was, when chasing fugitives, they needed to catch the individual before he/she crossed the Borough boundary, because their authority vanished once they crossed the border. On one occasion, wrongful arrest was successfully claimed when the individual was apprehended on the south bank of the River Welland in the Parish of Barnack. New regulations were made in 1857 which included the provision that all constables had to have his rank and number put in a conspicuous place in front of his premises. The name and addresses of the Policemen started to appear in local directories, so everybody knew where they lived. In 1873 for instance the police force was made up of: - Mr Richard Ward, Chief Superintendent, 30 Scotgate. John Harrison, Sergeant, 2 Austin Friars’ Lane. David Leach, Sergeant, 3 Milner’s Row, Belton Street. George Dalrymple, Acting Sergeant, 4 Milner’s Row, Belton Street. No. 1 William Wade, Merit Class, 1 Palmer’s Buildings, Empingham Road. No. 2 Francis Gray, Merit Class, 19 Belton Street. No.3 Samuel Burrell, First Class, 9 Exeter’s Court, St Peter’s Street. No. 4 John Martin, First Class, 58 St Leonard’s Street. No. 5 Richard Wright, Third Class, 4 Welland Street. In 1857, other changes included the creation of a structure within the police force with the introduction of sergeants and the removal of the gap between the Night Duty, which previously finished at 5.00am, and the Day Shift, which started at daylight. In the same year, consideration was given by the Watch Committee to amalgamation with the then newly formed Lincolnshire Constabulary. The decision was made to keep the local control, even though such a move would have resulted in a saving of £93 0s 0d. The Stamford Borough Police Force was a well-managed force as it was described in 1861 as “one of the most efficient small forces in the district” by Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary. Chief Constables/Chief Superintendent William Reed January 2 nd 1836 to October 20 th 1859 (died in office). Richard Ward November 22 nd 1859 to November 21 st 1885 (retired). Alfred Palmer November 26 th 1885 to September 29 th 1886 (required to retire), (formerly a Sergeant in the Stamford Borough Police). John William Lawson September 30 th 1886 to March 11 th 1889) (Chief Constable at Peterborough), (formerly an Inspector of the Rotherham Borough Police). On April 1 st 1889, Stamford lost its independent police force and had to amalgamate with the Lincolnshire Constabulary as the Borough had a population of less than 10,000. However, for several years, Stamford remained as a separate division of the County Force. Sources. Jenkinson’s Royal Albert Almanack 1873 Lincolnshire Constabulary 1857 – 1957 (Author Unknown) A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Parliamentary Election 1847 (Hustings and Poll) Chris Hunt 2022 On Friday July 30th 1847 the hustings for the Parliamentary election in Stamford were erected in Broad Street for the candidates to present themselves for nomination before the electors of the Borough. It was the first true contested election in the town for nearly forty years and the growing unrest in both the middle and lower classes uniting against the Burghley interest meant that there was a real possibility of political change. Both believed that the economic future was dependent on the London to York railway passing through the town and that the Marquis of Exeter was working to prevent such a route. An expansion of the town and its numbers of voters would have of course destroyed for ever his control. The independent minded amongst the Borough Council had found John Rolt Esquire as a candidate and using the George and Angel on St Mary’s Street as a base began their campaign with the support of Alderman Richard Newcomb – owner and proprietor of the Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury. On the day of the hustings Mr Rolt and his supporters met up at the George and Angel to march to Broad Street, by the time they got there the crowd numbered close to two thousand. Lord Exeter’s nominees – the Marquis of Granby and Mr Herries arrived slightly later with few supporters who were shouted at and hissed by the crowd. It was reported in the Stamford Mercury that all the remarks were in ‘good humour’. Once the initial formalities had been completed the nominations began. Doctor Hopkinson nominated the Marquis of Granby stating that the Marquis was a fit person to represent the town and having done so these last ten years. However, within his speech he highlighted a bill signed: ‘An Elector, to which it was stated that the Noble Lord’s and Mr Herries’s friends had been guilty of exercising undue influence. He begged distinctly to say that no influence of the kind had been put into practise’. This was met by cheers which were soon drowned out with hissing and cries of ‘It has’. Mr Cayley seconded the nomination speaking of the ability and integrity of the Marquis of Granby; however, most of his speech was drowned out by the crowd. Mr C.Haycock then proposed the Right Honourable John Charles Herries of Sevenoaks, Kent; as the second candidate for Stamford. The crowd by now had found its voice and it was a while before he began to speak. Much of which was drowned out by the crowd. Mr Henry Chase Atlay seconded the nomination. Mr Hatfield then came forward to nominate Mr Rolt, he was met with much cheering at which he stated that it was time that Stamford had its own representative. He stated that the question had to be considered ‘whether Lord Exeter should continue to usurp the power of returning both their members’. ‘it was a shame that any attempt should be made to prevent the electors to having at least some share in the choice’. He then reminded the crowd, although it was probably as much as a message to the Burghley candidates ‘that there was a standing order of the House of Commons which made it a high infringement of the Liberties of the People for a Peer of Parliament to interfere in elections to the House of Commons’. He reminded the crowd that such influence of the aristocracy would be able by legislation to coerce both the Crown and the People. He then stated that ‘it was a maxim of the constitution that the People should not be taxed without their consent; but that principle became an absurdity when the electors were prevented from choosing whom they thought proper to vote the taxes, and were threaten with pains and penalties, which being turned out of their houses, or deprived of their trade or means of living, if they made a free and conscientious selection’. He then stated that suffrage was not given as a right for a man’s own benefit, it was a privilege for the benefit of his fellow man. He then spoke of the loss of freemen’s right because of a lack of proper representation, an issue which closely touched on the majority of the adult male population of the town. Whether or not they had the vote. In finishing his speech he raised the issue of the mainline railway passing through the town and; ‘to serious loss the town was likely to experience by the carrying to a distance of the Great Northern Railway through the Marquis of Exeter’s opposition to it from pecuniary motives’. In proving this point he reminded the crowd how the Marquis had offered land to the railway company at ‘monstrous terms’ compared with prices he had been willing to buy land only a few years previous. Mr G.H.Betts then seconded Mr Rolt’s nomination. After mentioning issues around the Corn Law and Game Laws he too raised the issue of the north-south railway and ‘the scandalous manner in which the town had been cheated out of the advantages of railway communication from North to South’. The support of the gathered crowd at the hustings was very much in support of John Rolt for when the Marquis of Granby addressed the crowd he was met with a ‘storm of hissing’. When he finally spoke he attempted to defend his position on the Great Northern Railway, he had met a deputation from Stamford on the matter and that he had told them ‘that he would consult Lord Exeter on the subject’ produced laughter in the crowd. He then stated that ‘in doing so, he believed he had acted honourably and fairly’, a wag in the crowd was recorded as heckling; “Yes, to Lord Exeter, but not to the town’. When asked by Mr Tebbutt whether the Marquis would support the railway bill if it was reintroduced, stated ‘I will pledge myself to nothing’. He then stated that he had supported the increase to the Maynooth Grant - a Roman Catholic seminary in Ireland - , alterations to the Corn Laws and the Ten-Hours Factory Bill. Mr Herries then addressed the crowd and he too was met with much hissing and groans. He stated that he had twenty-year’s service in Parliament of which ten years had been as a minister, latterly as Chancellor of the Exchequer. He stated that Stamford was exempt from corruption which antagonised the crowd. There was more heckling about why having been elected eight times for Harwich he was now standing in Stamford. His view on secret ballots when asked by an electorate was that such a change would be against the ‘honesty of Englishmen’. After stating that those who had the vote should use them and those who do not should make no noise, so aggravated the crowd that the cry that ‘You have insulted the nonvoters and so we will not hear you’ was the end of his address. He just gave up. Mr Rolt then addressed the crowd. He stated that he would come ‘to the great question’, which was ‘whether the constituency of Stamford should be free’. He reported to the crowd that he had spoken to many of them and that he had been told that although they wanted him to be elected to Parliament they could not vote for him because of their fears of ‘ejected from their houses or lose some of their customers’. His view on the Corn Laws was that they should be given a fair trial and if they if they were not of benefit and led to the ruin of agricultural interests then there should be a return to protectionism. He also stated that he supported the use of public taxes for the education of the People. Mr Rolt then touched on other aspects, including, the Maynooth grant, the Health of Towns Bill, the Poor Law, the Great Northern Railway measure; his views on these matters being supported by the crowd. He finally asked the Electors to ‘assert their independence’ in voting for him. The nominations being received the call for the vote was heard and the Mayor declared Mr Rolt and the Marquis of Granby elected. At this point Mr Haycock on behalf of Mr Herries demanded a poll. Mr Rolt was then escorted by a large crowd to his residence in Rock Terrace and on the Friday evening he addressed a meeting at the George and Angel. The polling commenced on Saturday morning at about 8.00am and was carried on till about 11.00am, all the time the Marquis of Granby and Mr Herries being in front. Shortly after 2.00pm with the populous become more and more tumultuous and Mr Rolt realising that there was insufficient votes still to be polled agreed to ‘resign the contest’. After the books were closed the Mayor declared that the Marquis of Granby and Mr Herries had been elected and the votes cast were: For the Marquis of Granby 359 For Mr Herries 290 For Mr Rolt 234 The Marquis of Granby and Mr Herries after saying a few words at the Stamford Hotel after Mr Rolt resigned the contest left Stamford by train to London via Cambridge before the vote was declared. Whilst Mr Rolt addressed a large crowd at the George and Angel stating that he would be willing to stand again in the Borough and that the reason for his defeat was that twenty-three voters had promised to vote on his behalf but had been ‘induced by customary means’ to vote for Mr Herries and that others who had stated that they were going to remain neutral recorded their votes for the Burghley nominees. The following week it was being reported in the Stamford Mercury how the recent contested election had passed so quietly. Although, it was noted that by some that they would have voted differently if the Marquis of Exeter’s agents had not been present. Unfortunately, the political future in Stamford over the next few years was hardly quiet. Resulting in violence at subsequent Municipal elections, alleged corruption in the ‘buying of votes’, Burghley Tenants thrown out of their homes, and an investigation of the Parliamentary election by a Select Committee of the House of Commons. Chris Hunt A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back John Clare and Bull Running 1819 Chris Hunt 2018 John Clare’s Autobiographical Writings which are preserved in the archive at Peterborough City Library leads us into the early life of the poet. In manuscript A32 (p18-22) after stating that he left employment at the New Inn at Great Casterton, he continues with: - ‘I left Casterton on the Bull running day at Stamford and on calling on Drury I fell in with John Taylor whom I found was the Editor of my poems then in the press and nearly ready for publishing, he was visiting at Mr Gilchrists and in the evening they sent one of the servant maids to Drurys to invite me to go.’ John Clare’s first collection of poems – Poems, Songs, and Sonnets, Descriptive of Rural Life – was published in January 1820. Bull running day in 1819 was a Saturday. The previous day on Friday November 12th 1819 the Stamford Mercury published two of Clare’s poems. ‘To A Primrose’ and ‘The Setting Sun’, under the by-line ‘Sonnets by J.Clare, An Agricultural Labourer, of Helpston, near Stamford. These poems, are ones that he had revised again and again having starting them back in 1807/1808 when he was only fourteen or fifteen. The versions published in the Mercury are slight variants of the ones that appeared in print the following year. On the adjoining column was an anonymous anti-bull running letter to the Editor of the Stamford Mercury. A view strongly supported by Richard Newcomb, the then owner of the paper. Perhaps Clare read the paper on the Friday at Casterton and then walked into Stamford on the Saturday feeling flushed at seeing his name in print. Stamford’s famous, or should that be infamous, annual bull running taking place on November 13th would have been a further draw to Clare as it must have been to others of his class from surrounding villages and towns. It can be best described as being a local public holiday and a day when the judiciary was powerless to control what could become an unruly mob. Between 1809 and 1834 we are lucky to have in Stamford two local newspapers of very differing political views. Drakard’s Stamford News and the Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury. Although, it would be true to say that the Mercury was more a regional paper than a local one. At this time the Mercury supported the Burghley interest whose Members of Parliament followed the Tory line. The 9th Earl of Exeter in 1788 having supported the Borough Council in its first attempt to outlaw bull-running. Drakard on the other hand was pro bull-running, and took every opportunity to highlight hypocrisy amongst the nobility and his paper supported radical causes. On one occasion he was horsewhipped in his own Office by one of the Brudenell family, he was taken to court by Newcomb for libel, and spent time in prison for an article published in his newspaper on corporal punishment in the British Army. John Drakard’s view of the 1819 bull-running was that: - It grieves us to acknowledge that the sport was unusually bad. The bull did not face one of his followers, and dishonoured the character for courage and ferocity which he had obtained in his native pasture, and which, as usual, caused his selection. We regret this, because we like the sport, and, more especially, because the want of spirit in the animal encouraged the mob to load his horns, and press upon it, and give an appearance of cruelty to the diversion, from which we affirm no amusement is, broadly speaking, more exempt. We say this advisedly, and are prepared to stand up against all contradiction to the assertion, ‘like Atlas unremoved’. The Stamford Mercury however took a different view, stating: - The lower orders of Stamford had their annual uproar, the bull-running, on Saturday last. It is creditable to the town that the taste for this sport seems to be dying away: it was with difficulty that a sufficient subscription could be raised for the purchase of a bull. A person of Pickworth for £9 delivered his poor animal for the torture. The manner of the bull’s death, after it had run about the town for several hours, was, extremely savage and shocking: at the back of St Paul’s Street it was stuck, but before the life was out of it, numbers of persons, each eager to have his shilling’s worth of the flesh, cut pieces (hide and all) from the lacerated and reeking carcase, and bore them off in triumph for their feasts. One fellow in his haste, actually fell into the paunch of the animal, and was nearly suffocated. Whatever was happening on the streets of Stamford that Saturday it would be true that John Clare was at a turning point in his life? The previous day he had had two poems published in the Stamford Mercury which would be picked up by other regional papers around the country. He had met his London editor for the first time and whilst with Edward Drury he wrote some more poems that appeared in his first volume. Talk of the forthcoming book of poems resulted in Drury’s advert the following week in the Mercury including the line: - Shortly to be published by E.Drury, Poems, Songs, and Sonnets, Descriptive of Rural Life by John Clare a Northamptonshire Peasant. TO A PRIMROSE Welcome, pale primrose starting up between, Dead matted leaves of oak and ash that strew, The every lawn, the wood, and spinney through, Mid creeping moss, and ivy’s darker green, How much thy presence beautifies the ground, How sweet thy modest unaffected pride, Glows on the sunny bank and wood’s warm side And where thy fairy flowers in groups are found, The schoolboy roams enchantedly along, Plucking the fairest with a rude delight While the meek shepherd stops his simple song, To gaze a moment on the pleasing sight, Overjoyed to see the flowers that truly bring, The welcome news of sweet performing spring THE SETTING SUN This season how beauteous to the musing mind! That now swift slides from my enchanting view. The sun, sweet setting you are hills behind, In other words his visit to renew, What spangling glories all around him shine, What nameless colours cloudless and serene, (A heavenly prospect brightest in decline), Attend his exit from this lovely scene. So sets the Christian’s sun in glories clear, So shines his soul at his departure here, No cloudy doubts nor misty fears arise. To dim hope’s golden rays of being forgiven, His sun sweet setting in the clearest skies, In safe assurance wings his soul to heaven. Source Stamford Mercury November 12th 1819 A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next