Find out about The Stamford Local History Society who meet once a month in Stamford to discuss and learn about the history of the town. ABOUT The Society was created in its current form in 2013 and follows a number of aims managed by it s committee. The history of our organisation Stamford Local History Society (SLHS) exists for anyone interested in the rich history of Stamford and its satellite settlements and communities. The society was formed in 2013 as the successor to the Stamford Survey Group (SSG) and is a member of the British Association for Local History. Founded in the 1960s, SSG began as a research group whose principal aim was to study and publicise Stamford’s past. It published a series of important works on the town’s ancient buildings and institutions (listed in the Publications section of this website) and numerous smaller scale articles of research and comment which were collected into six volumes of the journal The Stamford Historian between 1977 and 1982. In addition to the collective output of SSG and SLHS, individual members of the two organisations have independently published articles and books on a broad range of topics relating to the history of Stamford and the neighbouring areas. SLHS meets monthly between September and June, excluding January, usually on a Thursday evening in Barn Hill Methodist Church. As well as talks by local and visiting speakers, its programme includes a members' evening. It holds its AGM in June and excursions to places of historical interest are organised in the early summer. Members are encouraged to form sub-groups under their own leadership in order to research and discuss issues of specific interest to them. Our aims The Society aims to bring like-minded people together to engage in four main areas of activity: To hear lectures and presentations relating to people, places and issues of interest and relevance to its members. To visit places of interest in the local area and further afield. To foster research and publication in topics about the town and district and, where possible, to engage in and facilitate both group and personal research. To collect, record and publish by display or lecture, in print or on the web, information about the history of the area which might otherwise be lost or unknown. To support the formation of Stamford Museum alongside Stamford Town Council. The Committee Chair Chris Hunt Vice Chair Steve Dunne Secretary Richard Asher Treasurer Trish Auciello Website Co-ordinator Ronald Teasdale / Eugene Perrett Membership Secretary Eugene Perrett Functions Co-ordinator Diane Perrett Committee Member Katy McLauchlan Other responsibilities including publicity, talks and events are shared amongst the committee members. Volunteers to join the committee are always welcome.

Browse Stamford Local History Society's library of published historical articles linked with Stamford and the surrounding area. ARTICLES Browse our library of published historical articles linked with Stamford and the surrounding area. Stamford Post Boxes: A History Post Boxes from six different monarchs Trish Auciello 24 May 2026 Read Article Stamford Borough Police Force 1836 to 1889 Reform to the structures of the police forces across England and Wales Chris Hunt 24 April 2026 Read Article The Life and Loves of my Great Great Grandfather A talk for the Stamford Local History Society on 4th Dec 2026 by Trish Auciello Trish Auciello 28 March 2026 Read Article The Battle for 51 High Street, Stamford The story of a Listed Building and the battle to save it in the 1960s Richard Asher 28 February 2026 Read Article Stamford Library Report May 1907 In May 1907 the Public Library Committee produced a report Chris Hunt 17 January 2026 Read Article Stamford Library Catalogue 1907 Printed by Dolby Brothers Chris Hunt 17 January 2026 Read Article Stamford Library Rules and Regulations 1906 Stamford Free Library was formally opened on 25th January 1906 Chris Hunt 9 January 2026 Read Article Stamford Fire Engine 1904 Chris Hunt 29 December 2025 Read Article Edward and Francis Butt Shortages of regal coins in the last five hundred years Martin R Warburton 31 October 2025 Read Article A walk around Stamford town centre post boxes Trish Auciello 30 September 2025 Read Article Searchlight on Land, Labour and Social Problems 1903 Burghley House by Stamford Town John Taylor 12 September 2025 Read Article In The Star & Garter at Stamford and the 1851 Census The Life of a Stamford Publican in 1851 Mike Key 21 August 2025 Read Article The Social Impact of the Church in Victorian Stamford Lecture for Stamford Museum's Winter Lecture Series in 1998 John F H Smith 28 June 2025 Read Article The Saracen's Head Inn, Stamford: Uncovered? Number 1 St Mary's Place John Daffurn 11 May 2025 Read Article List of Known Melbourn’s Tied Houses 1869-1971 Linked to a previous Article - Melbourn's Tied Houses Chris Hunt 28 April 2025 Read Article F Dawson, Grocer, Stamford. Unofficial Farthing Frederick Dawson was in business for only two years, from 1854 to 1856 Martin R Warburton 29 March 2025 Read Article Building on the Stamford Manorial Waste The use of the Stamford Manorial Court Rolls to construct a building’s history. Chris Hunt 3 March 2025 Read Article A brief report into research carried out to establish the location of Bradcroft Hamlet, Stamford Research by Richard Asher Richard Asher 3 February 2025 Read Article Town Bridge, Stamford Town Bridge, Stamford By Nicholas J Sheehan 3 February 2025 Read Article The Early Days of Trade Unionism in Stamford and the Labour Dispute at Messrs Blackstone & Co in 1890 Chris Hunt 13 January 2025 Read Article Eat, Drink and Be Merry – the 1831 Stamford Election Papers relating to the Stamford election of 1831 John S Hartley 6 January 2025 Read Article William Luff - Stamford petty criminal transported to Australia William Luff Karen Smith 16 December 2024 Read Article Melbourn's Tied Houses 1869-1971 Chris Hunt 4 July 2024 Read Article Brazenose College, Stamford A closer look at the building central to the story of Stamford's medieval university Nicholas J Sheehan 10 June 2024 Read Article John Flowers Bentley (1810-1884): Stamford Polymath from the Stamford Institution to Bentley Street John S Daffurn 25 January 2024 Read Article George Longstaff and ClayTobacco Pipe Manufacture in Stamford Nicholas J Sheehan 4 December 2023 Read Article The Etton Causewayed Enclosure: its significance within the Welland Valley and broader landscape Michelle Feasey 3 November 2023 Read Article The Stamford Terracotta Company J M Blashfield's business on Wharf Road Nicholas J Sheehan 8 August 2023 Read Article Uffington's road block defences in World War II Obstacles manned by the Home Guard Nicholas J Sheehan 2 July 2023 Read Article The Bridge Gate of Stamford and John Frammesley The site of a traitor's remains Chris Hunt 1 June 2023 Read Article The formation and first home of the Stamford Institution (1838-1842) When, where and how the Insitution was formed John S Daffurn 14 April 2023 Read Article Murage Tax for repairs to the town wall of Stamford A tax granted to the town by Edward I Chris Hunt 19 February 2023 Read Article Women's Suffrage in Stamford: Fight for the Vote 1913 Votes for women Chris Hunt 1 January 2023 Read Article Sufferings of the Early Quaker Community in Stamford Persecution of local Dissenters Chris Hunt 1 January 2023 Read Article Stamford, Spalding and Boston Banking Company 1832-1911 A Victorian provincial bank Chris Hunt 1 January 2023 Read Article William Shakespeare and Stamford Henry IV, part 2, act 3, scene 2 Chris Hunt 1 January 2022 Read Article Stamford. Elizabeth Pulley. Murder Most Foul Murder in a Lincolnshire town Chris Hunt 1 January 2022 Read Article The State of Stamford's Housing at the end of the Great War Housing fit for heroes Chris Hunt 1 January 2022 Read Article Parliamentary Election 1847 (Hustings and Poll) A contested election in Stamford Chris Hunt 1 January 2022 Read Article Recreation Ground Bandstand A report of the opening of Stamford's bandstand Chris Hunt 1 January 2021 Read Article Men of Stamford in the Hundred Years War Local men fighting France David Large 1 January 2021 Read Article October 31st 1940 - The Luftwaffe comes to Stamford A lucky wartime escape Chris Hunt 1 January 2021 Read Article Nora Blake: Young Stamford Pacifist A prizewinning anti-war essay K Hansell & N J Sheehan 1 January 2021 Read Article Ketton Gas and Coke Company (limited) A Victorian rural gas works Chris Hunt 1 January 2021 Read Article Political Pressures - Eighteenth Century Style A hotly contested parliamentary election in Stamford John Hartley 1 January 2019 Read Article The Stamford Deviation The decision of the Great Northern Railway to bypass the town Mike Sockett 4 May 2018 Read Article The Stamford Institution A permanent home on St Peter's Hill John S Hartley 1 January 2018 Read Article Stamford in 1868 An election and other happenings Chris Hunt 1 January 2018 Read Article Window Tax A replacement for the hearth tax Prof Alan Rogers 1 January 2018 Read Article John Clare and Bull Running A poet, and the pros and cons of bull-running Chris Hunt 1 January 2018 Read Article Stamford in Domesday Book 12C survey of local property Dr David Roffe 1 January 2018 Read Article V Bomber Crash at Barnack Five killed on training flight from Wittering Chris Hunt 1 January 2017 Read Article Stamford: The Home Front 1940 Air Raid Precautions Local provisions in event of WWII air attack Chris Hunt 1 January 2017 Read Article Belgian Refugees in Stamford Flemish exiles in WWI Jean Orpin 1 January 2014 Read Article The Brazenose Site in Stamford Nicholas J Sheehan 1 January 2013 Read Article Muster Roll 1584 A list of available arms for the Hundred of Nesse David Nalson 1 January 2012 Read Article Don't Meddle with my Business! A 16C warning Stamford's relationship with Mary Tudor's government Professor Alan Rogers 1 January 2012 Read Article David Cecil's Will and David Cecil's Wife: Two Notes Early history of the Burghley dynasty Professor Alan Rogers 1 January 2012 Read Article The King in Stamford Baron From the Proceedings and Odinances of the Privy Council Professor Alan Rogers 1 January 2012 Read Article Medieval and Early Modern Stamford Taxation Returns Important local tax returns (1332-1524) Professor Alan Rogers 1 January 2012 Read Article Terricus of Cologne An alien merchant in Stamford in the 13C Prof Alan Rogers 1 January 2012 Read Article Restoration and Rebuilding of Browne's Hospital Repairing one of Stamford's almshouses David Wallington 1 January 2012 Read Article

< Back Stamford Post Boxes: A History By Trish Auciello Introduction Stamford is not unique … but it is unusual for a small town like ours to have post boxes from six different monarchs, from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II, all we are missing is King Charles III. This article traces the historic locations and monarchs of post boxes in Stamford. It concentrates on Queen Victoria to King George VI, with a few notable ones from Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Most of the historic information has come from the various directories, such as Dolby, which listed locations from 1855 up to 1939; unfortunately, these don’t give precise locations or the type of box, and there are some anomalies and omissions. Descriptions of the current locations of post boxes are correct as of April 2026. First some background to set the stage for the entrance of the post box. The Postal Service before 1840 The first letters were carried by horse, with recognised places and persons responsible for providing horses and post-boys, and many old hostelries were used, including Stamford, which was the 8 th stop on the London to Berwick route, later extended to Edinburgh. Mail coaches on the London to Edinburgh route were introduced in 1786. In the 1830s, postal rates were expensive and anomalous, charged by the number of sheets (no envelopes) and the distance travelled. The recipient paid the postage upon delivery and this system was subject to abuse e.g. if the recipient recognised the writing and knew that their relative was well enough to write, they could refuse to pay the postage, leaving the Postal Service out of pocket. It was usual for the sender to take the letter to the receiving office themselves, which could be some miles away, although some places had a Bellman who would collect mail. Records were kept of each letter, sender, and recipient, which was a major administrative burden. The Penny Black Sir Rowland Hill conducted a review of the Postal Service in the late 1830s and recommended a much cheaper, pre-paid system, using an adhesive stamp to show that postage had been paid. This started in May 1840 with the introduction of the Penny Black stamp. It cost one penny for letters up to half an ounce (14 grams) no matter the distance. Hill’s thinking was that a cheaper system meant more people would send letters and eventually lead to profits. He was proved right as nationally the number of letters sent more than doubled in 1840. In Stamford itself, an average of roughly 1,700 letters was sent each week in November and December 1839; in one week in January 1846, this had risen to 5,760. Post Boxes With the increase in mail, a more efficient system was needed to collect letters ready for the mail trains. Anthony Trollope, now more famous as a novelist, worked for the Post Office as a surveyor, and had probably seen roadside letter boxes in France and Belgium. He proposed a similar system in Britain, and a trial started with four boxes in Jersey in 1852 and others in Guernsey in1853. None of these boxes remains in use. The first post box in mainland Britain was installed in Carlisle in 1853. There was no standard design, although nearly all were pillar, but some were fluted, others hexagonal, or had ornate decorations. Some early boxes had vertical slits, with an internal flap that moved to the side. By 1857, horizontal slits were usual with a flap over the aperture and a protruding cap. Wall boxes first appeared in 1857, and lamp boxes in 1896. The “Resources” section, at the end of this article, lists books and websites where more information can be found on the progression to the boxes used today. Cyphers As the Royal Mail service, nearly all post boxes show the cypher of the monarch at the time they were manufactured. There are some without a cypher, known as “anonymous” that were issued in error. Here are the names of the monarch, their dates, and their cypher. The small Victorian wall boxes just show the initials VR. An interesting side thought – Edward VII was a colourful character and his cypher has a flourish to it, by contrast George V was a quiet, reserved man. His cypher shows only “GR” and not “GVR”, as he was the first George with post boxes and felt “GR” was quite sufficient. Stamford’s First Post Box The first post box in Stamford was installed on High Street St. Martin’s in October 1855 in the same year that London installed its first post boxes. This was in the reign of Queen Victoria (VR 1837-1901) and was reported in the Stamford Mercury on Friday 26 th October 1855. The black and white photograph below shows the box outside St. Martin’s Church; it probably wasn’t a coincidence that it was opposite the Burghley Estate Offices. The post box appears to be hexagonal, and may have been similar to this one still in use today in Framlingham, Suffolk. I don’t know how long this box remained in use, whether in this location or elsewhere. A sub post office was opened in High Street St. Martin’s in 1897 closer to the town bridge; a photograph in the Francis Frith collection of the post office doesn’t show a post box outside it – did people still use the old box, in its original location, or perhaps relocated nearer the bridge? The current box on St. Martin’s, near the corner with Water Street, is a George V (GR 1910-1936) pillar box. This box has the remains of a frame on top which would have held a sign showing the direction of the nearest post office. Stamford’s Second Post Box The Stamford Mercury in December 1959 mentions that the post master had applied to install an “iron letter-box somewhere in St. Peter’s-street” and a meeting was arranged to choose the location. The book “Stamford Postal History” gives the location as Tinwell Road, perhaps they meant “the road to Tinwell”? It was described as the “new type”, probably a cylindrical pillar with a horizontal aperture, not that different from modern boxes. In the directories, the location is sometimes described as St. Peter’s Hill and sometimes as St. Peter’s Street. In 1896, Potter’s Directory says Hill and Dolby’s says Street. The black and white photograph below dates from 1913, and shows a box outside 32 St. Peter’s Street, which was the yard of John Woolston, a well-known local builder. In more modern times, it was a car dealership, and is now the Stamford Eye Clinic. The current box is a George V pillar box outside 22 St. Peter’s Street. This used to be a hardware shop and is now a firm of accountants. Victoria (1837-1901) Boxes still in use There is only one Victorian pillar box still in Stamford, it’s on St. Mary’s Street , opposite St. Mary’s Hill, and was installed around 1896-97. The other Victorian boxes still in Stamford are all wall boxes. There is one on platform one at the Rail Station , installed between 1868 and 1871. Another is on Scotgate , installed at about the same time. It’s outside number 48, part of a kitchen showroom. The last remaining VR wall box is in Torkington Street , in the wall of a now closed sub post office. The sub post office was previously on Casterton Road ; when the post office moved to Torkington Street, the box moved as well. However, the directories don’t show a box on Casterton Road until 1909, during the reign of Edward VII (EVIIR 1901-1910) and Torkington Street is not mentioned at all. Previous Victorian Post Boxes Wharf Road – the directories show a box on Blackfriars Street from 1874 to 1896, then one on Wharf Road from 1897 onwards. Did the box move or was it described differently? At some stage, the box has been changed to an Eliabeth II (EIIR 1952-2022) wall box, opposite the entrance to the Wharf Road car park. Conduit Road 1891-1896, Recreation Road 1897-1903, Bentley Street Sub Post Office 1904 onward - these three boxes pose a conundrum. It seems too much of a coincidence that the dates they appear in the directories follow on if they’re not connected in some way. Perhaps Conduit Road was a wall box, with a small capacity. The roads north of New Cross Road were being developed around this time, and Recreation Road would have seen more foot traffic than Conduit Road, and a pillar box may have been installed here to handle a larger volume of mail. The same box was probably described as Bentley Street sub post office, when it opened, as it was only about 50 yards away. The current box on Recreation Ground Road is an Elizabeth II, recently converted to solar. High Street first appears in the directories in 1876, described as being near the (fire) engine house, which was at the back of the portico – the current library building. The portico was a butcher’s market with the police station in the small section on the left. The present box is an Elizabeth II pillar box at the front of this section. St. Paul’s Street – another conundrum. The earliest mention is in 1872, exact location or type unknown, and the latest is 1882, both very much Victorian. The current box is an Edward VII wall box outside what locals will know as the Boys School/Grammar School/Stamford Endowed School, however this box is not mentioned in any directories up to 1939. Did this box move from another location in town, but why isn’t it mentioned? Tinwell Road , first mentioned in 1891, so not the location of the second post box as “Stamford Postal History” stated. Its exact location and type are unknown. There are two boxes currently: a George V (GR 1910-1936) pillar box at the bottom of Roman Bank, and an Elizabeth II lamp box at the corner of Exeter Gardens. Water Street , there is a box listed as near the Iron Bridge (Albert Bridge) between 1876 and 1937, type unknown. In 1938, it has moved to Newtown , which rises from the end of Water Street to Barnack Road. The change in location may have been to bring it closer to Stamford East Station; was the same box moved or was a newer one installed? The current box is an Elizabeth II lamp box outside the old station building. Wothorpe Road was first mentioned in 1898, lastly in 1934. Was this actually Wothorpe Road in town or outside near Wothorpe itself? There was a sub post office on High Street St. Martin’s and a box at the station so would a box on Wothorpe Road have been necessary? Edward VII (1901-1910) boxes There are only two Edward VII boxes in Stamford, the wall box previously mentioned on St. Paul’s Street , and another wall box on the corner of Priory Road and Cherry Holt Road installed 1909-1910, the photo below is a close up of the cypher. Possible other Edward VII boxes Broad Street , this was first mentioned about 1905, presumably Edward VII but it may have been a Victoria box being reused. It was a wall box at the junction with Ironmonger Street, the outline of the box can still be seen, although partly hidden by an electricity box. The current box is an Elizabeth II pillar box next to Browne’s Hospital. Was this a direct replacement or had the earlier one already been replaced? If an Edward VII, was it moved to St. Paul’s Street? Queen Street , a box was installed in 1905; as with Broad Street, we can’t be certain if it was a VR or EVIIR. The current box is an Elizabeth II wall box. Empingham Hill/Road , the first mention of a box is in 1909, would this have been at the lower end when there was a VR wall box close by on Scotgate, or was it further up, near or at the present location? The current box is a George VI (GVIR 1910-1936) wall box on the corner of Empingham Road and Foundry Road. George V (1910-1936) post boxes I’ve already mentioned three George V pillar boxes in Stamford: St. Martin’s , St. Peter’s Street , and Tinwell Road . There are two other pillar boxes in town: Ermine Way , near the junction with Empingham Road. this is not mentioned in the directories up to 1939, perhaps a re-used GVR box was installed after WWII. Sussex Road , on the corner of Cornwall Road, probably described as New Cross Road in the directories, and first mentioned in 1934. This has an attached red painted drop box, where the postal service left mail waiting to be delivered to individual addresses. This is the only attached drop box in town, all the others are lamp boxes, and grey in colour. They are not used nowadays. There are only two GV wall boxes in Stamford: Radcliffe Road , in the wall of the cemetery, first mentioned in 1939 when it should have been George VI, another box being reused, but from where? Kesteven Road , outside the shop, previously a sub post office. This is another anachronism: George V was king between 1910 and 1936, Kesteven Road post office was opened on 1 st February 1957. I have no way of telling where the box came from, whether it was relocated from Stamford or elsewhere. Edward VIII – the jewel in the crown The Dolby Directory first lists a post box on Ryhall Road in 1908, which was probably Edward VII. The description of the location was changed to Ryhall Road sub post office in 1924. The photograph below shows the Burghley Tea and Coffee Tavern, incorporating the post office, with a wall box by the door. Unfortunately, the photograph isn’t clear enough to show the cypher. Edward VIII only ruled from 20 th January 1936 to 11 th December 1936. There were about 270 boxes manufactured during his short reign, but many were altered after his abdication, with the doors being replaced. It’s estimated that about 160-170 remain, and we have one in Stamford, which was installed as a pillar box outside the sub post office mentioned above. This is now a barber’s shop. The sub post office has had alterations to the entrance, and an extension was built in the late 1960s. It looks as if the front has been replaced as there’s no sign of the earlier box in the modern brickwork. If it was Edward VII, is it a candidate for the St. Paul’s Street box? GEORGE VI (1936-1952) boxes There are three George VI pillar boxes in town: Casterton Road , as previously mentioned, it would have been a VR or EVIIR when first included in the directories in 1909. The current GVIR box is north of the traffic lights, not far from Vence Close. This is on the grass verge and is sinking into it, the ground is almost up to the bottom of the door. Lindsey Road , on the corner of Kesteven Road, this must have been one of the last George VI boxes to be installed in town, as the houses on Holland Road, Lindsey Road, Witham Close, and Kesteven Road were first inhabited in 1950. Rutland Road, on the corner with Lincoln Road, probably installed post WWII. The door of this box is also almost at ground level, in this case because repeated tarmacking has raised the level of the foot path. There are four George VI wall boxes in town: Empingham Road, on the corner with Foundry Road, as previously mentioned. Little Casterton Road , near the junction with Lambeth Walk, opposite the shop, not mentioned in the directories so probably post WWII. This box is a little shy and can often be found hiding in the ivy. Stamford Post Office, All Saints’ Place . These don’t have a cypher but they are in the extension to the building that was built in 1937. Elizabeth II (1952-2022) I’ve mentioned some of the Elizabeth II boxes already. A full list of all of them is at the end of this article. Solar Boxes Two Elizabeth II boxes have recently been converted to solar in Stamford, on Recreation Ground Road and outside the Stirling Road post office. They have been fitted with new caps with a solar panel and the doors have been altered with a larger aperture so they can take parcels up to a shoe box in size. The solar panel provides power for an app which is needed to send parcels, provide proof of posting etc. Royal Mail have said they will only change Elizabeth II boxes, so our Edward VIII should be safe. Charles III (2022- ) We don’t have a Charles III post box in town; Royal Mail don’t proactively offer to install new boxes but communities or new estates can ask for a box to be installed if they show a need and no other boxes are close by. The new estate on what was Williamson Cliffe’s old works doesn’t have a box, and with new estates being planned for Ryhall Road and possibly Casterton Road, we might see a Charles III one day. Summary As with most historic research, even with such relatively modern events, it’s difficult to achieve complete accuracy. I hope you’ve gained some interesting knowledge, even with the questions and puzzles that remain. I have also written a self-guided walk, about 60-70 minutes long, around the boxes of six monarchs in the town centre, which can be found on the Stamford Local History Society website. Trish Auciello © May 2026 Acknowledgements Thanks are due to: Chris Hunt, Chair of the Stamford Local History Society, who first sparked my interest, and who provided the old black and white photographs. All other photographs were taken by the author. Paul Hewitt, committee member of the Letter Box Study Group, who set this process in motion by asking if I knew where Stamford’s 38 post boxes were. Lea Rickard and the staff at Stamford Library for their help with the directories. Resources Books: Stamford Postal History, by W G Stitt Dibden and L Tebbutt – out of print but Stamford Library has a loan copy Old Letter Boxes, by Martin Robinson (Shire 2000) ISBN 978 0 74780 446 8 The Letter Box – a History of Pillar and Wallboxes, by Jean Farrugia (Centaur Press 1969) ISBN 978-0900000140 Pillar Boxes, by Jonathan Glancey (Chatto and Windus 1990) ISBN 978-0701134471 Online: The Letter Box Study Group www.lbsg.org Various Facebook groups Twitter/X – #PostboxSaturday , usually not for technical information but interesting photographs of post boxes in the UK and worldwide A walk around Stamford town centre post boxes www.stamfordlocalhistorysociety.org.uk Museums (check out their websites as well): The Postal Museum, London WC1 – www.postalmuseum.org Colne Valley Postal History, Essex – www.cvphm.org.uk Oakham Treasures, not in Oakham but near Bristol – www.oakhamtreasures.co.uk Other Interesting Boxes not found in Stamford (hint: Lincoln is a good place to visit) Penfold – a standard pillar box design between 1866 and 1879, very popular but expensive to make – there’s one in Lincoln in Exchequer Gate near the Cathedral. Modern copies can be found near tourist sites or other attractions. Gold – the above box in Lincoln has been painted gold, in honour of Paralympian Sophie Wells after the 2012 London Olympics. Search online for a full list of gold boxes. Double – the closest oval double boxes are in the centre of Bourne, the centre of Market Deeping, and in Cathedral Square, Peterborough. There is one on Clacketgate in Lincoln, west of the High Street. Rectangular double – on the High Street in Lincoln. Edward VII pillar boxes are quite unusual, there’s one on Clacketgate in Lincoln, east of the High Street. Edward VIII wall box, in Bawdsey, Suffolk. Possibly the only EVIIIR wall box remaining, it’s a Ludlow type used by sub post offices. Charles III – the first one, a pillar box, was installed in Cambourne, west of Cambridge, in July 2024. Stamford Post Boxes – the full list as at April 2026 is here: Victoria – VR Pillar - St. Mary’s Street, outside King West estate agents Wall - Stamford rail station, on the platform Wall - Scotgate, outside the Home kitchen showroom Wall - Torkington Street, off Casterton Road Edward VII - EVIIR Wall - St. Paul’s Street, outside Stamford School Wall - Priory Road, on the corner of Cherry Holt Road George V - GR Pillar - St. Martins, opposite the George Hotel Pillar - St. Peter’s Street, next to the accountants Pillar - Tinwell Road, on the corner of Roman Bank Pillar - Ermine Way, on the corner with Empingham Road Pillar - Sussex Road, on the corner of Cornwall Road Wall - Radcliffe Road, in the cemetery wall Wall - Kesteven Road, outside the shop Edward VIII - EVIIIR Pillar- Ryhall Road, near B&M. Very rare, probably about 160 still in existence. George VI - GVIR Pillar - Casterton Road, just north(ish) of the traffic lights Pillar - Lindsey Road, on the corner of Kesteven Road Pillar - Rutland Road, on the corner of Lincoln Road Wall - Empingham Road, on the corner with Foundry Road Wall - Little Casterton Road, opposite the shop, on the corner of Lambeth Walk Wall – Stamford Post Office, All Saint’s Place – no cypher Elizabeth II - EIIR Pillar - High Street, outside the library Pillar - Broad Street, near the War Memorial Pillar - Recreation Ground Road, opposite the end of Bentley Street Pillar - Green Lane, on the corner of Edinburgh Road Pillar - Sutherland Way, outside the shops (Stirling Road Post Office) Pillar - Morrison’s lobby Lamp - Barnack Road, near Abbot’s Close Lamp - Water Street, outside Welland Mews Lamp - Tinwell Road, on the corner of Exeter Gardens Lamp - Lonsdale Road, opposite the Danish Invader Lamp - Caithness Road Lamp - Arran Road Lamp - Primrose Way 1 Lamp - Primrose Way 2 Lamp - Hardwick Road, on the corner with Casterton Road Lamp - Cambridge Road, on the corner of Charles Road Wall - Wharf Road, opposite the car park Wall – Queen Street A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

Stamford Local History Society's depository for small articles, notes, titbits and other miscellanea of local interest. SNIPPETS Browse our library of published historical snippets linked with Stamford and the surrounding area. RAF Sites Around Stamford - Part 1 Stamford in the Second World War Stamford Local History Society 27 May 2026 Read Snippet Silk Mills, Stamford - Advert to Parish Officers Drakard's Stamford News 29th Nov 1822 Submitted by Chris Hunt 30 April 2026 Read Snippet Adam Horsley - Rector of St John the Baptist. A 14th Century Cleric. Adam Horsley was a King’s Clerk, an exchequer clerk, and a controller of the great pipe roll from 1375 to 1382. Chris Hunt 24 April 2026 Read Snippet A novel match - World War One munition girls play football 1917 A novel match - World War One munition girls play football 1917 Submitted by Chris Hunt 27 February 2026 Read Snippet Obituary and Records - November 15 1801 Stamford Bull Running Submitted by Ronnie Teasdale 31 January 2026 Read Snippet Obituary and Records - July 1810 Eccentric people Submitted by Ronnie Teasdale 31 January 2026 Read Snippet Andy Capp Born Near Stamford in 1956 Daily Mirror Cartoon Character Chris Hunt 9 January 2026 Read Snippet Boat Commercial Inn, Stamford - A Poem from 1865 The Boat & Railway Public House Submitted by Chris Hunt 9 January 2026 Read Snippet Public Air Raid Shelters Stamford in the Second World War Stamford Local History Society 30 November 2025 Read Snippet The 1942 Drift Estate Blitz Stamford in the Second World War Stamford Local History Society 29 November 2025 Read Snippet Licence to Construct Buildings in the Churchyard for the use of the Rector of St George's Church, Stamford in 1295 St George's Church, Stamford in 1295 Submitted by Chris Hunt 31 October 2025 Read Snippet Polish Troops in the Stamford Area Stamford in the Second World War Stamford Local History Society 31 October 2025 Read Snippet Lulu and the Luvvers play the Lansbury Club in Stamford in 1964 Lansbury Club, later called the Newage Club Chris Hunt 30 September 2025 Read Snippet W H Smith & Sons opens Book & Newspaper stall at Stamford Midland Railway Station Stamford Railway Stations Stamford Mercury (Friday) August 28th 1885 14 September 2025 Read Snippet Fire at the Star Tea Company Shop on the High Street in 1904 Stamford Mercury 18th November 1904 21 August 2025 Read Snippet The Luftwaffe comes to Stamford Stamford in the Second World War Unknown 27 July 2025 Read Snippet Black Sabbath Plays Baston 1970 Marquee Barbecue and Dance Sleaford Standard 10th July 1970 24 July 2025 Read Snippet The Night of the Coventry Blitz - 1940 Memories of the Blitz Eric Hunt 28 June 2025 Read Snippet Roasted Grain Advert – Better Than Coffee - Sold in Stamford 1822 John Drakard is best known as the editor of Drakard’s Stamford News Drakard's Stamford News 20th September 1822 28 June 2025 Read Snippet Silk Mills, Stamford - Advert to Parish Officers Mr Gouger was advertising for young female staff in both Drakard’s Stamford News Drakard's Stamford News - 29th November 1822 28 June 2025 Read Snippet Fear of invasion at Stamford Grammar School after Dunkirk Evacuation after Dunkirk The Stamfordian Vol 11. No 3. 31 May 2025 Read Snippet The day World War Two was declared - September 3rd 1939 Recollections Recollection from 1939 31 May 2025 Read Snippet Stamford in the Second World War - 1940: Pillboxes Defenses against the threat of German invasion Mike Sockett 31 May 2025 Read Snippet Barton Transport Limited Concrete Bus Stop Post Survivor Concrete bus stops Chris Hunt 28 April 2025 Read Snippet Anti-Printing Poem by an Unknown Hand, Published in 1820 The Banished Printer to His Trade – A Parody Submitted by Chris Hunt 28 April 2025 Read Snippet Stamford Improvement Commission Meeting. Foul Smells in Stamford 1854 Stamford Mercury 1854 Submitted by Chris Hunt 29 March 2025 Read Snippet Stamford Mid-lent Fair in the past. Stamford Mercury Early Reports Submitted by Keith Hansell 29 March 2025 Read Snippet Royal Writs Addressed to John Buckingham Bishop of Lincoln 1373 Mandate to attend parliament Submitted by Chris Hunt 3 March 2025 Read Snippet Move of Police Station from Stamford Town Hall to the Portico Stamford Mercury 1890 Submitted by Chris Hunt 3 March 2025 Read Snippet Stamford Races 1849 - Admission Ticket to the Red Stand on Thursday July 19th 1849 Stamford Racecourse on Wittering Heath Submitted by Chris Hunt 3 March 2025 Read Snippet Poem 1806 An Amusing Apology from a Lincolnshire Newspaper 1806 Submitted By Chris Hunt 3 March 2025 Read Snippet New Landlord and Refurbishment at the George Inn 1725 Stamford Mercury 1725 Submitted by Chris Hunt 3 March 2025 Read Snippet New Footbridge over the River Welland 1863 Stamford Mercury 1863 Submitted by Chris Hunt 3 March 2025 Read Snippet The Vestry Books and Registers of St.John's Parish, Stamford Source - The Rutland Magazine Submitted By Chris Hunt 4 February 2025 Read Snippet Peterborough GNR Loco v Stamford Rutland Ironworks November 9th 1895 Football Match Commentary Chris Hunt 3 February 2025 Read Snippet A Christmas Card from the 46th North Midland Division Christmas Card Submitted By Chris Hunt 3 February 2025 Read Snippet Essendine to Ryhall Single Railway Ticket L.N.E.R Ticket Submitted by Chris Hunt 3 February 2025 Read Snippet Carmen Nuptiale On the Marriage of Lord and Lady Burghley, September 7th 1875 Undated Newspaper Cutting Submitted By Chris Hunt 3 February 2025 Read Snippet Early History of a Mormon Community in Stamford Mormons in Stamford Submitted by Chris Hunt 6 January 2025 Read Snippet Water Supply Issues in Stamford (Washing Clothes and Making Beer) 1550. Stamford Mercury 1873 Submitted by Chris Hunt 6 January 2025 Read Snippet Regulations For Brewers in Fetching Water in 1666 Stamford Mercury 1873 By Chris Hunt 6 January 2025 Read Snippet Royal Air Force Wittering Christmas Menu 1942 RAF Submitted by Chris Hunt 6 January 2025 Read Snippet Saracen’s Head in Stamford Another Lost Inn in Stamford Alan Rogers 6 January 2025 Read Snippet Catholic Chapel in Stamford 1851 - Parish of All Saints. Published by the Lincoln Record Society Submitted by Chris Hunt 6 January 2025 Read Snippet St John's Parish Stamford Owning Land in Ufford 1860 Stamford Mercury 1860 Chris Hunt 16 December 2024 Read Snippet The Incumbents of the Stamford Churches c.1886 The Incumbents of the Stamford Churches c.1886 Chris Hunt 16 December 2024 Read Snippet Anonymous Abuse – 1830s style: or Little Changes in Politics. Anonymous Abuse – 1830s style: or Little Changes in Politics. John S Hartley 9 December 2024 Read Snippet Smallpox in Stamford in 1822 Source - Town Talk (a London paper). Chris Hunt 9 December 2024 Read Snippet Harriet Swanson and William Blades. Stamford Mercury 1845 Keth Hansell 7 November 2024 Read Snippet October 31st 1940 - The Luftwaffe Comes to Stamford. An eyewitness account Geoff Jones and N.J. Sheehan 25 September 2024 Read Snippet

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The Stamford Local History Society is a group deicated to the history of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England. We enjoy talks from a variety of speakers, visits to places of interest and researching the history of our town and local area. TALKS MUSEUM ARTICLES BECOME A MEMBER WELCOME to Stamford Local History Society where members attend talks, visit local places of interest and research topics about the town and surrounding districts. OUR TALKS From September to June members or guest speakers give a range of talks, usually on the first Thursday of each month. Most of the subject matter is of local interest, but is diverse from archaeology to family history. Our meeting location Barn Hill Church, Barn Hill, Stamford, PE9 2AE. Access is via the covered walkway from Barn Hill or from North Street, which is also a wheelchair-friendly entrance. Talks start at 7.30pm with complimentary refreshments served from 7pm. Entry is £2 for members and £5 for non-members payable at the door. For a map and directions go to CONTACT Be the first to know Sign up to receive details of our future activities and latest articles. First name Last name Enter your email here Sign Up Thanks for submitting!

< Back Stamford the Home Front-1940-Air Raid Precautions Chris Hunt 2017 In the mid 1930’s cities and towns across the country prepared their Civil Defence in case there was another World War. Stamford was no exception and so once war was declared with Germany on September 3rd 1939 preparations for home defence were in an advanced stage. By 1940 trained volunteers were in place with comprehensive plans to deal with air raids which might bring high explosives, incendiary devices and gas attacks to the town. Before the War the German Luftwaffe were preparing maps and aerial photographs of military and strategic sites for a future bombing campaign against Britain. Some were taken by German military intelligence from German civilian and commercial aircraft. Sets were provided to bomber crews to assist them in finding primary and secondary targets. Over 150 English Cities and Towns were covered. Stamford was one of them. There were three electric Air Raid Sirens; at the Town Hall, the Police Station and at Messrs Blackstone & Co.’s works on Ryhall Road. In addition, there were two Steam Air Raid Sirens, one at Messrs Miles & Sons’ timber merchants in the L.M.S Railway station yard and the other at Williamson Cliff Ltd’s brick and tile works on Little Casterton Road. The action warning was a fluctuating or warbling blast on the electric sirens and short sharp blasts by the steam sirens, each of two minutes’ duration. If needed this could be supplemented by wardens’ whistles. Once the raiders were passed there would be a two-minute continuous blast on all sirens. For the presence of gas, hand rattles would be used with hand bells for cancellation of the gas warning. The nerve centre for the whole operation was the Stamford Report Centre which at the start of the War was in the basement at the rear of the Town Hall. Its function was to receive and collate reports from wardens and others to ensure as complete a picture as possible of damage in the event of an air raid on the Town. The centre needed to know the place where the bombs had hit, number of casualties and the damage sustained. The centre would then decide actions needed and co-ordinate the work of the A.R.P. services. The centre was run by an Officer in charge, a Deputy Officer and a number of telephonists; clerks (plotting and records), chart writers, indoor messengers and outdoor messengers. The centre was manned twenty-four-hours a day, although during the week between 9.00am and 5.00pm and on Saturdays between 9.00am and 1.00pm the Town Clerk’s department took over the responsibility. Outside of these hours in the week watches were timed between 8.00am and 9.00am, 5.00pm to 8.00pm, 8.00pm to 11.00pm and 11.00pm to 8.00am. On Saturday: 1.00pm to 5.00pm, 5.00pm to 8.00pm, 8.00pm to 11.00pm and 11.00pm to 8.00am. On Sunday: 8.00am to 10.00am, 10.00am to 1.00pm, 1.00pm to 5.00pm, 5.00pm to 8.00pm, 8.00pm to 11.00pm and 11.00pm to 08.00am. The planning was meticulous. A Light Rescue Party was based around the employees of Messrs E.Ireson & Sons builders of St Paul’s Street and a Heavy Rescue Party based from the yard of Messrs Bowman & Sons builders on Cherry Holt Lane. As for the Public Utilities, repairs to the mains were undertaken by the relevant company; Electricity (Urban Electricity Supply Co), Water (Burghley Estate) and Gas (The Stamford and St Martin’s – Stamford Baron – Gaslight and Coke Company). The Air Raid Wardens in the Town were split into nineteen sectors each when fully staffed would have six wardens with a Senior Warden in charge, each sector covered a specific part of the town. Each sector was allocated to one of four posts; Post No 1 was based in the Town Hall, Post No 2 at the A.R.P. Stores on Empingham Road, Post No 3 at the Police Station on North Street and Post No 4 at the Church Lads’ Club on St Pauls’ Street. Each post had a Head Warden who reported to a Chief Warden who had overall control in the Town and who was assisted by an Officer responsible for Records, Organisation and Training. The number of Special Constables was increased with the Town being split into four sections each with its own headquarters, the north section was based at the Police Station, the south section was based at the Burghley Estate Office, the east section at The Pantiles on St Paul’s Street and the west section based at the Waiting Rooms in Red Lion Square. Each section had a Section Commander and a Section Leader who reported to the Superintendent of the Borough Police Force. In addition to the Stamford Fire Brigade who were based on Scotgate there were two Auxiliary Fire Service Sub-Stations, one at Fancourt’s Garage on St Paul’s Street and the other at Cross’s Garage in St Martin’s. As well as Leading Firemen they had Auxiliary Firemen, Patrol Officers, Telephonists, Messengers and Engineers. There was a great fear that gas would be used against the general public and people were advised how to deal with Tear Gas, Nose Gases, Lung Gases, and Blister Gases. For decontamination the Borough Surveyor’s Department was responsible to cleanse the streets and if Blister Gas was used two squads were created to deal with the injuries. Three Cleansing Stations were set up, one for A.R.P. male personnel on Empingham Road, A.R.P. female personnel at St George’s Home on Ryhall Road, this was also to be used by uninjured members of the public, and the third for injured members of the public was based at the Stamford Infirmary Fever Blocks. Additional casualty services with First Aid Points were provided at the High School in Park Lane and at the St John’s Ambulance Station on East Street and First Aid Parties at the Church Lads Club on St Paul’s Street, Phillip’s Yard on Water Street and at the St John’s Ambulance Station. In addition, there was a Mobile First Aid Post at the Infirmary and St George’s Home was designated as a Civil Defence Hospital. In the event of people being bombed out of their houses the Fane School on Green Lane was designated for the homeless. In addition of there were the Stamford Division of the St John’s Ambulance and the Stamford V.A.D. (The Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) was a voluntary organization providing field nursing services, mainly in hospitals) of the British Red Cross. The Women’s Voluntary Service provided women to carry out clerical work, to deal with the Welfare of Evacuated Children, provide Hospital Supply Workers, Evacuation Receptionists, Storekeepers, Canteen Workers, Trained Nurses, Assistant Nurses, Nursing Auxiliaries, Ambulance Attendants, Ambulance Drivers, Mobile Van Drivers, Car Drivers and First Aid Party Drivers. An important part of the local planning was the provision of Public Air Raid shelters. There were nine in all with a total capacity to take 825 people; they were located at the Scotgate Inn at No 5 Scotgate (100 people), Alderman J.S.Prior’s house at No 2 Broad Street (50 people), Messrs Parrish’s shop at No 45 Broad Street (50 people), Messrs Thomas and Sons at No 11 Broad Street (200 people), Messrs Middleton’s shop at No 1 & 2 St Paul’s Street (50 people), the Old County Club at 27A St Mary’s Street (50 people), Mr Haynes’s house at No 16 All Saints Place (75 people), J.Woods & Son’s shop at No 10 Ironmonger Street (50 people) and the Bull and Swan Inn at No 25 High Street, St Martin’s (200 people). These were sited in the cellars of the above properties. Local builders – Bowman and Sons – making alterations, for instance, to the cellars of the Bull and Swan. Of course other people used the cellars of their own properties for family and friends. In addition, of course there were the Anderson shelters which were given free to householders who earned less than £250 per year and those with higher incomes were charged £7 0s 0d. They were made up from fourteen curved and straight galvanised corrugated steel panels which were bolted together and designed to be semi sunk into the ground. The other type of shelter was the Morrison shelter, officially termed Table (Morrison) Indoor Shelter which had a cage-like construction and came in 359 parts and had three tools supplied with the pack. Those Air Raid Shelters that were made of brick and concrete were dangerous as near-by blasts made them unstable as they had a potential to implode, unlike the Anderson Shelters. Air Raid Shelters were also provided by firms for their staff who were involved in War Work and shops used their cellars for staff and customers alike. The Borough Surveyor was still drawing up plans for public Air Raid Shelters and in August 1940 plans were signed off by local builders. Gas masks were made available from the Town Hall. There were three kinds; a Baby Anti Gas Helmet which was supplied when the baby was born, this was normally exchanged for a small child’s respirator at about 18 months, these were suitable usually until the child got to four or five years of age when it was then replaced with an ordinary civilian respirator. Over a thousand people volunteered to assist in Civil Defence at the start of the war including a large number of women. Stamford physically survived the war virtually unscathed, other than two lone bombers who dropped bombs on the town; the planning was however in place if it had been a different story. A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Window Tax Professor Alan Rogers 2018 Window Tax was imposed by Parliament in 1696, replacing the Hearth Tax, to help meet the cost of reminting the damaged coinage. After 1792 houses with between 7 and 9 windows were taxed at 2 shillings, and from 10 to 19 windows at 4 shillings. In 1825 houses with less than 8 windows were exempt. The tax was finaly abolished in 1851. The following extract is taken from a volume in the British Library entitled: 'Cases which have been determined by the JUDGES relative to the DUTIES on Houses and Windows and on Inhabited Houses'. Printed in the year MDCCLXXXII. For ease of reading a modern typeface has been used but the original capitalisation and punctuation have been preserved. CASE concerning a Surcharge made by the Surveyor of Windows Borough of Stamford Mr Howgrave was appointed Surveyor in 1762, and immediately after made a very diligent Survey in the Borough of Stamford, where he found several Houses undercharged, and the Commissioners allowed his several Surcharges; but Mr Howgrave having made a Charge of One Pound Ten Shillings upon the House inhabited by the Gaoler of this Corporation, for Eighteen Windows therein contained, Simon Peter Martin, the Gaoler appeared before the acting Commissioners on the 28th day of August last, and appealed to the Surcharge, which the Commissioners thought ought not to be in Charge, and determined in Favour of the Appellant. Upon which the Surveyor declaring himself dissatisfied, and requiring a Case to be specially stated according to the Direction of the Act of Twenty-first of his late Majesty King George the Second; the same is stated, as it appeared to the Commissioners to be as follows. The Gaol, which is very ancient, belongs to the Corporation of Stamford, by Grant from the Crown. The Appellant has been Gaoler of the Borough of Stamford above Thirty-two Years last past, and never paid Window Tax, Land Tax, Highway Assessment, Church or Poor’s Rates whatsoever, for, or in Respect of the Gaol, or his Dwelling house, The Appellant’s Predecessors never paid any of the Taxes or Rates above mentioned. 21st Sept. 1762 Thomas Taylor, Mayor John Exton, Alderman, Barnaby Turner, Francis Moore, Alderman 6th July 1767 We are of Opinion, That the Determination of the Commissioners is wrong. Mansfield E. Wilmot E. Clive Rich. Adams J. Yates J. Hewitt Middlesex A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Stamford Library Catalogue 1907 By Chris Hunt In these days of computerised digital online catalogues, we forget that at one time the only way to access information was via the printed or written word. In the case of Stamford Public Library, before World War One, it was possible to buy a small booklet containing a full list of its holdings, and this extended to a small printed book. In 1907 the paperback edition sold for three half pennies (old money) and was printed by Dolby Brothers. The previous year’s edition was printed by Taylor and Downs and could be bought in hard back as well. The 1907 the catalogue was split into eight parts: Fiction and Light Literature; Voyages and Travels; Science, Arts and Politics; Theology and Philosophy; History and Biography; General Literature; Poetry and the Drama, and a List of Books on Open Shelves. Whilst Francis Peck’s Annals of Stamford (published in 1727), British Museum Publications and Pictures of Nuremburg were available on request. Stamford Library still has a copy of Francis Peck’s Annals of Stamford in its Local History Reference Collection; the 1979 EP reprint is on open shelves and is available to borrow. By the time of the Annual Report in May 1907 the Library had enrolled 1,047 people. During the previous 12 months, 28,279 books had been issued of which 25,169 had been works of fiction. The total holdings of books on March 31 st 1907 were 2,312, and in addition the Reading Room had 275 periodicals. Chris Hunt January 2026 Note The following document is r eproduced by kind permission of Lincolnshire Libraries. The original was printed by Dolby Brothers in 1907, and is part of the local studies reference collection at Stamford Library, www.better.org.uk/library/lincolnshire/stamford-library A print version can be downloaded HERE A full printout of the library catalogue can be viewed & printed HERE Previous Next

< Back EDWARD & FRANCIS BUTT By Martin R Warburton There have been three major shortages of regal coins in the last five hundred years: - of copper coins in the mid-seventeenth century, which led to the emergence of unofficial copper farthings by traders and town councils. They are usually referred to as seventeenth century tokens. - of copper coins in the late eighteenth century, leading to the production of copper traders’ tokens; mostly farthings and halfpennies. These are often referred to as eighteenth century provincial tokens or ‘Conders’ after the first listing of them by James Conder of Ipswich who both issued and collected the tokens himself. - of silver coins in the early nineteenth century, which led to Bank of England tokens for three shillings, eighteenpence and ninepence, together with traders’ tokens for denominations up to five shillings. Each of these events led to a significant increase in the Royal Mint production of copper coins under Charles I and George III and, in the case of silver coins, to the great silver and gold recoinage of 1816. This article is concerned with the silver nineteenth century tokens. There are 17 silver tokens listed for Lincolnshire towns in Dalton’s The Silver Token Coinage of 1811 & 1812 published in 1922. Stamford has two varieties of an eighteenpence token; D17 illustrated above and D16 which is very similar, but the crown is larger and not radiated. Both tokens were issued by Edward and Francis Butt, and are considered rare. There is much online about Edward and Francis, and what follows is no more than a brief summary of their lives. Edward and Francis were probably brothers, or possibly cousins. Both were born in the late 18th century. Edward married Elizabeth Sculthorpe; Francis married Ann Welby in 1808. Edward had two sons Edward (b.1799) and Francis (b.1807), while Francis had at least one child – Francis (b.1812). These three children would have been too young to have produced the token in 1811, so we are concerned with their fathers. Edward purchased his Freedom of the Borough in 1799, and Francis in 1810. Both were described as Drapers and were probably in business together, although when Edward retired in 1823 his business as a Linen and Woollen Draper in the High Street passed to a Mr Beasley. Both Edward and Francis published their support in The Lincoln, Rutland and Stamford Mercury of July 15, 1814 for Johnson & Eaton’s Bank in Stamford. Both Edward and Francis were Mayors of Stamford; Edward in 1828 and Francis in 1834, 1835 and 1840. Edward died in about 1835 in Stamford. Francis, described as a Mayor and Magistrate, died on 19th February 1840 apparently of apoplexy before or after falling from his horse Ivanhoe. Many thanks for assistance go to Chris Hunt of the Stamford Local History Society. A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back Searchlight on Land, Labour and Social Problems 1903 Burghley House by Stamford Town By John Taylor. Author of “Social Sermonettes for Working Men.” “The Marquis of Exeter, of Burghley House, Stamford, owns 13,545 acres of land in Northamptonshire, with a rent roll of £21,015 a year. He is also the owner of 10,712 acres in Rutlandshire, with a rental of “16,389 yearly. And in Lincolnshire he has 3.327 acres, with a rent roll of £10,808 yearly.” New Domesday Book 1903. When I come across a proud aristocrat who owns 27,684 acres of land that God gave us all, and who has an income of £48,212 a year from that land, I naturally want to know how he came into the possession of all that land, why he should be allowed to keep it, and what return he is giving to the community for all the money he is taking out of his fellow men’s pockets. It was in this spirit of inquiry that I took train from Peterborough one morning, and went to see for myself what the ancient Royal Borough of Stamford is like, and to unearth some interesting facts from its history. After the dissolution of the monasteries and the confiscation of the abbey lands the manor of Stamford fell into the hands of the ancestors of the present Marquis of Exeter. His family traces its descent from William Cecil of Bourne, in Lincolnshire, who became Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth, and was elevated to the peerage under the title of Baron Burghley. Enormous grants of Crown lands, and many Enclosure Acts, and a few prudent marriages with rich heiresses will easily account for the vast accumulation of land in this fortunate family. A Victorian view of the South Side of Burghley House “Burghley House by Stamford town” is one of the ancestral homes of England, and, like Chatsworth House and Eaton Hall, is a show place, where you can be admitted to feast your eyes on payment of a shilling. It is a magnificent place, stored with tapestries, and needlework, and pictures and bric-a-brac, and works of art, and antique furniture enough to last a score of connoisseurs a life time. The house is only a short pleasant walk from the town, and it stands in its own park of fourteen hundred acres. Burghley Park is stocked with deer, and plentifully studded with chestnuts, oaks, and lime trees. On a fine sunny day, it must be a delightful attractive spot, but the day I was there the river was in flood, and the rain was coming down in torrents, and every tree under which you tried to shelter gave you a heavy shower bath. If you want to know what militant landlordism can do to ruin a town you should walk through the streets of Stamford, and use your eyes and ears. It is a quaint old-fashioned place, full of churches, and beer houses, and alms-houses, and in the good old times it must have been a perfect nest of political venality and corruption. The unreformed Parliament sent two members to the House of Commons, and the “Spectator” of those days tells us how prize-fighters and bullies were hired in London at five shillings a day, all found, and were turned loose on the electors of Stamford to dragoon them to the polling booths. The free and independent voters tore their clothes from their backs, and broke their heads, and obliged them to seek shelter in a malthouse to save their lives. When the election was over the Marquis of Exeter of those days served notice to quit on all his tenants who had not voted for his nominees, and he warned all the widows and spinsters who held land or houses under him that they would be evicted, too, if they did not get married before the next election, and find husbands who would vote as they were told. But the crowning disaster came to this little town when the Marquis of Exeter opposed the Great Northern Railway scheme for carrying the line through Stamford. It was proposed to construct a line of railway and build a station within a few hundred yards of his park gates, but he raised a terrible row about this proposal. He resisted the scheme both in the House of Commons and outside, and flung away his money so recklessly that the company withdrew their scheme, and built their line about four miles away. His chief objection to a railway was that it would injure his property in the town and put an end to the coaching and posting business at the George Hotel. When the railway had passed him by and left him severely alone, he was glad to build a line of railway nearly four miles in length to link his forsaken town with the railway at Essendine. Stamford has never recovered from this terrible disaster, and it never will. The engine, carriage works and repairing shops that would have enriched it were taken to Peterborough instead and they will never come back. The principal industries of the town are a small foundry and agricultural implement shop, some breweries and saw mills, and one or two large timber yards. The population is only eight thousand, and it is stationary or declining. It has a sewerage scheme on hand that will cost £50,000, and that is a big undertaking for so small a town. It works out to more that six pounds per head for every man, woman, and child in the place. About two hundred new houses have been built in Stamford during the last few years, and yet the population is less now than it was before they were built. Those new houses were built to replace some vile rookeries and filthy slums that have been pulled down. But nothing can galvanise the sleepy, mildewed, medieval town into life and vigour and progress. It has had some fine opportunities and some splendid chances, but it was never ready when its opportunity came. Source Cotton Factory Times November 6th 1903 p7/c1-2 Notes. The Cotton Factory Times (1885-1937) was a Socialist newspaper aimed at cotton workers in Lancashire and Cheshire. Using an online CPI calculator; £48,212 in 1903 is worth £7,491,401 in 2025. In pure cash terms 48,212 gold sovereigns at present prices (May 2025) would be worth close to £28.4 million. The calculated income in this article does not include any profits from the Burghley Estate property portfolio. A Print copy can be downloaded HERE Previous Next

< Back William Shakespeare and Stamford Chris Hunt 2022 Hidden away within William Shakespeare’s King Henry IVth Part 2; a mention is made, almost in passing of Stamford. A seldom performed play which on occasions is shorted by the removal of some of the conversations between minor figures. In Act 3 Scene 2 there is a conversation between Robert Shallow, a Justice of the Peace in Gloucestershire and his colleague Justice Silence, as they wait for the arrival of Sir John Falstaff who is recruiting soldiers for the Royal Army. Their conversation strays into a discussion of Shallow’s youthful indiscretions at Clement’s Inn which is part of the Inns of Chancery. It is within this part of the play that Stamford is mentioned:- Justice Shallow. “Yes, that Sir John, the very same. I saw him beat Scogan on the head at the gates of the Court, when he was just a lad, only this tall. On that same day I happened to have a fight with a man called Sampson Stockfish, a fruit seller, behind Gray’s Inn. Oh Jesus, Jesus. I’ve had some wild times! And now so many of the men I used to know are dead.” Justice Silence. “That will be us one day.” Justice Shallow “You’re right. I know you’re right, that’s for sure. As the Psalms say in the Bible. “death is certain.” Everyone will die. What price are people charging for a good set of young bulls at Stamford Fair?” Justice Silence. “I’m not sure. I wasn’t there.” Justice Shallow. “Death is certain. Is Dooble, that old man from your hometown, still alive?” Justice Silence. “He’s dead. Sir.” Justice Shallow. “Jesus, Jesus, dead! He was such a good archer, and now he’s dead? He had an excellent shot! John of Gaunt loved him, and used to bet money on his incredible aim. Dead! Oh, he would have hit the target even from two hundred and forty yards away! He could shoot straight at the target from two hundred and eighty yards away, maybe even two hundred and ninety, it was quite something to see! How much are they charging for twenty ewes now?” Justice Silence. “That all depends on their quality, but twenty good ewes would be worth about ten pounds.” Justice Shallow. “But old Dooble is dead?” Justice Silence. “Here comes two of Sir John Falstaff’s men. I think.” At this stage of their discussion more characters join them on stage and the conversation changes. In these preceding paragraphs Justice Shallow and Justice Silence seem to be talking about different things and then not listening to what the other has said. So what have we learnt about Stamford? Probably nothing as we have not discovered the price of two young bulls at Stamford Fair. And as to the price of twenty good ewes, was this the cost of sheep at the time of King Henry IV (1399-1413), or was that the price of sheep at the time the play was performed? It has been suggested that the play was written between 1596 and 1599, it was registered at Stationers Hall in August 1600 and published in quarto form by the end of the year. So why did Shakespeare choose Stamford when he could have chosen any other provincial town and also why choose a Lincolnshire market town when the two characters are men from Gloucestershire? Of course we shall never know. A print version can be downloaded HERE Previous Next