tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83086460894948354642024-03-18T13:50:33.914+00:00Times PastWebrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-35644763125234667132024-03-17T15:24:00.005+00:002024-03-17T17:13:36.269+00:00In defence of the "Savages of North Devon"<p>The first of several letters to the Editor of the <b>North Devon Journal</b> from Rev. T. J. Leslie, Appledore, published Thursday, 23 November 1871. The "Special Commissioner" was <a href="https://webrarian.blogspot.com/2024/03/a-devonshire-cold-comfort-farm.html" target="_blank">James Greenwood who later published an expanded account</a>.</p><p><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">The "So-Called Savages of North Devon"</h1><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT51Wjm7neJkR2MtpF7c7IzjAVYeRGjR2c9Na3uKkx99MjFj3b8CE-IrXV2P-yjPrtjBJmH5GEDQ7fGxt2KLr3Ip2xaalo7n03jvyU1kGwSvCwXKwk-ubOcQd8WKBo-aaRX6EM1622B90khB5KGLeC4q9QBCHaOxvwnhlNG7r-V5q199Y-CeTBzkKbrlF/s365/ndevonsavageshut.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="365" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGT51Wjm7neJkR2MtpF7c7IzjAVYeRGjR2c9Na3uKkx99MjFj3b8CE-IrXV2P-yjPrtjBJmH5GEDQ7fGxt2KLr3Ip2xaalo7n03jvyU1kGwSvCwXKwk-ubOcQd8WKBo-aaRX6EM1622B90khB5KGLeC4q9QBCHaOxvwnhlNG7r-V5q199Y-CeTBzkKbrlF/s320/ndevonsavageshut.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upcott, photographed about 1860 by William Hector</td></tr></tbody></table>Dear Sir,</p><p>Will you kindly publish the following facts in reference to the above subject?</p><p>On the 23rd October the <i>Daily Telegraph</i> published a report of a visit made by their "Special Commissioner" to the house of Mr. C. Cheriton, of Nymet Rowland. The report being greatly exaggerated and highly sensational, and having been reprinted by many of the daily and weekly newspapers throughout the country, I wrote to the Editor of the <i>Daily Telegraph</i>, not as an apologist for Cheriton or for his ill-deeds, but simply to place a few facts, which had come under my own notice, before the readers of the said report, so that they might have more correct account of poor Cheriton and his family. But to my astonishment the editor has not published my letter. Such conduct, to say the least about it, is mean in the extreme. It unjust to the poor man and his family; and it unjust to North Devon.</p><p>Many my friends, knowing that I knew the neighbourhood of Nymet Rowland, have asked me for my opinion about the report of the "Special Commissioner;" and my reply has been—<i>It is greatly exaggerated</i>. It contains some of the most unjust charges and abominable insinuations that it is possible for a corrupt mind to think of; and if the "Special Commissioner" be the author of them, I fervently pray that he may never again visit the North of Devon. I will not repeat the abominable and vile insinuations which the report contains, but will point out to you a few things connected with the family, which may be of interest to readers of your paper, and secure for the Cheritons that justice which is their due.</p><p>It is not a difficult matter for a few rich farmers to invite a reporter to come down to "interview" a poor family, who may be disagreeable neighbours—give him good fare for the day, and frank his expenses. Many of their prosecutions of the Cheritons have savoured much of the spirit of persecution. The "Special Commissioner" in his report says, "Thus saith rumour." Allow me to tell him that rumour also saith, "The rich farmers would like to rid the parish of the Cheritons." I would suggest to him, and through him to them, that would be more Christlike, if, instead of persecuting them, they would try a little kindness and respectful forbearance. </p><p>The "Special Commissioner" speaks of "a mud floor, walls as black as soot, and full of chinks." He says "There was no fire place; but a ruddy glow smouldered from a hole in the floor of earth, and over it, by an "iron chain, a cooking pot was suspended." If he had examined other houses in the neighbourhood, he would have found that nearly the whole of them are built of "cob," the floors made of what he calls "mud," (lime and sand, or paved with small stones,) and very few would have fire-grates, the fire being on the hearth, with an open chimney place, and the pot or kettle hung over it by a chain fastened to a cross-bar in the chimney. Wood and not coal is mostly burned in the neighbourhood. </p><p>A person coming down from London would conclude at once that such houses were not fit for human beings live in: but the natives like to live in houses built of cob, and to have good fire of wood upon the hearth. I admit that poor Cheriton's house is in a very dilapidated condition; it needs much repairs; but I very much question whether any of his detractors in Nymet Rowland would let him have a few bundles of reed to repair the roof with. </p><p>Much of the cottage property of North Devon is far below what it ought to be; but such reports as the one written by the "Special Commissioner of the <i>Daily Telegraph</i>" will not tend to improve it. The landlords themselves are aware of the fact, and many of them are improving the cottages of their workmen. The "Special Commissioner" makes much of the fact that there was a little mud between the gate and the house through which he had to pass. I could take him to respectable farm houses where he would experience some difficulty in getting from the gate to the house in wet weather without dirting his boots.</p><p>This "Special Commissioner" tells us that he came down to interview this poor family because "a clergyman had this time spread the amazing intelligence." I am sorry to hear it. It is a great pity that a clergyman, who is paid by the State to instruct the poor, should have nothing better to employ his time than write to the <i>Times</i> against one of his own parishioners, who could not reply to his letter. I would suggest to the "Special Commissioner" that the next time he makes a visit to North Devon he should enquire into the conduct of some of the clergymen who have lived in the neighbourhood of Nymet Rowland; and I am sure he will be able to write a report far more sensational than the one he wrote about the so-called savages of North Devon. </p><p>There are several state-paid clergymen living within the radius of a few miles of Cheriton's house. What, I ask, have they done to save this poor family from a life of sin and misery? They cannot plead a lack of time, for some of them have time enough to go fox-hunting. They need not fear being molested, for I have passed the house both by day and night without fear or harm. Let the clergy of the county do their duty, as before the Lord, (which I am thankful to say many of them are endeavouring to do,) and there will soon be no (so-called) savages of North Devon to write the newspapers about.</p><p>I admit they are in bad repute in the neighbourhood, but, speaking from what I used to see of them, <i>I am bold to say that they do not deserve the treatment which they have received</i>. When I was pastor of the Independent Church in Lapford I frequently saw them at the chapel. At other times I have seen them going to the church. I conducted religious services in a cottage at Nymet Rowland, and I have seen some members of the family there. I have also seen them at the meeting at Chenson, and they always behaved themselves in proper manner. </p><p>Having spoken of them as I knew them a few years ago, let me now speak of them as they are at present. My wife went with a lady to see them last Thursday. They drove up to the gate, and one of them alighted and went into the house. A young woman came out, and took charge of the horse and trap, and then gave the horse some hay. When they entered the house they found a young woman sitting near the fire, who was evidently very ill, with the <i>baby</i> on her knee (of whom the "Special Commissioner" gives such a graphic description). They spoke kindly to her (she was very weak and faint), and looked at the baby, which they found to be sickly, but not in the state as described by the "Special Commissioner." </p><p>The other young woman then entered the house, and said that her mother had gone to the shop at Lapford to buy some things, but added—"She will back soon." Three little boys came and looked in two or three times: at length one of the little fellows ventured in, and sat down beside his mother. The old man was out working on the farm, but a message having been sent to him, he came to the house, and seemed to very pleased to see his visitors. He rubbed his hands, smiled, and said—"I am glad to see ye, I be; but I be afeard ye will not be comfortable here. Will ye mind going to the Public, and I will pay for a glass each for ye." </p><p>They thanked him for his kindness, and said they had brought some provisions with them and they were going to take tea with him. He thanked them much, and appeared to be somewhat confused. Tea was provided, and they were all enjoying the social cup when the old woman returned. She looked as if she was taken aback, but, recovering herself, soon made herself at home, and began to tell them how they were persecuted and annoyed. </p><p>She complained very bitterly of the infamous report of the "Special Commissioner." She says that he called and them if they would give him a drink of water, and, thinking that he was an honest man, she told her daughter to give him a drink of milk; at the same time saying, she knew gentlemen liked cider, but that they were quite out of it. She declares he is a bad man, or he would never have drank the milk, which she gave to him, and afterwards and write lot of lies about them. </p><p>Before leaving my wife said they had brought two New Testaments with them, and they intended to read a chapter and pray together before they left. Cheriton said he should be pleased if they would do so. But as she was beginning to read Matthew, xxv. chapter, a voice was heard outside, "Is your father at home?" Cheriton went to the place where the door once stood, and the voice was heard again, "I have come to speak to you as the head of the house about your family insulting my servants." </p><p>The daughter went to the door, and the voice was heard again, "You women are the worst." They replied, "Your servants, and a brother of one of them, were here last night stoning us for an hour and half: they won't let us alone." The voice was heard again, "I am going now, and if you do not behave yourselves I will get a summons for you." The old woman called out, "It is you who put the letters in the papers." The voice was again heard, "I know nothing about that, I have come now to talk to you about your conduct." <i>That voice was the Parson's</i>. </p><p>The above facts will speak for themselves. During the last few weeks they have received several letters, some of which are full of silly questions, such as—"Can you read?" "Can you say the Lord's prayer? If you cannot, then go to the clergyman and he will teach you." Several persons have called, but they have no confidence in these "special" visitors, and they have refused to have any conversation with them. </p><p>My wife did not see the eldest son. She enquired where he was, arid they said, "He had gone to help the daughter's husband with little work he had to do. </p><p>Cannot something be done to help this poor family? It would not cost much money to repair the house, and provide a little clothing for them. Things have gone from bad to worse, and members of the family have been fined at various times by the magistrates, so that they are not able to repair the house, although they may desire to do so. </p><p>A christian lady has kindly promised to give me ten shillings if a subscription list is opened on their behalf. I shall be willing to receive other sums toward the relief of the so-called savages of North Devon. Subscriptions will be acknowledged through your paper.</p><p>I am, Dear Sir, yours truly, </p><p>T. J. LESLIE, Independent Minister. </p><p>Appledore, North Devon, November 18th, 1871.</p><p><br /></p><p>[We readily make use of our correspondent's letter. All will admire the<i> audi alteram partem </i>["listen to the other side"] spirit which prompted him to say what he knew that was favourable to, or extenuating of, the Cheritons. All will do justice to the kindness of the ladies who visited them. Still, there can be no denying that, under how much provocation soever, they have been guilty of many indefensible breaches of the law, and that their mode of living is an outrage on the proprieties of civilization, the more inexcusable because it is idle to say that a family occupying their own freehold of forty acres have not the means of living in decency. </p><p>One can't much wonder if the rich farmers in the neighbourhood do wish to be rid of such neighbours. We hope they will bethink themselves that there is a better thing to be aimed at than even to be rid of them. If they would but try what the "law of kindness" can do, it might astonish them by its results. It has wrought greater wonders than it would be even to convert these "savages" into a family and household restored to the pale of civilization, "clothed and in their right mind." Doing full justice to the kindness which only can have suggested our reverend correspondent's appeal for pecuniary help, does he think the case a man living in his own freehold is one for which eleemosynary assistance can be fairly asked, or that, if rendered, it could be expected to do real and lasting good? </p><p>Injustice is always to be condemned; but is there not danger in leading persons who are unquestionably wrong doers to conceive themselves martyrs He knows the case better than we do, and he has, no doubt, weighed the matter. If, indeed, they have been wronged and soured by persecution, possibly that might be means by which society might make a sweetening and purifying compensation.—Ed.]</p><p><br /></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-55222642330818702052024-03-17T14:46:00.007+00:002024-03-17T17:19:27.324+00:00A Daily Telegraph reporter bad-mouths a Devon farming family<p>From <b><a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/In_Strange_Company_Being_the_Experiences/FUDC3cS5x_MC?hl=en&gbpv=1" target="_blank"><i>In Strange Company: Being the Experiences of a Roving Correspondent</i></a></b>, by James Greenwood (London: Henry S. King, 1873)</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Some facts</h2><div>James Greenwood (1832-1929) was a reporter working for the Daily Telegraph. In 1871 he travelled to Nymet Rowland and wrote a sensational and widely-syndicated article about the family.</div><p>Christopher Cheriton, of whom Greenwood writes, was a real person, son of John and Frances Cheriton and baptised in Down St Mary, Devon, on 18 September 1803. In the census taken take two years Greenwood published his book, he was living at Upcott in Nymet Rowland, farming 30 acres and employing one labourer. The cottage at Upcott was demolished in the 1880s and the current Nymet House built on the site, immediately bringing into question the accuracy of Briggs's drawing below. Christopher died at Ash in the parish of Sandford on 29 October 1884, leaving an estate of £174. His executor was his brother Hermon Cheriton of Western Road, Crediton. He was buried at Crediton on 4 November 1884.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">The North Devon Savages</h1><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzN0C1EkroqwwY7CSp0qWVnCzlWY2OW-_ysSunutWHt0s2opqCcX9cujNTnGo5wODB0daALCw7XIltm2k58iF7Fjlg7eDbep8Td4pHL6ElSZpZD74k3J4feebCNMVGjrr36kiUtleJtD5zsJlD0dVB5wnhC7OPyTfNH1FiPuiYQ89-wZXVMpS8D3fUY24s/s406/savages.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="406" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzN0C1EkroqwwY7CSp0qWVnCzlWY2OW-_ysSunutWHt0s2opqCcX9cujNTnGo5wODB0daALCw7XIltm2k58iF7Fjlg7eDbep8Td4pHL6ElSZpZD74k3J4feebCNMVGjrr36kiUtleJtD5zsJlD0dVB5wnhC7OPyTfNH1FiPuiYQ89-wZXVMpS8D3fUY24s/s320/savages.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upcott, photographed about 1860 by William Hector</td></tr></tbody></table><div>STRANGEST of all strange company was that which, in my journalistic peregrinations, it was my lot to fall in with in North Devon. At first the vague rumours of a veritable savage tribe existing at a remote place called Nymet Rowland was received by the British public with incredulity. At the nick of time, however, I received from the good minister of the parish such information as decided me to make the </div><div>journey, and if possible glean, as an eye-witness, some particulars of the manners, habits, and customs of these modem barbarians who were scandalizing the land. Without daring to breathe a word of my intention to anxious friends or family, I made the first step towards invading the barbarian stronghold by taking a North Devon ticket at Waterloo Railway station. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nymet Rowland, approaching it across country, is about a mile from Lapford station, on the North Devon line. The village is not numerously inhabited, but it contains several substantial farm-holdings, a sprinkling of the handsome residences of gentlemen farmers, and a venerable and goodly-sized church. Almost within the shadow of its ivy-clad square tower is to be found the kraal of the savage tribe of </div><div>Cheriton. Hut, hovel, stye, or whatever else it should be termed, it is in every respect inferior to anything in the way of house architecture that can be met with in the most barbarous regions on the earth. </div><div><br /></div><div>A mandan of the Indian prairies would laugh to scorn such an effect at hut-building; a man-eating Fijian would regard as a wanton insult the suggestion that the hideous structure at Nymet Rowland might serve as a pattern useful to be followed in his construction of a dwelling-place. Carved and painted warrior as he is, he has at least some notions of decency and domestic life, and of home comfort for those dependent on him. He will take care that his house is shut in from the inquisitive gaze of neighbours by a wattle wall or latticed fence; and, with no other material at his command than rough-hewn timber, grass, and reeds, he constructs a clean and commodious habitation, not uncommonly </div></div><div><div>with some attempt at ornamentation in its exterior. </div><div><br /></div><div>Within the hut of the Fijian will be found a fire-place, even though it be nothing more than a slab of stone edged about with a curving of iron-wood; he recognises the utility of doors and windows, and weaves mats for the floor. Even the benighted Esquimaux, who has nothing besides snow to serve in the place of bricks and mortar and timber, somehow contrives a house of which he has no reason to be ashamed. He provides a window of thin fresh-water ice in the wall of his snow-hut; and he has raised seats for his family and guests, covered first with a layer of whalebone, then with sealskins or deer pelts; and all within is made as snug as possible. </div><div><br /></div><div>But the barbarian tribe of Nymet Rowland, squatting amid the model dairy farms and mellow apple orchards of Devonshire, are less fastidious in their domestic economy. They care no more for the house they inhabit than the pig does. The pig indeed! I can imagine with what disgust and scorn a daily-scrubbed, milk-and-bran-fed, white prize Windsor pig would curl his dainty snout were he condemned to pass a single night in the crazy, breezy hovel in which the individuals who have earned for themselves such unenviable notoriety are born, are bred, and pass their lives. To be sure, the premises in question give shelter to pigs as well as people; but they are pigs of a bad sort—unhappy animals which have had constantly before their eyes the villainous example their owners and fellow-lodgers have set; and therefore it cannot be expected that they should be so delicate in their tastes as pigs more fortunately circumstanced. </div><div><br /></div><div>The savages of North Devon are by no means shy. The threshold of their abode, although not exactly on the highway path, is not so far removed therefrom that it would not be quite easy for the passer-by to pitch a penny piece into any one of the yawning holes in the wall or roof, partly mended with wisps of filthy straw. The building is not large, and it is difficult to decide whether it was originally a farm-house, a granary, or merely a cow-house. It is perhaps forty feet long by twenty-five feet wide; its walls are </div></div><div><div>apparently a mixture of lime, mud, and pebbles, and very thick; and the thatched roof is surmounted by a wide-mouthed chimney partly blown down. The front of the hovel may be made out with tolerable distinctness from the road. There are several apertures, designed and accidental; but the main opening, which I suppose is designated by a window, is a jagged hole about seven feet high and five wide, </div><div>into which, by way of window blind, ragged bundles of straw are piled. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was the inviting domicile for which I was bound; and the closer I approached, the more vividly rose to my mind the current stories of its redoubtable inhabitants—of the eldest son, the lawless villain with a gun who, on the smallest provocation, or none at all, would let fly at a peaceful neighbour; of the shock-headed amazons, who, from concealed parts of the premises, hurled bricks and other unpleasant </div><div>missiles at strangers. I thought, too, of the offensive farmer who, guilty of no crime more grave than that of looking over the fence behind which these savages dwelt, was set on and so terribly cut and mauled, that, in the words of the local guide book, "he bears the marks of his barbarous treatment to this day." </div><div><br /></div><div>There was a gate—a five-barred gate—with its posts rotten and sunk all aslant in the ground; and between it and the "house" such a quagmire of black mud, that it looked more like a pitfall for the inquisitive and incautious than a path to be trodden by visitors. Besides this, it was a gate with a curious crook for a fastening; and, one way and another, I deemed it advisable to make my presence known before I proceeded any farther. I shook the gate and rattled on it with my stick; and from amid the bundles of straw I have mentioned as piled in the great jagged hole at the front of the premises was protruded what, in consequence of the hair growing over the eyes, could be recognised as a human head only by the open mouth and remarkably white teeth. The eyes in the head having from behind its covert of thick hair, contemplated me for some little time, the head was withdrawn, and one of a larger size </div><div>filled its place—a female head this time, with a face tolerably clean, and a pair of cheeks rosy as any Devonshire milkmaids; a "devil" of a face all the same, with high cheekbones and a retreating forehead, and eyes deeply set in their orbits. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like the first inquisitor, this one had, as I believe most savages have, a splendid set of teeth, but, oh! the voice that proceeded from between them. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Well, what is it?" It was the voice of a full chested "navvy", grown hoarse through long toil in tunnels and deep railway cuttings. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Well, what is it?" </div><div><br /></div><div>"Have you got a drink of water to give to a thirsty man?" </div><div><br /></div><div>She did not say she had not, nor did she say that she had. She appeared undecided on the matter; and I </div><div>thought it a good opportunity for unhitching the gate-fastening, and walking in—slush, plash—through twenty yards of mud that covered my boot-tops. Then I had a fair view of the savage interior through the opening before-mentioned. </div><div><br /></div><div>A mud floor, walls black as soot, and full of chinks as a child's dissecting puzzle with the bits wrongly placed together; and overhead the roof, through which protruded faggot-sticks and smoke-dried blades of straw that had dropped through holes in the rotten ceiling above. The depth of the place might have equalled that of an ordinary dwelling-house; and through a great gap at the farther end, partly curtained with a piece of frowsy red baize, came a breeze that bore on its wings a strong odour of pigs and </div><div>their favourite food. The porkers, however, were not yet in sight. The visible living creatures within the shanty, besides half-a-dozen cocks and hens and a duck or two, were seven human beings—an old woman, three young women, a girl of about twelve, a boy of about fourteen, and a baby. </div><div><br /></div><div>There was not a single article of what could be called furniture to be seen—neither chair, nor stool, nor table. Ranged against the wall to the right was a long rough-hewn bench, and above it was slung a shelf on which were stacked a few odd bits of crockery, five or six yellow quart basins, and an old earthenware foot-bath patched and tied round with string, which, since a ladle reposed in it, and </div><div>the idea of feet-washing among such a community was simply ridiculous, I presume was the family soup tureen. On the bench were a pile of onions, a monstrous loaf or two of hearth-baked bread, a battered tin pail three parts filled with milk, a ragged old saddle, and some jars and bottles containing apparently medicine for cattle. </div><div><br /></div><div>There was no fire-place; but a ruddy glow smouldered from a hole in the floor of the earth, and over it, by an iron chain, a cooking pot was suspended. Round about the fiery pit hole, squatted on their hams, were two of the young women and the younger girl ; while the fourteen-year-old lad was prone on his belly among the ashes, with his hideously dirty face resting on his infinitely dirtier hands, and his keen eyes twinkling through his matted hair. They all wore clothes of a sort, and the young women had </div><div>shining eardrops hanging from their ears. I renewed my application for a drink of water, and, emboldened by the fact that no savage of mankind appeared, accompanied the request with a second—"Might I get a light for my pipe at the fire?" </div><div><br /></div><div>A general stare, and a rumble of masculine laughter on the part of the damsels by the fire-hole, were the only immediate response; so, seeing no other way in, I stepped round to the back of the hovel, and putting aside the red baize curtain, walked in. The pigs were a sight obstruction. An enormous black sow, with monstrous flapping ears and an iron ring through her snout, was sprawling in what, from </div><div>its recognised relation to the rest of the building, might be designated the back parlour ; while nine or ten little piglings, as fierce-looking as herself were eagerly besetting her for natural nutriment. This impediment overcome there was nothing to bar my way to the fire. </div><div><br /></div><div>Bad as they may be, these North Devon barbarians—bestial, filthy, and inexpressibly vicious—they at least exhibited towards me, a chance visitor and complete stranger, an amount of hospitality that smote my conscience hard when I reflected how little I deserved it. A damsel of the tribe, aged apparently about twenty, with thick clouted boots on her feet like those of a maltster, and a white rag bound about her muscular jaws, caught up an antique pot or piggin of red clay, capable of holding, I should say, a couple of gallons. This she took out, and brought it back full. Then she got a little jug and half filled it with water out of another vessel, filled it up with milk, and presented it to me with the polite observation that " she wished as how it was cider, but they were quite out of it." </div><div><br /></div><div>"You're a stranger? " said she, interrogatively. </div><div><br /></div><div>I nodded. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Don't know the passen (parson), or any of them in these parts?"</div><div><br /></div><div>"No; shouldn't know them if I saw them."</div><div><br /></div><div>"There, I told thee so," said she, turning to the others; whereon, as though it was the constant recreation of their lives, and my entry had interrupted it, there arose a family chorus of the foulest abuse and cursing, directed against "passen" and all his friends, that might have made my blood run cold, only that I was stooping over the red-hot chumps and sticks to get a light for my pipe. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Parson a bad sort?" I ventured to enquire. </div><div><br /></div><div>"A reg'ler old ——," spoke the young gentleman in the ashes, deftly picking up a stick with his toes, and thrusting it into the fire; "that's what I'd like to do wi' passen," a sentiment which was highly applauded by the rest, one of the girls adding, in far more idiomatic language than I dare use, that she would like to perform upon the gentleman in question the operation of disemboweling.</div><div><br /></div><div>"He don't come here very often, I'll wager," I remarked, wickedly joining in the hideous laughter. This crowned the joke. Come there! "Passen" come here! The little villain in the ashes was so tickled that he almost stood on his head, his mahogany-coloured legs writhing convulsively in the air; while a comely squaw of thirty, who as she sat in the dirt was engaged in patching an old pair of corduroy trousers </div><div>with some twine and a carpet needle, flung aside her work to grasp her sides, they ached so with laughter. </div><div><br /></div><div>"You're a droll 'un," exclaimed the old woman, grinning till she showed her toothless gums."Passen come here! ho! ho! Gi' he some more milk, Lisa." </div><div><br /></div><div>"I suppose the old fellow is too wide awake to chance it," was my next irreverent remark, for which I humbly beseech the clergyman's forgiveness. </div><div><br /></div><div>"He ain't old, him; he's young enough to take a young wife," returned the female savage, named Lisa. "He got married a bit ago, and come up with his—(it was a mercy that the villainous epithet she applied to the bride did not sear her heathen throat)—and we all of us went to the gate to gi' 'em a warmin'. Ha! ha! ho! ho! She won't forget us more'n passen will. It'll make him hotter agin us than ever, —— his carcase!"</div><div><br /></div><div>I wanted to prolong my stay a little, so looked about for an excuse; and at that very moment the baby which the old woman was nursing thrust its little face forward, and presented a convenient, though at the same time an appalling, pretext for talk. It was a ghastly contrast, that between the nurse and the child. The former was a creature wrinkled gray, and hideously dirty, but still with some tigerish light </div><div>in her deep-set eyes, which, combined with her flat, backward-slanting forehead, and her hard-set thin lips, betokened the constitutional inclination to vice that tempted her to the dreadful path she had entered forty years ago, and which still sustained her in that path unashamed and dauntless. This was the female founder of the savage tribe by which she was now surrounded, and her arms held the last fruit of </div><div>the inhuman stock—a five months old, as I was informed; but there were more than as many years of suffering in its poor little yellow, pinched face, its weak watery eyes that blinked shyly at the light, its frothed lips, and the sickening sores that disfigured it.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Does the doctor come and see it?" I asked.</div><div><br /></div><div>"He don't come here, he'd be afear'd; nobody comes here;" the old hag replied, with an ugly grin. "I takes it to the doctor, but he don't do it any good; and I ain't goin' to stand his humbuggin' any longer. It's been like it ever since it was born; the biles come up on it, and they break and leave sores. Look here." As she spoke, she turned the helpless infant savage over, and showed me its neck and shoulders; and glad indeed was I to escape from the sight on pretence that my pipe had gone out again, giving me an excuse for turning towards the fire. There was another baby somewhere—I had learned that previously—and some allusion was made to it by a member of the family; but I could not see it anywhere, and I did not care to appear too curious. I did not like even to ask to which of the three strapping wenches present the poor little horror belonged.</div><div><br /></div><div>And here I have to touch on the most repulsive and scandalous feature that distinguishes the North Devon haunt of savagery and its occupants. The facts are simply these: Here is a man Cheriton by name —who takes a woman as his mate; and the pair agree to defy decency and goodness in any shape for the remainder of their lives, and "to do as they like." The den they inhabit at the present time is that in which more than forty years ago they first took residence. They can afford to keep aloof from their </div><div>neighbours, their homestead being surrounded by about forty acres of good land, their own freehold. In the natural course of events, they have children; their daughters grow up and have children, and the latter in turn grow up and become mothers; but no one ever yet heard of a marriage in that awful family, or ever knew any male stranger to be on visiting terms with it. The only adults of the masculine </div><div>sex ever heard of in relationship with the Cheritons are the old man, Christopher; his eldest son Willie, aged thirty-five or so; and the fourteen-year-old youth I have already mentioned. </div><div><br /></div><div>They decline communication with the world outside the boundary hedges of their estate. Accidental encounters with civilized beings are invariably accompanied by conflict, physical or verbal. No one knows when a child is about to be born in this mysterious settlement, for they dispense with the service of a doctor and nurse each other. No one knows to whom a child belongs when it is born, nor are the neighbours usually aware of the fact until by chance some one gets a glimpse of the infant two or three months afterwards. Supposing the members of this awful tribe to be so inclined, they might dispose of their infant dead and nobody would be the wiser. The horrible suspicion is, that they herd together like brutes of the field, and breed like them. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thus saith rumour; and my personal observation enabled me to gather what may be regarded as corroborative evidence in support of much of it. The ground-floor of the hovel is at once the living-place, the cooking-place, the pig-stye, and the sleeping-place. As I have mentioned, not a single </div><div>article of furniture is contained within it; there is not even a bedstead. The family bed, on which repose savage old Christopher, Willie his middle-aged son, the old woman, the three strapping daughters, the big boy and the big girl, and the smaller fry, including the horrifying baby or babies, consists of an accumulation of foul straw, enclosed within rough-hewn posts driven into the earth. </div><div><br /></div><div>It has been said that the tribe sleep in a pit;. but if so, the pit has become filled in with fresh "layers" till now it is raised nearly two feet above the level of the ground. The bed space is about that of the floor of a country waggon, and in or about it not a vestige of sheet, or rug, or blanket was visible, thus there seems no choice but to suppose that they burrow in the straw like rats or ferrets, and so keep themselves warm. </div><div><br /></div><div>That they are more decent in their behaviour than they used to be, is allowed by very good authority in Nymet Rowland. I was informed by a gentleman whose extensive estate joins that of the savages, that not more than two years since, it was quite common to see dreadful old Christopher sunning himself at noon, with nothing but a wisp of dirty rag slung round his waist, his body being otherwise perfectly </div><div>naked, except for the dirt that begrimed it; while the daughters, grown women and mothers, thought nothing of attending to their daily farm duties, clad airily in a single garment of calico. </div><div><br /></div><div>The most incomprehensible part of the business is, that the Devon authorities, who have effected a partial reform, are not strong enough entirely to wipe the disgrace from their country. If the horrors proved, and the dreadful suspicions whispered, came to civilised ears concerning some benighted </div><div>tribe at the Gaboon or Tierra del Fuego, every community of Christians, with missionary power at its disposal, would be roused to immediate action, and the whole religious world thrown into a state of commotion, until the happy day when it was announced that the barbarians had been brought to acknowledge the iniquity of their ways, and had given substantial security against longer continuance in them. But Nymet Rowland is not in a savage land. It is in the heart of fruitful Devon. You may take a railway ticket at Waterloo Station at noon, and arrive at Nymet Rowland in time to see grandmamma savage slinging the iron pot over the fire-hole to brew tea for the evening meal. </div><div><br /></div><div>Whoever sets about the task of converting the savages of North Devon should, however, be thoroughly surprised of the attending difficulties. He should be a man accustomed to barbarians in grain, to their manners and customs—a Moffat, a Livingstone, or a Williams. Savagery is in the blood of the Cheritons. It is a fact that a brother of the present old Christopher Cheriton, Elias by name, was even more strongly tainted than the latter with the family malady; but by some merciful dispensation of Providence, he lived and died a bachelor. Elias Cheriton resided at Whitsone [Whitestone], which is not very many miles from Nymet Rowland. Like Christopher, Elias was freeholder of land to some extent; but unlike him he had not a house or a hut to live in. He lived <i>in a cask</i>, with a few rags and some straw, just like a make-shift mastiff-kennel. The cask was placed under a hedge that skirted one of his own broad meadows: and it was his serious declaration that there was nothing on earth so handy as a tub to live in because one could shift it about according to the quarter, from which the wind blew.</div><div><br /></div><div>Elias, however, though he neglected his land, was famous for rearing poultry—making caves and breeding-places for them in the earth all round about the spot where his gipsy kettle was slung, and where he sometimes cooked the meat he ate; and when he died, which is no more than two years back, </div><div>he was able to leave to his dear brother Christopher between three and four hundred pounds. Of the five-and-thirty or forty acres owned by the Cheriton savages, not a fifth part is under cultivation; it being their practice to grow no more than suffices for their personal consumption, and that only in the way of potatoes and cabbages, and a little wheat which they dry and grind for themselves. They breed a few sheep—a mere dozen or so. They hire no labourers, the whole family engaging in the necessary field-work; the females helping at the plough, assisted by an old horse and a bull. </div><div><br /></div><div>The animal I have just mentioned was out of work when I saw him, and taking his ease in a field; but, as though determined that all their belongings should be in keeping with their savage selves—the horned brute has the reputation of being the most vicious and dangerous bull in the county. The only way of getting him to work yoked with the old horse is to envelop his head and shoulders in a sack; and even then he needs to be pretty sharply watched, lest in his blind malice he should wickedly prod his equine comrade through his sackcloth hood. They are proud of their bull, those wild Devonians. He has never slept under cover since his calfhood, one of the damsels informed me; and she showed me out in the open the tree to which the creature was tethered at nights, all withered and barren in consequence </div><div>of the bull's fierce assaults on its bark, which was gored and torn all away. </div><div><br /></div><div>"They'll be home with him presently," said old grandmother savage, who sat rocking the awful baby that was squeaking like a snared rabbit.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Who will be home with him?" I asked.</div><div><br /></div><div>"My old man and Willie," she replied.</div><div><br /></div><div>Willie was the young fellow who had nearly smashed the unoffending farmer; so, inwardly thanking her for the timely hint, I bade the interesting family good-morning, made for the five-barred gate that grew out of the black mud, and sought the sweet highway.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Further reading</h2><div><a href="https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NOT18720126.2.23" target="_blank"><i>A Family of Savages in Devonshire</i></a>. Reprinted from the <i>Daily Telegraph</i> by the <i>North Otago Times</i>, 26 January 1872. James Greenwood's original article.</div><div><br /></div><div>Baring-Gould, Sabine. <i>A<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/46648/pg46648-images.html" target="_blank">n Old English Home and its dependencies</a></i>. London, Methuen, 1898.</div><div><br /></div><div>Christie, Peter. <i>The True Story of the North Devon Savages.</i> Transactions of the Devonshire Association, Vol. 124 p.59-85. Exeter: Devonshire Association, 1992.</div><div><br /></div><div>Girvan, Ray. <i><a href="https://jsbookreader.blogspot.com/2009/11/north-devon-savages.html" target="_blank">The North Devon Savages</a></i>. JSBlog - Journal of a Southern Bookreader, 2009 [online]</div><div><br /></div><div><i><a href="https://www.devonperspectives.co.uk/north_devon_savages.html" target="_blank">The North Devon Savages</a></i>. Devon Perspectives, n.d. [online]</div><div><br /></div><div>Heard, Nick.<i> <a href="http://www.heardfamilyhistory.org.uk/A%20Criminal%20Past.html" target="_blank">The Story of Ellen Wright.</a></i> A Criminal Past, 2018. References to the photographs of Upcott.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-3769179893727422442024-02-14T14:28:00.003+00:002024-02-14T15:59:02.751+00:00A Nurse's Terrible Journey in Serbia<p> From the <i>Luton Times and Advertiser</i> - Friday 28 January 1916</p><h1 style="text-align: left;">A Nurse's Terrible Journey in Serbia</h1><h2 style="text-align: left;">Leighton Lady’s Experiences</h2><div><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcfASOesK6YhbVJUYMYh9unk5nj-8kDUhor55yAA9EtchhUJwjLkwq2EjM8rgYKYT7AuBjI8s3iQ1cDAV7-UXXk3x6FvAEx6jXK1fwFyHdJ_qFZDTc569RtK9JjawGPNaAyR1vb0cc0H9wdh0Wkfk7UMLtWvEBErcRvOwjRFEGuB6k7xLrn-rKpPKIgC9/s646/I%20sent%20home%20for%20a%20tent.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="646" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitcfASOesK6YhbVJUYMYh9unk5nj-8kDUhor55yAA9EtchhUJwjLkwq2EjM8rgYKYT7AuBjI8s3iQ1cDAV7-UXXk3x6FvAEx6jXK1fwFyHdJ_qFZDTc569RtK9JjawGPNaAyR1vb0cc0H9wdh0Wkfk7UMLtWvEBErcRvOwjRFEGuB6k7xLrn-rKpPKIgC9/s320/I%20sent%20home%20for%20a%20tent.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edith Dickinson outside her tent in Belgium, 1915</td></tr></tbody></table>Miss Edith Dickinson, a daughter of Mrs. Dickinson, of Heath-road, Leighton Buzzard, was one of the party of British doctors and nurses which accompanied the Serbian Army in its retreat, and her dreadful experiences form a long story of terrible hardships.</div><div><br /></div><div>Miss Dickinson arrived in England few days ago, and, being blest with a good constitution, the rest that she intends to take should leave her little the worse for what she has been through, but the horrors that daily accompanied the retreat are indelibly engraved upon her memory.</div><div><br /></div><div>Miss Hilda May Dickinson (a sister) who is now engaged in Belgian Relief work in London, was with her sister doing Red Cross work in Belgium when the invasion was at its height.</div><div><br /></div><div>From Miss Dickinson's story in the <i>Leighton Observer</i>, we gather that the fall of Belgrade marked the opening of what proved to several days terrible hardships. After reciting a vain attempt to leave by railway for Salonika, the line having been torn up, she says:</div><div><br /></div><div><blockquote>After proceeding some distance farther by motor car this also had to left and the journey continued on foot. Waggons drawn by oxen and containing stores also had to be abandoned until the party had nothing beyond what they carried and what clothing they stood up in. The Austro-German army was then only a few miles away, and their big guns were action.</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>The route that was eventually decided upon was an uneven, muddy track, and along this trudged groups of many thousands of grief-stricken refugees, and the remains of the Serbian army. On the way the party had to pass numerous dead horses and cattle which had figured in the earlier stages of the retreat, and been abandoned by the refugees. The dead bodies of human beings also lay by the roadside half-covered by snow.</div><div><br /></div><div>With these sights an all too frequent occurrence the sorrowful procession wended its way over the mountains for ten days. Piercing blizzards and rain storms beat down upon the party unmercifully, and the wonder is that the toll of death and disease numbered so few among its victims.</div><div><br /></div><div>At one stage in the journey the strain proved too much for Miss Holland (a nurse associated with Miss Dickinson), and she undoubtedly owed her life to that lady who, although herself weak, was able to support her companion over a great stretch the journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>At night tents were pitched in the snow, and into these the exhausted refugees flung themselves to sleep. Sometimes rest houses—small wooden buildings—were used, and into these the people flocked, glad of the opportunity to lie on the floor.</div><div><br /></div><div>The track was altogether too dangerous go along night, for in some places the "road" was little more than a narrow ledge on the mountain side, and on more than one occasion vehicles were precipitated over the edge, and fell a distance of many feet throwing out and either killing or injuring those who happened to inside. The toll of death in this way included one of the nurses, a Scottish lady.</div><div><br /></div><div>The food supply was very limited and rations had served out gradually diminishing quantities. The prisoners who accompanied the party received food as far possible. On many occasions these prisoners, who were Bulgarians and Austrians, had nothing to eat, and many died of sheer starvation. Miss Dickinson saw officers high rank in the Austrian army pick cabbage stalks that had been dropped by the others, and bite at them ravenously.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the matter of food, the hospital party itself was better off than the great bulk the refugees, although the only bread they had was black bread and maize bread. The party had fortunately retained some of the hospital stores, of which Bovril and condensed milk came in very handy. For some days, however, they had nothing to eat but a little bread and some Bovril, and when a nurse discovered a tin of margarine and divided it, everyone who was fortunate enough to share it said it was delicious.</div><div><br /></div><div>The cold grew intense as the party got high up into the mountains. In many places they had to wade through streams owing to the bridges being broken, and there was no chance drying the clothes, which froze on the wearers and became stiff as boards. In this respect some of the lady nurses came off worse than others, as they were attired in light summer dresses, and were wearing shoes totally unfit for such a journey. Miss Dickinson had the good fortune to be provided with breeches and top boots, for which she was very thankful. The track was frequently knee deep in mud and slush, and hard and slippery with a temperature of nearly 40 degrees of frost.</div><div><br /></div><div>Two of the mountains the party had to ascend were 8,400 and 7,600 feet high respectively. Upon descending on the Adriatic side the atmosphere became warmer, however, and relieved the sufferings some what.</div><div><br /></div><div>The hospital party sailed across the lake of Scutari, and a farther tramp of two days enabled them to reach San Giovanni di Medua [Shëngjin]. Their dangers had not ceased here, for they were told that the Austrian Army was on the move, and that unless they embarked on a small Italian vessel which had arrived with food for the Serbian Army, for Brindisi, they might have to remain. It was decided to risk the journey, and 300 people were packed into the vessel, which had to combat heavy seas, and many of the voyagers fell ill.</div><div><br /></div><div>The party presented a sorrowful spectacle arrival at Brindisi, and there was difficulty in getting sufficiently into the authorities’ good books to be allowed to land. "In fact," says Miss Dickinson, "we looked simply wretched. Most of were ragged, muddy and dirty, not having been in a bath for weeks. On top of this they were distressingly thin, and our feet were showing through our boots."</div><div><br /></div><div>The party entrained at Brindisi for Paris, and thence Havre and England.</div></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-69379688650918421302023-10-18T14:04:00.008+01:002023-10-18T14:05:47.259+01:00The evils of overpaying your servants<h3 style="text-align: left;">The Times - Friday, Dec. 25, 1795</h3><p>To the CONDUCTOR of the TIMES.</p><p>London, Nov. 23.</p><p>Sir,</p><p>Various are the receipts for cheap puddings, and many long and useful letters have appeared in your very excellent paper, towards alleviating (as much as is in the power of every Housekeeper) the scarcity and dearness of bread; by substituting rice and potatoes in the room of pies or flour puddings; but there still exists an evil which I have not seen spoken against, and which certainly occasions a very great consumption of starch; </p><p>I mean the general fashion which has prevailed for some years, and does still, from the highest to the lowest, of wearing white dresses, which, upon a moderate computation, for every individual, must consume at least double the soap and starch than when coloured callicoes, silks, and stuffs were in fashion; added to this, that every maid servant (who, though she is perhaps not worth a second pair of shoes) will wear her muslin handkerchiefs. </p><p>I think it is the duty of every good master and mistress, to stop, as much as possible, the present ridiculous and extravagant mode of dress in their domestics. </p><p>View on a Sunday a tradesman’s family coming from church, and you would be puzzled to distinguish the porter from his master, or the maid from her mistress. Formerly a plaited cap and a white handkerchief served a young woman three or four Sundays. </p><p>Now a mistress is required to give up, by agreement, the latter end of the week for her maids to prepare their caps, tuckers, gowns, &c. for Sunday, and I am told there are houses open on purpose, where those servants who do not chuse their mistresses should see them, carry their dresses in a bundle, and put them on, meet again in the evening for the purpose of disrobing; and where I doubt many a poor, deluded creature has been disrobed of her virtue. They certainly call aloud for some restraint, both as to their dress as well as insolent manner. </p><p>Tell a servant, now, in the mildest manner, they have not done their work to please you, you are told to provide for yourself, and should you offer to speak again, they are gone. </p><p>Surely no set of people are more capable of rendering our families comfortable, or the reverse, than domestic servants, nor any set of people who feel the present dearness of provisions so little.</p><p>I look upon their exorbitant increase of wages as chiefly conducive to their impertinence; for when they had five or six pounds a year, a month being out of place, was severely felt; but now their wages are doubled, they have, in a great measure, lost their dependance; and what is this increase of wages for, not in order to lay by a little in case of sickness, but to squander in dress. No young woman now can bear a strong pair of leather shoes, but they must wear Spanish leather, and so on in every article of dress. </p><p>No wonder then that there should be so many prostitutes and so few good wives.</p><p>By inserting these hints as soon as you conveniently can, you will much oblige,</p><p><br /></p><p>A CONSTANT READER.</p><div><br /></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-85486979199759973672023-07-23T17:11:00.005+01:002023-07-23T17:11:59.854+01:00An exchange of emails with George Logan (Dr Evadne Hinge)<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Background</h2><div>In July 2002 I came across an account of the funeral of Patrick Fyffe, better known by his stage name - Dame Hilda Bracket.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since the BBC repeated the radio plays Henry Reed's "composeress" Dame Hilda Tablet in the 1980s I'd wondered if the two Dame Hildas were connected in some way. So I emailed George Logan to ask him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Email is evanescent so I'm publishing lightly-edited versions George's replies here to give them a degree of permanence.</div><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">3 Jul 2002, 22:46</h2><p>Dear Chris</p><p>Your eMail was forwarded to me by Nigel Ellacott. What a surprise!</p><p>You see, I have been trying to get information on the Hilda Tablet broadcasts for some time. I remember hearing a couple of them (<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Kw57sFAEU">Emily Butter</a></i>, certainly, and I think, <i><a href="https://youtu.be/nQL4oXkBg4Y">Musique Discrete</a></i> - was that the one where someone recited Enobarbus's "The barge she sat in" to a 'musique concrete' commentary? And where Hilda's lady friend Elsa sang a song which quoted the Austrian National Anthem at some length?) I was about twelve or thirteen at the time and found them uproariously funny. As I was training as a musician I found the humour of the pieces very much to the point.</p><p>To answer your question. Or try to. Patrick had never heard the Hilda Tablet plays, and the name was made up quite independently. I don't think I mentioned them to him until some years into our partnership. However, there's no question that the whole atmosphere of the pieces had a very considerable effect on how <i>I </i>saw the Hinge and Bracket ambiance and setting, and the character of Doctor Hinge I'm quite sure inherited some characteristics from the programs.</p><p>She - Dr. Hinge - was always the more musically literate of the two, and the style of her compositions - I don't know if you have heard her 'Liste des Vins', her unfinished 7-act opera <i>The Golden Twinset</i> - a duet from which was sung by the ladies on the occasion of the 90th birthday celebrations, held at the Royal Opera House, of that other great soprano, Dame Eva Turner - or her operetta <i>The Fondant Hussar</i>... well, the names alone make the influence very clear.</p><p>Incidentally, I'm pretty sure that the redoubtable Dame Eva also contributed something to the whole Hilda Tablet thing. I got to know both she and her companion of many years, Anne Rudyard, quite well during the last few years of Dame Eva's life.</p><p>I would be fascinated to find out if it is possible to obtain anywhere recordings or scripts of these wonderful pieces. Please let me know of any information you may have - I'd much appreciate it.</p><p>As a footnote, I was interested to see in your notes on the pieces that Marjorie Westbury played Elsa. In the last few years, Patrick and I were in the habit of doing a section in our stage show based on radio signature tunes, asking the audience to identify this or that melody. One of these was <i>Paul Temple</i>, and one of the questions Dame Hilda would ask was 'Who played Paul Temple's wife, Steve'? It was, of course, Marjorie Westbury...</p><p>Best wishes, and thank you for any information you may be able to supply regarding recordings or scripts of these marvellous programs.</p><p><br /></p><p>George Logan</p><div><br /></div><div><i>I replied, offering George copies of all the plays on CD</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">4 Jul 2002, 19:14</h2><div><br /></div><div><div>Dear Chris</div><div><br /></div><div>How kind of you! Yes, I would be delighted to have a copy of the Hilda Tablet plays on CD - and as you are good enough to offer them to me free of charge, I hope you'll allow me to reciprocate in some small measure. I have a large number of tapes of various things Patrick and I did over the years, and it would be a pleasure to put together a Mini disc or CD of some of the things that never made it to</div><div>disc commercially, including excerpts from Dr. Hinge's own oeuvre, the 'Liste des Vins', both the original version with string quartet and her 'revised and augmented' version with full orchestra, the Grand Scene and Duet from Act 6 of <i>The Golden Twinset</i>, concert excerpts from Act 1 of <i>The Fondant</i></div><div><i>Hussar</i> and her unforgettable but largely forgotten arrangement for piano and orchestra of Liszt's arrangement for solo piano of the sextet from Donizetti's <i>Lucia di Lammermoor</i>!</div><div><br /></div><div>My address:</div><div><br /></div><div>George Logan</div><div>...</div><div>Hertfordshire</div><div>SG14 3AY</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you so much.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hadn't realised it was Donald Swann who wrote the music for the Hilda Tablet pieces. I remember he used to come and see Hinge and Bracket regularly in the very early days when we appeared at such legendary venues as the Union Tavern, Camberwell, and the Black Cap, Camden Town.</div><div><br /></div><div>Best wishes</div><div><br /></div><div>George Logan</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">21 Jul 2002, 12:25</h2></div><div><div>Dear Chris</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been away for a few days, and was delighted to return home on Friday to find my Hilda Tablet CDs waiting for me! :)</div><div><br /></div><div>So far I've listened to <i>Emily Butter</i> and <i>Musique Discrete</i> - both of which I think I mentioned I had heard before - marvellous! I've just started the series in chronological order, and plan to settle down this afternoon with the first two plays in the series, neither of which, I think, I heard in the past.</div><div><br /></div><div>What marvellous actors these were, and how evocative and absorbing a well-written and well-produced radio play can be.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had no trouble figuring out which bits of the various plays went where, so to speak.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you so much for the time and trouble you have taken over this for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>I plan to get down to sorting out the large number of tapes of H and B I presently have in order to pick out some of the best bits for you. After Patrick's recent death, I and a close friend of his have been sorting through his personal stuff, and of course it turns out that he had a large number of things I don't have.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will be in touch in the near future to let you know I have dispatched something to you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Best wishes</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>George Logan</div></div><div><br /></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-54069654127456672062023-05-10T16:00:00.000+01:002023-05-10T16:00:25.779+01:00George Hought - killed by lightning<p>The burial register of the East Riding of Yorkshire parish of Hutton Cranswick records the burial of George Hought of Hutton on 16 August 1851, aged 25.</p><p>The vicar, Rev. Joseph Rigby, added a note to the final page of the register to explain the circumstances:</p><blockquote><p>George Hought of Hutton Cranswick was killed by lightning August 4th 1851. He was working in a field at Gowdy Hole, and a storm coming on, he had gone under an elm tree for shelter; he being in his shirt sleeves at the time. He was found soon after by his master Mr. Coates, his clothes were torn, and his body very much blackened: he left a widow and two children to mourn over their sudden bereavement.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p> Caelo tonantem credidimus Deum regnare</p></blockquote><p>The Latin quotation is from Horace's <i>Odes</i>, Book 3, Poem 5. </p><p>Translated literally into English it means "we believed that Jupiter reigned in heaven when we heard him thunder".</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxY9soG-2Bm47bOJ8XNQ8vVgQgFQjaljKVtBG7cOyBicR5mwY2KaZ5qSnSiKyuHq7jT7i7-bhMveHl3lMurhxzgLfdWEpjJwdklYYA7eUOBBvCHOBCtJok0rigNzHBBsPsMmiZRIbEcGHiXbhA55x896SmN56rZjkzqVUBujrhoingmAhTGrynJ2-Fg/s564/Screenshot%202023-05-10%20155703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="564" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqxY9soG-2Bm47bOJ8XNQ8vVgQgFQjaljKVtBG7cOyBicR5mwY2KaZ5qSnSiKyuHq7jT7i7-bhMveHl3lMurhxzgLfdWEpjJwdklYYA7eUOBBvCHOBCtJok0rigNzHBBsPsMmiZRIbEcGHiXbhA55x896SmN56rZjkzqVUBujrhoingmAhTGrynJ2-Fg/s320/Screenshot%202023-05-10%20155703.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> </p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-23673863227281895302022-09-08T17:11:00.000+01:002022-09-08T17:11:36.792+01:00'The head of the Duke of Suffolk'<h2 style="text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rSszOw6XWHmrx5-uADzt1ZaknyNdZqRrWKjAlrDE3zJep7pLXZ-Yd1w8hWYTeXwRC1jsSS_Qyvw9CPSwRf8nOjBQjAnut8pZEgSBkFUKcisgC_L99X47I8kW90fiRymviv-adK3PDziR7V6l4GotuxF3TAAiWSxbxhm-EjVSi7QA_D7LGNMvuZiQhA/s1648/2185036461_1cdaef3d12_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1648" data-original-width="1299" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rSszOw6XWHmrx5-uADzt1ZaknyNdZqRrWKjAlrDE3zJep7pLXZ-Yd1w8hWYTeXwRC1jsSS_Qyvw9CPSwRf8nOjBQjAnut8pZEgSBkFUKcisgC_L99X47I8kW90fiRymviv-adK3PDziR7V6l4GotuxF3TAAiWSxbxhm-EjVSi7QA_D7LGNMvuZiQhA/s320/2185036461_1cdaef3d12_o.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From Walter George Bell's <i>Unknown London</i>, 1919</span></td></tr></tbody></table></h2><p>The Duke of Somerset was the father of of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Jane_Grey">Lady Jane Grey</a>, Jane of England, uncrowned queen for nine days in July 1553. Is this his head?</p><p>In the early years of the eighteenth century the ancient church of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Holy_Trinity,_Minories">Holy Trinity, Minories</a>, near the Tower of London, underwent a substantial rebuilding. This is said to have included the vaults beneath the church.</p><p>In 1851 further building works were being carried out at the church. In one of the vaults the workman found a small square wooden box. It was so fragile that when they moved it it nearly fell apart. Inside was oak sawdust and a well-preserved mummified head.</p><p>The incumbent, the Rev. Mr Blunt, also a teacher at Merchant Taylors' School, summoned a fellow clergyman, the Rev. William Quekett to see it.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote style="text-align: left;">"It looked just like a New Zealand chief's head of which I had seen a great many. The countenance expressed great agony; the eyes, the teeth, the beard were perfect; and at the back of the head a very deep cut was visible above the one that separated the head from the body."</blockquote><p></p><p>Mr Quekett contrived to meet Lord Dartmouth, whose family was responsible for the church. Lord Dartmouth looked at the head. Later he communicated the news that it belonged to a member of his family and at one time the failure of the executioner's first stroke was well-known in connection with the individual.</p><p>Lord Dartmouth did not suggest it was the head of the Duke of Somerset. That came later.</p><p>Sir George Scharf, Keeper of the National Portrait Gallery was asked to give his opinion on the head. Lord Ronald Sutherland-Gower said of Scharf that no better judge of a historical head existed, and Scharf thought the head corresponded with a portrait in the Gallery of Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk.</p><p>Dr F. J. Mowat, a Local Government Board Inspector, examined the head but didn't attempt to prove that it was the Duke of Suffolk's.</p><p>The link with the Duke of Suffolk was made because the precinct of the Minories was granted to him by King Edward VI. It was therefore assumed that, if the ground and house belonged to him, so did the head. This was being refuted as early as 1890 by Rev. E. M. Tomlinson, a former vicar of Holy Trinity, and the man responsible for the head being placed in the glass box pictured here.</p><p>There is one further grisly complexity in this story. In the late eighteenth century the beadle and sexton of Holy Trinity hit on an ingenious way of increasing his income. A neighbour looked into his house one day and saw him sawing up coffins - for firewood.</p><p>A parish meeting was convened almost immediately and parishioners entered the vaults of the church. Coffins lay around - and so did a large assortment of bodies and body parts which had been emptied from them.</p><p>So was the head simply a misplaced body part which had been boxed in some of the sexton's sawdust?</p><p>Holy Trinity was closed in 1899 and the head was transferred to St Botolph's, Aldgate, and was there until at least 1952. When I found this illustration in 2008 and tried to trace its whereabouts I was told it is no longer available to be viewed at St Botolph's. More recently I have discovered that during an archaeological investigation of the crypt in 1990, a preserved head was rediscovered and buried in the churchyard. (St Botolph, Aldgate T Q 3358 8120 (Julian Ayre, Sean O’Connor) SAB87.)</p><p>In her 1996 book <i>Children of England: The Heirs of King Henry VIII, 1547-1557</i>, Alison Weir takes the story at face value and does not question that it might not have been the head of the Duke of Suffolk:</p><p></p><blockquote>"His head fell into sawdust that had become impregnated with tannin, which preserved the head perfectly for 400 years. It was shown as an object of curiosity until the Second World War, but after that it was buried in St Botolph's Church, Aldgate, London."</blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk</h3><p>Henry Grey, Duke of Suffolk was born on 17 January 1517, at Bradgate, Leicestershire, the eldest son of Thomas Grey, second Marquess of Dorset, and his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Sir Robert Wotton.</p><p>In May 1533 his guardian arranged Grey's marriage to Frances (1517–1559), the daughter of Mary Tudor, the younger sister of Henry VIII.</p><p>King Edward VI arranged the marriage on 21 May 1553 of Grey's daughter Jane to Lord Guildford Dudley and later altered his will to enable her to succeed him. King Edward died on 6 July, and three days later Suffolk, Northumberland, and other councillors proclaimed Jane queen.</p><p>A life in the complex politics of the times saw Grey finally found guilty of treason, condemned, and executed at the Tower of London on 23 February 1554.</p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-70822407184291228052022-06-03T15:46:00.000+01:002022-06-03T15:46:19.558+01:00Eli Hudson, 1877 - 1919<p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_KgiH2YN6tTzGg281Vc8m1oah85_lBfFRx0Qd3ZrugXwoX9owP0dChMyiBF4zGPAUMwnOCTwUTrhioSrl8efgszGVNrbr2qcueVgpkRiixYvlY_hvdZBsBMklIJxosMRKIg23TLfAV6Kwnu_WXHgMwi4jnfIxzlG05aYsNfffTw0CQxNhEEDKSSVBg/s560/Eli%20Hudson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="398" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_KgiH2YN6tTzGg281Vc8m1oah85_lBfFRx0Qd3ZrugXwoX9owP0dChMyiBF4zGPAUMwnOCTwUTrhioSrl8efgszGVNrbr2qcueVgpkRiixYvlY_hvdZBsBMklIJxosMRKIg23TLfAV6Kwnu_WXHgMwi4jnfIxzlG05aYsNfffTw0CQxNhEEDKSSVBg/s320/Eli%20Hudson.jpg" width="227" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eli Hudson</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Flautist and founder member of the London Symphony Orchestra and New Symphony Orchestra.</p><p>Hudson was born Eli Hudson Rennison, the illegitimate son of John Capstack Hudson and Emma Rennison, nephew of violin maker George Hudson, and grandson of Richard Hudson, known as "Dick o' Newlaith", one of the group of amateur Lancashire musicians called the "Larks of Dean".</p><p>John Capstack Hudson was a musician in Skegness and it was there that Eli grew up and was soon, even as a child, recognised as a piccolo virtuoso. At the age of fourteen, in the 1891 census, his occupation was given as "musician". A few days after the census, his parents were finally married in Ilkley. A year later Eli's sister Winifred ("Winnie") Dagmar Hudson was born in Skegness.</p><p>In 1895 Eli won a scholarship to study flute at the Royal College of Music in London, This lasted three years and he left with an ARCM. While there he met fellow student Eleanor Tydfil Jones, a soprano from Merthyr Tydfil, and they were married in in Chelsea in 1899. Eleanor's career did not come to an end, and she continued to sing as Eleanor Jones-Hudson.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqMGMtmRXF8mKTgLsdg-bYR7IbQ3NAReIFqcJDGQH7hern1gqUpWG0YQGGlZwNGbt9tRArvtVYEB8CFfRkNdh4YRihejz_1dKAy4wy-N8D3v598qAhQsTShLw3Y8yHRyebi-5pqm0DJzdWh0-2cvkM4thf-tCv6byGQg3BU6dVrFbvYBEAMyVm8Jweg/s447/Olga%20Hudson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="361" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLqMGMtmRXF8mKTgLsdg-bYR7IbQ3NAReIFqcJDGQH7hern1gqUpWG0YQGGlZwNGbt9tRArvtVYEB8CFfRkNdh4YRihejz_1dKAy4wy-N8D3v598qAhQsTShLw3Y8yHRyebi-5pqm0DJzdWh0-2cvkM4thf-tCv6byGQg3BU6dVrFbvYBEAMyVm8Jweg/s320/Olga%20Hudson.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eleanor Jones-Hudson</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Eli and Eleanor had three sons: Richard Henry John Hudson (1900-?), Hubert David Rennison Hudson (1902-1957) and Alfred George Dunning Hudson (1904-1989).</p><p>In 1904, Eli became a founder member, and flautist, in the new London Symphony Orchestra. In the same year he made his first flute and piccolo recordings for the Gramophone Company, taking part in concerts where the recording was played and followed by a live performance.</p><p>The following year, 1905, Eli and the clarinettist Charles Draper also became founder members of the New Symphony Orchestra. Another gramophone concert was given in December 1906 in the Royal Albert Hall including Patti, Melba and Caruso on record, and Eli in person. The recordings were amplified using the compressed air auxetophone.</p><p>The year 1907 saw the issue of a new record featuring Eli and his sister Winnie both playing piccolos in the "Concert Polka". The same year saw him advertised widely as the "King of Flautists".</p><p>January 1909 brought a new venture, planned for some months. Eli and Eleanor were already used to touring the country and, on occasions, performing in music halls. The Hudson Trio, comprising Eli, Olga (Eleanor) and Elgar (Winnie), made their first appearance at the London Coliseum. This was the first of many similar appearances the trio made across the country.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7v0XUN5hMgzBFxZ11BHcs4ImTICS93ZNJIEOtTPB2OHq-nPokIt-4YaE0nM18j95vY3DF4AfxT-UPDlWoUKTDuBYliEHa8XdEUvdH9ULhktmszftSPIGu_IzYh1Agt-fdQj6sK6gZXtFfKtct0DdfoW4lsu-iOKrwq1J72BnEGmEeSgHROwdzVVoQ-g/s909/'Olga,%20Elgar%20and%20Eli%20Turner',%201913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="909" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7v0XUN5hMgzBFxZ11BHcs4ImTICS93ZNJIEOtTPB2OHq-nPokIt-4YaE0nM18j95vY3DF4AfxT-UPDlWoUKTDuBYliEHa8XdEUvdH9ULhktmszftSPIGu_IzYh1Agt-fdQj6sK6gZXtFfKtct0DdfoW4lsu-iOKrwq1J72BnEGmEeSgHROwdzVVoQ-g/s320/'Olga,%20Elgar%20and%20Eli%20Turner',%201913.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Eli, Elgar and Olga'</td></tr></tbody></table><br />On 30th April 1914 at the Holborn Empire, the Hudson Trio gave the first performance of the song <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMDs1sJ3PMI" target="_blank">The Sunshine of your Smile</a></i>.</p><p>The outbreak of the Great War a few months later didn't greatly affect Eli, but on 3rd January 1917 he enlisted as Private 764433 in the 28th Battalion of the London Regiment (Artists Rifles) at Chiswick Town Hall. On 31st August he was appointed Second Lieutenant, 46th Anti Aircraft Company of the Royal Garrison Artillery.</p><p>The end of Eli's life came quickly in the months after the end of the war. He died of carcinoma of the liver or stomach at Queen Alexandra's Military Hospital, Millbank, Westminster, on 18th January 1919. He was buried at Highgate Cemetery East two days later.</p><p>On Eli's death, Eleanor gave up her career and returned to live for the rest of her life at 13 Cromwell Street, Merthyr Tydfil. She died there in 1945.</p><p>In November 1919 Winnie Hudson married Timothy Adolphus O'Sullivan in Liverpool Register Office. She had already borne a child in 1917, the father being Ernest Richard Oscar Ferguson. Winnie and Timothy were divorced in 1921 and she died in London in 1957, using the surname Ferguson.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-7020149448999883432022-06-03T15:35:00.001+01:002022-06-03T15:35:33.394+01:00The loss of the 'Anna Helena', 13th November 1890<h2 style="text-align: left;">The Crew</h2>George Crosby, 17, apprentice, of Wivenhoe<br />William Goodwin, 42, Master, of Wivenhoe<br />Frederick Hubard, 42, A.B., of London<br />Charles Kitching, 16, apprentice, of Whitby<br />John Langlands, 17, apprentice, of Gateshead<br />August Ludquest, 25, O.S. of near Copenhagen, Denmark<br />William Stonhold, 35, mate, of Wivenhoe<div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hampshire Independent - Saturday 22 November 1890</span></h2>A VESSEL WRECKED NEAR THE NAB.<br />SUPPOSED LOSS OF ALL HANDS.<br /><br />On Friday afternoon last week an object was discovered, just awash, between the Nab and Owers light ships. Upon examination it proved to be the topmast of a submerged vessel.<div><br /></div><div>Information of was promptly reported to the Coastguard, and the authorities at once placed a beacon on the spot to caution mariners of the danger to passing vessels.<br /><br />The captain of the <i>Java</i> steamer which arrived at Southampton on Sunday reported having seen the mast of a sunken vessel when about four miles to the southward of the Putter buoy, which is in close proximity to the spot buoyed by the Trinity authorities.<br /><br />In response to a telegram, the Trinity schooner <i>Mermaid</i> left Cowes on Saturday morning for the scene of the disaster. Two of the masts showed above water, and from soundings made by the <i>Mermaid</i>, it was evident that a collision had occurred, and that the sunken ship was cut in two. The wreck lay in eight fathoms of water, four-and-a-half or five miles S.S.E. of the Nab light.<br /><br />The exact position of the wreck was about midway between the Boulders shoal and the Bullock patch, but to the southward of them, and, in all probability, the lost vessel was steering a course for some port inside the Solent. The steamer <i>Schmiditan</i> arrived in the Thames having been in collision with a sailing vessel, name unknown, to the south-west of Selsea Bill.<br /><br />On Tuesday it was reported that bodies had been seen floating, and it was reported that one of these was a lady. The topgallant yard and square sail were picked up and left at the Portsmouth Custom House, the sheet measuring 27ft. by 11ft. and having the word "Glasgow" stamped upon it.<br /><br />The ill-fated craft eventually proved to be a brigantine, which apparently had been in collision and cut down by a steamer. On Wednesday the Trinity Schooner <i>Mermaid</i> proceeded to the spot from Cowes, and with a charge of 120lbs. of powder blew up the wreck, which was a danger to navigation, the mast and other spars being towed into Cowes.<br /><br />The crew consisted of eight hands, and as none of them have reported themselves it is feared they all perished. The <i>Mermaid</i> returned to Cowes at midnight. The wreck is the brigantine <i>Anna Helena</i>, of West Hartlepool, laden with coal. Her destination is unknown. The boats are missing from the wreck, and there is a faint chance that some of the men may have been picked up.<div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">East Anglian Daily Times - Monday 24 November 1890</span></h2>ESSEX SEAMEN MISSING.<br /><br />A disquieting rumour is in circulation as to the supposed drowning of Captain William Goodwin, of Wyvenhoe, whose vessel, the <i>Anna Helena</i> (brigantine), of Hartlepool, became a total wreck near the port of Cowes. It to hoped, however, that the captain together with William Stonhold, the mate, who is a Colchester man, have been rescued by some outward-bound vessel.<div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Southend Standard - Thursday 27 November 1890</span></h2>Three Essex men, W. Goodwin (Wyvenhoe), W. Stonehold (Wyvenhoe), and G. Crosby (Colchester) were drowned on Friday by the foundering of the <i>Anna Helena</i>.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stockton Herald - Saturday 29 November 1890</span></h2><div>THE LOSS OF THE <i>ANNA HELENA</i>, OF WEST HARTLEPOOL.</div><div><br />Further information received by Messrs Leonard and Danby, of West Hartlepool, goes to confirm the impression that their vessel, the <i>Anna Helena</i>, was run down, probably by a steamer. The wreck lies in two pieces off the Nab Light, and right in the track of vessels passing down channel. The ill-fated vessel had arrived within nine miles of Portsmouth, her port of destination, when the disaster happened, and the blow which sent her to the bottom must have also carried away her boats, as there were no signs of any boats near the sunken wreck. The chances that the crew escaped in a passing vessel are remote, as if this had been the case the probabilities are that they would have been heard of before now.</div><div><br /><h2><span style="font-size: medium;">Essex Standard - Saturday 6 December 1890</span></h2>AN APPEAL.<br />LOSS OF THE <i>ANNA HELENA</i>.</div><div><br />Sir, — I beg the favour of space in your columns to inform the public that a fund has been instituted for the relief of the family of the late William Goodwin, of Wyvenhoe, master of the above-named vessel, which was lost in a gale while on a voyage recently from Hartlepool to Portsmouth, having been found on or about the 12th November, 1890, sunk at her anchors near the Nab Lightship.<br /><br />The widow, who is in a very delicate state of health and suffers from heart disease, is left entirely without means, and with a family of eight children, the eldest being under 16 years of age and the youngest an infant, all of whom may be said to be dependent on the widow, as the two elder ones only are earning small wages.<br /><br />It is intended to apply any fund which may be raised to the relief also of the widow's mother, Mrs. Stonhold, of 4 Morgan Cottages, Bourne Pond, Colchester, who is 75 years of age and an imbecile, and has been supported solely by her son, who sailed as mate in the ill-fated vessel, and was lost in her at the same time. The widow is thus doubly bereaved by losing her brother with her husband.<br /><br />I sincerely hope this sad case may commend itself to the public as being in every way worthy of their aid, and that they will contribute generously to the fund.<br /><br />Mr. Claude E. Egerton-Green has consented to act as treasurer, and cheques and postal orders may be made payable to "Goodwin Family Relief Fund," and crossed "Round, Green, Hoare and Co., Colchester."<br /><br />A list of subscribers and balance sheet will be published as soon as possible after the closing of the fund, showing the disposition or investment of the money subscribed, as may be determined upon by the Committee.<br /><br />— l am, &c,<br /><br />D. HAM, Hon. Sec.<br /><br />The Quay, Wyvenhoe, Essex,<br /><br />Dec. 3. 1890. <div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chelmsford Chronicle - Friday 12 December 1890</span></h2>A fund is being raised for the relief of family of the late William Goodwin, of Wyvenhoe, master of the <i>Anna Helena</i>, which was lost in a gale while on a voyage from Hartlepool to Portsmouth. The widow, who is in a very delicate state of health, is without means, and has eight children dependent upon her. Her brother was lost on the same ill-fated vessel, and he leaves a widowed mother, who is 75 years of age and an imbecile, without support. <div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Essex Standard - Saturday 13 December 1890</span></h2>The Loss of the <i>Anna Helena</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Captain Ham of Wyvenhoe, has received from the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society a donation to be applied to the temporary relief of the relatives of the captain and mate of the <i>Anna Helena</i>, which was recently lost at sea.</div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Essex Standard - Saturday 13 December 1890</span></h2>Loss of the <i>Anna Helena</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>On behalf of the fund for the relatives of W. Goodwin, of Wyvenhoe, and W. Stonhold, of Colchester, an attractive entertainment is to be given on Thursday next, Dec. 18, at the Board Schools, Wyvenhoe, by Colchester amateurs. Tickets and programmes may be had of Mr. Goodwin, Post Office, Wyvenhoe; Mr. H. L. Griffin, High Street, Colchester; Mr. Ernest S. Beard, Church Street, Colchester; or at the Essex Standard Office. Admission: Front seats, 2s.; Second seats, 1s.; back, 6d. <div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Essex Herald - Saturday 20 December 1890</span></h2>On Wednesday evening an entertainment was given at the school in aid of the fund being raised for the widow and orphans of the late Wm. Goodwin, captain of the<i> Anna Helena</i>, recently lost at sea. The sum of nearly £4 will be handed over to the fund.<br /><br />The Misses Owen and Miss Gale opened the proceedings with a pianoforte trio <i>Young England</i>, and later on the Misses Owen played a pianoforte duet. Songs were given by Mrs. Pettifer, Mrs. Smith, Mr. Phillips, Mr. H. Peacocke, Mr. Chell and Mr. Hoather. Dr. Pettifer played two viola solos, and the Misses Harvey and Barttelot sang duet. Variety was given by Miss Parker reciting Sims' <i>Life boat</i> and Mr. Owen reading <i>The wreck of the Hesperus</i> and <i>The station master’s story</i>. Messrs. Chell (piano), Phillips (1st violin), Cosgrove (2nd violin), and Hoather (’cello), played a lively polka, by Coote. The accompaniments were played Miss K, Owen, Mrs. Smith, and Mr. Chell.</div><div><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Essex Standard - Saturday 27 December 1890</span></h2>The loss of the <i>Anna Helena</i></div><div><i><br /></i>Death of Mrs Stonhold</div><div><br />With reference to the fund being raised for the relief of the late Wm. Goodwin, of Wyvenhoe, master of the Anna Helena, of West Hartlepool, which was lost in a recent gale, it was intended by the Committee who are interesting themselves in the matter to apply the fund also to the relief of the widow's mother, Mrs. Stonhold, of 4 Morgan Cottages, Bourne Pond, Colchester. Mrs. Stonhold, however, died on Monday, Dec. 22, so that the fund will now be applied entirely to the relief of the widow and family. Mrs. Stonhold, who was 75 years of age, was an imbecile, and had been for some time supported solely by her son who sailed as mate in the ill-fated vessel and was lost in her at the same time.<br /></div><div><br /></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-28618934897399539082022-06-03T15:16:00.004+01:002022-06-03T16:14:01.866+01:00An autopsy on the body of the Duchess of Richmond, 16 October 1702<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Frances_Teresa_Stuart_by_Lely.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="655" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Frances_Teresa_Stuart_by_Lely.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Duchess of Richmond, by Sir Peter Lely</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Frances Teresa Stewart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox (8 July 1647 – 15 October 1702) was a prominent member of the Court of the Restoration and famous for refusing to become a mistress of King Charles II. For her great beauty she was known as <i>La Belle Stuart</i> and served as the model for an idealised, female Britannia. She is one of the Windsor Beauties painted by Sir Peter Lely.<p style="text-align: left;"><i>This item was originally published in the Lancaster Gazette, Saturday 9 July 1892</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></p><h4>From the Hornby Anthology, Miscellaneous papers, including the Will of the Duchess of Richmond and Lennox, and other items consequent upon Her Grace's death, copied by her old steward, John Dowbiggin.</h4><div><h4><br /></h4><h4>Observations att the Embalmeing of the late Dutchess of Richmond the 16th October 1702</h4></div><p>First, upon the Inner side of the peritoneum was found two glandulous bodies both of them preternaturall and uncomon; that upon the left side weighed 2 pounds wanting ½ an ounce; that on the right side was aboute the bigness of one's fist and had a considerable bigg vessell in itt, which upon separating from the peritoneum emitted a greate quantity of blood. </p><p>2. There was noe <i>omentum</i> or caute only the vestiges of itt where itt adhereth to tbe stomack spleene &c did faintly appeare. </p><p>3. Upon the sides of the peritoneum besides the gladalous [glandulous] bodies already mencioned there were a greate many others whose number and quantity grew greater and greater towards the lower parte.</p><p>4. The Intestines were here & there covered with a greate many glands adhereing to them some of which were as large as a big nutmeg; some hydatides or bags filled with water like bladders were mixed up and down amongst them and they stuck by soe weake a thread to the Intestines that I tooke them of withoute breakeing and with little or noe resistance. </p><p>5. The Ventriculus or stomach was of a quite different figure from that comonly found in others, insomutch that it rather appeard like to one of the Intestines, and soe little though in the same condition as itt used to be, I believe when shee was in health that itt hardly could wey above an ounce and a halfe. I never did see or heare of such a thing in my life for itt was not shrunke. </p><p>6. The kidneys were in good condicion withoute ever soe mutch as a graine of sand and yett gravell was always voided a greate deale during life. </p><p>7. The spleene was as to consistene and collour verry well, but short nay almost fower cornered.</p><p>8. The Liver was monstrous; itt look'd as if itt had been boyled; its figure quite different from the ordinary, for itt was cylindricate, only the ends globular noe tissues lobe or the like annatomists speak of to bee seene: nay, though hard, and looking like a boyld one yet properly speaking itt was not schirrous. </p><p>9. Noe vesicula-fellis or Gaule bladder was seen as is ordinary but in place thereof there appeared on the surface of ye Liver withoute any protuberances a blueish skin ½ an inch broade and aboute an inch and a half longe which when opened did containe aboute ½ a drachnie of glewy substance, brown and of the consistence of honey; 2 stones were also found in itt, but the largest aboute the bigness of a great cherry stone only. 10. </p><p>The partes towards the lower parts were very odd . . . . </p><p>11. <i>Omitted</i>. [presumably details of uterus, etc.]</p><p>12. <i>Omitted</i>. </p><p>13. The heart a little flaccid otherwise good; the lungs when incision was made issued oute a whiteish kind of humor like as is usuall in consumptive people the right lobe towards the back & lower region a little inflamed and towards the thorax a little schirrous.</p><p>14. The right side of the pleura was hard and there spotted redd. The quantity of humor taken oute of the abdomen & breast was aboute 12 quartes, all ye lower parte, I meane next to ye back itt was nothing but mixt with a very little serum only. The rest was all tinged and that which was taken oute of the breast was allmost all pure blood.</p><p>I forgot that the mesentery was in a good state save only in one parte where itt was something schirrous.</p><p style="text-align: right;">ROBT. GREY</p><p style="text-align: right;">Whitehall, 16th October, 1702.</p><p><br /></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-52129846146433669142021-10-17T14:01:00.002+01:002021-10-17T14:01:14.799+01:00Nurse Sauvarin and the downfall of Henry Newsom Garrett<h3 style="text-align: left;">Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 18 April 1907
</h3><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">WHERE IS MR. ALEC GARRETT?</h4><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">HIS WIFE'S STATEMENT.</h4><div><br /></div><div>Since April 5th Mr. Alec Henry Garrett, son of Mr. Henry Newson Garrett, of 101, Sidney Place, Bath, has been missing, and no tidings can gleaned of his whereabouts.</div><div><br /></div><div>His disappearance is the sequel to some remarkable occurrences of a personal nature in which it would not have been expected by those who know the missing gentleman that would have been the central figure. For as his wife states, Mr. Alec Garrett was "slightly afflicted", and certainly did not look the person closely identified with a romantic experience such that which has happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first public intimation of the affair was made on Thursday by the <i>Daily Mail</i>, who evidently had received information from a neighbour of Mr. Garrett, and in consequence sent a representative from London to make inquiries, which resulted in the following appearing, after a short preface, in that paper:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>Mr. Alexander Garrett is thirty-seven years of age. He is rather below the medium height, with a peculiar walk, a face of marked individuality, and he wears a moustache. He has an impediment in his speech, but, despite this, has proved himself an excellent man of business, managing capably his father's works, where fifty men are employed.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Easter Monday Mr. Alexander Garrett went Bristol, and was quietly married to Miss Sauvarin, who had lived in Bath for some time. The couple spent their brief honeymoon at Weston-super-Mare, and went back to Bath on Wednesday afternoon about three o'clock, parting at the railway station. There was no secret regarding the marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mrs. Alexander Garrett states that she was introduced to her husband by his father.</div><div><br /></div><div>"On Wednesday," she said to a "Daily Mail" representative yesterday, "after we had parted, he came to tea with me. He also came on Thursday, both afternoon and evening. He ought to have come on Friday, but he did not. I thought nothing of it, thinking business might have detained him. But I made inquiries on Saturday. It appears that he dined in his father's house, and after dinner said was going out for a little.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett's father, when interviewed, said, "Either my son has been made away with or he has lost his memory. For years he has had charge of my affairs, and I know of nothing which couid lead him to desert now."</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Mr. Garrett has been telegraphing all parts of England where his son was likely go, but these inquiries have led to no elucidation of the mystery.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Bath police knew nothing of Mr. Garrett having disappeared until Wednesday, when information was brought to them, and they caused a notice to forwarded to the Bristol Constabulary, which gave the missing man's name and age, his height as 5ft. 4in. or 5in., as having dark hair and moustache, and being in a grey cycling suit and cap.</div><div><br /></div><div>The information also stated that he was accustomed to travelling between Bath and Bristol, that he suffered from certain physical disability, and concluded with the words. "It is feared something has befallen him."</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett, senior, and his wife declined to see any newspaper representatives with regard to the matter on Thursday.</div><div><br /></div><div>They have informed the police that the man left his purse at home behind him, and that they believe him to be unprovided with financial means.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mrs. Alec Garrett, when seen, was not at all disinclined to impart information about the strange disappearance of her husband.</div><div><br /></div><div>It may be mentioned that her maiden name is Sauvarin, that she hails from the Channel Islands, and has been in Bath for the past three years engaged as a nurse. She is a lady of 25 years, of petite figure, dark, and decidedly prepossessing appearance.</div><div><br /></div><div>For some time past she has been in partnership with a fellow nurse at address in a central part of Bath.</div><div><br /></div><div>She stated that the particulars in the London paper were correct, and amplified them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her husband, she said, was introduced to her his father, who himself suggested that they should marry. She told Mr. Garrett, senior, that she had wish marry, and this answer she gave to the son when proposed. This, she said, happened about a year ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Alec Garrett, however, renewed his offer soon after Christmas, the matter being led up to by the second marriage of Mr. Garrett senior, who February last was wedded at the Bath Registry Office to Mrs. Abbott, who formerly lived at 2, Walcot Parade.</div><div><br /></div><div>The father joined in the wish that she would marry Mr. Alec Garrett. As his wife related us:</div><div><blockquote>"He (Mr. H. N. Garrett) took me to the Empire to tea, and I said I would become engaged to him. He very anxious that I should marry his son, saying he knew he would be well looked for was really bit afflicted."</blockquote></div><div>Miss Sauvarin, as she was then, promised to marry the son, and stated that it was arranged that the wedding should take place in Bath, the father suggesting the Registry Office where himself had been married.</div><div><blockquote>"I went there at his advice, and gave notice. They wanted the marriage to take place in three weeks, but I did not wish to be married for three months. Then the son came and told me he had been to the Registrar's office and torn down the banns. It was, I believe, in consequence some row at home, his stepmother, being averse to the marriage."</blockquote></div><div>We may here state that this part of the narrative is borne out by the Superintendent Registrar (Mr. Winckworth). who said that on Feb. 22nd notice was given by the bride-elect, a copy of it displaved in the public room on the North Parade. This set forth the approaching marriage of "Alec Henry Garrett, bachelor, fuller's earth manufacturer, with Alice Mary Sauvarin, spinster, 25."</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Winckworth says his assistant informed him that about ten days after the notice was posted the bridegroom-elect came into the office in a great rage, tore the notice from the wall, pulled it into pieces, and flung it into the fire.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett was quite within his rights in doing this, though probably had Mr. Winckworth himself been present there would have been a few words about what was done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mrs. Garrett, junior, continued that she then said him, "I've announced my wedding my friends, and you'll have to marry me." He replied, "I have not said I would not," and was quite agreeable, but added his father was very anxious that his wife should not learn of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The wedding, special license, at the Bristol Registry, with Nurse Manning as one witness and another person provided at the office, was then spoken of by Mrs. Garrett.</div><div><br /></div><div>They stayed at Weston-super-Mare until Wednesday, returning to Bath that afternoon. On the Wednesday and Thursday night Mr. Garrett slept at his father's house. He had tea with his wife on Thursday, and that was the last time she saw him. He then told her, she says, "It will all right. I will see my father knows. I have given him little hints, but I haven't said a word to my stepmother."</div><div><br /></div><div>The wife believes that there was a scene when it was known by Mrs. Garrett, sen., that the son had married. Apparently Mrs. H. N. Garrett and Mrs. A. H. Garrett have had interviews since the son's disappearance, and the wife of the missing man made some remarkable suggestions to our representative as to her views about her husband's disappearance, and it is evident she did not incline to the belief that harm has befallen him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mrs. Garrett, junior, also informed us that she had called at 101, Sydney Place with the idea of seeing his father, but had not been able obtain an interview.</div><div><br /></div><div>It transpires that on Friday afternoon the missing man called at the house of Dr. Morris, Combe Down, to consult him about the trouble mentioned in the police report, but the doctor was out.</div><div><br /></div><div>We hear that Mr. Garrett left a note behind him at his father's house which is calculated give ground for the worst fears.</div><div><br /></div><div>His wife has stated that she cannot confidently say that the note produced which Mr. Garrett expresses his "last wishes" was in her husband's handwriting. This paper is now in the custody of Messrs. Rooke and the family solicitors.</div><div><br /></div><div>In it the missing man asks that all that belonged to him may be taken possession of by his father, but that his wife should be allowed ten shillings a week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mrs. H. N. Garrett appears to have taken much interest in the matter, and obtained from Mrs. A. H. Garrett her marriage certificate, which, however, has been returned to her the legal firm mentioned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. H. N. Garrett has denied to the police that he ever asked Miss Sauvarin to marry his son, and has even gone to the length to say that he did not wish that they should married.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Bath Police have distributed all over the country official "informations" as to Mr. Garrett's disappearance, with a description him.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first intimation of him being missing received by the Bath Constabulary was taken to the Orange Grove by Mr. Garrett's gardener.</div><div><br /></div><div>There being an idea in some minds that the missing man had never left 101, Sydney Place, the police have made a thorough inspection of the house, and satisfied themselves that this theory was unfounded. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 9 May 1907</h3><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">THE LATE MR. A. GARRETT</h4><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">INQUEST PROCEEDINGS</h4><div><br /></div><div>At the Guildhall Bath, on Saturday, the City Coroner (Mr. Basil A. Dyer) held an inquest concerning the death of Mr. Alexander Garrett, son of Mr. H. N. Garrett, of 101, Sydney Place.</div><div><br /></div><div>The deceased disappeared on Friday, April 5th, four days after being married, and it was not until Thursday last, May 2nd, that his body was taken from the river Avon in the Kensington Meadows.</div><div><br /></div><div>The case had aroused much interest, and though the inquiry did not begin till three o'clock, half-an-hour before that the public gallery was full of people.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. H. Hookway watched the proceedings behalf of the widow of the deceased, and Messrs. Rooke and Macdonald, solicitors to Mr. H. N. Garrett, were also present.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alderman E. E. Phillips, J. P., and the Chief Constable (Mr. Vaughan Philipps) occupied seats on the Bench.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">FINDING THE BODY</h4><div><br /></div><div>Frederick Fisher of 1, Rockliffe Avenue, Bathwick, boat-builder, said on Thursday morning he was at the Bath Boating Co.'s station. He saw an object floating down the river, about 200 or 300 yards above the station. When he got near enough he saw it was the body of a man.</div><div><br /></div><div>He got assistance and got the body to the bank on the Kensington Meadows side. The police were then informed. The police came and took out the body from the Kensington Meadow side.</div><div><br /></div><div>D.C. Marshfield, of the Bath City Police Force, said on Thursday morning, shortly after eleven, information was brought to the police station by the last witness. He went to the Kensington Meadows with D.C. Lovell and the ambulance.</div><div><br /></div><div>The body was in the water face downwards. He pulled it out on to the bank. The face was covered in mud, and having washed the mud off the body, witness put it upon the ambulance and removed to the Widcombe Mortuary.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the mortuary he searched the body. He found threepence in coppers, a bunch of keys, a pipe, tobacco pouch, pocket knife, a pocket handkerchief, with the initials "A.H.G." in one corner, and a gold ring which the deceased was wearing on the left hand. He found the ring inscribed inside, "Dearest mother left me, Jan. 31st 1900."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Did you recognise the body?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, that of Alec Garrett.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: The things you found on him, have they been shown to his father?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, not yet. sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness added that one of the keys—a latchkey—was of the same pattern as one which was shown to him by the deceased's father on Friday morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Have you been making inquiries into the matter since he has disappeared?</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been making inquiries since the 9th of April. As far as I could ascertain Mr. Garrett was last seen alive at 8.40 p.m. in Powlett Road, Bathwick, on Friday, April 5th; I received information that he was missing on April 9th.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Isabel Nelly Tucker, of 11, Powlett Road, said she knew deceased and heard he was missing four days after. She saw him on April 5th, about 8.40 in Powlett Road. He went up the road in the direction of Hampton Row; he was alone. He was wearing a grey cycling suit. She noticed that he was breathing very heavily; she was standing still he passed her.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. John Maurice Harper, medical practitioner, said that he saw the body on Thursday, at the Widcombe Mortuary. He knew the deceased well and recognised the body as his. He found it in an advanced state of decomposition. The body been in the water a considerable time. He was unable to say the time of death.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Were you able to discover any signs of ante-mortem injury?</div><div><br /></div><div>None at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness found signs of injuries to the head and face which were post-mortem and must have been caused in the river by its coming against snags of trees. He found that the deceased was wearing a truss; he found no hernia; had deceased been suffering from that, it must have been reduced.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><h4 style="text-align: left;">THE WIFE'S EVIDENCE</h4><div><br /></div><div>Alice Mary Garrett, who was not now wearing her nurse's costume, wife of the deceased, living at 20, Charles Street, said she was married to the deceased on the 1st of April at Bristol Registry Office.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: After the marriage did you go away with him?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir. To Weston-super-Mare.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: The same day?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Did anyone accompany you?</div><div><br /></div><div>Not to Weston.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Have you been living with somebody else, Nurse Manning?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Was she with you?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir. She only went to the marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>At Weston they stayed at the Pier Hotel. They came to Bath on April 3rd. She went to 20, Charles Street, and her husband to his father's house. He came to 20, Charles Street, the same afternoon to tea.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: After that, did he go home to his father's house?</div><div><br /></div><div>l believe so. I did not see him any more that day.</div><div><br /></div><div>l saw him on the Thursday evening at 8.30.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Did he go to see you at Charles Street?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he leave you to go to his father's house then?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>About what time?</div><div><br /></div><div>Ten o'clock.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you see him after that?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>When you saw him the last time, how was he? How did seem?</div><div><br /></div><div>Very well. The same as usual.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he say anything specially to you?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he complain of anything?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you part on friendly terms?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Had he ever said anything to you as doing himself any injury or anything of that sort?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was arranged that they should continue live at 20, Charles Street, and 101, Sydney Place respectively until July. They were then to take a house in the Wells Road subject to a lady who now it leaving. Mr. Garrett was to furnish it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: How do you know?</div><div><br /></div><div>His father told me so.</div><div><br /></div><div>When did he tell you that?</div><div><br /></div><div>At the time of the engagement.</div><div><br /></div><div>And when was that?</div><div><br /></div><div>At the Empire Hotel. I went to tea with Mr. and Mrs. Garrett.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Did you of your own motion or did you go by invitation?</div><div><br /></div><div>By invitation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whose invitation?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett's.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you see him personally?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Where?</div><div><br /></div><div>At 20, Charles Street.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he call at 20, Charles Street, to see you?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>And asked you to go the Empire to tea?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you go?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you have tea with them?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was this marriage talked about then?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was Alec Garrett (the deceased) there?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>What was said about your engagement?</div><div><br /></div><div>Whenever we liked to arrange to be married we could have a house furnished for us with furniture from 101, Sydney Place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Who said that?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. and Mrs. Garrett.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was anything arranged as to when the marriage would take place?</div><div><br /></div><div>Not then.</div><div><br /></div><div>When was notice of the wedding given?</div><div><br /></div><div>l think it was the 2nd February.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: At Bath?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>How came that notice to be put up?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett asked me to do so.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which Mr. Garrett?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Alec Garrett and Mr. Newson Garrett.</div><div><br /></div><div>Where were they when they asked you to put up?</div><div><br /></div><div>At 101, Sydney Place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was anyone else with you?</div><div><br /></div><div>Nurse Manning was with me.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner, handing the witness a book, asked if contained deceased's writing, and she said it did.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner said it was a pocket note-book and diary, and under date 22nd February was the entry: "Put my name up to married."</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said she fixed the date, as Mr. Newson Garrett had been married three days earlier.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner, reading again from the diary, said under Wednesday, 4th appeared the entry: "My father married Mrs." and nothing else.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: That would make it the 10th February you went the Empire?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now you say you were at 101, Sydney Place, with Mr. Alec Garrett and Mr. Newson Garrett, and asked to nut the notice for marriage, and Nurse Manning with you. Tell me how did that come about? Did you go down there to see them?</div><div><br /></div><div>l went down about an operation for Mr. Alec Garrett.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was it suggested that there should be an operation?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was it decided against having an operation?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>And what then was said about this marriage or supposed marriage? You say it was at the same interview?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Alec Garrett asked his father where I could put the marriage notice. He said. "Where I was married myself at North Parade."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Yes. What else was said? Was anything said about fees?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>What?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett said I should have to pay 2s.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anything else about the fees?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir. The rest was to be paid after, at the time of the marriage. Witness added that Mr. Alec Garrett paid the fees there and then.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he (your husband) subsequently tell you he had torn down the notice?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: I see another entry in the same day he did it.</div><div><br /></div><div>When did tell you had done it? The diary under March 6, says "I broke off my engage with Alice." Would that be about the time did it?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. He said had been upset and wished to take it down for a time. He said he had had a row at home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you see him after that?</div><div><br /></div><div>l wrote him.</div><div><br /></div><div>What did you say in the letter?</div><div><br /></div><div>That he ou2ght to have asked me and I would have taken it down.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">BREACH OF PROMISE THREATENED</h4><div><br /></div><div>Yes, and what else?</div><div><br /></div><div>And that I would bring a breach of promise against him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. What else?</div><div><br /></div><div>l think that was all.</div><div><br /></div><div>What else did you say?</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness hesitated, and the question was repeated.</div><div><br /></div><div>What else was there in the letter?</div><div><br /></div><div>No answer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you say what you would do, something else?</div><div><br /></div><div>l don't remember.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you really pretend you don't remember to-day what you said yesterday about it. You know you made a statement yesterday?</div><div><br /></div><div>Still no answer.</div><div><br /></div><div>What else did you threaten? You had better say at once; it will be better for you to say it at once.</div><div><br /></div><div>What else did you say?</div><div><br /></div><div>No answer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now. did you have any reply to that letter?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Did you threaten to expose his father?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Was that the letter (handing witness the letter)?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner, read the letter as follows:—</div><div><br /></div><div></div><blockquote><div>Sydney Place.</div><div><br /></div><div>March, 1907.</div><div><br /></div><div>My dear Alice,</div><div><br /></div><div>I pulled down that paper in the R.O. (Registry Office) because I thought it was best down for a time, as I could not stand people talking about you and me any longer. I not give hope that when things have blown over a bit that you and me can be the same again. As for your letter, I did not take any notice of it—(The Coroner: That was the threatening letter?—Yes)—because I love you just the same the first day I knew you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now good-bye, from your Alec.</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>You received that letter from him?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>And after that, what took place? Did you go to see him or did he come to see you?</div><div><br /></div><div>He came to see me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you make up again?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he upset by your letter?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he say so?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>What did he say about it?</div><div><br /></div><div>He said he had a good laugh over it. He said I could not bring any breach of promise against him as he had not said he would not marry me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he make any reference your threat to expose the father?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>None at all?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he upset about it?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not at all?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: There is an entry on the 10th March in the diary: "Went and saw Alice and made it up again." Is that so?</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness: Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness added that she put the notice up at Bristol Registry Office. She did not know whether Mr. Garrett, senior, knew it.</div><div><br /></div><div>She wrote a postcard to the father from Weston, saving "Alec quite well and happy."</div><div><br /></div><div>Was that the day you got down there?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>She had known deceased since September. They were introduced by the father. She went away for some time to London, and they corresponded.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">SOME LETTERS</h4><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner said he did not want to read all the letters, but asked, Were they of a friendly and even affectionate nature?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner read one dated October 2nd as follows:</div><div><br /></div><div>My dear Alice,</div><div><br /></div><div>Just a line. I'm glad to hear you are well and happy. We are very busy at our works. Don't forget to write me, dear, as I'm always thinking of you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now good bye, darling Alice, your most loving Alec.</div><div><br /></div><div>In another letter deceased said:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>I do hope you will write me soon. If I spell words wrong you must forgive me, for I could never spell right. I think it is because I don't give myself time to think, I'm always in a hurry. I hope you are enjoying yourself in London. It seems such a long time since I saw you. I would come London myself, but am too busy the works now. Write me as often as you can.</div><div><br /></div><div>Good bye, my dear girl. With much love from your Alec.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. Could you send a photo yourself? If so it will very kind. I've not got one, but will get one.</div><div><br /></div><div>A.H.G.</div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>Did he make you some presents when you were engaged?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>And anything else?</div><div><br /></div><div>Gold bracelets.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he send you locket when you were London?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir. gave it to me when I came back.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you have any money from him when you parted at the station, for you to go to Charles Street and he went home ?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you see him in possession or did he show you a sum of £50 or anything like that?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you know that he was ruptured?</div><div><br /></div><div>l did.</div><div><br /></div><div>When did you know that?</div><div><br /></div><div>After I was Weston-super-Mare.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he wearing a truss?</div><div><br /></div><div>He was the day he went, but left it off the day after. He complained about it on Wednesday morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>You stayed at Weston two nights and returned on the Wednesday morning?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was the marriage consummated?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>When he saw you on the Thursday evening, did he then tell you of any row at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he indicate to you that anything was wrong?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he seem excited or upset?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he make any appointment to see you again?</div><div><br /></div><div>On the Friday evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you see him on the Friday evening?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>And not hearing or seeing him, what did you do?</div><div><br /></div><div>Nothing. I expected a letter the next morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>And not getting one, what did you do then?</div><div><br /></div><div>Nothing. Mrs. Garrett called to see me and told me that he had not slept in his bed the Friday night.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did she tell you that any paper had been found?</div><div><br /></div><div>She did not.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did she tell you anything else? Did she say there had been any row or difference?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>And what then, after that? Did you see Mrs. Garrett?</div><div><br /></div><div>On Saturday evening I saw Mrs. Garrett for a moment or two.</div><div><br /></div><div>Where was that?</div><div><br /></div><div>At his house.</div><div><br /></div><div>And what was told you?</div><div><br /></div><div>That they had heard no news.</div><div><br /></div><div>She went to Mr. Rooke's office to see a note handed her by the Coroner; it was not given to her.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you know if your husband had made will?</div><div><br /></div><div>He told me he had; on the Thursday evening, he told me so.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you understand he had made it since marriage or before?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, I did not; he did not say.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: Did Mr. Alec Garrett suggest marriage to you?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Who hurried matters along?</div><div><br /></div><div>Himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why was the notice pulled down?</div><div><br /></div><div>He gave me no reason, except that he had had a row with his people at home.</div><div><br /></div><div>What were your relations with Mr. Garrett, senior?</div><div><br /></div><div>l had not seen Mr. Garrett, senior, for nine months.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: You don't understand.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: She says she had not seen him for nine months.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness Except when we went to the Empire about the engagement.</div><div><br /></div><div>What was the object of saying in the letter you would expose him?</div><div><br /></div><div>I only said it in temper.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: There must have been some object in the temper, you know.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Some cause for the temper.</div><div><br /></div><div>No answer was given, and the witness stood down.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">NURSE MANNING CALLED</h4><div><br /></div><div>Alice Beatrice Manning, of 20, Charles Street, said she had known deceased for about nine months.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett, senior, she had known for two or three years.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the Sunday after his own marriage, Mr. Garrett, senior, called on her at Charles Street. Mrs. Garrett, senior, came in afterwards. Miss Sauvarin was also there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett, senior, asked her if she had any objections to marrying his son. Miss Sauvarin said she did not love Alec sufficiently and she also objected to the impediment in the speech. An operation for getting rid of this impediment was proposed, and witness thought it was rather late in life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett was present at part of the interview and was anxious also for the operation. Witness agreed to take Alec to a doctor.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was that the day the last witness went to the Empire in the afternoon?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you go with her?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you hear her invited there?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>By whom?</div><div><br /></div><div>By Mr. Garrett.</div><div><br /></div><div>In consequence of this talk about the operation did you go to any doctor's with Mr. Alec Garrett?</div><div><br /></div><div>l went to Dr. Melsome with him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he examine him?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said that afterwards she told Mr. Garrett at Sydney Place that the doctor would not promise a cure, but also that it would be too dangerous an operation to performed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Conversation then turned to the marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>The notice was to be put at the Registry Office.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Who suggested that?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Newson Garrett. He told them that the notice could be put up at North Parade.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Newson Garrett promised to furnish a house for his son and wife. Witness also heard Alec say he had torn the notice down because there was a row with the family at home. He seemed upset, and Miss Sauvarin was rather upset. She went to the wedding at Bristol, returning to Bath in the evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: You did not to Weston?</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness (smiling): No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Were you present when Mr. Alec Garrett saw the last witness after her threatening letter?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>How did he take that letter?</div><div><br /></div><div>He was very amused, and told her would engage her as a lawyer, and pay her 6s. 8d. for writing letters.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he upset?</div><div><br /></div><div>Not at all, very amused.</div><div><br /></div><div>With regard to what was said about his father, was he vexed about it?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he make any inquiries about it?</div><div><br /></div><div>None whatever.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he ask what it meant?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he know what it meant?</div><div><br /></div><div>l suppose he did; he said nothing.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>Albert James Palmer, living at Midford, foreman at Mr. Garrett's works Midford, said that deceased had been there for many years. He was manager. The works were closed on Easter Monday, having been dosed from the previous Friday till Wednesday.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness could not remember that deceased came back on the Wednesday. He was there on Thursday afternoon. The deceased told him he had been to Bristol on some business for his father in connection with the works. He did not say that he had been to Weston. He told him (witness) that he was still a bachelor.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: How did that come about?</div><div><br /></div><div>l don't know, I'm sure.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you ask him anything?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir. He had given me hints about his marriage before. He had talked about it for a long time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness, continuing, said she saw him on the Friday. The deceased told him then that he was married. He said he was married the Easter Monday. He appeared that wanted to keep it quiet. He did not say so, but must have thought that, as within an hour telling him (witness) he told another man on the works that he was not married.</div><div><br /></div><div>He was excited on the Friday. He said nothing about the cause of his excitement, and made no complaint. He did not seem more excited than usual.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness was aware of the deceased's disability; he had suffered from it for the sixteen years witness had known him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he show you the letter he had received from the woman who is now Mrs. Garrett?—He showed it me, but I did not read it; he read part of it to me the same morning he received it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he seem upset or worried about it?</div><div><br /></div><div>Not at all. He was writing frequently to the girl, and they came there to have tea once or twice.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: Did he appear anxious to get married?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Why do you say that?</div><div><br /></div><div>l can't say, sir. He didn't worry about the letter he had from Miss Sauvarin, and said he should get married all the same. He had expressed himself as desirous of getting married.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he want to get away from home?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, I don't think did.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">MR. H. N. GARRETT</h4><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Henry Garrett, living at 101, Sydney Place, father of the deceased, said his son's age was 36.</div><div><br /></div><div>He had always lived at home. He assisted him in his works at Midford.</div><div><br /></div><div>The things found on his body he (witness) identified as belonging to his son.</div><div><br /></div><div>He (deceased) was away on Monday and Tuesday in Easter week, returning on Wednesday afternoon.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Did you know where he was</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. We had a postcard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you have two postcards?</div><div><br /></div><div>l believe we did.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you have card from Mrs. Alec Garrett saying he was well?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>From Weston?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have you got that?</div><div><br /></div><div>No. I don't know what became it. I think probably it was put in the fire.</div><div><br /></div><div>You kept your son's card, on which he said. "I shall be home to dinner to-morrow night"?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, that came on the Wednesday morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>How was the other card signed?</div><div><br /></div><div>"A.G."</div><div><br /></div><div>You knew who was from?</div><div><br /></div><div>I knew he would have put "A.H.G" so I imagined that it came from his wife.</div><div><br /></div><div>Didn't you know her handwriting?</div><div><br /></div><div>I did not notice.</div><div><br /></div><div>You knew her handwriting?</div><div><br /></div><div>l'm sure it was not his writing.</div><div><br /></div><div>That is not the question.</div><div><br /></div><div>l should say it was her writing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then you knew that he was at Weston with her?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you know that they were going Weston?</div><div><br /></div><div>I really forget. I don't think we did until we had the postcard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now you have heard the evidence of Mrs. Alec Garrett and of Nurse Manning as to your calling at Charles Street on a Sunday morning in February. Is that correct, or do you wish to say anything about that?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, only that my son called at the Empire Hotel, where I was staying, and asked me to go with him to see Nurse Sauvarin, and my wife and I accompanied him there, and at his request we invited her to come with him to have tea in the afternoon at the hotel.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: The point is about the interview at Charles Street in the morning, when you invited her to come to tea in the afternoon at the hotel, when the conversation took place about the proposed marriage?</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think that is true. I don't remember anything of the kind.</div><div><br /></div><div>But you ought to know one way the other?</div><div><br /></div><div>I deny entirely that I gave the money to put the notice up.</div><div><br /></div><div>We are talking the present time about the interview in Charles Street</div><div><br /></div><div>There is very little in that. I cannot say anything about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was said, at the interview in Charles Street, that a marriage was arranged between your son and this nurse?</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, sir, that is quite wrong. My advice the whole time was that she should keep on the same terms that he was, without marrying. Anything contrary to that was not true.</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe you asked her what her objection of getting married was?</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't remember such a thing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did she say to you that one thing was the impediment in his speech and another thing was that she did not think she loved him enough?</div><div><br /></div><div>She may have done. We talked a great deal about this impediment to his speech and of the terrible flow of saliva that he had, and whether it could be cured. I think that was the principal subject we talked on on that interview in Charles Street.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did that arise out of the question whether she would marry him?</div><div><br /></div><div>l believe did.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is it true what Miss Manning has said, that it was arranged that she should take him to a doctor and see if some operation would relieve him?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was it correct that she and he came to Sydney Place and reported what doctor had said?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>And then something further was about marriage?</div><div><br /></div><div>I always said "Keep on the same line. Go on as you are at present for six or twelve months, see how you get on." I always advocated that.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you say anything about putting up the notice at the North Parade?</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe they asked me where they should put up the notice.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then there must have been something said about marriage?</div><div><br /></div><div>I knew nothing about being up until sometime after.</div><div><br /></div><div>When they asked you where to put it up, what did yoy say?</div><div><br /></div><div>I said at the Poor Law offices. I never saw money pass for the fee.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did they ask you what the fee was?</div><div><br /></div><div>I think so. They had been discussing it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you know he was going to Bristol to get married?</div><div><br /></div><div>No. He said he was not. He had a new hat and a new tie on, and I said, "I suppose you are not going married?" and he replied, "No, father, certainly, not."</div><div><br /></div><div>When you had the card from Weston I suppose you knew they were married?</div><div><br /></div><div>I only guessed it then. "A.G" might mean any thing. When came back on the Wednesday he said was not married. He said they had had a good time and spent a lot of money.</div><div><br /></div><div>He told you he had been away with Nurse Sauvarin?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, he said, "My friend," that's what he called her.</div><div><br /></div><div>You knew who that was?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, quite well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said on the Friday deceased said, "I must make a clean breast of it. I am married."</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said he remarked, "It is a bad business, but you are married so we must make the best of it."</div><div><br /></div><div>He was very excited, and witness advised him to calm down and go to business.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was there what you would call a row?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, I didn't get angry any more than I am now. I was very vexed about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said that his wife was not present then; he told her after Alec had gone to the works.</div><div><br /></div><div>When deceased came back from Midford he was very excited, and witness could do nothing with him.</div><div><br /></div><div>What was the cause of his excitement?</div><div><br /></div><div>He was of a very excitable nature. I didn't know it then, but evidently he was not sane then.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he always very excitable?</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, very. I had many years ago to send him to Brislington (Mr. Fox's Asylum).</div><div><br /></div><div>Under order?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, I think he was there a year. It cost me £200.</div><div><br /></div><div>I advised him to get on a tramcar and go and see Dr. Morris at Combe Down. Dr. Morris had been attending him for a long time. He was very friendly with Dr. Morris. I advised him to go and ask Dr. Morris to give him some quieting medicine and, if necessary, to keep him there tor the night or for two or three nights.</div><div><br /></div><div>I told him to go himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you see him after that?</div><div><br /></div><div>He returned and said he had walked to Combe Down and walked down, but Dr. Morris had gone to the Theatre with some friends, so he had not seen him. He got back about seven or eight, and had a little dinner. He then went into his own room, where he usually had a bath before dinner, and he came out and opened the dining-room door, where I was sitting, and said, "Father. I'm off." I said, "Are you going to the Theatre or to Morris?" He made no answer. He went out and shut the front door, and I have not seen him since.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: I want to know, after he told you that he was married on the Friday, what was there to upset him and to make him in this highly excited condition?</div><div><br /></div><div>I cannot answer that. I don't know. He was so.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you know anything about taking a house in the Wells Road?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, he did not say anything to me about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did either of the two nurses?</div><div><br /></div><div>They may have mentioned such thing, but I did not pay any heed it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you say that you would furnish the house and let them have enough furniture from 101, Sydney Place to furnish it?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>What do you say about that statement?</div><div><br /></div><div>l think they have imagined it. There was some furniture at my house at Midford, which, I believe, he proposed to take, but there was no arrangement.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you increase his salary or allowance if he married, make it to week?</div><div><br /></div><div>No. I believe he asked Mrs. Garrett put the case before me. I said I should nothing of the kind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was that before or after he was married?</div><div><br /></div><div>That was before was married.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was that in contemplation of marriage?</div><div><br /></div><div>Not in contemplation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is it true that you introduced him to Nurse Sauvarin?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>And that you have known her for some years?</div><div><br /></div><div>Probably a couple of years.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did your son know that?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the time?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he know that before or after he was married?</div><div><br /></div><div>Before. I introduced him at his earnest request that I should find him some one to visit.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I found that my son did not come back, I thought that he had gone to his wife and would come back to breakfast in the morning. We did not get anxious until towards evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: And then did you make inquiries?</div><div><br /></div><div>l sent to my foreman, Palmer, to hear if he had seen him. We called at 20, Charles Street, to know if they had seen him, and we made private inquiries of my family in different parts to hear if he had gone to any of them. I did not make any official inquiry of the police, acting under the advice of several friends, until, I think, the Tuesday.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I took this box (produced), and not finding the key, had one made.</div><div><br /></div><div>He found the paper (shown to witness the Coroner).</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner read it follows:—</div><div></div><blockquote><div>"This is my last wish, that all I got in the world I leave to my dear father, and also 10s. to my wife a week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alec. April 5th. 1907."</div></blockquote><div>Witness knew of no other will or document. He found in the box £5 and 12s. 6d. in a purse which was laid on the dressing table in deceased's room.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Did you know anything of a sum of £50 that he was accustomed to carry about with him and put under his mattress at night?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, don't. I have had the house searched, and there is nothing.</div><div><br /></div><div>In reply further to the Coroner, the witness said he knew nothing of any order about receiving or refusing to receive clothes at Sydney Place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Replying to a juryman, witness said that no-one except he and his wife were present when the box was opened.</div><div><br /></div><div>A juryman: Where you anxious that you son should marry this lady?</div><div><br /></div><div>Most certainly not.</div><div><br /></div><div>What were your relations with this lady?</div><div><br /></div><div>I leave you to judge. There are some questions a man cannot answer (hisses in Court).</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner thought that they need not go into more detail.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner, at this point, said he should suspend the inquest for one or two reasons, and the jury were bound over to be in their places again on Wednesday at three o'clock.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">THE LATE MR. A. GARRETT</h4><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">RESUMED INQUEST</h4><div><br /></div><div>At the Guildhall, on Wednesday, the City Coroner (Mr. Basil A. Dyer) resumed the inquest on the body of Alec Henry Garrett, son of Mr. H. N. Garrett, of 101, Sydney Place.</div><div><br /></div><div>The deceased disappeared on Friday, April 5th, four days after being married, and it was not until May 2nd that his body was taken from the River Avon in the Kensington Meadows.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. H. Hookway again watched the proceedings on behalf of the widow of the deceased, and Messrs. Rooke and Macdonald, solicitors to Mr. H. N. Garrett, were also present.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Court was again crowded, the seats in the public gallery being taken long before the time for commencing the proceedings. Many were unable to obtain admission to the Court.</div><div><br /></div><div>Albert James Palmer, foreman of the Midford Works, was recalled and said deceased did not tell him he had told his father he was married. He told witness of the fact on the Friday.</div><div><br /></div><div>"There must be silence in Court, or else everybody in the gallery will be turned out," said the Coroner when there was some noise in the packed Court.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said he did not remember deceased said he was going to tell his father; he did not say there would be a row at home when he did tell him. He knew he had been anxious to get married for some time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he quite aware of his father's relations with Nurse Sauvarin?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Do you know that?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>From what he himself told you?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you know that last September or rather earlier he proposed to a young lady he had not seen for some years</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. He told me something about it.</div><div><br /></div><div>His statements as to marriage or proposed marriage, could they be always relied upon?</div><div><br /></div><div>No; he gave different accounts sometimes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he fond of his father?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did he tell you of any row at home?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>As to the second Mrs. Garrett, did he make any complaint about her?</div><div><br /></div><div>None at all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of his treatment at home did he complain?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>What did he say about her. Anything?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, sir.</div><div><br /></div><div>His sister left home, I believe, shortly after Mr. Garrett's second marriage?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he much upset by that?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, very much.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: Did he ever say that his father desired him to marry this woman?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Hookway desired the witness to be asked whether on the Thursday or Friday he knew that the deceased was in pain, suffering from the physical disability that had been mentioned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said deceased never mentioned it and seemed all right.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Samuel Thomas Clack, fishmonger, of 'Kildare', Sydney Gardens, said he knew deceased very well, and Mr. Garrett made confidante of him. About a fortnight before his disappearance deceased consulted him about a letter and deceased produced a roll of bank notes and gold.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a threatening letter they had been discussing, and deceased said, "I've got £50 I have saved. Shall I send her £20 or £50; that will shut her up."</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said, "Not one farthing with consent." He walked about and said, "I don't know what to do; still, if you say 'No' I won't do it."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner said deceased drew £10 out of the Post Office Savings Bank on March 25. Did witness think this the £10 deceased showed him?</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness thought it was about £30 he saw, by the size of the packet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was he of a saving disposition?</div><div><br /></div><div>Very.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner said the £10 would have been drawn out after witness saw the money.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said this interview was on Sunday, and on the following Saturday he saw deceased in Sydney Place. He said, "My dear friend, I have had great trouble and a very bad week."</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness asked what it was, and deceased said, "My father has forbidden me to visit your house, Mr. Russell Duckworth's, and Dr. Preston King's. He has forbidden me to write to Dai (his sister). Will you write to her and tell her not write home, it will only cause a row." Witness said would not think of it, and if wanted to write deceased must writp himself.</div><div><br /></div><div>Deceased promised to come the following evening (Sunday) for tea and talk it over, but did not turn up.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the Sunday week, April 7, he met Mr. Garrett, senior, who asked him if he had seen deceased, whom he told him was married.</div><div><br /></div><div>He he had found some money in his box.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said he knew deceased had £50, and suggested he had gone abroad to his brother.</div><div><br /></div><div>Deceased once asked witness if he thought it would very wicked if anybody took their life. Witness said thought it was. That was three months ago quite. Deceased never threatened do it.</div><div><br /></div><div>He always sooke well of his father: the worst heard him say was "He's a very naughty, naughty man, but he has always been very kind to me."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: Did he ever say his father was pressing him to marry this woman?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, quite the reverse.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: What do you mean?</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness: Three or four days before the paper was pulled down at the Registry Office deceased came to him in very trouble crying.</div><div><br /></div><div>He said, "I've got something on my mind. I feel I'm bound do it."</div><div><br /></div><div>"Out with it," witness said, and advised him to have nothing to do with "that woman."</div><div><br /></div><div>Deceased said, "Don't ask me to give her up, because if you do it will break my heart."</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said, "If you give her up, it may not break your heart: but if you do marry her it will be sure to do so."</div><div><br /></div><div>After that he walked about the room and seemed a little more consoled.</div><div><br /></div><div>A few days after he walked into the shop and said, "It is over. I have pulled the papers down."</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said, "What papers?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Deceased said the papers in the Registry Office which he had pulled at down bis father's wishes, adding. "I would not pull them down for anybody else."</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness, continuing, said, "The opinion formed was that Mr. Garrett, senior, did not wish his son to marry this woman, that would rather him live with her or keep her: something of that kind. That was very much against the deceased's wishes, for he told me, "If I could not love a woman and marry her, I would never dishonour her."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: His father's view for him was not marriage?</div><div><br /></div><div>No, I don't think so, sir. I don't think he ever wished it.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: Do you think the deceased married this woman under a threat?</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Oh, no, no, no! You may form your opinion when you have heard the evidence, but that is not a question to put the witness.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. C. J. Morris, surgeon, of Combe Down, said he had known the deceased for many years; he had a hernia. Witness performed a slight operation and he then had some hysterical fits.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the Foreman: There was no reason why the deceased should not marry.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>Alice Mary Garrett, the widow, was recalled.</div><div><br /></div><div>She said she knew nothing about the deceased's money matters except that he said he had saved and called himself a miser.</div><div><br /></div><div>He was fond of his father, and said the second Mrs. Garrett was very good to him and did all she could to make him happy. The marriage was consummated when they came back from Weston, on the Thursday.</div><div><br /></div><div>She had no idea what deceased did with his savings.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Henry Newson Garrett, the father, was recalled and said he had no wish for his son to marry Nurse Sauvarin. He introduced him to her as a patient and told her why.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Had you ceased to have relations with her sometime before you introduced him?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>How long?</div><div><br /></div><div>I should think two years at any rate, as far I can count up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Were those relations ever resumed after?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>There have been great changes your house recently. After you re-married, your daughter left?</div><div><br /></div><div>My daughter left.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was your son upset about it?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>They were a great deal to each other?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, and she was great deal to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Had the servants gone?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>An old servant named "Nursie" had gone?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes. She went away with daughter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Had she known him since childhood?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you know he was a friend of Mr. Clack?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you know he was a friend of Dr. Preston King?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>And Mr. Russell Duckworth?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you forbid him to visit these people?</div><div><br /></div><div>Never.</div><div><br /></div><div>Can suggest that he was given to romancing?</div><div><br /></div><div>I know that latterly he did not tell me the truth as he used to.</div><div><br /></div><div>Why should he tell Mr. Clack that he was forbidden to go near him?</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't imagine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Can you suggest?</div><div><br /></div><div>I cannot. It is all wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div>You don't mean that Mr. Clack's evidence is all wrong?</div><div><br /></div><div>l think he told Mr. Clack one thing and told me another. I can't say more than what I told you is the truth.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have you any reason for him not visiting those friends?</div><div><br /></div><div>I wished him to visit these friends.</div><div><br /></div><div>Have you heard what Mr. Clack has said about the money produced? Do you say that he was of saving disposition?</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, he was; but latterly I think he spent a great deal.</div><div><br /></div><div>How?</div><div><br /></div><div>On these ladies. There are some heavy jewellery bills. There is one for £7.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner looked through the bills and mentioned that there was one for a 13-carat gold ring £7 10s. and another for 15-carat bangle £7 10s. The bills were paid in February.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett, addressing the Coroner, said he thought he would find in his (deceased's) diary an item of £12 for something. He had not seen it, but he had been told it was there.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner, having looked through the diary, could not find the item, and remarked to witness: What made you say that; why did you say it?</div><div><br /></div><div>Will you allow me to ask my wife?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mrs. Garrett told her husband, "It is in another account book."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: You say you did not forbid him to visit his friends the Kings and the Duckworths?</div><div><br /></div><div>Most decidedly not.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you write "curses on your friends the Kings and the Duckworths?"</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe I wrote, "If you take your loving father's advice instead of these friends, you would have been at home now."</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you lay "curses" those friends?</div><div><br /></div><div>I may have done so.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having ordered against them, did you not tell him not to visit them?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although you cursed them?</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't know where the curse came in. I thought my daughter had taken bad advice—not him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Inspector Payne went in search of some further books, and on returning into Court, some books were looked at, and Mr. Macdonald (Mr. Garrett's solicitor) being shown one, discovered an entry of £12 10s.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner (to whom the book had been handed): I see a number of very small items running back to January. There is a book somewhere where there entry of £3 for going to Bristol. That was, of course, for the marriage fees.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett then stood down.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>Ellen Garrett, the second wife of last witness, living at 101, Sydney Place, said that Mr. Alec Henry Garrett was living there up to the time of his visit to Weston and also on his returning home on Wednesday afternoon in Easter week.</div><div><br /></div><div>On his return he said nothing whatever.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Did you hear him tell his father anything about his visit to Weston?</div><div><br /></div><div>No.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you know that he was married then?</div><div><br /></div><div>He said, "Father, I'm not married."</div><div><br /></div><div>When did you first know that he was married?</div><div><br /></div><div>I knew it Friday, between one and two o'clock. He told me at the breakfast table, "Do you think my father will allow me to get married on my birthday?" I said, "When is your birthday?" and I think he said it was either the 25th or the 26th of September. And I said, "Don't ask me that, but ask your father." He was talking to me very wildly at the breakfast table.</div><div><br /></div><div>He was very excited Friday morning. He asked if she thought his father would allow him more money, saying he should not be able to keep honest unless he did.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness advised him to ask his father, and she was sure he would allow it to him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then witness went to her business at Walcot Parade, which she had kept on.</div><div><br /></div><div>Her husband told her later that Alec was married, but that they must make the best of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>When Alec came home again he was very excited.</div><div><br /></div><div>Deceased got on well with her; he told her he was never so happy since his mother died, that he had better food, a better bedroom to sleep in.</div><div><br /></div><div>He constantly told witness this; she did not know whether he meant it or not.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was never angry word. She was very fond of him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Asked about the interview at the Empire Hotel, witness said she did not stay to hear the conversation: she went to her home at Walcot. Mr. Alec Garrett took her as far as the trams and went back to his father and this nurse.</div><div><br /></div><div>Further questioned: She had never refused clothes sent to the house for the son. A parcel was sent addressed Mr. Garrett, but it turned out to be for gardener. That was refused.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: Have you any idea as to the disposal of Mr. Alec Garrett's savings?</div><div><br /></div><div>None all.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did Mr. Garrett, senior, desire this marriage?</div><div><br /></div><div>l know nothing whatever about it. I had nothing whatever to do with it.</div><div><br /></div><div>D.C. Marshfield said he found among the keys in deceased's pocket one which fitted the deceased's cashbox.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner, in summing up, said it was one of the strangest cases, if not the strangest, he had ever had to deal with.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was another illustration of the truth of the saying, "Truth is stranger than fiction."</div><div><br /></div><div>It reminded one in some respects of a certain classical drama, with the story turned round and with a somewhat different termination.</div><div><br /></div><div>He must warn them not to let any strong feelings on a moral question to carry away their judgment in fairly estimating the evidence.</div><div><br /></div><div>If it were true that Mr. Garrett, senr., procured and desired the marriage, then it would not only be unnatural but abominable. The question, of course, was—Did he desire or procure it?</div><div><br /></div><div>He saw no reason at all why he should desire it. There was very strong evidence that he objected to it.</div><div><br /></div><div>That it was talked about in his presence by the two nurses and sometimes his son was undoubted, but he seemed always opposed to it, and said, "Go on as you are."</div><div><br /></div><div>That he had had relations with her himself was quite in accordance with his view that he should desire the relations of his son with her to continue without marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was abundant evidence that the son was infatuated with this young woman and that his views did not square with his father's to marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>In support of the view that the son was infatuated with Nurse Sauvarin, the Coroner referred to the endearing letters wrote to her and read another of these letters, in which Mr. Alec Garrett said:—</div><div><br /></div><div>"l thank you very much for all your kindness to me in saying you will love me. When I think of your little kind face it makes me go about my work quite a different man. I feel so happy when I think of you, dear. I feel happier than ever on getting your first letter. I shall keep it in my pocket all day and at night under my pillow."</div><div><br /></div><div>This was on the 1st October last.</div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of the father's second marriage, the Coroner said all the evidence was that the second Mrs. Garrett got on well with the deceased.</div><div><br /></div><div>They must in this case not forget this letter (holding the deceased's letter containing his last wishes). He not only said that this was his last wish—clearly that he was contemplating his immediate death, but they would notice that he spoke of his "Dear Father."</div><div><br /></div><div>He (the Coroner) must say it did not seem to him to indicate at the time he was suffering under any sense of wrong or irritation against his father.</div><div><br /></div><div>That letter, the Coroner pointed out, was an important piece evidence.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>The jury, after a short deliberation, returned into the Court, and the foreman announced that they found a verdict of "Suicide while temporarily insane," and, added the foreman, "We consider that the father is deserving of great censure."</div><div><br /></div><div>There was great applause in Court at this remark, which was promptly suppressed.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Coroner: Do you consider that the father is deserving of very great censure for procuring bringing about this marriage, or for other reasons?</div><div><br /></div><div>The Foreman: For other reasons.</div><div><br /></div><div>In answer to Mr. Hookway, the Coroner said he presumed that the police would hand the papers to the proper persons. </div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 9 May 1907</h3><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">THE FUNERAL</h4><div><br /></div><div>On Monday morning the remains of Mr. Alec Garrett were interred in Bathwick Cemetery.</div><div><br /></div><div>Soon after nine o'clock the funeral car with two horses drew up outside the City Mortuary, near the Old Bridge, and on this the coffin was taken the foot Bathwick Hill, where a mourning brougham joined it. In this was the deceased's father (Mr. H. N. Garrett), who had entered the carriage from the rear of his residence in Sydney Place.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite the fact that the hour of the funeral had been kept secret, there was a large crowd in the cemetery, mostly females.</div><div><br /></div><div>inspector Barter, with Sergt. Scott and three constables of the city police were on duty at the gates, and surrounded Mr. Garrett, senior, to the grave.</div><div><br /></div><div>The employees from the Fuller's Earth Works at Midford were present and also Mr. Taylor, the old gardener and coachman to the family.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Rector of Bathwick (the Rev. C. H. Hylton Stewart) and the sacristan (Mr. W. S. Chasey), who had driven up in a brougham, were awaiting the body, and a shortened special form of service was conducted by the Rector.</div><div><br /></div><div>The body had not been taken into any consecrated building—neither St Mary's nor the mortuary chapel—and the Rev. Hylton Stewart explained subsequently to our representative that he read a form "which may be used in any case where the Office for the Burial of Dead in the book of Common Prayer may not be used."</div><div><br /></div><div>He explained that, though a verdict has not been returned, he felt he dare not use the ordinary Order in the face of the rubric by which it is prefaced, that the Office not to be used for any that "have laid violent hands upon themselves."</div><div><br /></div><div>The service he read is composed of prayers from the Prayer Book, and was prepared by the late Bishop Walsham How.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett's body was placed in the same grave where lies the body of his mother. "Mary Susannah, for years the dearly loved wife of Henry Newson Garrett, died January 31st, 1900," is the inscription on the tombstone, which also records the death of a sister of the deceased, Miss Ethel Garrett, who was laid to rest at St. Ouen, Paris, in July, 1905. The coffin which the remains were interred bore a breastplate giving the date of death as April 5, 1907.</div><div><br /></div><div>There were a few floral tributes follows:—</div><div><br /></div><div>"From his dear father and Mrs. H. N. Garrett's love";</div><div><br /></div><div>"From the employees, Midford Fuller's Earth Works";</div><div><br /></div><div>"From Stella with love";</div><div><br /></div><div>"In affectionate remembrance from George and Elizabeth Taylor";</div><div><br /></div><div>"In sympathy from Mr. and Mrs. John Hewlett";</div><div><br /></div><div>"With deepest sympathy from Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Payne and family."</div><div><br /></div><div>The undertakers were Messrs. Bush and Mansfield, Stall Street.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is no doubt that the police acted with judgment in having so many officers present, for many remarks were to be heard, and one woman, addressing the Inspector after the interment, said, "It's good you were here, sir. I'd have thrown the wreath in his face."</div><div><br /></div><div>The Rector of Bathwick also thanked the police officers for attending.</div><div><br /></div><div>Numbers of people continued to enter the cemetery during the morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>Soon after the carriages had left, the deceased's widow, with Nurse Manning, appeared at the bottom of the road leading to the cemetery, with the object of proceeding thither, but they were advised the police, who were just returning to the city, not to do so. They retired to a lane close for some time, but as they were both wearing nurse's costume and had evidently been recognised by people who hung about, Inspector Barter advised them to desist from going to the cemetery that day, advice which they accepted, and walked back the city. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette - Thursday 19 December 1907</h3><div><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">SEQUEL TO GARRETT CASE</h4><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">COUNTY COURT PROCEEDINGS BRISTOL.</h4><div><br /></div><div>A case of great interest and forming a sequel to the death by drowning of Mr. Alec Henry Garrett, son of Mr. Henry N. Garrett, of 101, Sydney Place, Bath, came before Judge Austin and jury at a special sitting of the Bristol County Court on Friday.</div><div><br /></div><div>The action had been directed to be transferred to the Bath County Court by an order of the High Court of Justice, dated July 26th, 1907, but at the instance of one of the parties--the action was of the nature of interpleader--the trial was remitted to Bristol.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the action Mr. Henry Newson Garrett, of 101, Sydney Place, Bath, proprietor of Fuller's Earth Works Co., Midford, was the applicant, and Alice Mary Garrett (formerly Nurse Sauvarin), administratrix of Mr. Alec Henry Garrett, deceased, was the respondent.</div><div><br /></div><div>The grounds of the action were that:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>the sum of £200 represented the balance of a sum of £500 assured in the Edinburgh Life Assurance Company on the death of Mr. Alec Henry Garrett, now deceased;</li><li>that the policy of assurance was an arrangement between the said Mr. Henry Newson Garrett and Mr. Alec Henry Garrett, effected for the purpose and the benefit of the said Henry Newson Garrett;</li><li>that the said Henry Newson Garrett paid all premiums and other sums of money necessary to effect and keep on foot the said policy, and</li><li>that he is an equity entitled to the said sum.</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. B. R. Vachell (instructed by Messrs. Rooke, Macdonald and Longrigg, of Bath) was for the applicant, and Mr. E. E. Weatherley (instructed by Mr. H. Hookway, of Bath) was for the respondent.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Vachell, for Mr. H. N. Garrett, applicant in the action, said the case arose over the reason that the National Provincial Bank of Bath held at the bank £200 to which they made no claim, but a claim arose from two persons who were parties--Mr. Henry Newson Garrett and Mrs. Alice Mary Garrett.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the first of April last Mrs. Garrett married Alec Garrett and he died three days afterwards by committing suicide and throwing himself into the river Avon at Bath on April 5.</div><div><br /></div><div>The facts of the case were that the money which the bank had paid into Court was the balance of a policy of assurance upon the life of Alec Garrett. That policy was dated 13th April, 1906, and effected with the Edinburgh Life Assurance Co., and Mr. Garrett, for whom he (Mr. Vachell) appeared, claimed that although that policy was taken out in the name of the son, that really belonged to him (Mr. Garrett), and that it was effected for his purpose by agreement with son, and that Mr. Garrett paid the premiums and all sums of money necessary to keep the policy on foot.</div><div><br /></div><div>He did not know what Mrs. Garrett said. He supposed that prima facie it belonged her. He did not know whether she would seek to disprove some of the facts on which he (Mr. Vachell) was relying.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett, senr., was in the habit of raising money by getting the bank at Bath to discount the promissory notes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett in 1905 had his son living at home with him, and was obliged, because thought it was important, to give some sort of idea, if he could, of what sort of young man Alec Garrett was.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the time of his death he was 31 years of age. He was clearly not the same other young people were. Unfortunately he was afflicted. He did not mean to say in any sense he was imbecile or anything like that. He was not. He was in some matters quite shrewd. He was of little education. He was devoted to his father and took the greatest possible pride in the business at Midford.</div><div><br /></div><div>He had some small vested interest under his father's and mother's marriage settlement. It would come to him upon the death of his father. His mother at the time of which he (Mr. Vachell) was speaking, had already died. At that time Mr. Garrett, senr., was widower, but had since married again in February of this year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Several conversations took place between Mr. Holt and Mr. Garrett, and it was suggested that Mr. Garrett, senr., should insure his life. He tried to do it, but found that he was not able to do so on anything like reasonable terms, and therefore it was suggested that the life of Alec Garrett should be insured. Eventually a policy was effected with Alec Garrett for £500 at a premium of £15 a year.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>The next point in the case was the marriage of Alec Garrett and then his death.</div><div><br /></div><div>In May there was running at the bank a promissory note of £300, and in due course the bank received the insurance money of £500 and they retained, as they were entitled to retain, £300 and paid the balance of £200 into Court.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Weatherly: They paid into the account of Alec Garrett's estate?</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Vachell: There was authority in law that, if those facts were substantially proved, that the policy belonged to the father and not to the son's estate. There were other circumstances in the case which made it peculiar and unpleasant. Mr. Garrett had broken down in health, and was wholly unnerved and unable to be present as a witness, and it was necessary that his evidence should be taken by examiner at Bournemouth, where was staying. It happened, therefore, at the commencement of last month that Mr. Weatherly and himself went Bournemouth and the examination of Mr Garrett was taken, and having examined him, Mr. Weatherly cross-examined him and obtained a long and unpleasant story on the depositions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Weatherly: I think, in fairness to myself, that the unpleasant and unsavoury part the story came as a surprise to me and was elicited after your (Mr. Vachell's) re-examination. I did not know what was going to say.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Vachell said he had told them that Alec Garrett married, the 1st of April of this year, a person named Alice Mary Sauvarin, who, he understood, was a nurse in Bath, living with another nurse named Mannings. They went out nursing and received patients at their house.</div><div><br /></div><div>He was not going to be mealy-mouthed about it, but Mr. Garrett, senr., knew Nurse Sauvarin, and used to visit her at her place for immoral purposes, as he understood. He did not suggest that she was kept by Mr. Garrett. He used to come from time to time to see her.</div><div><br /></div><div>That intimacy had finished some two years before September last, but in September last, under circumstances which he (Mr. Garrett) explained in the depositions, he was foolish enough to introduce his son to this young woman with the result that the son appeared to have fallen in love with her, strongly against the father's wishes, but in spite everything he did, the young man married the young woman.</div><div><br /></div><div>The young woman did not appear on the scene at all until long after the policy had been effected. She did not know Alec Garrett in February, 1906. It was not until September that she first knew him, and therefore he did not think that the matter had anything to do with the case. He could only say if it was going to introduced all, asked the jury to suspend their judgment, as it was quite possible there might be feelings of disgust and indignation towards the father.</div><div><br /></div><div>He did not think that the young woman was coming out wholly without some feelings of disgust on the part of the jury towards her.</div><div><br /></div><div>His Honour asked for a statement as to the health of Mr. Garrett, senr.</div><div><br /></div><div>lt was mentioned by both counsel that when examined Bournemouth he was in a bad state of health.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Weatherly said did not complain of his absence.</div><div><br /></div><div>The evidence of Mr. Henry Newson Garrett, which was taken on commission while was staying at Knockholt, West Cliff, Bournemouth, was then read by Mr. Vachell.</div><div><br /></div><div>He said he was sole proprietor of the Midford Fuller's Earth Works, and lived at 101, Sydney Place, Bath. He had an account at the National Provincial Bank, of which Mr. Holt in 1905-6 was manager. Witness's son lived at home with him. He married on April 1, 1907, Nurse Sauvarin (the respondent); disappeared April 4, and was found in the Avon May 2; the verdict of the jury was suicide while temporarily insane. His son was "somewhat afflicted"; he was not exactly like other people, but he had carried out instructions his (witness's) business. He was paid £1 per week, and lived at home. At times witness was in the habit of raising money from the bank on notes or bills for the purposes of his business. In June, 1905, the bank discounted for him a note for £220 and his son was a party to it; was a joint and several promissory note. There were other similar transactions. On January 23, 1906, when a note for £200 was discounted, there was £100 owing on previous notes. He had conversations from time to time with Mr. Holt, the manager, as to giving security for his account, and from June, 1905, to February, 1906, Mr. Holt constantly pressed him to give security. He suggested that should insure his life, but witness inquired and found this would very expensive. He could not say who first suggested insuring Alec's life. Hie son had a reversionary interest in his marriage settlements. He conversed with his son about the proposed insurance. It was to the effect that he should insure his life, and he (applicant) would pay the premiums, and agreed to what applicant wished. He (the father) told his son it would cost him nothing; the policy would belong to his (applicant's) business. It was arranged that the son (who knew of the conversation the father had had with Mr Holt) should see the latter, who was also agent for the Edinburgh Life Insurance Co. Applicant was not present at this interview, and did not know who filled the proposal. He never saw the policy, but knew it was deposited the bank. The £200 on the note of January 23 became due on April 26, and was renewed by two notes for £100 each, and these we're paid maturity. On February 19 he raised a sum of £300 upon a fresh promissory note, in which his son joined. That note had been discharged out of the money for the policy on his son's life for £500. He (applicant) paid two premiums for £15, one drawn to Mr. Holt, the other to Mr. Gwynn, the present manager of the bank.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cross-examined by Mr. Weatherly, Mr. Garrett said his son, except as to the interest in the marriage settlements, was entirely dependent upon him. His case was that he (the father) insured his son's life. He did not think it contained his name except as parent, and was not aware that he signed anything to assign the policy the bank; neither did give notice to the Edinburgh Assurance Co. that the policy was his, nor tell Mr. Holt so. He did not tell Mr. Holt to send him the renewal notices.</div><div><br /></div><div>He could not remember if Mr. Holt or witness himself suggested that the policy should be taken out upon his son's life. It was arranged that his son was to insure his life, and the bank would take it as security. At that time his son was already liable for £300.</div><div><br /></div><div>He admitted that he introduced Nurse Sauvarin about September, 1906. He did not wish his son to marry her. He (Mr. Garrett, sen.) married his present wife February 6, 1907.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was not true that his son then said should make a home for himself, or that was going to marry Nurse Sauvarin. He lived with them happily.</div><div><br /></div><div>His wife and he called on February 10 on Nurse Sauvarin to tell her that she must not marry him; it would very wrong, because of her former relations with him.</div><div><br /></div><div>He denied telling Nurse Sauvarin before her marriage "There will be more than some furniture if you marry my son; he is insured for £500, and I will see that he keeps up the premiums. At my death you will all right."</div><div><br /></div><div>Applicant added, "I said it would be a disgraceful thing to do, because of my former relations with her".</div><div><br /></div><div>He did not tell his son he had better make over the insurance policy to his wife.</div><div><br /></div><div>He did not suggest putting up the notice at the Poor Law Offices.</div><div><br /></div><div>He never promised him any furniture.</div><div><br /></div><div>The policy was not taken out by his son for his protection. He covered him in his will. The reason his son took out the policy was to relieve his pressure at the bank.</div><div><br /></div><div>He knew that had got him to make himself liable at the bank before he took out the policy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Re-examined, Mr. Garrett said his intimacy had ceased more than a year before introduced his son to her, which did in September, 1906. His son knew of his intimacy with her. He was forced introduce him to her, and witness went on explain that said that could not control his nature.</div><div><br /></div><div>He (Mr. Garrett) went to Nurse Sauvarin first and asked her to take him "as a patient." She thought it over, and he said would pay 10s. a week. His son paid the money. He visited her and fell in love with her, and that's how the question of marriage came about.</div><div><br /></div><div>He got him to tear down the notice for the marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nurse Manning lived with her, and sometimes they had cases in to nurse and sometimes out.</div><div><br /></div><div>He did not remember seeing Mr. Bethell at his house. He would not swear he was not there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness knew nothing about the £15 policy except that he paid a man at the works 1s. a week. Except as to the present insurance with Mr. Holt he had no recollection of his son ever proposing to insure his life for any heavy sum.</div><div><br /></div><div>Further cross-examined, Mr. Garrett said the 10s. a week was a "business arrangement" for him to come her. His son went, and on returning expressed his obligations to him (his father).</div><div><br /></div><div>The Judge said the only material point about the proposal form was the answer to Question 9, "Is this proposal for insurance being made by you or by another person having insurable interest your life? In the latter case state the full name, occupation, and address of the person making the proposal, and also the amount and nature of the interest. Answer: By me." The sum assured was £500.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Weatherly pointed out that there was a space at the foot where, if the person making the proposal was not the person assured, he had to sign, and that space was blank.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Albert James Palmer, Tucking Mill, Midford, foreman Midford Fuller's Earth Works, said Alec Garrett had an impediment in his speech.</div><div><br /></div><div>His Honour: What is commonly known slobbering? Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>He told him that had insured his life for £500, and Mr. Garrett gave his (witness's) name as one of the references.</div><div><br /></div><div>He had always said that when his father died the works would belong him and his sisters.</div><div><br /></div><div>He had heard him say something about marrying a cousin whom had not seen for years.</div><div><br /></div><div>He suddenly received an affection. for her, and he thought proposed to her. He told him so. That was in September, 1906.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Vachell: By letter a matter fact. I have the letter here.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was the case for the applicant.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Weatherly, addressing the Court, said the story was this.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was undoubtedly the case that the father obtained the name of his son as surety for himself on the promissory notes which he gave to the bank. He did not know what the good of it was, because according to the case of the father the son was penniless and entirely dependent upon him.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was undoubtedly the case that the bank wanted secuixty. They would see how that bore upon the case.</div><div><br /></div><div>In November, 1905, Alec Garrett, who was then insured with the Britannic Industrial Association for a small policy, went to the agent for the purpose of taking out a policy his own life for £500. He (Mr. Weatherly) suggested that applicant's son was at that time contemplating marriage with his cousin, whom it was true he had not seen for many years.</div><div><br /></div><div>When he went to the agent he went there independently of any liability he might have with his father.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nothing came of it because of a small question as to whether, if he took out a policy for the larger amount of £500 he would get back the premiums he hadbeen paying for the smallerr policy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Bethell called at the father's house for the purpose of seeing the son upon that very business and whilst there talking to Alec Garrett, the old gentleman came into the room.</div><div><br /></div><div>In January, 1906, Alec had been signing promissory notes for his father, and he supposed that the bank was not content to have security for the princinal debtor, which was Mr. Garrett sen., but if they had Alec Garrett's signature on the promissory notes they wanted to see that he was good too.</div><div><br /></div><div>He thought the jury would believe that it was not arranged by Mr. Holt with Mr. Garrett at all, but that conversation took place before the taking out of the policy with Mr. Garrett, sen., but that the arrangement was made at the suggestion of Mr. Holt and Alec Garrett. Why? That Alec Garrett, who was then liable to the bank for £300 as surety for his father, should insure his life, not for the benefit of for his father--it would be indirectly for his benefit--but for the benefit of the bank.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although it quiite true that the father paid the premiums, the receipts lor the premiums were made out to Alec Garrett, the notice for renewal was sent to Alec Garrett, when the policy was assigned to the bank it assigned by Alec Garrett, and Mr. Garrett sen. said that was his policy.</div><div><br /></div><div>If so, he would have assigned it to the bank, or at any rate would have joined in the assignment.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was admitted that the son owed the father no money, and therefore had no insurable interest.</div><div><br /></div><div>If the father's case was that he was entitled at the death of his son, why did he not write to the Insurance Company saying it was his policy? He did not do so because the Company would have wanted to know where his name was on the proposal form, and would asked what was his insurable interest. He could have shown none.</div><div><br /></div><div>The only person the Insurance Company knew was Alec Garrett. The only point of evidence in favour of the contention of Mr. Garrett that the policy was his was that he paid the premiums. Was that worth anything at all when they considered the circumstances of Alec Garrett?</div><div><br /></div><div>Counsel stated that it was an uncharitable attitude that there was any "business arrangement" with the lady whom he (Mr. Garrett sen.) had seduced, and the lady to whom he introduced his son.</div><div><br /></div><div>The jury would be told that the marriage was not against Garrett's wish. On the contrary, he wished it so far as they could judge by his words and actions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Continuing, counsel said his (deceased's) conduct from November, 1905, when he intended to take out a policy on his own life down to the day before he died, shewed he regarded that policy as his property.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Alice Garrett said she was a professional nurse living in Charles Street, Bath, with Nurse Manning. She went out to day patients and received lady patients at the house. She had two rooms--a sitting room and large bedroom. She first knew Mr. Garrett sen. in September, 1904.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Weatherly: I think it is a fact that he seduced you? Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Was there any question of marriage between you? Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Judge: whose part?--On his part. He proposed it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Weatherly: This state of intimacy went on about the end of 1905? Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness said she endeavoured to put an end to it when she heard that was courting somebody else, and she told him that he was either to put an end to the acquaintanceship or marry. He stopped calling.</div><div><br /></div><div>Witness then told how he introduced his son Alec to her in July, 1906.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was no truth in the arrangement to pay 10s. week.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Garrett sen. made the suggestion that she should marry the son to make up for what had happened in the past.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some letters were shown to the Judge, who remarked that there was suggestion of impropriety in them. He said the jury could see the letters.</div><div><br /></div><div>She further stated that Mr. Garrett at an interview at the Empire Hotel said he was pleased about the marriage, and she could have all the furniture she wanted from his house, and that there was a £500 policy on Alec's life, which she would have at his death.</div><div><br /></div><div>In reply to Mr. Vachell, witness said that Alec knew of the intimacy between her and his father. She was seduced by Mr. Garrett, senr., on promise of marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Vachell: Did it occur to you that you had a substantial action against him for breach of promise of marriage? I didn't want to.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you threaten Alec with a breach of promise of marriage? Yes.</div><div><br /></div><div>When? At the time tore down the notice.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>After some discussion, his Honour admitted the following letter found at Mr. Garrett's house in Sydney Place: "This is my wish that all I have got in the world I leave to my dear father and to allow 10s. to my wife a week. Alec. April 5, 1907." T</div><div><br /></div><div>The Judge, however, pointed out that it was written by man who drowned himself and was insane.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. T. Holt, who was manager of the National Provincial Bank from 1900 to 1906, said he proposed to Alec Garrett that a policy should be taken out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Weatherly: Did the father ever propose it to you? I proposed it to secure the bank. I made no proposal to the father that Alec should be insured. There was an assignment of the policy to the bank.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nurse Manning was then called.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Daniel Bethell, District Superintendent of the Britannic Insurance Co.,, was also called, and counsel then addressed the Court.</div><div><br /></div><div>His Honour, in the course of his summing up, said it was to those who had no sin to cast stones at their neighbours. It seemed to him whichever way they looked at the explanation of Mr. Garrett's conduct that was no ordinary sinner. He was a filthy old man. That was the only way could be described.</div><div><br /></div><div>Whether it was that he took his son to his cast-off mistress for the purpose of his son fornicating with her, or whether he took his son to his cast-off mistrees, in order that his son marry his cast-off mistress seemed to him of very little moment.</div><div><br /></div><div>Indeed, in either case his action was as disgusting as they could find detailed in any disgusting details in a Court of Justice. He did not tell the jury for that, that they were bound to disregard his evidence. But when they were weighing his evidence they would weigh it remembering to some extent what manner of man was give evidence.</div><div><br /></div><div>After five minutes' absence from the Court, the jury returned a verdict for the widow.</div><div><br /></div><div>Judgment was entered for the widow with costs, and his Honour made an order on the bank for £200.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-21885551675018833812021-07-05T17:15:00.000+01:002021-07-05T17:15:41.218+01:00"A lovely camisole for 11/6d" : the 1927 HMV mobile recordings at Hereford<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0QRGRn40xbQ/YDjA0hpcAHI/AAAAAAAA6tM/4nEEJL1koWYcFQ8ta0Pshj9W7Er7g3WkgCLcBGAsYHQ/s900/HMV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="900" height="223" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0QRGRn40xbQ/YDjA0hpcAHI/AAAAAAAA6tM/4nEEJL1koWYcFQ8ta0Pshj9W7Er7g3WkgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h223/HMV.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The HMV van at Hereford Cathedral, September 1927</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />Following the adoption of electrical recording in 1925, someone at the Gramophone Company (HMV) saw an opportunity for making records outside a dedicated studio or nearby building connected by GPO landline.</p><p>This led to the construction of the "Mobile Van" in 1926. A purpose-built Lancia commercial vehicle, registration number ML1003 (Middlesbrough County Borough), which contained seven tons of recording equipment. Housed at Gramophone Company headquarters in Hayes, Middlesex, it could be driven to locations across the United Kingdom. Although planned to make conventional recordings, it opened up the possibility of making recordings of performances in "real-time", as they happened.</p><p>The van's first task was to record <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaCaUMm4OyA">Harry Goss-Custard playing the brand-new organ of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral</a> on 8th February 1927</p><p>Famous recordings made on the van in 1927 included Ernest Lough singing in London's Temple Church in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUMBkhKfw_0">Mendelssohn's <i>Hear my prayer</i></a>, and cellist <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e2mMQ0ypEA">Beatrice Harrison duetting with a nightingale</a> in her Oxted garden at "Foyle Riding".</p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eqI25kvGsgY/YDj2dMZgpBI/AAAAAAAA6t4/i0gLNvbjVlwjQGSNTn9B_aC-ZmYk8PURgCLcBGAsYHQ/s782/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="363" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eqI25kvGsgY/YDj2dMZgpBI/AAAAAAAA6t4/i0gLNvbjVlwjQGSNTn9B_aC-ZmYk8PURgCLcBGAsYHQ/w186-h400/Capture.JPG" width="186" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HMV advertisement<br />Sheffield Daily Telegraph, Friday 20 January 1928</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Early in the year the Gramophone Company started negotiations with the Three Choirs Festival Committee to make live recordings that the Hereford Festival in September 1927. One of their star artists, Sir Edward Elgar, was due to conduct not only <i>The Dream of Gerontius</i> and <i>The Music Makers</i> but also the premiere of his <i>Civic Fanfare</i>, specially commissioned for the opening concert in the cathedral.</p><p>The <i>Bedfordshire Times and Independent</i> reviewed the records on Friday 3rd February 1928. The review gives us a good idea of the impact the records made on contemporary listeners remembering, also, that they would have been heard on an acoustic gramophone, incapable of reproducing the finer details:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Dream</i> was performed at the last Three Choirs Festival in Hereford Cathedral under the conductorship of Sir Edward Elgar himself, and records were made of one or two passages by means of the mobile recording apparatus.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The results are vividly realistic - and moat tantalizing! Directly the first record begins we are actually m the cathedral, no effort of imagination needed : the sensitive microphone has caught and transmitted to the recording apparatus not merely the beauty of tone and detail of the performance, but the actual sense of the presence of large assembly. One is so conscious of forming part of that hushed audience that the abrupt break at the end of the record is quite a shock. However, we are but eavesdroppers and must be thankful that modem science can do so much for us.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The eavesdropping begins with the passages "So, pray for me" and "O Jesu help" in Part I. The solo part is sung with extreme poignancy by Tudor Davies, and the choral and orchestral background beautifully proportioned and distinct in every detail (the orchestra is the London Symphony Orchestra). In Part II we hear Horace Stevens singing with solemn impressiveness "Jesu, by that shuddering dread", and Margaret Balfour's exquisitely tender rendering of "Softly and gently", after the last few bars of the tenor’s final passage, "Take me away". The close of this record is the most tantalizing moment: if only we could hear the rest—that glorious blinding of earthly prayers and celestial hymns of praise. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">This is not all, however. There are two records containing passages from Elgar’s <i>The Music Makers</i>, the composer again conducting, and Brewer's <i>Nunc Dimittis</i>, and in each the choral singing is extremely fine. Referring generally to all four records it is difficult to praise too highly the skill of the "HMV" experts in securing such well-proportioned and beautiful reproductions.</p></blockquote><p>The reviewer in the <i>Yorkshire Evening Post</i> of Saturday 28th January 1928 was cautious about the results:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Recording Public Performances. </h3></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Three Choirs' Festival on Gramophone. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The most ambitious attempt yet made to record for the gramophone an actual public performance of great musical works was that of the H.M.V. Company at the Three Choirs Festival a few months ago in Hereford Cathedral. The discs were made by the aid of microphones fixed in the cathedral and connected with a mobile recording laboratory mounted on a motor lorry which stood at one the entrances. They have now been issued and gramophone enthusiasts will able to judge the progress which has been made. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The portions of the festival recorded are three numbers from Sir Edward Elgar's <i>The Music Makers</i> and four from <i>The Dream of Gerontius</i>, all conducted by the composer. It is appropriate that Elgar should be associated in this way with such a development, for he and his father were violinist and organist together in the orchestra of earlier Three Choirs Festivals which go back well over 200 years, while Sir Edward has shown keen personal interest the development of gramophone. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">Difficulties. </h3></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Frankly, one must regard these records as largely experimental. Tbc difficulties which have to be overcome are great; but it must be said at once that the reverberations of the cathedral and the noises made the congregation, such as the movement of chairs and coughing, are much less intrusive than one has heard in broadcast performances under similar conditions. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> The fact that the performance cannot be regulated to suit the recording is apparent in two or three instances where the music on the disc finishes abruptly; but in the circumstances this is almost unavoidable. In the louder choral passages, the cathedral adds a characteristic echo, and it will found in playing these records that a much better effect is obtained listening to them at some distance from the gramophone—from adjoining room through open door, for example. There doubtless some scientific explanation for this. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">The tenor soloist in <i>The Dream</i> is Tudor Davies, who has developed rather irritating mannerisms on the operatic stage; but in the cathedral his singing sounds much finer one had expected. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> The music of these records often attains real beauty, and to lovers of Elgar's choral works they will be especially welcome, while the H.M.V. technicians will have gained valuable experience for future efforts.</p></blockquote><p>The Daily Herald's reviewer, on Tuesday 24th January 1928, took a more light-hearted approach;</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;">CHOIRS FESTIVAL RECORDS</h3></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Church Atmosphere on the Gramophone</p><p> When the singer won't go to the gramophone recording studio, the studio must go to the singers. So a neat lorry drove up to Hereford Cathedral last September and waited there during the Three Choirs Festival</p><p>The lorry was connected to a microphone inside the cathedral, and the result of this quiet visit is the production of four H.M.V. records of the actual singing Elgar's <i>Music Makers</i> and <i>The Dream of Gerontius</i>. The atmosphere of a great church is uncannily conveyed, and there is a general effect of strength and singularity.</p></blockquote><p>Forty-five years later, in a letter to the editor of <i>The Gramophone </i>of 2nd October 1972, retired HMV engineer Bernard Wratten recalled those Hereford recordings:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>One evening, after the day's music making was done, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Hull">Dr. Hull</a> invited us round to his house, where we found an impressive assortment of English composers, singer and musicians. While we were there he told us that the wife of a local baronet, a lady with a considerable reputation for silliness, had been so taken with the hat of another member of the audience sitting just across the aisle during a rehearsal that she leant over to ask, under cover of combined choir and orchestra, where the hat had been bought. She had to raise her voice and at that moment the music stopped, She was clearly heard all over the Cathedral.</p><p>The tale acquired its widely circulated form from our Public Relations Officer. It had nothing whatsoever to do with our recording but he felt there was a good news-story in it, and after decorating it he sent it out to the newspapers, most of which published it.</p></blockquote><p>It was Gramophone Company veteran, friend of Elgar, and Artistic Director of the International Artistes' Department, Fred Gaisberg who recorded the most decorated version of this story in his 1942 autobiography <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.156851/page/n7/mode/2up">The Music Goes Round</a>.</i> He also provided a valuable insight into the successes and failures of mobile recording:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>One of the first innovations to follow electric recording was a mobile van, with which we could realize the dream of recording actual performances. We used it with ah the gusto of a new toy. The Royal Choral Society choir of 800 strong was recorded during a <i>Messiah</i> performance in the Albert Hall, <i>Gerontius</i> at Worcester Cathedral during a Three Choir Festival, and massed bands of 1,000 players at the Crystal Palace. The Covent Garden Opera, Staatsoper in Berlin, La Scala in Milan, and the Paris Opera were all recorded later during actual performances. Many of these records were issued to the public and had a great success. For instance, the sale of the “Hallelujah Chorus” and “Lift Up Your Heads” afforded the Royal Choral Society a revenue for several years that made up the loss on many a concert.</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">Yet often apologies had to be tendered for coughs, sneezes and snorts from the conductor. In Toscanini’s case, for instance, he always sings along with the ’cello part and grinds his teeth. In the actual performances of opera the prompter, spitting out the cues and singing the entrance notes for the singers, disturbed the enjoyment of these records. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p> Once at the Three Choir performance of <i>Gerontius</i>, during a sudden silent pause after a <i>forte</i> climax, a lady’s voice talking about “a lovely camisole for 11/6d” was clearly exposed when the record was played back, and so ruined a fine set. ["11/6d" would have been spoken as "eleven-and-six" or "eleven shillings and sixpence." In decimal currency it is the equivalent of 57.5p, or £23.44 in 2017.]</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>Before any of this “on the spot” recording could be projected commercially, complicated negotiations had to be undertaken with each individual unit concerned—choir, orchestra, soloists, conductor, Dean of the Cathedral and even the sexton, and their signed permission obtained before recording could legally be undertaken. At first the public bought these records because of their novelty, but afterwards the sales dropped off and the heavy costs made the venture unattractive for the gramophone companies. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">... </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p> At the first Music Festival at Queen’s Hall, a fine recording conducted by Toscanini, of the Brahms Second Symphony, was ruined by so much coughing, an unmistakable sign of an influenza epidemic, that the records had to be destroyed. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcB4C2xNRRk/YDkjVmZf0UI/AAAAAAAA6uI/Bs2EnR752_Iz1tIniGGl416adYLYZum2QCPcBGAYYCw/s356/C_1329_CR_1020-6A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="356" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bcB4C2xNRRk/YDkjVmZf0UI/AAAAAAAA6uI/Bs2EnR752_Iz1tIniGGl416adYLYZum2QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/C_1329_CR_1020-6A.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C1329</td></tr></tbody></table>The Temple Church Choir, thanks to the masterly training of Sir Walford Davies, came into great prominence, but it was their gramophone recording of <i>Hear My Prayer</i>, one of the early commissions of the mobile van, that brought it international fame and caused the dusty old “church of the lawyers” to be so overwhelmed by visitors from the Dominions and the U.S.A. that tickets of admission had to be issued. The recording took place in 1926 at a special private session in the Temple Church. Thalben Ball was the choirmaster and organist, and Ernest Lough, then between 14 and 15, was the solo boy. A happy combination of chance helped to make this lovely record: the soft, acoustic resonance of the church, a boys’ choir with a fine discipline, a choirmaster who was a first-rate trainer, and a gifted boy with a musical sensibility and a silver voice just then at its prime. A year later the moment would have passed, for the voice had changed. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p>The fame of record C1329 spread like wildfire and in a few years close on one million copies were sold. The royalties payable to the Temple Church really embarrassed the lawyers, so unexpected was their sum total. After bonuses to each member of the choir there was sufficient left over for a fine holiday. With the balance they founded a scholarship. </p></blockquote><p>Although Bernard Wratten in his 1972 letter said that HMV's Public Relations Department used this myth to promote the 1927 Hereford recordings, there is no evidence of this before the <i>Nottingham Journal</i>'s item of Friday 13th November 1931. This was on the occasion of the inauguration of the new recording studios in Abbey Road, St John's Wood, by Sir Edward Elgar. The van had been built its own garage at Abbey Road:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">GRAMOPHONE FLYING SQUAD. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">REMARK THAT WAS “PUT ON RECORD.”</p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">(From Our Own Correspondent.) London, Thursday. </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>Adjoining the vast new recording studios or the H.M.V. Company at St. Johns Wood, inaugurated to-day by the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Edward Elgar, is a garage which accommodates the "flying squad" of the gramophone world.</p><p>In it is a large enclosed van containing ail the apparatus necessary for making a record in readiness to set out for any part of the country in short notice. </p><p>It has been all over the North and Midlands to choir festivals, organ recitals and public gatherings.</p><p>It was used to make a record of an organ recital by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bairstow">Dr. Bairstow</a>, at York Minster, and it has been to Leeds and Hereford for their famous choral festivals. </p><p>"The apparatus carried weighs seven tons," one of the operators told me to-day, "and so the car has to driven very carefully. We can move when occasion requires, however. </p><p>"The funniest experience I ever had when recording from the van was at Hereford. We were In the middle of making a record of the Three Choirs Festival when suddenly, to our horror, remark from somebody near the microphone came through loud and clear on our speaker. It was pointed reference to the silk stockings worn by one of the ladles present. We decided to scrap that record."</p></blockquote><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wcjev_dmIhk/YDj0Z7O18GI/AAAAAAAA6t0/gp8oHR3qKpktjMLyckqdEfpj9rSi-fhfwCPcBGAYYCw/s1215/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1215" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wcjev_dmIhk/YDj0Z7O18GI/AAAAAAAA6t0/gp8oHR3qKpktjMLyckqdEfpj9rSi-fhfwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hereford photo of the van published in 1927 in a mock-up of the van outside York Minster </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p> </p><div><br /></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-13894194508873200652021-04-21T17:55:00.003+01:002022-09-08T11:15:04.069+01:00Family Histories<p style="text-align: left;">The fruits of my early retirement, and especially three periods of lockdown. You will find all these trees on <a href="http://Ancestry.co.uk">Ancestry.co.uk</a></p><h1 style="text-align: left;">Music and recording</h1><div>'Anton Strelezki' - mysterious musician</div><div>'Audrey Mildmay' - soprano and co-founder of Glyndebourne Opera</div><div>'Daisy Bucktrout' - English pianist</div><div>'Doris Vane' - soprano</div><div>'Evlyn Howard-Jones' - English pianist</div><div>'Fifine de la Côte' - Devonport-born soprano</div><div>'Lloyd Chandos' - English tenor</div><div>'Marie Novello' - the Welsh pianist born Maria Williams</div><div>'Maurice d'Oisly and Rosina Buckram' - two famous singers</div><div>'Olga, Elgar and Eli' - the Hudson Trio</div><div>'Ruby Helder' - English female tenor</div><div>'W. F. Watt' - Scottish-Irish tenor</div><div>Ada Sassoli - Italian harpist</div><div>Alan Dower Blumlein - pioneer of stereophonic recording</div><div>Alma - a music teacher in wartime Windsor</div><div>Andrew Bohman - music teacher</div><div>Anne Thursfield - mezzo-soprano</div><div>Anthony C Griffith - British recording engineer</div><div>Ben and Peter - Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears</div><div>Brian Sewell - art historian - includes his father Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock)</div><div>Bryan Davies - The Rachmaninov of the Rhondda</div><div>Carmen Hill - Scottish contralto</div><div>Cipriani Potter - English composer and friend of Beethoven</div><div>Clara Butt and Kennerley Rumford - English singers</div><div>Colonel George Gouraud - soldier, inventor and entrepreneur</div><div>Constance Shacklock - English contralto </div><div>Dame Ethel Smyth - English composer</div><div>Dame Janet Baker - English singer</div><div>Dame Patricia Routledge - English actress and singer</div><div>David Stone - composer and arranger</div><div>Denise Leigh - English soprano</div><div>Denne Parker - singer and voice coach - includes Sir Granville Bantock</div><div>Dr William Prendergast - English organist</div><div>Edna Thornton - contralto</div><div>Eli Parish (Elias Parish-Alvars) - English harpist and composer</div><div>Ethel Hobday - pianist</div><div>Felix Salmond - Elgar's cellist</div><div>Ferdinand Schottlaender - the husband of Jessie Bond</div><div>Frank Pollock - American tenor</div><div>Frank Tapp - composer, conductor and pianist of Bath</div><div>Fred Hylands - who died in Barrow-in-Furness</div><div>George Butterworth - English composer</div><div>George Walters - a friend of E.D.U.</div><div>Gilbert, Sullivan and D'Oyly Carte</div><div>Goddard-Flicker-Mellish-Harvey</div><div>Gustav Holst - English composer</div><div>Gwen Catley - coloratura soprano</div><div>Harry Plunket Greene - Anglo-Irish baritone</div><div>Harry Yager - cabinetmaker and creator of the 'Yagerphone'</div><div>Henry Balfour Gardiner - composer</div><div>Henry Geehl - English musician</div><div>Henry Lane Wilson - English baritone and composer</div><div>Herbert Heyner and Bertha Lewis</div><div>Hope Jackman - singer and actress</div><div>Ida Haendel - violinist</div><div>Ignatius Sancho - English composer, grocer and butler</div><div>Ilse Veda Duttlinger - American-German violinist</div><div>Irene Thomas - a very special person</div><div>James Henry Lewis - Principal of the Victoria College of Music</div><div>Janet and Marion - American singers</div><div>Joan Gray - contralto</div><div>Johannes Wagenaar - Dutch composer</div><div>Joseph Bossi - trumpet player of Bath</div><div>Joyce Gartside - soprano</div><div>Joyce Grenfell - English comedienne</div><div>Kathleen Ferrier - English contralto</div><div>Lambert Williamson - composer</div><div>Leff Pouishnoff - Ukrainian pianist</div><div>Lillian Elkington - composer</div><div>Liza Lehmann - English composer</div><div>Louise Kirkby Lunn - contralto</div><div>Margaret Ritchie - soprano</div><div>Marion Grimaldi - English soprano</div><div>Marjorie Westbury - actress and singer</div><div>Nancy Evans - English mezzo-soprano</div><div>Nicholls and Harty - soprano and composer-conductor</div><div>Norfolk Magone - conductor</div><div>Norman Del Mar - English conductor</div><div>Patricia Fairlie Baird - Australian soprano</div><div>Percy Kahn - pianist, organist and accompanist</div><div>Peter Maxwell Davies - composer</div><div>Raimund Herincx - English baritone</div><div>Rev. Thomas Helmore - the man behind <i>Good King Wenceslas</i> and other carols</div><div>Richard Arnell - British composer</div><div>Richard Tauber - Austrian tenor</div><div>Rutland Boughton - creator of the first Glastonbury Festival</div><div>Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - composer</div><div>Sir Adrian Boult - English conductor</div><div>Sir Edward Elgar - composer</div><div>Sir Edward German - English composer</div><div>Sir Henry Lytton and his extended family</div><div>Stanley Bate - Plymouth's forgotten composer</div><div>Steven Peppiatt - the 'EMG Colonel'</div><div>Tahu Rhodes Family Tree</div><div>The Gresham Singers</div><div>The Ramagnano musicians of Plymouth</div><div>The Speyer Family Tree</div><div>Theo Marzials - composer</div><div>Thomas Adès - composer</div><div>Walter, Vernon and Maryetta Midgley - a trio of English singers</div><div>Two Atkins families</div><div>Dr. William Crotch - child prodigy, composer, academic and organist</div><div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Stage, Film, Television and Radio</h1><div>'Charles Vane' - English actor</div><div>'Fenella Fielding' - British actress</div><div>'Gorden Kaye' - an English actor</div><div>'Hattie Jacques' - British comedienne</div><div>Ada Allen - housekeeper to Sir John Martin-Harvey and his family</div><div>Angela Rippon - TV personality</div><div>Ann Stephens - child star</div><div>Babs - Barbara Windsor - English actress</div><div>Ben Debar - English actor</div><div>Betjemanns, Boatwrights and Bishops</div><div>Christine Keeler and her world</div><div>Cliff Gordon - actor and playwright</div><div>Cyril Clensy - actor</div><div>Dame Patricia Routledge - English actress</div><div>Esmond and Rosalind Knight - English actors</div><div>Ferdinand Schottlaender - the husband of Jessie Bond</div><div>Francis Alick Howard - 'Frankie Howerd' - comedian</div><div>George Edwardes - theatre manager</div><div>Gilbert, Sullivan and D'Oyly Carte</div><div>Goddard-Flicker-Mellish-Harvey</div><div>Hope Jackman - singer and actress</div><div>Irene Thomas - a very special person</div><div>Jenny Sontag - actress</div><div>Joan Hickson - actress</div><div>Joan Sims - English actress</div><div>John Inman and Josephine Tewson - were they cousins?</div><div>Joyce Grenfell - English comedienne</div><div>Kenneth Williams</div><div>Leslie Crowther</div><div>Mabel Constanduros - actress and writer</div><div>Marjorie Westbury - actress and singer</div><div>Peter Ustinov</div><div>Pru and Tim - two English actors</div><div>Ralph de Rohan - actor</div><div>Sir Henry Lytton and his extended family</div><div>Victoria Wood</div><div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Writers</h1><div>'Ellis Walton' - the English poet</div><div>'Margaret Rose' - lyricist</div><div>Bertram Paget Matthews - playwright</div><div>Betjemanns, Boatwrights and Bishops</div><div>Cecil Torr - author of <i>Small Talk in Wreyland</i></div><div>Charles and Mary Lamb</div><div>Christopher Fowler - English writer</div><div>Cliff Gordon - actor and playwright</div><div>Dora Jessie Saint - Miss Read - author</div><div>Frederick William Rolfe, Baron Corvo</div><div>Gilbert, Sullivan and D'Oyly Carte</div><div>Gladys de Mancha - the woman who wrote 'Kiddi-logues'</div><div>Goddard-Flicker-Mellish-Harvey</div><div>Henry Courtoy - Keeper of the Chapel Royal, Holyrood</div><div>Jeanne Preston - the editor of Anne Hughes' Diary</div><div>Joan Henry - English writer</div><div>Joyce Grenfell - English comedienne</div><div>Mabel Constanduros - actress and writer</div><div>Mary Maria Colling - poet of Devon</div><div>N. C. Hunter - the English Chekhov</div><div>Nell and Frank - a love story of the Great War</div><div>Pam Ayres - English poet</div><div>Peter Gold New</div><div>Peter Ustinov</div><div>The Durrells</div><div>The Provincial Lady - 'E. M. Delafield'</div><div>Victoria Wood</div><div>Wills and Langbridge - writers of <i>The Only Way</i></div><div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Artists and Architects</h1><div>Emily Mary Osborn - English artist</div><div>Erik Ekengren - artist</div><div>The Bonomi Family - Anglo-Italian architects</div><div>Zaida Ben Yusuph </div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Crime</h1><div>'Norman Scott' - a man more sinned against</div><div>Adam Wagstaff - convicted of bestiality</div><div>Charles Peace - murderer</div><div>Christine Keeler and her world</div><div>Ferdinand Schottlaender - the husband of Jessie Bond</div><div>Jane 'Sax' - a little girl murdered by James Longhurst</div><div>Jane Pearce - victim of attempted murder</div><div>Nicholas Day - who murdered his wife</div><div>Nurse Sauvarin - wife of four days</div><div>Princess Caraboo</div><div>Ruth Ellis - the last woman to be hanged in England</div><div>Sarah Smith - poisoned by Charles Barlow</div><div>The <i>Mignonette</i> - the men behind Regina v Dudley and Stephens</div><div>The 'Towpath Murderer' and his victims</div><div>The Canonical Five</div><div>The Uncanonicals</div><div>The World of 19 Cleveland Street</div><div>Thomas Busby - 'juvenile robber'</div><div>Walter Charles Douse - a gullible man</div><div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Against the tide</h1><div>'Catherine Coome' - who lived for forty years as a man</div><div>'Ennis Lawson' - an intriguing lady</div><div>'Gentleman Jack' - Miss Lister and Miss Walker</div><div>'Sam Redfern' - the 'Black Philosopher'</div><div>Cora - the Pearl of Plymouth</div><div>Dr Mabel Ramsay - pioneering female doctor</div><div>Eric and Irina Barton - the Wooton Timeslip couple</div><div>Florence Pannell - supercentenarian</div><div>Francis Barber - Dr Johnson's assistant</div><div>Goddard-Flicker-Mellish-Harvey</div><div>Janet and Marion - American singers</div><div>Joanna Southcott - English prophetess</div><div>Lilith Lucile Bruce - suffragist</div><div>Teddy Grimes and Marmalade Emma - two Colchester personalities</div><div>The 'Silly Hannahs' - two of Colchester's eccentrics</div><div>The Archers - an everyday story of Ambridge folk</div><div>William Penwarden - who hanged himself in a railway train</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">(Fairly) Ordinary folk</h1><div>'Mrs Baigent' - chain-smoking cataloguer of Plymouth Public Libraries</div><div>'Mrs F. R. Phillips'</div><div>'Tilly Allen' and family</div><div>'Toddie' - Miss Winifred Todd</div><div>Alfred Haydn Pellitt - a Burnley man killed in action</div><div>Arabella Amelia Wills</div><div>Boxall Family Tree</div><div>Dr William Skelly - General Practitioner of Poplar</div><div>Eli Turner - mechanical engineer of Calais</div><div>Elizabeth Cookworthy - the woman in the Bretonside Coffin</div><div>Emma Sophia Stroud</div><div>Fred Plampin</div><div>Fursdon, Egg Buckland, Devon</div><div>Geoffrey Waring Lamb</div><div>Gilbert Slater</div><div>Harris of Southend</div><div>Goddard-Flicker-Mellish-Harvey</div><div>Grace Jane Andrews</div><div>John Burnicle - of the ship 'Friends' Adventure'</div><div>John Courtoy and his world</div><div>John Down Cockwell - laundry proprietor</div><div>John J Norton - philanthropist</div><div>John Oxland - with both possible sets of parents</div><div>Joseph Whiteside Boyle - Hampton Hill's forgotten resident</div><div>King-Murfet</div><div>Know Thine Enemy</div><div>Little Charlie Goddard</div><div>Margaret and Mike Maker</div><div>Mary Berry - TV cook</div><div>Michael Joseph Falcon</div><div>Miss Daphne Maude Whiteman - family friend</div><div>Mudlarking</div><div>Nurse Sauvarin - wife of four days</div><div>Peter Gold New</div><div>Richard Goyder and his family</div><div>Roe Family Tree</div><div>Ron and Win - killed by a train on their wedding day</div><div>Rowbottom-Rogers</div><div>Samuel Woolrick - designer</div><div>Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes - First Baronet of Maristow</div><div>Spanners and Smalts</div><div>Squelch Family Tree</div><div>Stoker Wheway</div><div>Symons Family Tree</div><div>The Burridge family</div><div>The Chadder Family of Holbeton</div><div>The Cotton Family</div><div>The Crapper Family</div><div>The Curling Tree</div><div>The Eggins Family</div><div>The Goldsmith Family Tree</div><div>The Gomez Family of Plymouth</div><div>The Guhrauer Mystery</div><div>The Lort Family</div><div>The Martin Family</div><div>The O'Hara Family</div><div>The Ovington-Jones sisters of Hampton Hill, Middlesex</div><div>The owners of Erddig</div><div>The Oxland Family</div><div>The Parkers of Saltram</div><div>The Prichard Family</div><div>Theresa May - former Prime Minister</div><div>Walter Hammerton - ferryman</div><div>Whitewick Family Tree</div><div>Who was Jessie Annandale?</div><div>William and Frances - who looked the wrong way and were killed by a tram</div><div>William Clarke - haberdasher of Enfield, Middlesex</div><div>William Hoskings - a Waterloo House young man</div><div>William John Stephen Clark</div><div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Royalty</h1><div>Goddard-Flicker-Mellish-Harvey - includes UK royal family</div><div>Joseph Whiteside Boyle - Hampton Hill's forgotten resident - included Queen Marie of Romania</div><div>King Manuel II of Portugal</div><div><br /></div><h1 style="text-align: left;">Teachers</h1><div>'Dr Mortimer' - headmaster of Thames Valley Grammar School</div><div>'Mr Jeremy' - French teacher at Thames Valley Grammar School</div><div><div>Alma - a music teacher in wartime Windsor</div></div><div>Andrew Bohman - music teacher</div><div>Mr Bligh - first headmaster of Thames Valley Grammar School</div><div>Peter Gold New</div><div>Rosalind Sanford</div><div>The Marmoy Family</div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-51180872125898395192021-02-11T11:42:00.005+00:002021-02-11T12:23:22.698+00:00The Re-opening of St Mary the Virgin, Wivenhoe, after restoration, in 1860<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nAKuKQ17L58/YCUXtJSYMYI/AAAAAAAA6dQ/A95jjJ3d03sF9QzT0LkYb6ZgHuA25GX4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2002/Wivenhoe-Church-pre1884-ESAHS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1526" data-original-width="2002" height="305" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nAKuKQ17L58/YCUXtJSYMYI/AAAAAAAA6dQ/A95jjJ3d03sF9QzT0LkYb6ZgHuA25GX4wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h305/Wivenhoe-Church-pre1884-ESAHS.jpg" title="St Mary the Virgin, Wivenhoe" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Mary the Virgin, Wivenhoe, before the earthquake of 1884</td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova", sans-serif">From the</span><i style="font-family: "Gill Sans Nova", sans-serif;"> </i><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Essex Standard - Wednesday 13 June 1860</span></i></h2><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Wivenhoe Church had long needed restoration, and
to those who see it in its renovated and re-modelled state it may not be
uninteresting to glance back at what it was little more than a year ago—a
source of anxious care to the Rector—of a feeling akin to sorrow to all who had
a local interest in it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The flat roofs of the chancel and aisles were in
danger of falling in from decay; the nave roof not much safer, though it had
undergone a recent repair, and had a stained deal ceiling, showing fair below; the
parapets of tower and south aisle dangerous; the buttresses falling from the
tower they should support; the damp earth of the churchyard accumulated several
feet above the level of the floor; the flooring rotten, the paving damp, the
pews unsightly and inconvenient; one south porch the ruin of an old oak
structure, which, while the architect was talking of repairing, was blown away
by the wind, leaving nothing that could be made serviceable again. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Such was the constructive condition of the church,
and the old arrangement of the interior was so bad for all church purposes as
to warrant a re-building, even had the state of repair not then been what it
really was.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">A low chancel arch, with massive piers, placed
nearer the west end by 13 feet than the present, reduced the nave to 30 feet
instead of 43 feet, as it now is; and the excessive chancel, void of all
architectural effect or of church-like propriety, received the bulk of the
congregation in high square pews, and contained also the pulpit, reading-desk,
and clerk's desk, leaving to the nave a dwarfed and inferior aspect; while to
open the view from a gallery, which extended all over the north chancel aisle,
the old arcade had been ruthlessly removed, and the roofs were supported by the
wooden posts that carried at the same time the gallery. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">When we have added to this description another
gallery at the west end, and a broken font, a wooden east window, and cement
windows on the south side, we present some picture of the work undertaken by the
Committee. Looking at the present appearance of the sacred edifice it is not
too much to say that their labours have been crowned with entire success, and
have produced a church which, for singular beauty of proportion and richness of
design, with the chaste elegance of all its accessories, may be long without a
rival and we heartily congratulate them on the termination of their efforts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Stone porches protect both the north and south
doors; the north, which forms the principal entrance, is very handsome: above
the deeply-moulded entrance arch is a carved panel representing the "miraculous
draft of fishes," appropriate as symbolizing the ingathering of the
Church, and locally reminding us of Wivenhoe being a maritime and fishing
village. Both porches are surmounted by ornamental crosses, and have oak roofs.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Massive oak doors, covered with iron-work, open
into the north and south aisles of the nave, the two first arches of which are
original, and, with some dilapidated windows of the north aisle, which have
been replaced with new, have given the key to the architectural period of the
whole work, viz., the Decorated of the 14th century. A third corresponding arch
complete the length of the nave, which is terminated by a lofty chancel arch,
carried on bracketed columns, with angle corbels, exquisitely carved. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The chancel has two arches in length, except that
on the south side a third smaller arch is introduced, which, while its object
is manifest in giving an open cheerful aspect to the seats at this end of the
south aisle, gives a pleasing effect of irregularity the corresponding space on
the other side being occupied by the vestry. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">With the exception of the south aisle, which has
been added, all the walls are on the old foundation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">As there are now no galleries, the tower arch is
open, and shows the west window above the organ—the old organ in a renovated
case. A little in advance of the tower arch is a new font square in shape, on
polished-marble pillars, with carved capitals, at the angles of which, rounded
off till they blend into the circular form of the columns, are carved lilies,
to signify the dedication of the Church to St. Mary the Virgin. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The pulpit and reading-desk are of stone, combined
in one composition, and placed on the north-west side of the chancel arch. A
pierced parapet encloses the reading-desk, from which, on the west side, a
marble column rises to support the Bible, and brass scrolls carry the prayer-desk
on the south side. The front of the pulpit has a carved panel representing
"the Sermon on the Mount," and round the top, under a carved cornice,
are Scripture sentences. This is a memorial donation in memory of one who died
before the work she had longed to see completed was yet begun. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The altar rail is also of stone: a parapet of open
pierced trefoils leaving a vacant space in the centre in front of the table,
the effect of which is exceedingly good. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The whole of the pewing is of oak, very massive
and solid; all the parcels in the square ends of the nave seats are filled with
carved tracery of varying design.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">In the chancel the stall ends have carved finials
of beautiful workmanship, and on the elbows are carved animals, the dove or
eagle, the griffin, and dog. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The east window of the chancel and the east window
of the north chancel aisle are filled with the richest stained glass, and are
both memorial windows, as are also the tower window and the west window of the
south aisle of the nave. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Open timber roofs of high pitch cover the building.
The chancel and its aisles are in three gables. The nave is gabled, with
lean-to roofs for its aisles. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The chancel roof has arched ribs of peculiar form,
placed both transverse and longitudinally. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The nave roof has transverse arched ribs, with bosses
carved as heads representing the twelve Apostles and the Saviour. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The effect of these unstained roofs is very
satisfactory, while exteriorly their height is a great improvement, bringing the
church into view from many distant points from whence it could not formerly be
seen. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Considering that the Committee have ventured £500
beyond the funds at present placed at their disposal, we cannot blame them
(since no actual necessity to do more existed) for stopping somewhat short of
what the attainment of exterior perfection would have suggested; but we hope at
some future and not distant day to see the anomalous turret removed from the
top of the tower, and another effort made to replace it with a spire, which
will render the outline of the edifice as complete and harmonious as the
interior. As it is, however. Wivenhoe may well be proud of its church; and,
judging from the holiday appearance of the village on Wednesday, the flags and
flowers and decorations of various kinds which were displayed from the houses
surrounding the sacred edifice, such undoubtedly is the feeling of the inhabitants,
together with the pleasing anticipation of once more being able to worship in
their own church, after a suspension of that privilege for fully 12 months, the
first stone of the new works having been laid by Lady Georgiana Rebow on the l0th
of June, 1859. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The total cost of the restoration is about £3,000.
The design was furnished by, and the works carried out under the superintendence
of, E. C. Hakewill, Esq., Architect, of 8, South Molton Street, London; the
builders being Messrs. White, of Vauxhall Road, London, and Mr. Eade, of
Wivenhoe. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The weather was exceedingly stormy; but, although
necessarily a considerable drawback to the comfort of the visitors, it fortunately
seemed to have no effect in diminishing their numbers; and by half-past 11
o'clock the church was filled, the congregation including a large number of the
local gentry and the clergy of the eastern part of the county. The Right Rev.
the Lord Bishop of Rochester, who had consented to preach on the occasion, sat
at the communion table with the Rev. G. Fisk, the preacher for the afternoon.
The morning service including the Litany, was read by the Rector, the Rev. E.
T. Waters. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The Bishop selected as his text 1 Peter II. 4, 5—"<i>To
whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,
an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by
Jesus Christ.</i>" <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">[Sermon omitted here]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">At the close of his Lordship's discourse the Rev.
G. Fisk read the Offertory sentences, during which the parish officers—J. G.
Rebow, Esq., and Mr. William Browne, Churchwardens; and Messrs. Blyth and Mr.
N. Harvey, Overseers, made the collection, which, including four donations of £5
each, amounted to £87 17s. 7d. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">By invitation of the Rector, the Bishop,
accompanied by J. G. Rebow, Esq., and a large number of clergy, repaired to the
Rectory, where an elegant luncheon had been provided. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The dining-room, though large, was not of
sufficient dimensions to hold a fifth part of the assembled guests. On those
who had first sat down to the luncheon rising from the table to make room for
others, the Rector requested them to remain for a few moments whilst he
proposed to them (which he did in a few graceful and feeling words) to drink
the health of the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, who had kindly come amongst them
that day, with many thanks for the valuable and excellent discourse which he had
delivered in the church. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The Bishop, in rising to return thanks to Mr.
Waters and the company assembled for the compliment they had paid him, assured
them that he felt that so far from any thanks being due to him for appearing
amongst them on so highly interesting an occasion, the pleasure—he might almost
term it the selfish pleasure—of seeing such a vast assembly of the clergy and
laity of the neighbourhood was one which he would not easily forget. He
sincerely thanked them for the compliment they had paid him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Mr. Rebow then rose to thank his Lordship, on
behalf of the laity, for the kind manner in which he had spoken of them, and
assured him that if he should find himself as well supported by the clergy as
he was convinced he would be by the laity he would have no reason to complain of
a want of sympathy in carrying on his work in the arduous post which he had
been called upon and which he trusted he would long live to fill. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">At the afternoon service, which took place at four
o'clock, there was again a very full congregation. The prayers and lessons were
read by the Rector; and an eloquent extempore sermon was preached by the Rev.
George Fisk, LL.B., Prebendary of Lichfield, and Incumbent of the Abbey Church,
Great Malvern. The second collection was nearly £19, making the total proceeds
of the day £106.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">In the evening the Bishop was entertained at
dinner by Mr. and Lady Georgiana Rebow at Wivenhoe Park; and amongst those
present to meet his Lordship were Lord Braybrooke, Lord Norbury, the High
Sheriff and Mrs. Errington, Sir Claude de Crespigny, J. Bawtree, Esq., A.
Stewart, Esq., Rev. Dr. Seaman, Rev. G. Fisk. LL.B., Rev. E. T. Waters, Rev. L.
W. Owen (Rural Dean), Rev. C. Burney, Rev. O. Fisher, &c. The Bishop
remained the night at Wivenhoe Park, and left early on Thursday morning to fulfil
an engagement in another part of his Diocese. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">We append a list of the clergy and the principal
laity whom we observed present at the opening services, viz.,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Lord Norbury, J. Gurdon Rebow, Esq., A. Stewart,
Esq., Sir Claude de Crespigny, General Waters, J. Bawtree, Esq., G. H. Errington,
Esq. (High Sheriff), J. T. Ambrose, Esq., J. F. Bishop, Esq., J. Cardinall,
Esq., W. R. Havens, Esq., J. G. Chamberlain, Esq., C. Smythies, Esq., E. C.
Hakewill, Esq. (architect), F. Francis, Esq., P. Francis, Esq., J. H. Church,
Esq. (vestry clerk), &c., &c.; <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Revds. Dr. Taylor, Dr. Wright, Dr. Seaman, W.
Harrison, C. A. L'Oste, L. W. Owen. C. Burney, J. H. Dewhurst, J. Papillon, P.
Honywood, H. B. Newman, J. H. Pollexfen, R. Duffield, P. Fenn, W. Y. Smythies,
F. Curtis, J. Todd, B. Lodge, C. S. Lock, H. A. Olivier, G. E. Carter, H. R. S.
Smith, C. F. Hayter, J. M. Chapman, J. H. Swainson, G. T. Lermit, W. Thorp, H.
Calthrop, V. M. Torriano, W. R. Browell, R. S. Cummins, B. Smith, P. Bennett,
J. G. Jenkins, W. P. Babington, O. Fisher, J. Atkinson, T. C Brettingham, W.
Walsh, W. Laing, E. F. Ventris, J. Gregory, G. R. Medley, W. Latten, H. Evans,
J. Bates, S. C. Prickard (Dimsdale), — Carwithers, Chaplain to H.M.S. Pembroke,
&c. &c.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova", sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova", sans-serif">Besides contributions in money, some of the
principal decorations of the church are the result of private munificence.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The very handsome memorial window in the chancel
was the gift of the Corsellis family, to the memory of their parents and
ancestors, whose remains are deposited in the family vault beneath. The
subjects comprise the annunciation, baptism, crucifixion, and entombment. In
the east of the north chancel aisle is a stained glass memorial window,
presented by the Rev. E. T. Waters, to the memory of his deceased wife. The two
side lights represent our Saviour bearing the cross, and His appearance to Mary
Magdalene in the garden; and the central light depicts Christ's Ascension. The
upper tracery contains symbolical representations of the Trinity and the Four
Evangelists. These windows were executed by Warrington, of London. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Another memorial window, at the west-end of the
church, representing "Christ walking upon the sea and stilling the
tempest," was presented by Mrs. Martin, in memory of her deceased husband,
Captain Edward Martin, of the Marquis of Anglesea's yacht, Pearl. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The memorial window in the church tower, behind
the organ, depicting two full-sized figures of angels, expressive of praise,
was given by Mr. Isaac Blyth, to the memory of his late father, at the time of
the restoration of the sacred edifice. The two latter windows were executed by Cassell,
of London. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The stone pulpit is a memorial donation to the
church in memory of the deceased wife of the Rev. E. T. Waters, Rector, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">All the communion furniture, comprising two
beautifully-carved oak altar chairs, stools, Brussels floor carpet and rich
crimson velvet altar cloth, with gilt monogram “I H S” were the gift of Lady
Georgiana Gurdon Rebow; and Lady Claude de Crespigny presented a handsome book
cushion.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">The large Bible and Prayer-book, elegantly bound
in morocco on the reading desk, contained the following inscription “Presented
by the ladies and female parishioners to the parish church of St. Mary,
Wivenhoe, on its restoration, June 6th 1860. Rev. E. T. Waters, M.A., Rector; Rev.
J. J. Bennetts, Curate; J. G. Rebow, Esq. and Mr. W. Browne, churchwardens”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="line-height: 107%;">Two beautifully-carved wood alms plates, with the
inscriptions “Freely ye have received, freely give”, “God loveth a cheerful giver”
were presented by the Rector. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Gill Sans Nova",sans-serif" style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0Wivenhoe, Colchester, UK51.857997 0.9652740000000000823.547763163821152 -34.190976 80.16823083617885 36.121524tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-24288655633457814252020-11-26T14:23:00.004+00:002021-02-11T12:15:11.912+00:00Patricia Baird - Australian soprano<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bgqroKuc-k0" width="320" youtube-src-id="bgqroKuc-k0"></iframe></div><br /></div><span style="text-align: left;">It all started in 2006 when I bought an LP. It was one of those very early Decca LPs that didn't have an inner sleeve.</span>
<div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
On one side was a "vocal selection" from Sir Edward German's 1902 comic
opera <i>Merrie England</i>. On the other side were recordings of his two most
popular sets of dances drawn from incidental music to Shakespeare's <i>Henry
VIII</i> Sir Henry Irving's 1892 production and Edward Rose's 1900 play <i>English
Rose.</i> Better known as <i>Nell Gwyn</i> and based on the novel by Anthony Hope.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
The New Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Decca's producer Victor Olof
(1898 – 1974). But it was the four singers, and one of them in particular, who interested me:
</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Bis88WERx0/X7-56BDI8BI/AAAAAAAA4Eo/GBLsF9hkcToUDlZLH_rufaC-q2Ose_i2wCPcBGAYYCw/s559/Fullscreen-capture-15052017-170315.bmp-1.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="404" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Bis88WERx0/X7-56BDI8BI/AAAAAAAA4Eo/GBLsF9hkcToUDlZLH_rufaC-q2Ose_i2wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fullscreen-capture-15052017-170315.bmp-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patricia in 1951</td></tr></tbody></table>
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;">
The contralto <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Thomas">Marjorie Thomas</a> (1923–2008), tenor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Young_(tenor)">Alexander Young</a> (1920–2000) and bass-baritone <a href="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cameron_(singer)">John Cameron</a> (1918–2002) were all well-known to
me. But who was the soprano, Patricia Baird? She was clearly good enough to
be chosen to record with Thomas, Young and Cameron, but what happened to her
subsequently? And where did she come from?
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
A quick Internet search - back in 2006 - revealed very little, but posting
to a mailing list produced a response from one of Patricia Baird's cousins
in Australia. She was able to tell me that Patricia was still alive and
living in Sydney, New South Wales, and that her husband, Fred, was in a nursing
home suffering from dementia.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Pat (as she quickly became) was feeling isolated from anyone who knew about
the sort of music she had performed. So, with her cousin acting as a
go-between, I established a one-way conversation with Pat, sending her my
transfer of the recording and getting (via her cousin) her positive feedback
and thanks.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
That was fourteen years ago. Since then both Pat and her husband have died, and
online resources for finding out about Pat's early career have become
available. Notably the National Library of Australia's <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au">Trove</a>, the
<a href="http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk">British Newspaper Archive</a> and the BBC's
<a href="http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/">Genome</a> project.
</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Ancestry</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia was the daughter of John Nicol Baird (1878-1952) and his second
wife Edith Lydia Marguerite (née Crowe). John Nicol Baird, born in Geelong,
Victoria, was a farrier and later a commercial traveller. He had been in
South Africa for the Boer War, working as a "shoeing-smith" (a farrier). He
enlisted because he was deeply patriotic and had heard that the army
(heavily dependent on horses) was short of farriers.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
When John returned to Australia he married his first wife, Camellia Barnard,
in 1902. They had three children, two died in infancy, but John Maxwell
Baird (known as Max) was born in 1904 and died in 1949. </p><p style="text-align: left;">John remarried on
27th December 1921 at Holy Trinity Church, Dulwich Hill, Sydney. His second
wife was Edith Lydia Marguerite Crowe and their wedding was impressive
enough to be covered in some detail in the local newspaper. They moved to
Melbourne immediately afterwards for work.
</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Edith, the pianist</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Edith had grown up in Goonellabah, an eastern suburb of the city of Lismore
in north-eastern New South Wales. In 1913 she entered the Lismore Musical
Festival's piano Sight Reading Test and the open Piano Champion Soloist
class. This required her to play Rachmaninov's C sharp minor <i>Prelude</i>,
Mendelssohn's <i>Andante and Rondo capriccioso</i> (her own choice) and
to sight read a piece of "moderate difficulty". </p><p style="text-align: left;">In March the following year
Edith entered the Champion Piano Solo class of the Maclean Musical Festival,
and in June she entered the same class in the Casino Eisteddfod.
[Eisteddfods (Australian plural) have also been adopted into Australian
culture. Much like the Welsh original, eisteddfods are competitions that
involve testing individuals in singing, dancing, acting and musicianship.]
Finally, in September 1914, she won First Prize in the Champion Piano Solo
class of the Lismore Musical Festival with 93 points.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
John supported his wife and children in their musical endeavours. In 1936 he
became a committee member of the Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod.
</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Early years in Lismore</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia's elder brother, Keith Nicol Baird, was born ten months after his
parents' wedding, on 1st November 1922.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1926</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
John and Edith Baird's daughter was born on 8th March 1926, either in
Lismore, New South Wales or Ormond, Victoria. Her father registered her
birth and named his daughter after her mother - Edith Lillian Baird. Her
name was soon changed to Patricia Fairlie Baird. A year later six-year-old
Keith broke his leg in a car accident at Brunswick Heads.
<a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/94070219">He spent six weeks in St Vincent's Hospital</a> and then returned home.
</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gc5pvJ6HMzw/X795e5AVRqI/AAAAAAAA4D4/bMBVNd8jqUMLZT_auqflKOxsUw7-5trZACPcBGAYYCw/s810/Northern-Star-Lismore-NSW-Tue-13-Dec-1938-Page-4.bmp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gc5pvJ6HMzw/X795e5AVRqI/AAAAAAAA4D4/bMBVNd8jqUMLZT_auqflKOxsUw7-5trZACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Northern-Star-Lismore-NSW-Tue-13-Dec-1938-Page-4.bmp.jpg" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Geraldine Spring, 1938</span><br />
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: left;">
As Edith was a talented pianist it would have been her idea for her
children, Keith and Patricia, to have music lessons. Miss Geraldine Spring
taught violin to children small and large, and both Keith and Patricia were
her pupils.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1929</h4>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0d2dhzu7iA0/X795e2W0qdI/AAAAAAAA4D8/RvzboasxhMQJyPGYjA4kHzptwFcyP6RVwCPcBGAYYCw/s913/Northern-Star-Lismore-NSW-Sat-8-Mar-1930-Page-14.bmp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0d2dhzu7iA0/X795e2W0qdI/AAAAAAAA4D8/RvzboasxhMQJyPGYjA4kHzptwFcyP6RVwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Northern-Star-Lismore-NSW-Sat-8-Mar-1930-Page-14.bmp.jpg" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Patricia Baird, aged three</span><br />
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;">
In September 1929 Miss Spring successfully entered Keith for the Trinity
College London "First Steps" violin examination. Patricia must have started
violin lessons around this time because in December that year Miss Spring
set up a
<a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/94099971">Christmas event</a> for her pupils and their parents but Keith and Patricia did not
attend.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1930</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia's first public recital took place in the studio of
<a href="http://www.palingslifestyle.com.au">Paling's musical instrument store</a> in Lismore, a few days before her fourth birthday in March
1930. Miss Spring predicted "a wonderful future for this little
prodigy". The family were living at 18 Elton Street, Lismore. Lessons with
Miss Spring continued, and so did the routine of taking music exams,
entering competitions and playing in concerts:
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
March 1930 - Irish Musical Festival, Lismore - Keith Baird, Violin Solo
(under 10 years) - Dare: <i>June Days</i> - 85 marks
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
April 1930 - Australian Music Examinations Board (A.M.E.B) examinations,
Lismore - Keith Baird, Violin Grade VI, credit
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1930 - Lismore Musical Festival - Patsy and Keith Baird, Violin
(under 8 years)
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
October 1930 - A.M.E.B. examinations, Lismore - Keith Baird, Violin Grade
V [Why Keith took Grade V having already taken Grade VI isn't clear.
Perhaps this is an error on the part of the newspaper], pass - Pat Baird,
Violin Grade VI, credit
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
May 1930 - Newrybar-Bangalow [34km (21 miles) from Lismore] Young People's
Guild competitive concert - Master Keith Baird, violin solo (his father
also attended and gave a recitation)
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
August 1930 - Masonic Hall, Bangalow - Violin solos, Pat Baird and Keith
Baird - recitations, Mr Baird
</li></ul><p></p>
Keith and Patricia's artistic endeavours weren't just limited to playing the
violin. By September 1930 they were also taking dancing lessons from Miss
Estelle de Boshier in Lismore and entering fancy dress competitions:
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1930 - Dancing Time Review, Lismore -
<i>Minuet in G </i>danced by Pat and Keith Baird - "Rounds of
applause greeted the dance".
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
October 1930 - Lismore Ladies Hospital Committee Linen Tea - "Little Pat
and Keith Baird in a duo dance"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
October 1930 - Richmond Hall, Lismore (in aid of the Methodist Sunday
School) - "Keith and Pat Baird danced a minuet"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
November 1930 - Miss Spring's Concert, Apollo Hall, Lismore (in aid of the
Returned Soldiers League) - Violin solo, Pat Baird ("tiny tot") - Violin
solo, Keith Baird - "Mr Baird gave his rendition of
<i>The Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe</i>"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1930 - <i>Babes in the Wood</i>, Federal Hall, Lismore - Keith
Baird as one of the two Babes and Pat Baird dancing
</li></ul><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1931</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
May 1931 - Fancy Dress Ball, Apollo Hall, Lismore (Parents' and Citizens'
Association of the Lismore District Rural School) - Five years and under -
"Bride and Bridegroom" - Patty Baird and Stan Dent
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
June 1931 - Juvenile Ball, Apollo Hall, Lismore (in aid of the Memorial
Baths) - Best pair ("Rule Britannia" and "John Bull") - Peggy Parkins and
Keith Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
June 1931 - Juvenile Ball, Apollo Hall, Lismore (in aid of the
establishment of a children's ward in Lismore Hospital) - Bridal costume
(Bride), Pat Baird - Early Victorians II, Keith Baird
</li></ul><p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Growing up in Wagga Wagga</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
At some point between August 1931 and August 1932 the Baird family moved to
Wagga Wagga, a town equidistant between Australia's two largest cities,
Melbourne and Sydney. Patricia's father worked as a commercial traveller,
and they lived at 30 Best Street.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1932</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
The round of competitive festivals, examinations and concerts continued:
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
August 1932 - Oxford Theatre, Wagga Wagga - Gurwood Street School Ball -
Prize for fancy costume, boys - Keith Baird as a page
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
August 1932 - Oxford Theatre, Wagga Wagga - Gurwood Street School Ball -
Prize for fancy costume, girls - Patsy Baird as a Victorian
</li></ul><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1933</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
June 1933 - London College of Music examinations, Wagga Wagga - Elocution,
primary first class pass - Patsy Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1933 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Under-12s Violin -
<i>L'Extase</i> by Lardelli [Guglielmo Lardelli (1850-1908),
published in Sydney in 1912 in an arrangement by Cyril Monk.
<a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-171016353">A score is online on Trove</a>]. Keith came second; Patricia came third, with 82 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1933 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Recitation -
<i>Vespers</i> by A.A. Milne - Patsy Baird, third with 79 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1933 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Vocal solo, boys or girls, under
10 years - <i>Little Bo Peep</i> by Felix White - Patsy Baird, joint
second with 82 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
November 1933 - Gurwood Street Public School, Wagga Wagga - "Patsy Baird
then sang <i>Little Bo Peep</i>...The next number was a violin solo by
Patsy
</li></ul><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1934</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1934 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Violin solo, under 12 years -
<i>Minuet in G</i> by Bach - Keith Baird, second with 80 points -
Patsy Baird, 77 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1934 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Solo, boys or girls under 10
years - <i>The Good Little Jackass</i> - Patsy Baird, 75 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1934 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Recitation, boys or girls under
12 - <i>The Beggar Maid</i> - Patsy Baird, 77 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1934 - Wonderland Theatre, Wagga Wagga -
<i>Beauty And The Beast</i> - Patsy Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1934 - St John's Hall, Wagga Wagga - "Patsy Baird gave the
recitation <i>Where's Mum?</i>" - <i>The Mill Wheel</i> and
<i>Neapolitan</i> were played as a violin duo number by Patsy and
Keith Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1934 - St John's Hall, Wagga Wagga - Distribution of Sunday
School Prizes - Keith Baird, violin solo, <i>Londonderry Air</i> -
Patsy and Keith Baird, violin duet, <i>La Serenata</i> and <i>Minuet in G</i></li></ul><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1935</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
March 1935 - Wonderland Theatre, Wagga Wagga (in aid of the Wagga
Citizens' Band) - "Keith Baird played a violin solo, <i>Ave Maria</i>, in
a manner which was greatly appreciated by the audience."
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
May 1935 - St John's Café, Wagga Wagga - Wagga Red Cross Society
Presentation of Medals - "Miss Patsy Baird, who sang"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
June 1935 - St John's Hall, Wagga Wagga - Mothers' Union Café - "The
dainty and well-served afternoon teas were greatly enjoyed, as also were
the nicely-executed musical items contributed by Keith and Patsy Baird."
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
June 1935 - Wonderland Theatre, Wagga Wagga - Combined Schools Concert -
"The violin solos rendered by Keith Baird were very well executed"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
August 1935 - Church of England Tea Tent, Wagga Show - "Musical items will
be contributed by Patsy Baird and Keith Baird"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1935 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Solo, boys or girls, under
10 - <i>All On A Monday Morning</i> - Patsy Baird, 82 points - Violin
solo, under 19 years - <i>Souvenir</i> - Keith Baird, 73 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1935 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Violin solo, under 19
years - <i>Souvenir</i> - Keith Baird, 73 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1935 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Violin solo, under 12
years - <i>Waltz</i> by Alfred Hill - Patsy Baird, joint first with
82 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1935 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Recitation, boy or girl,
under 12 - <i>A Fancy from Fontanelle</i> by Ernest Dobson - Patsy
Baird, 84 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1935 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Duet in character -
<i>Dresden China</i> - Patsy Baird and H. Tolhurst, joint second
prize with 83 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1935 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Waltz-Clog, under 12 -
Patsy Baird, 80 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
November 1935 - A.M.E.B. Violin Grade V with Honours - Patricia
Baird
</li></ul><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1936</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
April 1936 - Tumut Eisteddfod - "Mr J. N.Baird, a member of the Wagga
Eisteddfod Council, in reply, thanked Mr Hill for his welcome."
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
April 1936 - Tumut Eisteddfod - Violin solo, under 14 years - Keith Baird
(only competitor), 81 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
May 1936 - Wonderland Theatre, Wagga Wagga - Combined School Concert -
"The violin solo, Toselli's <i>Serenata</i>, was nicely rendered by Keith
Baird, a promising boy who produced a nice tone with sympathetic touches"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
August 1936 - St John's Hall, Wagga Wagga -
<i>Roses of Joy</i> ("Spectacular operetta") - "Patsy Baird, the fairy
queen, portrayed her part with royal dignity and sang very sweetly....with
violin obbligatos by Keith Baird"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1936 - Rutherglen Eisteddfod - Violin duet, under 18 - Harry
Snowden and Keith Baird, first with 90 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1936 - Rutherglen Eisteddfod - Violin solo under 14 - Harry
Snowden and Keith Baird, joint second with 84 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1936 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Violin solo, under 19
years accompanied by pianist of the same age - Keith Baird and Eileen
Hardiman, 78 points - Patsy Baird and Eileen Kavanagh, 77 points - "These
were both quite pleasing performances"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1936 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Violin solo, 12 years and
under 15 years - Keith Baird, 83 points, Harry Snowden, 82 points - "Keith
Baird offered to share his prize with Harry, but after commending his
action, Mr Evans said he did not think it would be fair to do so."
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1936 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Vocal solo, girls 10 years
and under 12 years - <i>Loo-La-Bye</i> by Winifred Burley - Patsy
Baird, first prize with 81 point - "the winner gave a pleasant
performance. The song was sung smoothly and the singer had a sweet voice."
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1936 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Recitation, boys or girls
under 12 - <i>Nod</i> by Walter de la Mare - Patsy Baird, 84 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1936 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod Children's Concert - "Patsy
Baird, who has a most easy and pleasant style, gave a violin
solo...Particularly pleasing was a violin duet by Patsy and Keith Baird"
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
November 1936 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod Annual Meeting - John Nicol Baird
elected as a committee member
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1936 - St Eugene's High School, Mount Erin, Wagga Wagga - Annual
Concert - <i>Mazurka</i> by Henry - Patsy Baird,
violin
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1936 - St Eugene's High School, Mount Erin, Wagga Wagga -
Prizegiving - Violin Grade IV - Patsy Baird
</li></ul><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1937</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
May 1937 - St Andrew's Hall, Wagga Wagga - St Andrew's Competition -
Violin solo, 16 and under - Keith Baird, 84 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
May 1937 - St Andrew's Hall, Wagga Wagga - St Andrew's Competition -
Champion violin solo (open) - Keith Baird, second, with 85 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
May 1937 - St Andrew's Hall, Wagga Wagga - St Andrew's Competition Final
Concert - Violin duet, Harry Snowden and Keith Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
May 1937 - A.M.E.B Violin Grade IV examination with Honours - Patsy Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1937 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Violin solo, under 19
years accompanied by pianist of the same age - Keith Baird, second, with
75 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
September 1937 - Wagga Wagga Eisteddfod - Violin solo, 12 years and
under 15 years - Keith Baird, first, with 86 points
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
October 1937 - A.M.E.B Violin Grade II examination with Credit - Keith
Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1937 - St Eugene's High School, Mount Erin, Wagga Wagga -
Prizegiving - Special Prize for Violin - Patsy Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1937 - St Eugene's High School, Mount Erin, Wagga Wagga -
Prizegiving - Theory of Music, Grade V - Keith Baird (credit)
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1937 - St John's Hall, Wagga Wagga - St John's Sunday School
Concert - "Schubert's <i>Ave Maria</i> is not the easiest of solos
for young violinists, but Keith Baird made light of its difficulties, his
Interpretation being marked by accurate fingering and nice clear sweeping
bow that resulted in a good quality of tone."</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
December 1937 - St Eugene's Hall, Mount Erin, Wagga Wagga - St Mary's
School Concert -"Violin accompaniments were provided to some of the items
by Harry Snowden and Keith Baird, these being 'particularly effective in
the case of the tableau,"
</li></ul><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">19382</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
January 1938 St Eugene's School, Wagga Wagga - Sacred Heart Presentation
Concert - <i>Pantomime</i> by Moyatt - Patricia Baird
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
April 1938 - St Andrew's Presbyterian Girls' Club Eisteddfod, Wagga Wagga
- Champion violin solo, 18 years and under - Patsy Baird, second
</li></ul><p></p>
July 1937 brought a loss to the family when Edith's mother died in Sydney
after she and her husband had recently celebrated their Golden Wedding. "Mrs.
J. N. Baird of Brookong Avenue, Wagga...left for Sydney by the express train
early on Friday morning."
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
The year 1938 saw the Baird family moving from inland Wagga Wagga to the
town of Kempsey, fifteen kilometres (nine miles) inland from the coast of
New South Wales. This was a journey of nearly 1,000 kilometres (600 miles)
which today would take over fourteen hours by train. It probably took longer
then.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
John Nicol Baird had become the District Representative for Alfa-Laval
milking machines and milk separators. Before they left Wagga Wagga an event
was organised for the evening of Thursday 28th July 1938 so that the town
could say goodbye to them. This was centred on Mr and Mrs Baird's work with
the Church of England. John Nicol Baird had been churchwarden, a member of
the church council, president of the Church of England Men's Society (he was
given life membership), and superintendent of the Sunday School. He was
presented with a "handsome mantel clock". Edith was presented with a
handbag. Patsy was given a crystal vase on behalf of fellow scholars and
teachers. Keith was given a fountain pen and pencil.
</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Life in Kempsey</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Mr Baird started work in Kempsey in August 1938 and immediately started
advertising heavily in local newspapers. Patricia joined the Kempsey
Convent, and in December 1938 appeared in a school concert and prize-giving.
She was soprano soloist in <i>The Elfin Call</i>, followed by a
demonstration of her skills as a violinist, leading a string quartet in
<i>La Serenata</i>.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Her third appearance in the concert was again as a violinist, this time
accompanied on the piano by her mother. Her name changed from "Patsy" to
"Pattie". Was this the conscious effort of a fifteen-year-old to adopt a
more "adult" name for herself?
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1939</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Mrs Baird, meanwhile, rejoined the Country Women's Association (CWA) in
Kempsey and in March 1939 organised and accompanied a community singing
session at the branch's tenth anniversary meeting. "Patty Baird also sang,
making a great hit with her items."
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
St Patrick's Day was marked by a concert at the Catholic Hall, West Kempsey.
Patricia played the violin in both the orchestra and a quartet.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Australia entered the Second World War on 3rd September 1939. Patricia was
aged thirteen, Keith was aged seventeen. The days of examinations and
competitive festivals seem to have come to an abrupt halt when the family
moved to Kempsey.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1940</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In September 1940 the family underwent another shock. Keith was living in
Peak Hill, New South Wales, some 700km (435 miles) from Kempsey, fell into a
pit at Orange and so serious were his injuries that he was transferred to
Lewisham Hospital in Sydney. X-rays revealed serious spinal injuries and a
fractured pelvis. His mother rushed to be with him and his father soon
followed.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1941</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Although John Nicol Baird's Kempsey-based advertisements for Alfa-Laval
continued for some time, the last appeared in September 1941. By 1941, the
family had moved much nearer to Sydney and were living at 4 Jarvie Street,
Petersham, when Keith enlisted in the Australian Army on 16th January.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1942</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
More sadness followed September 1942 when Edith's father, William Charles
Crowe, died in Petersham, Sydney.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1943</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In November 1943, Patricia and her mother returned to Lismore to spend
a holiday with friends there.
</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">War service</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1944</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Pat enlisted in the Australian Women's Army Service (AWAS) at Paddington,
New South Wales, on 7th March 1944, one day short of her eighteenth
birthday. She enlisted using the name her father had registered her with -
Edith Lillian Baird.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
She was posted to a section where the Education Officer was Richard Gordon
Thew [Born in Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia on 13th July 1900. On
<a href="https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44600/supplement/6321/data.pdf">8 June 1968</a>
he became an Ordinary Member of the Civil Division of the Most
Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to
music. He died on 7th December 1972 in New South Wales, Australia.] who
happened to be a singing teacher. One night he heard Patricia singing and
told her she should make it her career.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia's time in the AWAS is something of a mystery. Did she have lessons
from Richard Thew? When did she drop the violin? A newspaper report does
confirm that during her years in the AWAS she spent time in concert
parties.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1945</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
January 1945 brought happy news to the family when Keith got engaged:
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
BAIRD-ARTIS.-The Engagement is announced of Marie, eldest daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. W. A. Artis, of Summer Hill, to Trooper Keith Baird, A.I.F., son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Baird, Petersham.
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In May 1945 Patricia was in Wagga Wagga once more (presumably she was based
there with the AWAS) and competed in the Wagga Talent Quest at the Trades
Hall. Sixteen contestants took part and Patricia won with 100 votes, singing
<i>One Kiss.</i>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In July Patricia was still in Wagga Wagga and took part in a concert as part
of the Red Cross Annual Meeting.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
The end of the Second World War happened the following month when Japan
surrendered on 15th August. A new future beckoned to Patricia in the
post-war period.
</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Post-war concerts and competitions</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1946</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Pat was demobbed in August 1946 but her whereabouts and activities for the
next year are vague.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
There are hints in newspapers that she became a typist and had lessons from
Richard Thew. It seems likely that she was still living with her parents in
Petersham during this period. Whatever she was up to, she emerged a year
later as a fully-fledged soprano soloist ready to undertake concert work and
more competitions.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1947</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In August 1947 Patricia was in Sydney, performing for the Wagga
Residents' Association with her mother accompanying. A low-key concert much
like those she had given in the past.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Her first formal public concert as a soprano soloist took place on 18th
November 1947 at the Presbyterian Hall, Wollongong, New South Wales, with
the newly-formed Illawarra Singers. Richard Thew was the accompanist, so
probably suggested Patricia for the performance:
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
Patricia Baird used her flexible voice with excellent judgment and
understanding and in her second group she showed dainty musical colour and
fine restraint.
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Her first concert outside New South Wales was a Tasmanian performance with
the Hobart Philharmonic Society of Handel's <i>Messiah</i> on 9th
December 1947. Excerpts were broadcast on station 7ER [Now known as ABC
Radio Hobart]. The tenor soloist was Ronald Dowd, another pupil of Richard
Thew, who went on to have a successful career with Sadler's Wells Opera
before returning to Australia:
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
Patricia Baird, Melbourne soprano, in recitatives and arias, revealed vocal
artistry both tonally beautiful and flexible. In diminished volume,
constriction marred the natural fluency proclaimed in more open passages of
song.
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">The Hobart Mercury remarked: </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
Her first trip to Tasmania and her first trip by air anywhere was the
experience this week of Patricia Baird, the young Sydney soloist who is here
by invitation of the Hobart Philharmonic Society. She made a charming little
speech at a reception at the Hobart Town Hall on Tuesday morning, held in
honour of the three visiting singers - herself, Ronald Dowd, and Robert
Payne. About 30 members of Hobart's musical circles were there and enjoyed
the "cuppa" provided by the Lord Mayor (Air Osborne) and the Lady Mayoress
(Mrs Rust). The floral decorations in the reception room, which included
some of the finest Iceland poppies I have ever seen, brought much comment.
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
After the excitement of her trip to Hobart, Patricia's concerts assumed
their more low-key nature. Articles mention her radio appearances but these
seem not to be recorded in the pages of the newspapers.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
12th December 1947 - Hurstville Presbyterians' Christmas Concert, with
Richard Thew
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
1st January 1948 - Grand Scottish Concert, Sydney Town Hall (part of the
Highland Gathering), with Ronald Dowd
</li></ul><p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1948</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
28th March 1948 (Easter Sunday) - St Stephen's Presbyterian Church,
Macquirie Street, Sydney
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
8th August 1948 - Epping Congregational Church, Sydney - <i>The Creation</i> by Joseph Haydn
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
21st November 1948 - Pitt Street Congregational Church, Sydney -
<i>Sons of Jubal</i> - special music
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
15th December 1948 - Parramatta Rotary Club Christmas Party and Ladies'
Night
</li></ul><p></p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">1949</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On 17th May 1949 Patricia and some friends appeared the Western Monarch
Theatre, Gilgandra. This was the first of several concerts given by her
concert party to raise funds for the "Far West Scheme" to benefit hospital
services for young people. It was well received:
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<blockquote>
A well known concert stage soprano, Miss Baird spent five years in the
services, and was included in concert parties since her discharge she has
become very popular in Sydney as a concert artist... Concert and Radio
Personality... To a music-starved audience, the full rich soprano voice of
Miss Baird was a delight, and her songs, familiar though they might be,
were presented with such clarity and colour that they retained all the
charm of novelty. Even the old favourite, <i>Because</i>, became a new
song.
</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The concert was repeated on 27th May 1949 at Guyra:
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<blockquote>
Patricia Baird's bracket of songs captivated the audience. The finely
presented sketch, <i>High Finance</i>, with artists Patricia Baird,
Lawrence Haines and Sid Coleman had the crowd in fits of laughter.
</blockquote>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On 28th August 1949 Patricia returned to the Pitt Street Congregational
Church, Sydney to perform in <i>The Creation </i>by Joseph Haydn.
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
September 1949 brought the City of Sydney Eisteddfod. Patricia entered and
won the lyric soprano championship, the Dame Nellie Melba Memorial Trophy
(Champion of Champions) and the British Art Song Silver Shield.
</p>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<blockquote>
Her ambition is to sing and study overseas, and she has already sung as
soloist with the Hobart and Launceston Philharmonic Societies in the
Messiah, and is well known to radio audiences in Sydney.
</blockquote>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
On 5th October 1949 she performed at the Rockdale Town Hall for the St
George Music Club's <i>musicale</i>. This was a concert of prizewinners from
the recent Sydney Eisteddfod and it brought her into contact with the winner
of the winner of the open piano championship, and the
<i>Women's Weekly</i> piano scholarship - a young Richard
Bonynge.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
December 1949 saw another outing for the Far West Scheme Concert Party, this
time to Mudgee. They raised £190.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
At some time in 1949 Patricia was examined for the Licentiate in Music,
Australia, diploma of the Australian Music Examinations Board, a highly
prestigious award, with the national pass rate being around 10% of
candidates. She was successful, and thereafter was able to use the
post-nominal letters "L.Mus.A.".
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1950</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In February 1950 Patricia made a return visit to Pitt Street Congregational
Church in Sydney were she sang for the 11.50am Communion service on Sunday
5th. Although the newspaper reports make it look as if her appearances at
the church were irregular, it's possible that this was actually a regular
job every Sunday.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Early April brought another visit to Wollongong for the 58th Musicale at the
Methodist Hall. Pat shared the stage with the pianist Dorothy White. The
concert was divided into five sections with Miss White performing alone in
sections one, three and five, and accompanying Pat in sections two and four.
The newspaper review gives us an idea of the sort of programme that Patricia
was putting together:
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
Patricia Baird had a particularly beautiful natural voice which would,
perhaps, have been shown to better advantage under different circumstances;
Her strong sense of the dramatic was shown in the operatic numbers, 'Mimi's
Farewell' by Puccini, and 'Daughter of the Regiment,' by Donizetti. Miss
Baird's second bracket consisted of Michael Head's 'Gaiete and Orion',
'Summer' by Martin Shaw and 'Do not go my love' by Hageman.
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;">The following day (Palm Sunday) she was back in Sydney for a
performance of Dvorak's <i>Stabat Mater </i>at the Rockdale
Congregational Church.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In the second half of the month Patricia made her way to Goulburn, 120 miles
(95 km) from home, for the 1950 Eisteddfod. The First Prize for the Operatic
Aria was worth £100 and sponsored jointly by Pacific Chenille-Craft Pty.,
Ltd., and the Goulburn City Council. Patricia won the Lyric Soprano Solo on
19th April ("a very finished singer with a beautiful voice"), and went on to
win both the £100 Chenille Aria, and the Champion of Champions:
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
Miss Patricia Baird who crowned her long list of successes at the Goulburn
Eisteddfod by winning the Pacific Chenille aria contest from twenty six
other competitors hails from Sydney, and has studied with Mr. Richard Thew.
Her previous wins at the Eisteddfod were the lyric soprano solo, sacred
solo. oratorio, and the 2GN radio section. Miss Baird will sing at the
Eisteddfod concert this evening and this is a rare opportunity for the
people of Goulburn to hear an artist who is destined to become an
outstanding singer throughout Australia and overseas. Her first singing
experience was in the A.W.A.S. during the war where she met Mr. Thew, who
immediately became interested in the possibilities of her voice, and on
demobilisation, Miss Baird commenced her studies, with him. Miss Baird's
previous successes include the 2SM Radio Contest, 1949; Melba Trophy
(champion of champions) city of Sydney Eisteddfod 1949, and the Trophy for
British Art Song at the same Eisteddfod. A committee has been formed to send
Miss Baird to England to continue her studies early in 1951, and she will
worthily represent her country and continue the long line of outstanding
artists, who have preceded her.
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
The Mobil Quest for 1950 was one of three big competitions in which Patricia
competed that year. This was only the second year that the competition had
been run - fourth place in 1949 had gone to Joan Sutherland. The First Prize
was worth £1,000, Second Prize £300 and Third Prize £150. Winning the
competition would help substantially with the costs of Patricia travelling
to Europe to continue her studies. This was a nationwide competition which
used radio as its medium.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
There were eighteen heats, all broadcast on a Friday at 8.30 p.m. Australian
Eastern Time, and each consisting of three singers. The winner of each heat
then faced one of six semi-finals, and the winner of each semi-final went
forward to the Grand Final in Melbourne Town Hall on 6th September.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
The Sixth Heat was won by baritone Donald Cameron, the younger brother of
baritone Joan Cameron with whom Patricia was to sing two year later in the
recording of <i>Merrie England</i>. Patricia was in Heat Ten and was
runner-up to Beryl Jones, a coloratura soprano.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
The Grand Final was won by Joan Sutherland in front of an audience of 3,000.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
<br />In June 1950 Patricia was in Illawarra to compete in the Illawarra
Eisteddfod's £100 Aria Competition. She went on to win against stiff local
competition and was described by the adjudicators as "outstanding":
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
He stated her verbal emphasis and colour were good, while she made many of
her words 'live.' She had excellent phrasing, an even voice and her runs
were extremely flexible. He awarded her 87 marks for her first aria and 88
for her second. Warmest ovation for the whole Eisteddfod was given to Miss
Patricia Baird of Petersham. Clapping continued long after she had left the
stage.
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia went on to win the Oratorio class in the same competition:
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote style="text-align: left;">
excellent voice with good shape, atmosphere a trifle forced, good
climax
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iqK2oLRa0is/X795f-LAt6I/AAAAAAAA4EM/px_yP6Yskp87zMM-c80K2yU1ATZDnjx4QCPcBGAYYCw/s1008/The-Sun-Sydney-NSW-Thu-28-Sep-1950-Page-9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="846" data-original-width="1008" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iqK2oLRa0is/X795f-LAt6I/AAAAAAAA4EM/px_yP6Yskp87zMM-c80K2yU1ATZDnjx4QCPcBGAYYCw/s320/The-Sun-Sydney-NSW-Thu-28-Sep-1950-Page-9.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;">
In late September came the news that Patricia was one of twenty-four
soloists to reach the semi-final of the Sydney Sun Aria Competition at the
Sydney Conservatorium. The semi-final, to select eight soloists was the
following evening. Patricia got through and was awarded Third Prize (£50) in
the final. The winner was a 19-year-old called June Gough from Broken Hill.
She used her £300 prize together with the money raised by her home town to
travel to London in 1952 and had an international career under the name of
June Bronhill.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
A month later Patricia was in Victoria for the finals of the Melbourne Sun
Aria Competition. She came third with an "honourable mention."
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
On 14th October 1950 she was the soprano soloist (Ronald Dowd was the tenor)
with the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Society's broadcast performance of
Verdi's <i>Requiem</i> at the Melbourne Town Hall, conducted by Eugene
Goossens. "A truly magnificent performance," Goossens wrote across her
programme.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Christmas 1950 was a busy time for Patricia with no fewer than seven
performances of <i>Messiah</i> including the Christmas Eve concert in
Sydney Town Hall.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
While Patricia's success in the smaller competitions, and the cash prizes
she won, must have been useful for her, it was her success in the three big
competitions which were ultimately more significant. So the year 1951 was to
be a busy and important one for Patricia.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1951</h4>
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<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uv_ILajgO1U/X795eM0jipI/AAAAAAAA4EM/qbsGBFa0Qe4_vxNQsbbOHIGq5AoX1zcmwCPcBGAYYCw/s929/Fullscreen-capture-15052017-164200.bmp.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="714" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uv_ILajgO1U/X795eM0jipI/AAAAAAAA4EM/qbsGBFa0Qe4_vxNQsbbOHIGq5AoX1zcmwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Fullscreen-capture-15052017-164200.bmp.jpg" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Patricia Baird rehearsing for "A Masked Ball", 1951</span><br />
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In March and April 1951 she sang Amelia in Verdi's
<i>A Masked Ball (Il Ballo in Maschera)</i> with the New South Wales
National Opera at the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney. June Gough (Bronhill) was
also in the cast.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In June 1951 Patricia was again taking competing in the Mobil Quest. This
time she was in Heat Eleven broadcast on Monday 4th June. She performed "Can
It Be He" ("Ah fors' è lui.") from Verdi's <i>La Traviata</i> and Eric
Coates's <i>Green Hills of Somerset</i>. Her co-competitors were jointly
awarded First Prize with Patricia getting Second Prize and a recommendation
from the adjudicators that she should have a place in the semi-finals.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
That same month saw another broadcast performance of the Verdi <i>Requiem</i> in Melbourne Town Hill, this time conducted by
Joseph Post - "Lovely singing came from the soprano Patricia Baird,
particularly in the unaccompanied Libera Me."
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
On 19th August it was Patricia's turn to compete in the Mobil Quest fourth
semi-final, singing Rossini's <i>Una Voce Poco Fa</i>. The semi-final was
won by
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Nisbett">Margaret Nisbett</a>, one of the joint winners of the initial eleventh heat. Margaret went on
to win the £1,000 First Prize in the Grand Final in Melbourne on 5th
September, and in 1954 studied, along with her husband <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Weaving">Jon Weaving</a>, with Patricia's own teacher Dino Borgioli in London.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
By August 1951 the funding was in place for Patricia to go to study in
London and it was announced in the press that she would leave Australia on
13th November. Before that, however, was the City of Sydney Eisteddfod Sun
Aria Competition of 1951. Patricia made it through to the semi-final on 26th
September at the Sydney Conservatorium. The Sun Aria Prize for 1951 was
ultimately won by Angelina Arena.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia was chosen to be the soprano soloist in the first Australian
performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
under Eugene Goossens on 3rd October. - "Patricia Baird's soprano seemed to
miss the Mahlerian boyishness so necessary." Vincent Wallace's opera
<i>Maritana</i> was broadcast from Sydney in an hour-long concert
performance on 19th October with a team of soloists including Patricia and
the ABC Sydney Orchestra conducted by Clive Douglas.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Even at this late stage, Patricia continued to compete in eisteddfods,
presumably for the cash the prizes could bring her. In the Bathurst
Eisteddfod on 21st October she won the Second Prize of £50 in the Aria
Competition. October brought a return visit to Pitt Street Congregational
Church for Haydn's <i>The Creation</i>, conducted by Richard Thew.
</p>
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<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V6tlG1GuZLU/X795gJnTEyI/AAAAAAAA4EI/gbZrxOTPv1YCyhBJg38YDu04SJaMqG17ACPcBGAYYCw/s785/Truth-Sydney-NSW-Sun-4-Nov-1951-Page-41.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="346" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V6tlG1GuZLU/X795gJnTEyI/AAAAAAAA4EI/gbZrxOTPv1YCyhBJg38YDu04SJaMqG17ACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Truth-Sydney-NSW-Sun-4-Nov-1951-Page-41.jpg" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Patricia's farewell concert at the Sydney Conservatorium</span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia's farewell concert was given at the Conservatorium in Sydney on
Wednesday 7th November at 8.15 p.m. Accompanied by her teacher, Richard
Thew, she sang pieces by Mozart, Brahms, Franz, Wolf, Rossini and Verdi. A
review in the Sydney Morning Herald gives some clues as to her failure to
win in the larger competitions, and the areas she needed to work on once she
reached London.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote>
There was much tasteful, well-considered and attractive singing in a recital
by soprano Patricia Baird at the Conservatorium last night. Miss Baird (who
plans to continue her career abroad) is very well equipped in the primary
necessities of singing and in some of the secondary considerations, too, for
last night the points of phrasing and expression were often most carefully
designed and executed. But there is still an impression of immaturity about
her work, A general preoccupation with the technical side of expression and
a diffidence in emotional colouring makes even a well-wrought performance
like her Willow Song from "Otello" seem a little cold. Apart from this lack
of dramatic colour and conviction, Miss Baird has very little to worry about
technically. Her tone is sweet and flexible, a little inclined to excessive
tremolo and a little hard at the top of her range, but quite capable of the
brilliant coloratura of Rossini's "Una Voce" and the delicate intimacy of
Wolf's "In the Shadow of My Tresses."
</blockquote>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
A few days later, she left for England on the 26-year-old RMS <i>Otranto</i>. Her
departure was noted by "Margaret's Column" in the Illawarra Daily
Mercury:
</p>
<blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;">
MRS. COWBURN and Mrs. Witte went down by train to say 'Au Revoir' to Mrs.
Hatfield. Some of the other members did the trip by car. The two ladies
mentioned, took the ferry that accompanies the departing ships. They tell
me that Patricia Baird (we have seen her artistry down here) sailed on the
'Otranto', too. Some of her friends from the Conservatorium were on the
ferry, and their singing of 'Now is the Hour' was certainly appreciated by
the Wollongong countrywomen, if not heard by Patricia Baird.
</p>
</blockquote>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia was not to set foot in Australia again for eleven years.
</p>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">England</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia wasn't the only musician to leave Sydney at that time.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Eugene Goossens, in Australia as conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra,
was off to conduct in South Africa, then Belgium (his family were Belgian)
and London before returning to Australia in March 1952. But Goossens was
travelling by air in a Qantas Constellation.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
The P&O liner RMS <i>Otranto</i> docked in Southampton 18th December
1951. The year of the Festival of Britain was coming to an end and Christmas
was fast approaching. In the recent General Election the Conservatives had
come back into power with Winston Churchill as Prime Minister.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia's first Christmas in the northern hemisphere was a far cry from the
sunshine of Australia, London was plagued by thick smoky fogs, still
depended on coal, and showed the damaged inflicted during the Blitz. Meat,
sugar and sweets were still rationed.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1952</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Arriving in London she began her studies with
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dino_Borgioli">Dino Borgiol</a> and on 10th March 1952 Pat made her first broadcast for the BBC
in <i>Souvenirs of Music</i> with Robert Busby conducting the
Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra. This was to be the first of many broadcasts
on the Light Programme and Home Service between 1952 and 1961.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
How she came by this work it unclear, but her work with the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation must have stood her in good stead. Perhaps she was
provided with a letter of recommendation? Did Goossens help her with
introductions when he arrived in London?
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">March 1952</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Monday 10 March 12.00 SOUVENIRS OF MUSIC - Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra
(Leader, David Paget) Conductor, Robert Busby with Patricia Baird
(soprano)
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Tuesday 11 March 17.30 RENDEZVOUS - Commonwealth artists entertain Hugh
Hastings, The Hassan Five Patricia Baird (accompanied by Geoffrey Parsons)
BBC Revue Orchestra, conductor, Robert Busby. Introduced by Peter King. Produced by David Miller
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Meanwhile, Eugene Goossens returned to Australia after his four month tour
abroad. He told the press that five Australian singers were making a success
in London: Sylvia Fisher, John Cameron, Elsie Morison, Joan Sutherland - and
Patricia Baird.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">April 1952</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Tuesday 8 April 20.00 SONG OF VIENNA - The life story of Franz Lehar -
Episode 2 - 'The Rage of the Town. Devised by Kenneth Pakeman, Written by
Maurice Gorham. The Players: Dermot Palmer, Elaine Dundy, Mary Wimbush.
Roger Delgado, Richard Hurndall, Gladys Spencer The Singers: Patricia
Baird, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyra_Vayne">Kyra Vayne</a>, John Cameron, Rowland Jones, BBC Opera Chorus (Trained
by Alan G. Melville), BBC Opera Orchestra (Leader, John Sharpe)
Conductor, Stanford Robinson. Produced by Kenneth Pakeman and Archie
Campbell
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Friday 25 April 19.00 First House MELODY FROM THE STARS - Patricia Baird,
Jimmy Young, Kathran Oldfield, Ereach Riley, The Joe Saye Trio. Augmented
BBC Revue Orchestra, conducted by Robert Busby. Producer, Jimmy Grant
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In 1952 Patricia joined the Arts Council's "Grand Opera Group". This was a
group formed in 1950 comprising four or five soloists (one acting as
compère) with a pianist which toured the UK performing specially chosen
programmes of excerpts, both in ensemble and aria, which were introduced
with an explanation of their dramatic significance within the story of the
opera.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday May 16th Eisteddfod Marquee, Cardigan. The Treorchy Male Voice
Choir was asked to perform at the Semi-National Eisteddfod Concert. Also
on stage was soprano Patricia Baird, John Cameron (bass) and Brychan
Powell (tenor). The accompanist was Charles Clements
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">June 1952</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Friday 13 June 17.30 BAND CALL - BBC Variety Orchestra, conductor, Paul
Fenoulhet with Patricia Baird and Mark Pasquin. Introduced by John
Webster
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">July 1952</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
On 3rd July 1952, Patricia's father died in the family home at 4 Jarvie
Avenue, Petersham. While she was probably told of his death by telegram,
returning home for the funeral would have been impossible.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Friday 18 July 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies
from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke, David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC Revue Orchestra
conducted by Robert Busby. Produced by Michael North
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Friday 25 July 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies
from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke,
David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC Variety
Orchestra conducted by Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael North
</li></ul><p></p>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">August 1952 </h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Friday 1 August 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies
from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke,
David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC Variety
Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael North
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Friday 8 August 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies
from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke,
David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC Variety
Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael North
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Friday 15 August 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies
from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke,
David Hughes, Patricia Baird, Sydney Keith and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC
Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael
North
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Friday 22 August 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies
from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke,
David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC Variety
Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael North
</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>
Friday 29 August 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies
from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke,
David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC Variety
Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael North
</li></ul><p></p>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">September 1952</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Friday 5 September 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - with
Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke, David Hughes, Patricia Baird
and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael North
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Friday 12 September 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - with
Helen Clare, Jack Cooper, Eve Becke, David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the
Grosvenor Singers. BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced
by Michael North
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Friday 19 September 21.15 John Watt introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper,
Eve Becke, David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC
Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael
North
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Friday 26 September 21.15 John Watt Introduces SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Melodies from Theatreland over the years with Helen Clare, Jack Cooper,
Eve Becke, David Hughes, Patricia Baird and the Grosvenor Singers. BBC
Variety Orchestra conductor. Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Michael
North
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">December 1952</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Tuesday 9 December 17.30 RENDEZVOUS - Commonwealth artists entertain - Patricia Baird, John Cazabon, Bob Freeman, John Hauxvell. BBC Revue
Orchestra (Leader, David Paget). Introduced by Aidan MacDermot. Produced by
David Miller
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Saturday 20 December 16.00 BAND CALL - BBC Variety Orchestra (Leader, George
Deason) conductor, Paul Fenoulhet, with Patricia Baird and Randall Stevens. Introduced by John Webster
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Saturday 27 December 14.00 BAND CALL - BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul
Fenoulhet, with Patricia Baird and Denis Catlin. Introduced by John Webster
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">January 1953</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Saturday 17 January 20.00 THE STAR SHOW - Introduced by Joe Linnane. Tonight in order of broadcasting: Leslie Adams, Karoly Szenassy, Johnnie
Brandon, Patricia Baird, Gladys Cooper and Angela Baddeley, Ian Wallace,
Elsie Waters and Doris Waters. The George Mitchell Choir. BBC Variety
Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Produced by Tom Ronald and Michael
North
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Friday 30 January 12.25 MIDDAY MUSIC-HALL - Michael Miles introduces The
Four in A-Chord, Tony (Silly Thing) Scott, Professional Protégés Ted
Andrews and his Canadian Singing Sisters, Kitty Bluett Your Favourite
Musical Comedy - Patricia Baird and John Hauxvell, Cardew Robinson. BBC
Revue Orchestra. Produced by Trafford Whitelock
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">May 1953</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 17 May 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of our
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia),
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eve_Boswell">Eve Boswell</a> (South Africa),
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Hockridge">Edmund Hockridge</a> (Canada), George Browne (West Indies). Introduced by
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Easton_(bass)">Robert Easton</a> (United Kingdom) with The Johnston Singers and the BBC Variety
Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Producer, Donald MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 24 May 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Eve Boswell (South
Africa), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West Indies) Introduced
by Robert Easton (United Kingdom) with The Johnston Singers and the BBC
Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Producer, Donald MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Saturday 30 May 20.00 VARIETY PLAYHOUSE - with Vic Oliver as host and Master
of Ceremonies, who each week invites stars of the entertainment world. This
week, in order of broadcasting: Tollefsen, Hermione Gingold, Frederick
Sharp and Patricia Baird, Max Wall, Maurice Chevalier, The George Mitchell
Choir, Augmented BBC Revue Orchestra conductor, Harry Rabinowitz. Musical
adviser, Vic Oliver. Continuity by Carey Edwards. Production by Tom
Ronald
</li>
<li>
Sunday 31 May 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Eve Boswell (South
Africa), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West Indies) with The
Johnston Singers. Introduced by Robert Easton (United Kingdom) and the BBC
Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Producer, Donald MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">June 1953</h4>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Monday 1 June 11.55 VARIETY PLAYHOUSE - A repeat of the broadcast on 30th
May. 2 June 1953 - Coronation Day
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 14 June 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Eve Boswell (South
Africa), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West Indies), The
Johnston Singers (United Kingdom). Introduced by Robert Easton (United
Kingdom). Malcolm Lockyer and his Orchestra. Producer, Donald MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 21 June 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Eve Boswell (South
Africa), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West Indies), The
Johnston Singers (United Kingdom). Introduced by Robert Easton (United
Kingdom). BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Producer, Donald
MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 28 June 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Eve Boswell (South
Africa), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West Indies), The
Johnston Singers (United Kingdom). Introduced by Robert Easton (United
Kingdom). BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Producer, Donald
MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">July 1953</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 5 July 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Eve Boswell (South
Africa), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West Indies), The
Johnston Singers (United Kingdom). Introduced by Robert Easton (United
Kingdom). BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Producer, Donald
MacLean. (Eve Boswell is in 'The Show of Shows' at the Opera House
Theatre, Blackpool)
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 12 July 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Eve Boswell (South
Africa), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West Indies), The
Johnston Singers (United Kingdom). Introduced by Robert Easton (United
Kingdom). BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Producer, Donald
MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 19 July 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of the
Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Eve Boswell (South
Africa), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West Indies), The
Johnston Singers (United Kingdom). Introduced by Robert Easton (United
Kingdom). BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Producer, Donald
MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 26 July 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Patricia Baird (Australia),
Marion Williams (Nigeria), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), George Browne (West
Indies), The Johnston Singers (U.K.). Introduced by Robert Easton (U.K.). BBC Variety Orchestra conductor. Paul Fenoulhet. Script by Jimmy Grafton. Produced by Donald MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">August 1953</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 2 August 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of
the Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Marion Williams
(Nigeria), Chester Harriott and Vic Evans (West Indies), The Johnston
Singers (U.K.). Guest, Patricia Howard (Australia). Introduced by Edmund
Hockridge (Canada). BBC Variety Orchestra conductor, Paul Fenoulhet. Script
by Jimmy Grafton. Produced by Donald MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Wednesday 5 August 20.00 THE LEISURE HOUR - A radio diversion for the
whole family Informally introduced by Rex Palmer. This week you meet: Betty
Marsden, Robb Wilton in 'Councillor Muddlecombe, J.P.', Bransby Williams, 'Midge's Choice' - Wilson Midgley talks about new books he has enjoyed
reading, and Beverley Nichols, Jill Balcon, and Francis de Wolff present
scenes from them. Leisure Serenade with Patricia Baird. A Wandering Minstrel
with John Cameron and Alan Paul at the piano. Louis Voss and his Orchestra
provide the music. Incidental music composed by Alan Paul. Production by
Alfred Dunning and Richard Keen
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 9 August 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of
the Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Marion
Williams (Nigeria), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), The N.Z.-ers (New Zealand),
The Johnston Singers (United Kingdom). Introduced by Robert Easton (United
Kingdom.) Louis Voss and his Orchestra. Script written by Jimmy Grafton. Produced by Donald MacLean
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Wednesday 12 August 20.00 THE LEISURE HOUR - A radio diversion for the
whole family informally introduced by Rex Palmer. This week you meet: Betty
Marsden, Robb Wilton in ' 'Councillor Muddlecombe, J.P.', Bransby Williams, 'Midge's Choice' - Wilson Midgley talks about new books he has enjoyed
reading and Molly Rankin, Edna Romney, Denise Bryer, Warren Stanhope,
Harold Rees , David Spenser and Charles E. Stidwill present scenes from
them. Leisure Serenade with Patricia Baird. A Wandering Minstrel with John
Cameron and Alan Paul at the piano. Max Jaffa and the Leisure Hour Players
provide the music. Incidental music composed by Alan Paul. Production by
Alfred Dunning and Richard Keen. (Betty Marsden is appearing in 'Airs On A
Shoestring' at the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London)
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Sunday 16 August 14.15 COMMONWEALTH OF SONG - Music from four corners of
the Commonwealth of Nations. Patricia Baird (Australia), Marion Williams
(Nigeria), Edmund Hockridge (Canada), The N.Z.-ers (New Zealand), The
Johnston Singers (United Kingdom). Introduced by Robert Easton (United
Kingdom). Louis Voss and his Orchestra. Script written by Jimmy Grafton. Produced by Donald MacLean. (Edmund Hockridge is in 'Carousel' at the Grand
Theatre, Leeds)
</li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Wednesday 19 August 20.00 THE LEISURE HOUR - A radio diversion for the
whole family introduced by Rex Palmer. This week you meet: Ann Lancaster, Robb Wilton in ‘Councillor Muddlecombe, J.P.’, Bransby Williams, ‘Midge's
Choice’ - Wilson Midgley talks about new books he has enjoyed reading and
Robin Bailey and Molly Lawson present scenes from them. Leisure Serenade
with Patricia Baird. A Wandering Minstrel with John Cameron and Alan Paul
at the piano. Max Jaffa and the Leisure Hour Players provide the music. Incidental music composed by Alan Paul. Production by Alfred Dunning and
Richard Keen
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia's home in London for the next four years was a shared flat in
Cranley Gardens, South Kensington. She spent a year in Flat 2C and then
moved into 2D.
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1955</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th March Central Hall, Chester - City of
Chester Male Voice Choir Festival Patricia Baird, Paul Asciak, Michael
Langdon. Maelor Richards (Accompanist)
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1957</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
26th and 28th June 1957 - Welsh National Opera at Sadler's Wells -
<i>Nabucco</i> (Abigail / Abigaille - debut on the London stage) (The
Times):
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote>
Miss Baird is certainly an acquisition to opera. She has a bring, strong,
agile soprano voice, and a clear flowing line; she can negotiate florid
music with some accuracy, and should become adept in fioritura before long,
since the voice is cleanly focused. Her singing is naturally dramatic in
manner, though of stagecraft she is still innocent. She made much of a
bravura role; it is no surprise to learn she comes from Australia
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OaUv8SA4nW4/X795fEU5gHI/AAAAAAAA4EA/yanE-UGkPIEeUFqyIIJzvAW333m0Ptw9wCPcBGAYYCw/s509/The-Canberra-Times-ACT-Wed-21-Aug-1957-Page-5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="489" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OaUv8SA4nW4/X795fEU5gHI/AAAAAAAA4EA/yanE-UGkPIEeUFqyIIJzvAW333m0Ptw9wCPcBGAYYCw/s320/The-Canberra-Times-ACT-Wed-21-Aug-1957-Page-5.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<br />
<div><br /></div>
<div>
<div>
After a whirlwind romance of only four months, in August 1957 Patricia
married a British engineer, William Shackell, at St Marylebone Register
Office in London. They had decided to marry only one week before. </div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1958</h4>
<div>
In 1958 she was in the Carl Rosa Company's production of Verdi's
<i>Falstaff</i> at Sadler's Well as Mistress Ford, being described by
"The Stage" as "safe and sure".
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MXggEqQlPkQ/X795fn28cjI/AAAAAAAA4EM/ULavpUr0WE0ID83-NHjEtq0RTkA8TLzcgCPcBGAYYCw/s902/The-Stage-Thursday-06-March-1958.bmp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MXggEqQlPkQ/X795fn28cjI/AAAAAAAA4EM/ULavpUr0WE0ID83-NHjEtq0RTkA8TLzcgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/The-Stage-Thursday-06-March-1958.bmp.jpg" /></a>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div><br /></div>
<div>
Later the same year she appeared with the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff
in <i>Pagliacci</i>.
</div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1961</h4>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
London Telephone Directory, 1961: Patricia Shackell, 4C Leinster
Square, W2
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Register of Electors, 1962: Patricia and William Shackell, Flat C, 4/5
Leinster Square, W2 </li></ul></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">Return to Australia</h3>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1962</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
In early January 1962 Patricia left Tilbury Docks on P&O line SS
<i>Iberia</i> bound for Sydney, travelling via Gibraltar (18th
January), Suez, Aden, Colombo, Fremantle, Melbourne and Adelaide.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
On 13th February the ship docked in Sydney. Patricia had travelled alone
and in First Class. This would not have been cheap. She gave her
destination as her mother's address - No 1, Kara Flats, 30 Orpington
Street, Ashfield, Sydney, and her name as Mrs Patricia Fairlie Shackelle.
The spelling of her surname may be an error on the part of P&O.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>24 March 1962 - 14 April 1962 - Theatre Royal, Adelaide, SA, Falstaff /
Don Giovanni / La Traviata
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1963</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
By February 1963 Patricia had moved to Canberra where she advertised that
she was conducting auditions for students for her forthcoming series of
classes. Her three advertisements in the <i>Canberra Times</i> show
that she had gained two professional diplomas: the Licentiate in Music,
Australia (L. Mus. A.) and the Licentiate of Trinity College London
(L.T.C.L).
</p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1964</h4>
<div>By September 1964 Pat was back in London.</div>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
Thursday 10 September 1964 20.40 SONGS FROM THE SHOWS - Introduced
by John CARLIN with PATRICIA BAIRD, PETER REGAN, THE MIKE SAMMES SINGERS, MICHAEL COLLINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Produced by Chris MORGAN
</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">1965 and after</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;">
On 19 November 1965, in London, Pat married her second husband, Fred. Later in
life they returned to Australia.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Fred died in 2007 and Pat stayed in Australia even though she said didn't
enjoy living there and would have preferred to return to the UK.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
This was the point at which I was able to make contact with her through
her cousin. In spite of her disabilities her memory was perfect and she
remembered her work in the UK in the 1950s.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
Patricia Baird died on 23rd July 2015 in a nursing home in Sydney, New
South Wales, Australia.
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<blockquote>
WILLIAMS Patricia Fairlie (nee Baird) 6.3.1926 - 23.7.2015 Loved wife of
Fred (deceased). Fond aunt to Margaret. A Service for Patricia will be
held in its entirety in the Ann Wilson Chapel, corner Barrenjoey Road and
Darley Street, Mona Vale on Friday, July 31, 2015 at 2.00pm. Ann Wilson
Funerals An Australian Company 9971 4224
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Published in The Sydney Morning Herald on July 29, 2015</blockquote><p> </p></div></div>
Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-10894584709082938672020-11-07T11:54:00.000+00:002020-11-07T11:54:08.904+00:00Elgar, Binyon, Martin-Harvey and 'Arthur'<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcqAZ4Fvzpc/X6aHSlwLjxI/AAAAAAAA35o/D_YrHoCriSYwTvs7veDjFxWCeQUTGHmKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/Add%2BMS%2B59870%2Bf1r_Elgar%2BArthur%2BArticle%2B20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1495" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AcqAZ4Fvzpc/X6aHSlwLjxI/AAAAAAAA35o/D_YrHoCriSYwTvs7veDjFxWCeQUTGHmKwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Add%2BMS%2B59870%2Bf1r_Elgar%2BArthur%2BArticle%2B20.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Title-page of Elgar's full score. <br />Courtesy of the British Library.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p> </p><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"> <b>To</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>SIR JOHN and LADY MARTIN HARVEY</b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>With what names should I inscribe this play but with yours? Yet what right have I to dedicate to you what is already so much your own? Memory goes back to the June day, now long ago, when first I undertook to write for you a play out of Malory's pages on a theme long pondered by you both. And many days come back to me, in London or by the sunny Channel, when time was forgotten in ardent work and interchange of ideas; in rejecting and recasting; in the search for essential structure. How much the play owes to you, both in framework and in detail, none knows so well as I. Give me leave, therefore, to write these words in grateful acknowledgement of that initial trust, of much fruitful suggestion and inspiriting counsel, and of all I have learnt from you of the playwright's patient craft.</b></span></span></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>With these words, the playwright Laurence Binyon introduced his play <i>Arthur: a tragedy</i>. The dedication is to my ancestor, Sir John Martin-Harvey and his wife who acted as 'Miss N. da Silva', and the music for the first production was written by Sir Edward Elgar.</p><p>In February 1998, Anthony Payne's elaboration of the sketches which Elgar made for his Third Symphony received its first public performance in London's Royal Festival Hall.</p><p>For the first time, people who had not been familiar with the sketches either as they were published in <i>The Listener</i> or W.H. Reed's <i>Elgar as I Knew Him</i> (1936) became aware that the symphony seemingly drew on Elgar's music for Binyon's play <i>Arthur</i>.</p><p>I want to present here some paragraphs taken from <i>The Autobiography of Sir John Martin-Harvey</i> (Sampson Low, Marston and Co, 1933), which explain the background to Binyon's play in some detail. Then I want to discuss briefly Elgar's music for the play, and how it relates to the Third Symphony sketches.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Martin-Harvey's account of the genesis of the play</h3><p></p><blockquote><p>After the production of <i>Oedipus Rex</i> at Covent Garden in 1912-13, a new ambition had taken possession of me. In my mind arose again the loved stories of my youth - those of Malory's <i>Morte d'Arthur</i>. What would be more glorious than to produce a play on the great British theme of Arthur, written by a British poet, in settings by a British artist, in the foremost British Theatre?</p><p>Laurence Binyon for the poet, my old friend Professor Robert Anning Bell for the designer, and Covent Garden Opera House for the production!</p><p>Binyon had entered enthusiastically into the project and many an hour had we spent with my wife over the construction of the play in her cottage at Bonchurch, to which he refers so charmingly in his dedication of the printed copy.</p><p>Our original idea was that Lancelot [Binyon used the spelling 'Launcelot', but Martin-Harvey does not follow this] should be the leading character; but, when I read the play aloud, my wife much preferred my expression of the King, and, with Binyon's concurrence, it was decided that I should play Arthur. This necessitated some changes in the latter part of the play which Binyon willingly made. In the meantime, consultations with Anning Bell over the costumes had been frequent and a large staff of workpeople had been carrying them out at Covent Garden Opera house.</p><p>Then came a disappointment. I had approached Robert Loraine to play 'Lancelot' and he had agreed, though at that time he was not in fit condition to undertake any work. He was war-weary and his doctor insisted upon a long sea voyage to re-build his health. The production of the play was postponed and, as I now had the tenancy of Covent Garden on my hands, I decided to revive <i>Hamlet</i> there for four weeks, with the same production which had been received with such favour at the Shakespeare Tercentenary performances at His Majesty's Theatre in 1916.</p><p>The postponement of <i>Arthur</i> was a great disappointment to us all, and conditions have changed so greatly since the War that I have not yet found it possible to produce the play. The fact is that the traditions in which I had been brought up were, before the War, still a powerful influence in my imaginative conception of poetical drama and were moulded on the old Lyceum lines - long casts, vast scenes, great crowds, elaborate and subtle lighting effects, large orchestras and all the rest of it. These things are no longer possible. The glories of that long line of Irving productions, in these days of Trade Union tyranny and mass discipline, can never return.</p><p>Perhaps the drama will be none the worse; for these are not essentials - "the Play's the thing" - and the acting. It is partly characteristic of the changed point of view in the matters that, whereas I had spent sixteen hundred pounds on costumes for <i>Arthur</i>, the 'old Vic', where the play was ultimately produced, has staged it complete for fifteen pounds, ten shillings!</p><p>Yes; an opportunity had presented itself for its production there, and after Binyon's disappointment I could not say 'No' to the opportunity; besides, I very much wanted to see the play brought to life. It is only then that one can finally judge of its form. Alas! the play was staged at a time when I was travelling and I could not see it, but I had a later chance.</p><p>The dramatic section of the London County Council Literary Institute in Drury Lane prayed for permission to give the play, and it was performed there by girls on an occasion when my wife and I were in Town, and very well too. The representation renewed my admiration for Binyon's noble work and confirmed my intention to produce the play whenever the favourable moment can be seized. There is so insignificant a public for such plays in London that it would be courting bankruptcy to stage it there, but that it will be welcomed and supported by an audience in the country I am convinced.</p><p>In the midst of these hectic movements I received news of our King's gracious bestowal of the dignity of Knighthood upon me, an honour which he himself had chosen as one which would be equally shared with my wife, in recognition of her long and arduous services during the War.</p></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Elgar's music for the play</h3><div><div>Sir Edward Elgar and Laurence Binyon first collaborated in the three-part choral work <i>The Spirit of England</i>. Binyon quickly became a friend and in 1923 asked the composer to write incidental music for the production of <i>Arthur</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a letter to Binyon the composer wrote in January 1923:</div><blockquote><div>I want to do it but since my dear wife's death [in 1920] I have <i>done nothing</i> & fear my music has vanished ... my wife loved your things & it may be that I can furnish (quite inadequately) music for <i>Arthur</i>. Can you give me three days more to “try’?</div></blockquote><div>Elgar's score amounted to nearly 90 pages ranging from a few bars to one piece of nearly five minutes. He scored the work for flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet, 2 cornets, trombone, drums, percussion, harp, strings and piano. Elgar drew much of his music from his old sketchbooks. </div><div><br /></div><div>The scenes of the play, and Elgar's contributions, are:</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Scene 1: Sir Bernard's castle at Astolat</h4><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Introduction to Scene 1</li><li><i>Now you have told me</i></li><li>End of Scene 1</li></ul></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atwVSnRb4EI/X6aIUEgzNLI/AAAAAAAA350/BoLORAD90d8-EgE_XU2mA8pTI_1dbmiZgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/Add%2BMS%2B59870%2Bf7r_Elgar%2BArthur%2BArticle%2B20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1489" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atwVSnRb4EI/X6aIUEgzNLI/AAAAAAAA350/BoLORAD90d8-EgE_XU2mA8pTI_1dbmiZgCLcBGAsYHQ/w238-h320/Add%2BMS%2B59870%2Bf7r_Elgar%2BArthur%2BArticle%2B20.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of Scene 1. <br />Courtesy of the British Library.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Scene 2: A room in the Palace in London: the King and Sir Bedivere</h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Introduction to Scene 2</li></ul></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RoekEkSK-Q0/X6aIliO998I/AAAAAAAA358/3N3F35e3EosPDXTcr2ylnlI9RiYTAuW4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2000/Add%2BMS%2B59870%2Bf8r_Elgar%2BArthur%2BArticle%2B20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1492" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RoekEkSK-Q0/X6aIliO998I/AAAAAAAA358/3N3F35e3EosPDXTcr2ylnlI9RiYTAuW4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Add%2BMS%2B59870%2Bf8r_Elgar%2BArthur%2BArticle%2B20.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Introduction to Scene 2. <br />Courtesy of the British Library.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Scene 3: Sir Bernard's castle at Astolat: Elaine asleep</h4><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Introduction to Scene 3</li><li><i>Put me on the barge</i></li><li>Link to Scene 4</li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Scene 4: The Banqueting Hall at Westminster</h4><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Introduction to Scene 4</li><li>Curtain rises</li><li><i>And both dangerous</i></li><li><i>It may be</i></li><li>The Queen</li><li>King Arthur’s Fellowship</li><li><i>As the King wills</i></li><li><i>The radiant rose</i></li><li><i>Our Queen!</i></li><li><i>Ah false</i></li><li>Reading letter</li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Scene 5: The Queen's Tower at night</h4><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Introduction to Scene 5</li><li><i>No tree was there</i></li></ul></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Scene 6: The King's Tower, the same night</h4><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Scene 7: The King's camp before Joyous Gard and Battle Scene</h4><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Introduction to Scene 7</li><li><i>Go, Lucan, to meet her</i></li><li><i>Thy sword, my life, are yours</i></li><li>End of Scene 7</li></ul></div></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Scene 8: Arthur's passage to Avalon</h4><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Introduction to Scene 8</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>In a letter to Binyon after the performances Elgar wrote:</div><blockquote><div>...for theatrical purposes I sh. have like <i>Arthur</i> & all his train to march mistily past, seen through a window on the stage R.</div></blockquote><div>A sentiment with which Martin-Harvey might well have sympathised.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Elgar's Third Symphony</h3><div>What was the significance to Elgar of the themes which he first used in <i>Arthur</i> and then re-used in his Third Symphony?</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Elgar's second movement is a scherzo and uses for its main opening section the central section of the introduction to Scene 4 (<i>The Banqueting Hall at Westminster</i>).</li><li>For the second subject of the final movement of the symphony, Elgar used the theme which appears (in the Hurst recording) at 1' 20" in the introduction to Scene Two (<i>The King and Bedivere</i>). The theme is based on an arpeggio figure and is strongly reminiscent (to me) of the "chivalric" themes of Elgar's old <i>Froissart</i> overture.</li></ul></div></div><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-85026407854012619892020-09-22T15:26:00.004+01:002020-11-07T10:42:33.694+00:00Richard Tauber's 'Pagliacci' Parlophones<p>With thanks to Daniel O'Hara for this information which complements my post on Tauber's film <i>Pagliacci</i>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZS3Gr5wGiY/X2oJG2_pObI/AAAAAAAA2yw/z2s7ZYaGi98wx3q04TUfFcZXcoNaQTa4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s700/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZS3Gr5wGiY/X2oJG2_pObI/AAAAAAAA2yw/z2s7ZYaGi98wx3q04TUfFcZXcoNaQTa4wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Untitled.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Such a Game</i>, recorded on 20 September 1936</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">30 April 1936</h2><p>CE 7625 - Prologue, part 1 - take 1 published (possibly other unpublished takes were also made)</p><p>CE 7626 - Prologue, part 2 - takes 1 to 3 - all unpublished</p><p>CE 7627 - On with the Motley - takes 1 to 3 - all unpublished</p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">4 June 1936</h2><p>CE 7626 - Prologue, part 2 - take 4 published (possibly there was also an unpublished take 5)</p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">9 September 1936</h2><p>CE 7627 - On with the Motley, takes 4 and 5; take 5 - published</p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">20 September 1936</h2><p>CE 7842 - Slumber Song, take 1 published, take 2 exists as a test</p><p>CE 7843 - Such a Game, take 1 published</p><p>CE 7844 - Harlequin's Serenade, take 1 published</p><p><br /></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-43021424523921755142020-09-19T22:29:00.012+01:002020-09-21T08:41:13.566+01:00Richard Tauber's film of 'Pagliacci'<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dF81bzeZ7aY/X2ciRNVC7fI/AAAAAAAA2xc/oNJ9Zwp4vJMfSQu3619QQguyFen6L06ewCLcBGAsYHQ/s1435/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="1435" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dF81bzeZ7aY/X2ciRNVC7fI/AAAAAAAA2xc/oNJ9Zwp4vJMfSQu3619QQguyFen6L06ewCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Tauber as Canio in the British Chemicolour <i>Prologue</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_TfrBKayxYw" width="320" youtube-src-id="_TfrBKayxYw"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Richard Tauber starred as Canio in this adaptation of Leoncavallo's opera <i>Pagliacci</i>. Filmed at Elstree Studios by Trafalgar Films in black and white and British Chemicolour.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Its trade world premiere was in London on 11 December 1936. At its public world premiere in Vienna on 14 January 1937 as <i>Der Bajazzo</i>, it was shown simultaneously in four cinemas with Tauber appearing in person at each cinema. The UK public premiere was at the Carlton Cinema, Haymarket, on 18 March 1937. Its US premiere, as <i>A Clown Must Laugh</i> was on 11 October 1938.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Tauber's costume is that worn by Enrico Caruso for the production at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in 1913. It was specially loaned by the British Museum.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><h2 style="text-align: left;">Cast</h2>Canio Salvatini, head of the troupe ... Richard Tauber <br />Nedda Salvatini, married to Canio but in love with Silvio ... Steffi Duna (sung by Angela Parselles in the Play)<br />Trina ... Diana Napier <br />Tonio, the fool ... Arthur Margetson (sung by Robert Easton in the Play)<br />Silvio, in love with Nedda ... Esmond Knight<br />Beppe, a comic trouper .. Jerry Verno<br />Leone ... Gordon James<br />Coachman ... Ivan Wilmot<br />Coachbuilder ... John Traynor<br />Officers ... Daley Cooper, Jnr., Ambrose Day, Harry Milton, Roy Findlay, Joe Roncoroni</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Director: Karl Grune</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Libretto: Ruggero Leoncavallo (original Italian libretto)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Story adaptation and dialogue: Monckton Hoffe, Roger Burford</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Lyrics: John Drinkwater</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Dialogue supervisors: Leon M. Lion, Rosse Thompson</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Writers: Bertolt Brecht (uncredited), Fritz Kortner (uncredited)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Music: Ruggero Leoncavallo, arranged by Hans Eisler</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Conductor: Albert Coates, assisted by Boyd Neel</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Choreography: Wendy Toye</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Cinematography: Otto Kanturek</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Camera: Alfred Black</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Art direction: Oscar Friedrich Werndorff</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Film editor: Walter Stokvis</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Production manager: Fritz Brunn</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Sound engineer: Bert Ross</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Wednesday 1 January 1936</p><blockquote><div>In 1936 WE / BELIEVE / EXHIBITORS / WILL LEARN TO / LOOK FORWARD WITH / KEEN EXPECTANCY TO / EACH NEW MAX SCHACH / PRODUCTION MADE by / CAPITOL</div></blockquote><blockquote><div>PAGLIACCI </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>(A Grune-Tauber Picture.) KARL GRUNE, Director; RICHARD TAUBER, Star. </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era </h2><p style="text-align: left;">Wednesday 1 January 1936</p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Coming plans include <i>I Pagliacci</i> to be directed by Grune, with Richard Tauber as the star. Max Schach acquired the sole rights of Leoncavallo’s opera, and intends to make the film version in an entirely original way. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">In securing these rights, it is now common knowledge that American and British producers have had to alter their plans. </p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Daily Mirror</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Friday 17 January 1936</p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">For his next story, <i>Pagliacci</i>, Karl Grune is going to try Swiss locations. I gather RICHARD TAUBER and Co. will start work on the story of the famous opera in the vicinity of Wengen, up on the Scheidegg. At that height they should be assured of sun and snow.</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Daily Herald </h2><p style="text-align: left;">Thursday 6 February 1936</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">NEW FILM UNIT </h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">WILL MAKE <i>PAGLIACCI</i> WITH TAUBER</h3><p style="text-align: left;">From Our Film Correspondent<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"> A new British company, Trafalgar Films Ltd., has been formed with guaranteed world distribution by the United Artists combine.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Its first two pictures will be <i>Pagliacci</i>, Leoncavallo opera starring Richard Tauber, and <i>Elizabeth of England</i>, in which Flora Robson and Robert Donat will probably appear.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Chairman of the new company is Mr. Max Schach. </p></blockquote><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><p>Wednesday 19 February 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Max Schach’s Latest Plans </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>MAX SCHACH, the go-ahead presiding genius of Capitol Films, has recently concluded agreements for the production and distribution of a fresh batch of films. Apart from those announced some time back, the current arrangements bring his commitments up to twelve pictures, all of these to be finished within fifteen months. Trafalgar Films Productions, the newly-formed unit, will be responsible for three. They will be released in this country and the States by United Artists. Schach has just signed a contract with London Films to rent a block of their Denham studios for a period of three years. The rent to be paid over that time will amount to £350,000. The first film to into production there will be <i>Pagliacci</i>. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Film Of "Pagliacci"</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Date: Tuesday, Aug. 11, 1936</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Publication: The Times (London, England)</span></p><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Work began at Elstree yesterday on the production of a film based on Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci. The cast includes Herr Tauber as Canio, Mlle. Steffi Duna as Nedda, Mr. Arthur Margetson as Tonio, Mr, Jerry Verno as Beppo, Mr. Esmond Knight as Silvio, Miss Diana Napier as Trina, and Mr. Arthur Chesney as the Coachbuilder. Mr. Monkton-Hoffe and Mr. Roger Burford have prepared the screenplay; Mr. John Drinkwater is responsible for some of the lyrics; and Mr. Albert Coates, assisted by Mr. Boyd Neel, has undertaken the task of preparing Leoncavallo's music for the screen.</span></div></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Falkirk Herald</h2><p>Wednesday 15 April 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">GRAND OPERA AT LAST </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Does the British film goer want opera on the screen? For years this burning question has exercised the great minds of our film magnates, keeping them awake o’ nights and turning their scanty locks prematurely grey. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>One British producer, more courageous—or more reckless, if you like—than the rest, has acquired the film rights of Puccini's <i>I Pagliacci</i>, and will shortly put the operatic problem to a practical test.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>But, alas! once again America has forestalled us, for within the next week or two there will presented, positively for the first time on any screen, <i>Mickey’s Grand Opera</i>, co-starring Madame Clara Cluck, the world-famous coloratura soprano, and Signor Donaldo Duck, "tenoro robusto" of great power and range. M. Miki Mouse, the celebrated maestro, whose brilliant conducting of the <i>William Tell</i> overture in <i>The Band Concert</i> will long be remembered, will wield the baton. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>M. Mouse’s business manager, Walt Disney, declines to divulge the name the opera concerned, but declares that it is definitely not <i>I Pagliacci</i>. "Signor Duck," he says, "is a tenor of considerable promise, but 1 am afraid he is not yet capable tackling 'On with the Motley'—but for heaven’s sake, don’t tell him I said so.” </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Daily Mirror </h2><p>Saturday 18 April 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">RICHARD TAUBER TO MARRY IN LONDON </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>BY OUR FILM CORRESPONDENT </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>RICHARD Tauber, the tenor, and his fiancee, Diana Napier, the film star, are to be married in a London register office late in June, when Tauber's decree against his Austrian wife is made absolute. Part of their honeymoon will be spent in Brighton, where Miss Napier's mother lives. When I saw the couple last night, on their return from Vienna, where the tenor has been singing in the State opera season, they were radiantly happy. They have come back to London to appeal in two new films, <i>I Pagliacci</i> and <i>Land Without Song</i>, which will both be made at Denham by Trafalgar Films. The wedding will take place between the making of these two films. "We would rather forget the past and look forward to the future," Miss Napier told me. "We are planning the wedding to take place immediately after Richard and I have made the <i>I Pagliacci</i> film."</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Nottingham Evening Post</h2><p>Monday 20 April 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">£20,000 OPERA FILM STARRING TAUBER. </h3></blockquote><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">AMBITIOUS PLANS ANNOUNCED BY MAX SCHACH. </h3></blockquote><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">WELL-KNOWN PRIMA DONNA TO TAKE PART. </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Ambitious plans have been announced Max Schach which, if realised, will make him one of the most influential forces in British film-making. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The first of these projects is the filming of Leoncavallo's opera, <i>I Pagliacci</i>, with Richard Tauber, which is to start in a few days. This is believed to be the first time that a whole opera has been adapted for filming. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>A considerable amount of additional incident leading up to the situation depicted in the opera is to be introduced, it is learned, but the story will be substantially adhered to and most of the original music retained. Negotiations are proceeding for a well-known film prima donna to play opposite Herr Tauber. </p></blockquote><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;">PROBABLY A RECORD. </h4></blockquote><blockquote><p>The rights of the opera were obtained for the sum of £20,000, probably a record price for British company to pay for a subject. Mr. Schach learned that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had been buying every available opera, and had an option on<i> I Pagliacci</i> for £20,000. If they wished to take it it was necessary for them to hand in a telegram of acceptance at Los Angeles before two o'clock on a certain date. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Mr. Schach cabled a deposit of £5,000 to the agents for the sale, and asked that the opera should be sold him if Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer did not accept. The latter handed in their telegram at 2.35 p.m., and the opera became Mr. Schach's by 35 minutes.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette</h2><p>Saturday 25 April 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">To Be Married in June </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Diana Napier, the Bath-born film star, and Richard Tauber, have returned by air from Vienna, and are back in London, making plans for their wedding in June and for the honeymoon in Brighton. "Half a year for a divorce, an endless struggle with authority, and at last we are free," Miss Napier said in interview on Friday night. "Through it all, Richard has been singing in Italian opera and teaching me German. He succeeded so well that he is to take the title role in <i>Pagliacci</i>, his new film, and I am to speak German in Vienna next Christmas." </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>After the <i>Pagliacci</i> film they will take love-sick, but tragic, roles in another film, <i>Land Without Music</i>. The only thing Richard cannot teach his Diana is how to sing. "Not a note in her head which might be accurate," he said in despair. Asked if he had acquired anything abroad, his only answer was, "a good figure," for Miss Napier has been taking the chocolate and sausages out of his diet. He has retaliated cutting down her cigarettes.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><p>Wednesday 29 July 1936</p><blockquote><p>Steffi Duna, the Hungarian brunette who danced in Radio’s Technicolor <i>La Cucharacha</i> and <i>Dancing Pirate</i>, arrives on the Berengaria to-day. She will play Nedda opposite Tauber in Capitol’s <i>Pagliacci</i>. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><p>Wednesday 12 August 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">TAUBER IN <i>PAGLIACCI</i> </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Trafalgar’s Screen Opera </p></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><i>PAGLIACCI</i>, Trafalgar's screen opera, has gone into production at the B.1.P. Studios. It is being produced by Max Schach as his first subject for United Artists’ release. </blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p>Richard Tauber is playing Canio, and is directed by Karl Grune. They call it an "operatic film" as distinct from a "filmed opera." </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Monkton Hoffe and Roger Burford have prepared the screen play whilst some of the lyrics have been devised by John Drinkwater. Albert Coates, assisted by Boyd Neel, will be responsible for putting the Leoncavallo music on the screen.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The cast also includes Steffi as Nedda, Arthur Margetson as Tonio, Jerry Verno as Beppe, Esmond Knight as Silvio, Diana Napier as Trina, and Arthur Chesney as the Coachbuilder. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Belfast Telegraph</h2><p>Thursday 20 August 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">OPERA ON THE SCREEN. </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>There is good news for opera lovers. and particularly those who find Covent Garden prices beyond their means. It is that the first of what may well prove to be a cycle of films based on the world's greatest operas has gone into production in a British studio. The first shots of <i>Pagliacci</i> have been taken at Elstree, and Karl Grune, who is directing, has under him a cast of considerable talent. Richard Tauber is Canio, and Steffi Duna is Nedda, Esmond Knight is taking the part of Silvo, Nedda's lover. and Arthur Margetson, Jerry Verno, Diana Napier, and Arthur Chesney have leading parts. The all important task of putting Leoncavallo's glorious music on the screen has been entrusted to Albert Coates and Boyd Neel. and I am told that it will he played by the most carefully selected orchestra which has ever been employed in a film studio. Several of the lyrics have been written be John Drinkwater, and it is altogether a very ambitious project. </p></blockquote><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><p>Wednesday 2 September 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">COLOUR FOR <i>PAGLIACCI</i> </h3></blockquote><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;">Chemicolour Process </h4></blockquote><blockquote><p>At the Elstree Studios last week I saw a colour film that carries us a stage nearer perfection, writes an <i>Era</i> correspondent. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It was a demonstration of the British Chemicolour process, the joint invention of Otto Kanturek, Karl Grune, and Viktor Gluck. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Technically described as a subtractive process, Chemicolour is based on the colours of the colour spectrum—yellow, red, green, and blue —and is produced by a photographic galvanochemic system. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p> It is claimed that not more than 12 to 15 per cent more light is needed than in black and white films. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The actual printing of Chemicolour copies is carried out, as in the case of black and white films, by mechanical means, and can be shown on the screen in colour within forty-eight hours of shooting. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>No additional projection light nor any kind of adjustment to the projector is necessary. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The first film in which the British Chemicolour process is being used extensively is <i>Pagliacci</i>, the Trafalgar Films production, now being directed by Karl Grune at Elstree, for world release by U.A. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The pictures shown ranged from sea scenes to interiors, shots of Ann Harding and Steffi Duna being particularly pleasing. The colours are as "natural" as any that have ever been seen on a screen, and, to my mind, their composition is more successful than in other systems. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Stage</h2><p>Thursday 10 September 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">The mechanics of film-making. </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p> The theatre compère of the <i>Evening News</i> relates that he went to Elstree to see Richard Tauber doing some scenes for the soreen version of <i>I Pagliacci</i>. Tauber was seated on a property caravan as Canio, and a loud speaker on the floor was giving out "On with the Motley," from one of the tenor's records. Tauber was not singing, only making lip movements to the song. Then he began rehearsing, acting in unison with the words of the song. The record, it is stated, was repeated twenty times or so, Tauber accompanying it with his acting. We are told that Richard Tauber is going to be "a revelation as an actor in this film." Perhaps; but there are things that, as Dundreary said, "no fellah can understand."</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Tatler</h2><p>Wednesday 30 September 1936</p><blockquote><p>Richard Tauber, who is in the big group with his clever young wife, is also amongst the toilers at Denham, and has just finished a picture of <span style="font-style: italic;">I Pagliacci </span>there.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Linlithgowshire Gazette</h2><p>Friday 9 October 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>PAGLIACCI</i> NEARS COMPLETION </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Rapid progress in the production of the Max Schach-Trafalgar subject <i>Pagliacci</i> has brought the film version of Leoncavallo’s most famous opera, under the direction of Karl Grune to its final stages of shooting. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Work has been concentrated during the last few days the filming of the play within the play in which the tragic climax of the drama of jealousy is reached. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>As in the opera, a strong dramatic effect obtained in the film in this sequence by the juxtaposition of comedy and tragedy, the climax being reached during the performance of a traditional Italian comedy known to now as a Harlequinade, into which a delightful ballet sequence is introduced, with Steffi Duna, Tauber’s leading lady in the film, dancing as Columbine. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>For this sequence a lavishly mounted and beautifully designed set has been constructed representing the stage and the auditorium of a travelling Italian theatre of the beginning of this century. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Linlithgowshire Gazette</h2><p>Friday 16 October 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">RICHARD TAUBER BUYS A CARAVAN </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Succumbing to a persuasiveness reminiscent of the car salesman's tactics to-day, Richard Tauber has bought a a very nice caravan, too, with sliding panels revealing bed complete with a model of brunette to add to the persuasiveness. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p> This delightful scene at Italian caravan vendor's at the beginning of the century, has been one of the many taken during the last few days by Karl Grune, busy completing the Max Schach-Trafalgar screen version of <i>Pagliacci</i> starring Richard Tauber, and with Steffi Duna, Diana Napier, Esmond Knight, Arthur Margetson, and Jerry Verno in other principal roles. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Considerable interest has been aroused in the trade since Max Schach's acquisition of the film rights of Leoncavallo’s great opera was announced, to the possibility of this production leading to a cycle of screen of the classic operas. Discussing this possibility in a published interview the other day, Karl Grune stated his belief that the successful film opera can be achieved I only when the original abounds in real human and dramatic situations, as does this famous drama jealousy. Screen audiences, continued Grune, are accustomed to films being true to life, and the artificial conventions of the stage opera must be dispensed with before can become, acceptable film fare. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>This principle he has applied in <i>Pagliacci.</i> Leoncavallo’s music is used in its entirety, mostly as background music, but wherever singing has been introduced it has been done in logical and convincing manner. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Belfast Telegraph</h2><p>Monday 19 October 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">TAUBER SAYS "AU REVOIR."</h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Mr. and Mrs. Richard Tauber (Diana Napier) have left London and will be away for six months. Twice during that period they will fly back from Vienna to London—for the premieres of the two Max Schach films, <i>Pagliacci</i>, and <i>Land Without Music</i>, in both of which Tauber stars and Miss Napier plays a leading role. After its trade-show last week. <i>Land Without Music</i> was hailed as Tauber's finest film yet. Mr. and Mrs. Tauber will spend a week in Switzerland, with Tauber concerts in Basle and Berne, and two or three days in Salzburg, where he is to sing again. Then they will have a holiday in the Austrian Tyrol before going to the furnished house they have taken in Vienna for the opera season. Tauber opens the season on November 12 in '<i>Don Juan</i>. Early in the season he will sing <i>I Pagliacci</i>, which was a tremendous success at the same opera house last winter. At the close of the season Mr. and Mrs. Tauber will go to Cairo, and in April will return to the flat they have taken in Culross Street, Mayfair. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Australian Woman's Mirror</h2><div>3 November 1936, p. 41</div><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">FILM FLASH FROM ELSTREE! </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Steffi Duna, most attractive young Hungarian actress from Hollywood, over here to play Nedda to Richard Tauber’s <i>Pagliacci</i>, likes us all very much and London in particular, because it was at Grosvenor House four years ago that she met John Carroll, the six-feet of American manhood, to whom she engaged herself two days before leaving New York.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The pretty Hungarian can act (I dare say you saw her in <i>La Cucuracha</i> and <i>Dancing Pirate</i>, Hollywood’s color films), but she is leaving all the family singing to husband-to-be. He was the singer who appeared with her in the American film <i>Hi, Gaucho</i>. In the <i>Pagliacci</i> film Nedda’s operatic airs will be recorded, and Steffi Duna will just open and close her mouth prettily to suit the music. Sounds simple, but you just try it! Australian singer Angela Parselles provides the voice. They predict here that it won’t be long before she’s a film star in her own right. </p></blockquote><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><p>Wednesday 25 November 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">NOW COMPLETE By F. S. JENNINGS </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p> (“Era" Studio Correspondent) </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It is announced that, following a special viewing of <i>I Pagliacci </i>by the directors of Capitol-Trafalgar Productions, it has been decided to include those scenes which were shot in colour. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>These scenes comprise about one third of the action, and all of the material will be used in the final copy of the film. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The process utilised was British Chemicolour, and, outside of certain studio executives, it will be the first time that it has been seen by an audience. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p> It is the joint invention of Karl Grune, Otto Kanturek, and Victor Gluck, who have been working on it for years. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Pagliacci</i> is the first film in which Chemicolour has been used, and following the premiere, about which an announcement is expected shortly, it will be available to other film producers. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Optimistic claims are being put forward about the future of colour in films, and I do not wish to cast a pre-preview damper on the possibilities of the process mentioned. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p> It is doubtless all that is said about it, but from the all-colour films I have seen during the past two years, and from what I have heard as to the public reaction, I should say that colour is going to mean considerably less than stereoscopy, which, when it does arrive in perfection, will provide the final and lasting touch to illusion.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><p>Wednesday 9 December 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">CHEMICOLOUR PROCESS</h3></blockquote><p><i></i></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><i>Pagliacci First Big Show </i></blockquote></h4><p></p><blockquote><p>Friday night at the Hippodrome Theatre, when the Capitol-Trafalgar Production, Pagliacci is shown, the trade will have its first opportunity of viewing the British Chemicolour Process. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Karl Grune directed <i>Pagliacci</i>, which stars Richard Tauber and Steffi Duna, and about one-third of the finished production is filmed in Chemicolour. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The colour sequences were photographed under the supervision of Otto Kanturek. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era </h2><p>Wednesday 9 December 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Trade Show Diary</h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Look Before You Book</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>London</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>December 11 - Pagliacci, United Artists, Hippodrome, 8.45</p></blockquote><blockquote><p> </p></blockquote><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette</h2><p>Saturday 12 December 1936</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Courageous British Production </h3><p>A FILM has just been completed in London which may start a new "cycle" and open the eyes of the world’s producers a wealth of new material. To have this effect, of course, it must a pioneering effort and the courage of the British company who made it is to be applauded. </p><p>The title of this film is <i>Pagliacci</i> and its star is Richard Tauber. It is a screen transcription of Leoncavallo's opera. </p><p>Will it be successful? ..... Tauber and Karl Grune, its director, are sure it will, but they are artists. Max Schach’s company, Trafalgar Films, is not quite so sure, though it naturally feels considerable pride in its product. Company chiefs regard it more as an experiment than a probable money-maker. This film is the first screen opera. It is quite distinct from the previous operatic ventures of Grace Moore and Lily Pons, because they were films of contemporary and conventional life, introducing , by a back-stage story, several operatic excerpts. </p><p>But <i>Pagliacci</i> is not a series of excerpts and not a film of modern life punctuated by a few song recitals. It has the story of the opera as its story basis and Leoncavallo's music as its only music.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Changes In Score</h4><p>There has, of course, been necessity to reduce the original piece to the running time of a modern movie, but nothing of importance has been omitted. The residue of the music, if serving no purpose in the story, has been used for background accompaniment.</p><p>Before commenting on the production's chance of success, I should describe to you what changes have been made in the original score.</p><p>Opera in the form presented on the stage will be realized by everyone to be unsuitable for the screen. This is especially so in the case of <i>Pagliacci</i>.</p><p>Those familiar with it will know of the intense emotion and melodramatic characters. Even its story has a base of unstinted melodrama concerning a man who experiences such an extreme jealousy that he stabs his wife during a stage performance and then, emotions still uncontrolled, stabs his wife’s lover, who is among the audience. </p><p>It was a difficult subject to bring to the screen without spoiling the music, which will always be its greatest charm, and its fiery emotion had to be accommodated to the more realistic and restrained needs of the cinema. </p><p>The opera is a play within a play, and for the film the inner portion—the performance during which Canio commits the murders—has been retained in its entirety. </p><p>John Drinkwater has translated it into English in rhymed couplets, and it serves its original purpose as the climax of the story. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Action Introduced </h4><p>The outer portion, which leads to the climax, has in places been abbreviated, in others extended, to allow the cinema audience to follow in greater detail the events that cause the terrible jealousy. In this way the essential screen action has been introduced. Karl Grune has aimed at making a good film and, with the eager assistance of Tauber, has worked hard in attempt to show the world that his belief in opera as a screen subject is justified.</p><p>But film-goers are interested only in the entertainment with which they are presented, and the aims and ideals of the men behind the scenes are often the objects of shattering criticism.</p><p>That is why there is doubt about the success of Pagliacci and also why, if you are discriminating in your taste for films, you should try to see it.</p><p>If drama and music which, incidentally, was directed for the film by Albert Coates, are both efficiently transcribed, there will be satisfaction for the enthusiasts of both arts, but if, for instance, a film-goer were more interested in drama and found in this film it was weak, his reaction would condemn, despite the possibility that the musical part was excellent.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Divided Audience</h4><p>That is the inevitable fate of a film which provides for differing minds. There is always a divided audience and conflicting opinion.</p><p>To succeed, Pagliacci must be well acted and sung and must possess action, which is the primary qualification of a modern film. With this, there is no reason why it should fail.</p><p>But in <i>Heart's Desire</i>, there was a <i>Pagliacci</i>-like portrayal by Tauber which was intensely painful to watch. You will remember this embarrassing scene - when the star staggered in the wings of the theatre because of disappointment in love.</p><p>If the realism in the new film is not better than that it is a certain failure.</p><p>Until the film is seen no criticism can be made, and meanwhile I applaud the courageous scheme of Trafalgar Films and wish it success.</p><p>With developments in interpretation opera could be made interesting film-fare. It would be joyously welcomed by some, who are growing tired of entertainment and will accept it even if it is utter rubbish.</p><p><br /></p><p></p></blockquote><h2 style="text-align: left;">Dundee Evening Telegraph</h2><p>Wednesday 16 December 1936</p><p></p><blockquote><p>LEONCAVALLO'S <i>Pagliacci</i>, the first classic opera to be transferred to the talking screen, has just been completed. It was shown privately to the film trade last Friday. Part of the picture has been made by new colour process—British Chemicolour.</p><p>If the experiment is successful—only the picture-going public can decide that —it will open up a wide new field of screen material. </p><p>Richard Tauber, Steffi Duna, Diana Napier, and Esmond Knight are principals. Hans Eisler, famous continental musician; Albert Coates, and Boyd Neel were responsible for the musical side of the work.</p><p>Tauber has a rich sense of humour, and made Mr Coates his butt while production was in progress. </p><p>The tenor was going over one of his songs softly between scenes, and ' Mr Coates was standing by when he noticed that on the piano was a little packet of throat lozenges. </p><p>Interested to know what kind of lozenge Tauber considered suitable for his valuable throat he opened the packet —to find an assortment of tin-tacks and steel screws. </p><p>With a fine show of anger, Tauber snatched the packet from him. Tauber then shrugged his shoulders resignedly. </p><p>"What is the use?" he said. "I can hide it no longer. You have learnt the secret of my voice."</p></blockquote><p></p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era </h2><p>Wednesday 16 December 1936</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;"><i>PAGLIACCI</i> IS GREAT BOX-OFFICE </h3></blockquote><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">TAUBER’S FINE SINGING, by G. A. ATKINSON </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>STEFFI DUNA'S uncommon name attracted some attention when she was launched in films by Cecil Lewis, at Elstree, some four years ago. Since then it has been in the Hollywood news, but her performance in support of Tauber in the Max Schach production of Pagliacci is Miss Duna's first real screen justification. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>She is a trifle too young for the role, and fails to convey a full sense of the tragic destiny of the <i>femme fatale</i>. There is also a slight misunderstanding over the gestures required from her in the scene with Punchinello at the finish.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Otherwise, it seems to me, this young woman establishes the qualities that make for box office appeal, a tribute, one may suppose, to the directorial skill of Karl Grüne.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Mr. Grüne also seems to have been exercising his persuasive powers on Richard Tauber, whose acting improves as he slims. He is quite surprisingly well-cast as the tragic clown, strikes just the right note of fatuous geniality as the uxorious husband, and also conveys a substantial impression of impending doom, though there is little left for any player to say or do or sing on the subject of the clown with a breaking heart. He has been dramatic currency since drama began. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>In the Italy of Leoncavallo the tragedy could but end with the death of all three principals, because that satisfies the bloodthirsty demands of vendetta, but in Anglo-Saxon countries one imagines that the girl would elope with the other fellow, and that the husband would be called some years later to her death-bed repentance after her lover had deserted her.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Many people, perhaps, will be inclined to think that the best single performance in the production is that given by Esmond Knight in the “co-respondent” role of Silvio. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It is marked with an intensity of passion that is Latin in fervour, though Latins, of late, have not been getting away with all the passion, and there is a topical ring in the line: "Which is more important, Love or Duty?"</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Arthur Margetson reveals appropriate menace in the role of the rejected suitor, Tonio. Diana Napier’s personal appeal is distinctly formidable in the role of the slighted Trina. Jerry Verno has some deftly handled comedy opportunities that slacken the too keen tension of tragedy. Apart from the tragic climax, in which conventional treatment is unavoidable, there are two episodes that stand out. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>One is the disaster that overtakes the touring company in a mountain pass, when one caravan is seen to run backwards and topple into the abyss. Another, the best, shows the company breaking into song as their caravan descends from the snow line into the valley. This is in the happiest vein of cinema, and atones for much that is fragmentary and disconnected in the scenario.</p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Opening and closing sequences are photographed in British Chemicolour process, and, as colour, are as good as anything we have seen. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Whether colour can do anything to strengthen dramatic values is open to question. In some aspects it is definitely distracting, but Miss Duna at least gained 50 per cent, in beauty when she turned into a Chemicolour star. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Pagliacci</i>, in my judgment, is a film that blends popular favour and prestige appeal to a degree unsurpassed by any production in sight. It is a notable addition to the films that strengthen the industry’s morale. Now stand by for a moment, and Mr. Betts will tell you about the music.</p></blockquote><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;">PAGLIACCI MUSIC </h4></blockquote><blockquote><p>By EDWARD BETTS </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>(“Era” Music Critic) </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>In adapting Leoncavallo’s opera Trafalgar began with the advantage of having two of the most famous tenor solos in the whole of music, the Prologue and <i>On With the Motley</i>. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>This effort goes a long way towards what some of us think would be the ideal marriage of opera and film. It is, indeed, the first real attempt to reconstruct opera on the screen and adds a new pleasure to the cinema. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Though the music has had to undergo considerable change in order to allow for explanatory sequences in talk and action, Karl Grüne has directed the picture with a view to the best presentation of the outstanding numbers, and he has obviously had keen co-operation from his singers and orchestral conductors—Albert Coates and Boyd Neel. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Richard Tauber’s voice is ideally suited to the part of Canio. The Prologue has, I think, never been better sung, and his <i>On With the Motley</i> is a really artistic achievement. It is more subdued than is customary—its tone, and the suggestion of pent-in emotion give the performance a power of actuality that enthralled the trade show audience. The famous sob which with Caruso seemed to shake the stage was suggested as the involuntary heart-cry of a strong man broken by an unexpected sorrow. Tauber’s singing in the rest of the play did not always reach this unusually high level, but it was always extremely good. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>An interpolated lullaby was beautifully done. In the rearrangement of the musical score, the other characters have not been too well served, though most of them have good opportunity to show what they can do as actors. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Orchestral playing and its recording were kept on a high plane, and the added portions of the music had been artfully contrived. There was, I thought, one production mistake. Canio’s last <i>The comedy is ended</i> was not nearly so effective when taken from the stage and said in front of the curtain.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><p>Wednesday 6 January 1937 </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"></h3><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">TRADE SHOW DIARY</h3><p>Look Before You Book</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Birmingham</h4><p>January 7 - Pagliacci, United Artists, Futurist, 10.30</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Cardiff</h4><div>January 6 - Pagliacci, United Artists, Empire, 11</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Leeds</h4><div>January 12 - Pagliacci, United Artists, Scala, 10.45</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Liverpool</h4><div>January 6 - Pagliacci, United Artists, Paramount, 11</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Manchester</h4><div>January 7 - Pagliacci, United Artists, Piccadilly, 10.45</div></blockquote><div></div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Era</h2><div>Wednesday 13 January 1937</div><div><h3></h3></div><blockquote><div><h3>TRADE SHOW DIARY</h3><p>Look Before You Book</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Glasgow</h4><p>January 13 - Pagliacci, United Artists, Paramount, 10.45</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Newcastle</h4><p>January 19 - Pagliacci, United Artists, Queen's, 10.30</p></div><div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Forthcoming British Films</h2><p>Date: Thursday, Feb. 11, 1937</p><p>Publication: The Times (London, England)</p><blockquote><div>Mr Max Schach has arranged for the Capitol Corporation to show in New York during the next few months <i>Love From a Stranger</i>, <i>Dreaming Lips</i>, with Miss Elisabeth Bergner, and <i>Pagliacci</i>.</div></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Linlithgowshire Gazette</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Friday 12 February 1937</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">UNUSUAL WORLD PREMIERE</h3></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Vienna has been the centre of an unusual world premiere this last week. The Max Schach production, <i>Pagliacci</i>, directed Karl Grune, was given simultaneous premieres at four Vienna’s finest cinemas and drew record crowds to each one. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Richard Tauber, who is currently singing in the opera season in Vienna, made personal appearances the stage all it cinemas during the evening. He received rousing ovations from the packed houses, and at each cinema he was called on to say few words of thanks. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Vienna—city of music, musicians, and music-lovers—has not restrained itself offering praise for the screen brilliance Leoncavallo’s beautiful opera <i>Pagliacci</i>. They say that Tauber’s voice is ideally suited to the role of Canio, that the Prologue and <i>On With The Motley</i> are great artistic achievements, and that the film blends true opera with popular cinematic entertainment, the latter being high praise for the director, Karl Grune. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">These four simultaneous premieres attracted a great many Viennese music-lovers, many of whom are notoriously suspicious of mechanical reproduction of singing, and who were at once converted by the faithful recording and the fidelity of reproduction in in which (they said) Tauber's voice was as perfect they were accustomed to hearing it in the Vienna Opera House. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">It is reported that the Duke of Windsor has been acquainted with the fact that <i>Pagliacci</i> now showing in Vienna, and a visit from this royal patron of music is confidently expected in the near future. </p></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Linlithgowshire Gazette</h2><div>Friday 26 February 1937</div><blockquote><div>In a few weeks' time, Leoncavallo’s <i>Pagliacci</i>, with Tauber as Canio, will be presented at a West. End cinema, whilst the incomparable Paderewski will soon be seen and heard in a specially written film called <i>Moonlight Sonata</i>. In this the great Polish musician plays several compositions besides the name piece, including Liszt’s second Hungarian Rhapsody and his own very popular minuet. </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Whitstable Times and Herne Bay Herald</h2><div>Saturday 6 March 1937</div><blockquote><div>Then there is Richard Tauber in airs and songs from his new film, <i>Pagliacci</i>, from the famous opera; he sings in English. There is the Prologue (R020329), and <i>On with the Motley</i> and <i>Such a Game</i> (RO 20330). I know the opera, but not the film; these records suggest that the latter is thrilling, or is it Tauber's tenor voice?</div></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sunday Mirror</h2><p>Sunday 7 March 1937</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Pagliacci With the Eternal Triangle</h3></blockquote><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;">Tauber Good as Ever </h4></blockquote><blockquote><p>I suppose that nothing can be achieved in films without experiment, And I again suppose that <i>Pagliacci</i>, presented at the Carlton, is a wholly commendable effort. It is, in a way, interesting, since so many filmgoers have shown by their absence from cinemas that they do not want to see opera in pictures. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>This film answers that objection in two ways. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The lesser of these is that it adds to the opera a meaty melodrama of a troupe of strolling players getting embedded in a storm You know that there is not one character on the Elstree Alps and working out a triangle drama with gusto. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The greater of these is the presence of Richard Tauber, who is one of the most popular stars in Britain and who, at least, will not imperil that position by his acting in <i>Pagliacci</i>. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The film starts in colour and ends in colour.The process used is something new which Karl Grune, director and producer of <i>Pagliacci</i>, has introduced to Britain. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>These colour sequences are taken from the opera as shown on the stage and are very good asl far as the colour is concerned and entirely marvellous as far as the singing of Richard Tauber is concerned. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Between this colourful beginning and this colourful ending there is the bulk and body of a spicy triangle drama played somewhere in the aforesaid Alps. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It is not bad. I think Karl Grune had an idea when when he started this film, which is more than can be said for most, but the charm of the film to me is not any directorial experiments but the personality and the singing of Richard Tauber, who is one of the best fellows in films and who made <i>Blossom Time</i> one of the greatest successes that was ever made in London. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>Richard is a Dick anyone would welcome in films or in fact. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>And I give a lot of the credit for that to about a beautiful young man who was im- s cheerful, practical and charming wife, whom you used to know as Diana Napier. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">New British Films</h2><p>Date: Monday, Mar. 15, 1937</p><p>Publication: The Times (London, England)</p><blockquote><p>Herr Karl Grune, who directed Fritz Kortner in <i>Abdul the Damned</i>, is the director of <i>Pagliacci</i>, a new British film which is to be shown at the Carlton Theatre next Thursday. Parts of the film are in colour, and the leading players are Mr. Richard Tauber, Miss Steffi Duna, and Miss Diana Napier. </p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Opera And Ballet</h2><p>Date: Wednesday, Mar. 17, 1937</p><p>Publication: The Times (London, England)</p><blockquote><p>CARLTON, Haymarket.To-morrow! RICHARD TAUBER in "PAGLIACCI." STEFFI DUMA, DIANA NAPIER (A).</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Concerts & c.</h2><div><div>Date: Thursday, Mar. 18, 1937</div><div><br /></div><div>Publication: The Times (London, England)</div></div><blockquote><p>CARLTON, Haymarket. (From 12 o.c.) RICHARD TAUBER singing the World's Greatest Melodies in "PAGLIACCI." STEFFI DUMA, DIANA NAPIER (A).</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2>Sunday Mirror</h2><p>Sunday 21 March 1937</p><blockquote><h3>Cinemas</h3></blockquote><blockquote>CARLTON, Haymarket - Richard Tauber in PAGLIACCI with Steffi Duna and Diana Napier (A.) Tnt. 5.45 & 8.30</blockquote><h2 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;">New Films In London</h2><p>Date: Monday, Mar. 22, 1937</p><p>Publication: The Times (London, England)</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">"PAGLIACCI "</h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>Few operas combine sadness and song more generously than Leoncavallo's <i>Pagliacci</i>, and in numerous films scenes of tragedy have been rounded off with an aria taken from it. It is not surprising therefore that an attempt should be made to make more of the opera and to produce a film under the title of <i>Pagliacci</i>. The title is not a fair reflection of the content of the film, which has Mr. Richard Tauber in the part of Canio, Miss Steffi Duna as Nedda, and Miss Diana Napier as Trina, and is to be seen this week at the Carlton Cinema. </p></blockquote><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;"> CARLTON </h4></blockquote><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;"><i>Pagliacci</i></h4></blockquote><blockquote><p> It would certainly be exasperating if a more serious opera than Leoncavallo's was converted into a film with sporadic songs. As it is, there is not enough contrast between the occasional music and the long passages of incident or dialogue to exasperate either those who go to this film for the music or for the story. Contrast there is, because the songs are harshly and abruptly inserted in the narrative, but there is no very obvious incongruity of value. Mr. Richard Tauber has, of course, a flexible voice and can use the most conventional and purely decorative aria as a medium for lavish and melting sentiment. But though the opera has ceased to exist as such, the fragments that remain are not enough, at any rate as they are treated here, to suggest the mutilation of a work of art. Only at the close, in the play within a play with which <i>Pagliacci</i> ends, is there a little continuous opera, and this is certainly more attractive than the rest. But it is photographed in colour. Unfortunately an operatic flavour has penetrated into the passages of purely cinematic storytelling. The conversation often has the unconvincing diction of recitation. Passionately warbled in Italian, the lines might do very well and suggest the quick ardours of the South; spoken in English and by actors who are accustomed to the indirect and half-articulate expression of emotion, the result is absurd.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2>Entertainments Index</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Date: Thursday, Apr. 1, 1937</p><p style="text-align: left;">Publication: The Times (London, England)</p><blockquote><div>Carlton - Pagliacci </div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The Australian Woman's Mirror</h2><div>1 June 1937</div><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;">TECHNICOLOR! </h4></blockquote><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: left;">Britain Can Equal U.S.A. in This </h4></blockquote><blockquote><div>KITTY GWENN Writing from Denham </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>TECHNICOLOR is getting a grip on British studios these days, prompted no doubt by the success of <i>Wings of the Morning,</i> which, although it proved a difficult proposition to photograph on account of the many outdoor scenes and the vagaries of the English climate, certainly warranted the trouble. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>Some of the shots are unbelievably lovely, and Annabella (as I have already mentioned in previous letters) is an excellent choice for the leading role, playing her dual (or should one say treble?) role with great charm. The rest of the cast acts well up to her, too. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>Following that initial venture into color we have a second example of it in the opening sequences of <i>Pagliacci</i>, Richard Tauber’s latest film, introduced to bring out the carnival spirit at the beginning of the story, but it rather disconcerting to jump from color into black and white for most of the story, and then back into color again for the operatic sequence which forms the climax. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>Tauber admirers will want to see <i>Pagliacci</i> because it gives the singer his best singing role. Music-lovers will appreciate it because it is the first real attempt to adapt grand opera - the whole opera not excerpts - to the screen, but the average filmgoer will probably be critical about the acting, which frequently falls short of dramatic value and the slowness of direction which seems characteristic of all Tauber films. </div></blockquote><blockquote><div>Taken all round, however, it is pleasant entertainment. The singing is excellent, and Steffi Duna, Hollywood’s first technicolor actress looks most attractive as the fickle Nedda.</div></blockquote><p> </p></div><h2>Entertainments Index</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Date: Monday, July 19, 1937</p><p style="text-align: left;">Publication: The Times (London, England)</p><blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">Stoll - Pagliacci</p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Entertainments Index</h2><p>Date: Wednesday, July 21, 1937</p><p>Publication: The Times (London, England)</p><blockquote><p>Stoll - Pagliacci</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Entertainments Index</h2><p>Date: Saturday, July 24, 1937</p><p>Publication: The Times (London, England)</p><blockquote><p>Stoll - Pagliacci</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2>Everyones in Queensland</h2><div>1 September 1937, p.12</div><div><blockquote><h3>An Evening in a London Picture House </h3></blockquote><blockquote>READERS might like to know how a picture house in London, outside the West End theatres, puts over an evening's performance. In Tottenham Court Road, just on the fringe of Oxford Street, Paramount has an immense picture house. There are other theatres in the locality but they are not to be compared with this theatre. It is modern in every respect, seating about 11,000, and has attached to it a restaurant and a dansant. In London theatres cater for the masses and the classes, and there is a decided class distinction. This theatre I refer to is built tor the masses...</blockquote><blockquote>I noticed an announcement that next week Richard Tauber would make a personal appearance on the stage, one of the pictures to be screened having him as the star performer, "Pagliacci".</blockquote></div><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">ABC Weekly</h2><p>3 November 1945</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2hvPWP4QxWQ/X2cwUpmQ_rI/AAAAAAAA2xo/SMP0AT_WftsPl4SenJe8prIk-QntHfJOwCLcBGAsYHQ/s820/ABC%2BweeklyVol.%2B7%2BNo.%2B44%2B%25283%2BNovember%2B1945%2529%2Bp%2B40.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2hvPWP4QxWQ/X2cwUpmQ_rI/AAAAAAAA2xo/SMP0AT_WftsPl4SenJe8prIk-QntHfJOwCLcBGAsYHQ/w300-h320/ABC%2BweeklyVol.%2B7%2BNo.%2B44%2B%25283%2BNovember%2B1945%2529%2Bp%2B40.JPG" title="Angela Parelles, who sang the part of Nedda" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela Parelles, who sang the role of Nedda</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Western Mail</h2><p>Saturday 11 November 1950</p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;">Opera on the screen </h3></blockquote><blockquote><p>On with the motley and out with the big drum. <i>Pagliacci</i> (director Mario Costa), Italian screen version of the Leoncavallo opera at the Globe Cinema next week is, in my opinion, as perfect a translation of opera from stage to screen as we can fairly ever hope to see. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It is no small comfort to know, too, that the advent of this important picture will help to lay the poor, miserable ghost of a prewar screen <i>Pagliacci</i> with Tauber, which must have haunted every studio planning to tackle another screen opera ever since. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>The Leoncavallo opera ("twin" of <i>Cavalleria Rusticana</i>, which, Mario Costa might get around to filming one day), is, of course, eminently filmable. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>It is a turbulent tale of passion and jealousy, shot through with violent oaths and love's gentlest cadences. Wisely, Signor Costa has taken no liberties with the music or action. </p></blockquote><blockquote><p>What he has done is to tear down the three constrictive walls of the stage, extend the scene of an from the narrow streets of little Italian market town to the wooded countryside around it, and bring the emotions of the four principals into vivid close-up.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Sandwell Evening Mail</h2><p>Tuesday 1 February 1994</p><blockquote><p>Channel 4, 2.00 FILM: Pagliacci (1936) Tragic opera starring Richard Tauber</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Crawley News</h2><p>Wednesday 16 April 1997</p><blockquote><p>Channel 4, 2.35 FILM: Pagliacci (1936, Musical) A film version of Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera. Starring Richard Tauber</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-47753704338430299482020-09-11T22:45:00.001+01:002020-12-13T18:19:55.275+00:00Letting off Steam: Railways and Musical Life in Nineteenth Century Britain<h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Note: I wrote this while studying for a degree in music at Royal Holloway College, University of London, between 1976 and 1979. The resources available for research in those days were more limited than the are today, but I believe this original research still has some value and present it "as is".</i></span></h4><div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><br /></i></span></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Introduction</h3><p>The initial development of the world's civilizations has always depended on the ease of communication between one group of men and another. In Ancient Egypt, for instance, the Nile provided not only the irritation necessary for the successful cultivation of crops but also a reasonably satisfactory means of communication between the many towns and settlements built on the banks of the river. As time passed, however, the countries whose civilization depended on transport by water to be invaded by hordes of barbarians who possessed a faster means of communication: the horse.</p><p>For 2,500 years the man on horseback remained both the symbol of power and of civilization. But the horse also limited the progress of civilization since it was an animal, incapable of sustained speed over a long period of time, possessing in average speed of only twelve miles per hour. The Industrial Revolution in Britain saw the widespread use of the stationary steam engine to pump water out of mines and to haul wagons up inclined planes. The railway had been in existence in some form since the early seventeenth century. It was not long before the two were put together and in 1804 Richard Trevithick produced a steam engine which was powerful enough to push itself along on wheels: the "Iron Horse", had been invented.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Before the railways came</h3><p>Before the coming of the railways, travel of any sort was expensive and slow. To the performing musician, for whom fast travel has always been a necessity, this presented problems which seemed insurmountable. Britain's roads were in an appalling, condition, so it was difficult for any wheeled vehicle to progress along them at any reasonable speed.</p><p>The virtuosi of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, such as Paganini, favoured the post-chaise which was a light, fast carriage. Unless they were rich enough to possess their own (in which case they would still have had to hire horses every ten miles or so), post-chaises proved expensive - a journey from London to Manchester costing £10 - £15 and taking three or four days, depending on the season. (For comparison, a farm labourer earned on average £10 per annum).</p><p>Towards the end of the eighteenth century, singers in particular were finding that they had to spend a good deal of their time touring in the provinces. By the 1790's all-night travelling had become an occupational hazard: a Miss Leake sang a role in <i>My Grandmother</i> at Drury Lane, and on the following night had one in <i>The Children in the Wood</i> in Birmingham. Performing musicians, at least, were in need of a much faster, cheaper and reliable means of transport.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Industrial Revolution in Britain</h3><p>The Industrial Revolution was of far greater social than economic significance. It created new communities on a vastly larger scale than the towns and villages of pre-industrial society. In many of the larger towns and cities, such as Doncaster, Sheffield and Chester, musical societies had been formed towards the end of the eighteenth century.</p><p>With the growth, particularly in the north of England, of a large working class, it was only natural that they too should show great interest in practical music-making. The most popular manifestation of this was the choral society, often a development of non-conformist chapel choirs, which performed the oratorios of Handel, Haydn and others. People from many different walks of life combined together to furnish their communities with the best music that lay within their capacity.</p><p>Picked singers were often asked to sing in the larger regional festivals of such towns as Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and those of the Three Choirs. Before the coming of the railways, transport to and from these festivals always proved a problem, as can be seen from this report by William Willington of the Newcastle Festival of 1824:</p><p></p><blockquote>Mr James Cordwell ... and several other Lancashire chorus singers, were engaged to sing at the festival ...; Mrs Shepley and some other female singers were engaged to sing there. There were no railways then, only one stagecoach, and all the seats in this were occupied. They started about six o'clock on Sunday night. These veterans said there was nothing for it but walking, consequently they set off and walked all Sunday night and got well into Yorkshire by light on Monday morning. To make matters worse it rained most of the night. They called at a roadside inn, got breakfast, a good rest, and got straight to St. Nicholas Church, and found the principals, band and chorus, rehearsing <i>Israel in Egypt</i>. The chorus was rather unsteady the rehearsal went on afterwards to the conductor's entire satisfaction.</blockquote><p></p><p>Fifteen years later they could have made the journey in around two hours and for the cost, per person, of the breakfast they ate.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Liverpool and Manchester Railway</h3><p>The year 1830 saw the official opening of the first modern railway, which ran between Crown Street in Liverpool and Liverpool Street in Manchester. The principal reason for the railway was commercial, and at first, passenger traffic was the main user since it was popular with the merchants who conducted their business in Liverpool, yet preferred to live in Manchester.</p><p>Soon after the success of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, it was decided to link London with both cities by means of a line running via Birmingham. The result was the Grand Junction Railway between Birmingham and Newton-le-Willows (on the L & MR), and the London & Birmingham Railway between Euston and Curzon Street.</p><p>The impact of the completion of the main line cannot be overestimated, for not only did it connect the three towns but also Rugby, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Stafford and Warrington. It also saw the founding of the town of Crewe (until then a village of barely 300 inhabitants), connection with several other towns of importance by means of branches, and the beginnings of London's "commuter belt".</p><p>Whereas in the past it had taken at least three days to get from London to Manchester, it was now possible to do the return journey in the same day. The two railways opened officially in 1838, and in the Musical World for September of that year we find comment on the use of the lines by musicians:</p><p></p><blockquote>EFFECT OF RAILWAY TRAVELLING. - Mr Mori, together with Madame Grisi, Madame Albertazzi, Lablache, lvanoff, &c, gave a concert on Monday in Birmingham; the following evening they performed in Manchester on Wednesday evening they gave a concert in Liverpool, and tonight (Saturday) they gave a second concert in Birmingham. They have thus visited the two greatest towns in the north of England, and the capital of the midland counties twice in the course of six days, and remained two nights in each town, during the space of time nearly one-half of which, under the old system of travelling, would have been alone consumed on the road. - Liverpool Chronicle</blockquote><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Railway Mania</h3><p>The 1840s saw a time of great industrial expansion due to the influence of the railways. They also saw what became known as "Railway Mania", in which many lines were projected and a lesser number actually constructed. The opening of a new line was always an important event whether it was a branch line to a market town or another section of a main line. The celebrations held at such an event were known as "gongoozling".</p><p>Many of the new lines were commemorated in broadside ballads, which were intended to be sung to popular tunes of the time. The following was written for the <i>Port of Tyne Journal</i> and therefore cannot be strictly said to be a broadside at all, it does, however, possess many of the general characteristics. It refers to the opening of the Newcastle and Shields Railway in 1839 and was intended to be sung to the popular tune <i>La Pique</i>:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>Well many droll sights have I seen in my time,<br />In many a ship, in many a clime:<br />But old Shields metamorphosed, as shell been today,<br />Why, my old wig from brown, Jack, you see has turned grey.</p><p>Why, when I was a lad, Jack, and old mother you know<br />As women will do, Jack, a-gadding would go,<br />We talked only a month, and then WALK’D up to town,<br />And JEM JOHNSON’S WHERRY convoyed us all down.</p><p>…</p><p>Then coaches and steamboats and gigs came in play,<br />And the hacks and the wherries were all done away;<br />But the sand-banks by water, up high banks by land,<br />Brought our steamboats "up-standing" and gigs to a stand.</p><p>Howsomever, you see, Jack, some Captain they tell<br />Sticking fast on a sand-bank as often befell,<br />RAIL’D so hard at the river, as I have heard say<br />That they got up a RAILROAD – it was opened today.</p><p>And like the ship's ways, Jack, it stretches among<br />The hills and the valleys, old Tyneside along;<br />And the ships lay in line, with a thing at their bow<br />Like a fiend from the pit, Jack, that took then in tow.</p><p>For it snorted and roared, and struggled and screamed,<br />Like the horrible shapes that mayhap we have dreamed;<br />Then another wild scream, Jack, another deep groan,<br />And like underground-thunder, the phantoms were gone!</p><p>They say it's all science - say it’s all bam -<br />For it either is witchcraft or else it’s a sham,<br />To rush like a thundercloud up to the town;<br />I'm afeard it will end in their all rushing DOWN. </p></blockquote><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Compositions influenced by the new railways</h3><p>Not surprisingly, many musical compositions appeared during the nineteenth century which showed the influence of the railways. Many pieces were intended to be musical evocations of a ride in a railway train, for which the most suitable popular musical form was the galop. In the slow introduction the composer could illustrate the train starting off and accelerating, and then in the main body of the work he could depict it rushing through the countryside.</p><p>Probably the most famous of these galops was the Excursion Train Galop which was published in about 1844. Not only did it reflect the current craze for excursion trains but the cover also showed a train-load of excursionists travelling under the Shakespeare Cliff on the newly-opened London to Dover line (South Eastern Railway), thereby being doubly topical.</p><p>In 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition, as a result of which more people than ever before travelled by train, there appeared in the Musical Times an advertisement for a song composed by a pupil of Moscheles: "<i>THE RAILWAY PLATFORM</i>, a Song for Railway Passengers of every class. The Music by John Thomas Cooper. Price 6d. To be had at all the Railway Stations."</p><p>Not only was the subject of the song novel, but also its price was remarkably low and its method of distribution unusual. A little later, in 1855, there appeared advertisement for a whole choral work inspired by the railway. This was Sir George Macfarren’s <i>Song of the Railroads</i>, the title of which bears an uncanny resemblance to Berlioz’s work of 1847, <i>Chant du Chemin de fer</i>, which was written to commemorate the opening of the French railways designed to connect with the South Eastern at Dover.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6UV2Of1L8E" width="320" youtube-src-id="Y6UV2Of1L8E"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The development of the seaside resort</h3><p>Directly linked to the expansion of the railways was the quite phenomenal growth of the seaside tourist industry, with its important, though not immediately obvious nowadays, musical consequences. Until the railways came, as far as holidays were concerned, there were two classes of people: those who were on holiday all the time and those who almost never took a holiday in the sense that we understand of a period of a week or more away from work and home.</p><p>For one class, the aristocracy and gentry, life was one long holiday. In the summer, however, it was usual to visit an inland spa such as Bath or Cheltenham, or a continental one, such as Baden-Baden, or, increasingly, because of the patronage of the Prince Regent, a seaside resort such as Brighton or Scarborough. The intention of these visits was to allow one’s body to recover from the excessive eating and drinking of the previous year by means of mineral waters and sea-water.</p><p>Every spa town of any importance possessed one or more Pump- Rooms where patients took the waters. These usually contained a resident orchestra which provided a suitable musical background for conversation. This orchestra was made up of both local and London players and often performed from 7a.m. till late at night.</p><p>For the other class, from the industrialist down to the farm labourer, holidays away from home were practically unknown. For these people the word "holiday" retained its original meaning of a "holy day" when work ceased to allow attendance at church services. The Industrial Revolution began an attack on holidays and leisure.</p><p>The new factory owners wished to keep their establishments open as much as possible so they imposed stern rules about unpunctuality and attendance at work. Naturally this led in time to protests for shorter hours, a Saturday half-day, and eventually an annual holiday. Since a substantial part of the population lived in a smoky industrial environment it was to be expected that during their short holidays they should wish to get away to the country or, even more, to the seaside which they knew their "betters" favoured so greatly. Until the railways arrived, however, this was impossible, yet once the first real "holiday line" was opened between London and Brighton in 1840 it was immediately assailed by "those swarms ... daily and weekly disgorged upon the Steyne from the Cancer-like arms of the railroad." The day-trip to Brighton became especially popular and in 1846 an excursion train of 44 carriages drawn by four locomotives carried 4,000 passengers to that resort.</p><p>As the seaside resorts boomed, the spas declined and their orchestras and conductors found a new place at the seaside. Later in the century these bands came to contain music students from London, the best known of these being Gustav Holst, who played in Stanislas Wurm's "White Viennese Band" in Brighton. Examples of resorts which had important and good (because they contained so much London talent) orchestras are :Llandudno, Scarborough, Weston-super-Mare, few Brighton, St. Annes-on-Sea, Eastbourne ("The Devonshire Park Orchestra") and Bournemouth.</p><p>The programmes heard by the holidaymakers were designed, after the manner of many Victorian concerts, to entertain yet instruct. A typical programme would contain several vocal numbers, selections from famous operas, an overture and a symphony by Mozart, Haydn, or even Beethoven. The importance of these orchestras cannot be overestimated. With the spread of education, interest in the arts was growing which was not easy to satisfy, particularly in the case of music, so that a band of first-class professional musicians was something new for most holidaymakers.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The music festivals</h3><p>The day-excursion became very important as far as music was concerned. It facilitated attendance at that very Victorian musical event, the Musical Festival. As we have seen, before the coming of the railways small festivals were in existence, but travelling to and from them caused problems. It was now possible, however, not for just a few singers of a choir to attend a festival, but for a much greater number to be present.</p><p>One of the first instances of the railways’ direct contribution to a festival occurred in 1846. It was usual for a London contingent to be sent to the Birmingham Festival each year. However, in that particular year the festival committee bad been fortunate enough to receive as their main commission, Mendelssohn’s oratorio <i>Elijah</i>.</p><p>Mendelssohn especially came over to Britain to conduct the piece and while in London, rehearsed the 38-strong London contingent as well as the soloists and the orchestra. On the Sunday afternoon prior to the opening of' the festival, they all met at Euston station at 2p.m. and were conveyed, together with the "gentlemen of the Press", in a special train to Birmingham, arriving around three hours later.</p><p>It is interesting to note that when Mendelssohn travelled to Birmingham in 1837 for the Festival which was to contain the first British performance of his oratorio <i>St Paul</i>, he travelled by coach, starting his return journey after the morning concert on the last day and arriving in London at midnight.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Three Choirs Festival</h3><p>The cities of the Three Choirs also deserve study since easy travel between them was vital to the success of the Festival. What. is more, the railway transformed and revived the festival which, in the middle of the century was in grave danger of having to cease. The Festival Chorus was made up of the choirs of the three Cathedrals, together with contingents of singers from Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester and the surrounding countryside. The chorus of the home town was naturally the largest.</p><p>The three contingents rehearsed the works separately and only a very little time before the actual festival (if at all) did they get together and rehearse as one. The orchestra at that time was also drawn from the locality. Easy communication between the three cities therefore became vitally important in the weeks leading up to the festival. By the 1860s the three cities were linked by rail to most parts of Britain.</p><p>It was not until the 1870s that the direct line from Worcester to Hereford was completed, however, since problems were encountered while tunnelling through the Malvern Hills. Before that date it was necessary to travel, very awkwardly, via the lines to Leominster or Newport if one wished to reach Hereford from Worcester or Gloucester, which must have caused a great deal of inconvenience.</p><p>The line from Shrewsbury had reached Hereford by 1858, and as early as 8 a.m. on the first day of the festival in that year, visitors began to arrive in a continuous stream and for two hours they poured forth from the station:</p><p></p><blockquote>The pressure of the crowd thus collected was such that several ladies fainted. The audience was prodigious, every seat was filled, even the tombs being covered. Persons gladly paid to be allowed to sit on the steps of the gallery, and gentlemen and ladies were content with standing room for the want of better accommodation. - Morning Post</blockquote><p></p><p>Because of the direct connection with South Wales along the Hereford, Abergavenny and Newport Railways, line a vast number of Welsh visitors also arrived, as <i>The Times</i> noted:</p><p></p><blockquote>Even the aborigines of which hilly principality are relaxing their antipathy to the "Saxon" music and beginning to admit that there may possibly be even better vocal melody than the vocal Penillion and grander harmony than can be swept from the strings of an antique Bardic harp.</blockquote><p></p><p>Later, as can be seen from the advertisement opposite, the Great Western Railway brought in yet more Welshmen from Cardiff and other town along their Newport-Gloucester line. In this way the railways brought a much larger number and greater variety of people into the festival audience and ensured the festival’s survival into the twentieth century.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Metropolitan developments</h3><p>The annual or triennial festival was not the only opportunity the Victorians had to hear symphonic or choral music. In most towns, as mentioned above, there was by the middle of the century, a musical society of some description: often only a choral society, but quite frequently an orchestra as well.</p><p>For those lucky enough to live in the new suburbs around London or Manchester there was the opportunity, with the arrival of the railways, of "going up to town" for a concert or really professional standard. As early as 1846 we read in the Musical Times of the first British performance of Beethoven’s <i>Missa Solemnis</i> and we learn that:</p><p></p><blockquote>Our London friends will hail the news of the performance with joy, and happy it is for our country friends that, they live in these railroad times, whereby the facility of being present is so much increased.</blockquote><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Great Exhibition and the Crystal Palace</h3><p>The largest concert hall in mid-Victorian London was the Crystal Palace, which by then had been moved from Hyde Park to the southern suburb of Sydenham.</p><p>The Crystal Palace and the Great Exhibition for which it was built in 1851 were of great importance to both the musical and railway worlds. Some people, including the authors of the Official Catalogue, saw in the building itself a gigantic railway station. Like the railways, it was paid for by public subscription and the sale of tickets, but unlike them it made a profit of over 100%, which was devoted to the founding of the South Kensington museum and cultural complex (which eventually contained the Royal Albert Hall, Royal College of Music and Royal College of Organists).</p><p>The Great Exhibition contained 19,000 exhibits, ranging from an earthenware water-closet to a plaster statue of Shakespeare, from musical instruments to an express locomotive. The piano was the instrument which benefited most from the exhibition. Up to that date, because of its cost, it had remained exclusively an upper- and middle-class instrument. New methods of manufacture brought down the price so that many which were displayed at the Great Exhibition were suited to the pockets of the working-class. These instruments were known as "cottage or "piccolo" pianos due to their small size and had the consequent advantage of fitting into the smallest of front rooms or parlours.</p><p>Not only were ordinary pianos displayed, but also there were many kinds of mechanical pianos, transposing, pianos, and expanding pianos for use on board ship. The Crystal Palace also contained a number of organs by various builders from which enthusiastic councillors could choose the most suitable for their new town halls. A special musical jury was set up to award prizes to the best exhibitors and it included such eminent musicians as Hector Berlioz, Sir Henry Bishop, Sir George Smart, Sterndale Bennett, Cipriani Potter, Thalberg and Neukomm.</p><p>The railways played their part in the proceedings by enabling six million people (then, one-third of the population of England and Wales) to visit the Exhibition and ensuring its success. Indeed, the Great Exhibition could riot have been held much before 1851 for it was only in the late 1840s, as has been shown, that the main trunk lines between London and the provinces were completed.</p><p>By 1850 practically every town in England was linked by rail with London. The Royal Commission (which included such eminent railway Men as Brunel and Robert Stephenson) responsible for organising the Exhibition took early steps to get the agreement of the railway companies to run cheap excursions at single fare for the return trip, with further reductions for a journey over 100 miles. Subscription clubs were organised to enable the working-classes to visit the Exhibition, and in the event the third-class fare from Manchester or Leeds to London, normally over fifteen shillings single, was as low as five shillings return - the equivalent of a day’s wages for a craftsman.</p><p>It should be remembered that this was the first occasion on which the vast majority of these people had even contemplated visiting the capital. As direct result of the Great Exhibition the piano came to be found in most English homes. When the Great Exhibition was over the Crystal Palace was removed to Sydenham. There it was re-erected and enlarged, so that in cubic contents it was almost half as big again as it had been. Dispersed about the building were quantities of sculpture, paintings and every kind of object of art and industry; around it were terraces, parterres, and fountains. It was the old idea of Vauxhall and other Gardens carried out on a gigantic scale, and like those places it was to depend for its attraction partly on musical performances.</p><p>There was not much music at the opening ceremony, however. George Grove, who had been appointed secretary, had the brilliant idea of getting Tennyson to write an ode and Berlioz to set it to music, but without success. After a year the conductor of the permanent orchestral was dismissed by a board of directors, annoyed at his poor musical results. He was immediately replaced by a young German, August Manns.</p><p>The band, which until then had consisted of 61 brass instruments and three wind, was wisely converted by Manns into a proper orchestra. lie then began a series of orchestral performances, averaging ten a week, of which the Saturday concerts (when the strings were reinforced) were for the next four or five years to attract trainloads of music-loving Londoners. A branch line was constructed by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway directly to the Palace in order to enable people to reach it easily. A little later a special station (the so-called "High Level") was constructed by the London, Dover and Chatham Railway in the grounds.</p><p>The size of the Crystal Palace, combined with the easy access afforded to it by the railway, and the easy access the railways now afforded to London, made it the ideal place for the holding of festivals by gigantic choirs and orchestras. The "monster concert" was just another manifestation of the Victorian love of the spectacular which was obvious in the theatre, in architecture and in the construction of such feats of railway engineering as the Snowdon Mountain Railway, the Severn Tunnel and the Tay Bridge.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Handel Festivals</h3><p>Officially, the first of these festivals was to be the Handel Festival of 1859, intended to commemorate the centenary of Handel’s death. It was decided, however, to hold a preliminary festival in 1857 to make sure that it would all be possible. The Central Transept was to be used, which would enable an audience of up to 12,000 to be seated comfortably, with a choir and orchestra of appropriate dimensions.</p><p>In the event, the railway carried to the Crystal Palace an orchestra of 300 strings; 9 each of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; 12 each of horns and of mixed trumpets and cornets; 9 trombones, 3 ophicleides, 9 serpents and bass-horns; 3 drums and 6 side-drums. To all this was added a specially constructed 20-ton, 4,384-pipe, four-manual organ, 2,000 singers and the most eminent .soloists. The works performed on that occasion were Messiah, Judas Maccabeus and Israel in Egypt; it was an outstanding success. The entire production was conducted by Costa, who continued to conduct similar festivals triennially until 1880.</p><p>The festivals themselves continued until 1926. Over the years the chorus slowly increased in size and it became common for large numbers of chorus-members to travel in by train (special cheap tickets were available) from the provinces. In 1903 the provincial contingent consisted of: Birmingham, 90 voices; Bradford, 90; Bristol, 50; Leeds, 70; Sheffield, 220; other places, 56.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Mann’s Saturday Concerts</h3><p>Meanwhile, in his capacity as conductor of the permanent orchestra, August Manns introduced many new works, particularly at the special Saturday concerts, for which extra trains were run. It was at the Crystal Palace that Schubert first came before the English public as a symphonist, and many of the younger English composers, such as Sullivan, Parry, Stanford, Cowen, MacCunn.</p><p>German and Smyth benefited from performances of their early works at one of these concerts. Edward Elgar also owed a great deal to the Crystal Palace concerts. In his twenties, the rail services had improved sufficiently to allow him to the Crystal Palace:</p><p></p><blockquote>I lived 120 miles from London. I rose at six, walked a mile to the railway station, the train left at seven; arrived at Paddington about 11, underground to Victoria, on to the Palace arriving in time for the last three-quarters of an hour of the rehearsal; if fortune smiled, this piece of rehearsal included the work desired to be heard, but fortune rarely smiled and more often than not the principal item was over. Lunch. Concert at three. At five a rush to Victoria, then on to Paddington, on to Worcester arriving at 10.30. A strenuous day indeed; but the new work had been heard and another treasure added to life’s experience.</blockquote><p></p><p>One of the early compositions, <i>Sevillaña</i>, was given by Elgar to his violin teacher Politzer who in turn gave it to Manns, who performed it at the Crystal Palace on 12 May 1884, the first music by Elgar to be heard in London.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Band Competitions</h3><p>The Crystal Palace, which housed so many different events, was also the scene of the famous brass-band competitions which continued to be held there until the Palace burned down in 1936. It is believed the earliest all-brass bands in this country date from the beginning of the nineteenth century. They proliferated in the industrial north of England where they were set up by philanthropic factory-owners who wished to give their workers something constructive and uplifting to do in their spare time.</p><p>Many of the larger railway companies who adopted an old-fashioned paternalistic attitude to their employees also encourages the formation of bands or even orchestras. A "Leeds Railway Band" won the large-scale competition, held in the Zoological Gardens, Hull, in 1856. The Musical Times in 1847 informs us that:</p><p></p><blockquote>In the large workshops of the Great Western Railway, at Swindon, a number of these men have combined to make a most excellent orchestra, seconded by the liberality and encouragement which seems to pervade the Company's arrangement at this village, for the benefit, improvement and amusement of their workmen.</blockquote><p></p><p>There were also bands at the other railway "villages" of Crewe and Wolverton (where the singing of the church’s congregation was also said to be "far above average").</p><p>Competition played a very important part among these bands. The railway had made the possibility of gathering together a large number of bands from all over the country, so that the competitions at both the Crystal Palace and Belle Vue, Manchester, became an annual event. The famous band conductor, Enderby Jackson, managed to persuade the railway companies to provide specially cheap tickets for both the bandsmen and their families to go to these competitions, so it was possible at one time to obtain a return ticket from Leeds to London for as little as four shillings and sixpence.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Choral competitions</h3><p>Since band competitions were encouraged by the railway companies, it was only natural that before long, a large-scale choral competition should take place. Of course, these had long been the custom in Wales in the form of eisteddfodau, but in England this was not the case.</p><p>Small choral competitions had been held at the end of the eighteenth century, but due to the problem prior to the coming of the railways of transporting whole choirs to a particular place, the idea had not become very widespread or popular.</p><p>An example of this early type of competition took place at Belle Vue, Manchester, in 1855 .The event called "prize glee singing" and was attended by four choirs, one each from Idle and Bradford in Yorkshire, Burnley in Lancashire, and Etruria in Staffordshire, all of which places were connected reasonably well by rail with Manchester. In spite of this the choirs only consisted of five members each, so it was more reminiscent of the eighteenth-century style of competition than the later nineteenth.</p><p>The first true large-scale competition was held at the Crystal Palace in September 1860. It was organised by John Curwen who designed it to show off the achievements of his Tonic Solfa system of musical notation and education. Five choirs took part, this time showing the real influence of the railways since they came from such widely separated places as the Potteries, Finsbury, the West Riding of Yorkshire, Brighton and Edinburgh.</p><p>The choirs were given five pounds for expenses but there were no money prizes, the awards being represented by a crimson banner (won by the West Riding), a purple (Finsbury) and an orange one (Potteries). The next year a similar competition was again held in spite of the losses incurred by the previous one. They continued for several more years but eventually had to cease. Their influence was felt in the many competitions held throughout the country and attended by choirs from quite far away by means of the special facilities offered by the railway companies. These competitions did a good deal to raise the general standard of choral singing in Britain and also provided a number of composers with useful outlets for their works, in the form of set-pieces.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Alexandra Palace</h3><p>In 1873 a rival to the Crystal Palace opened on the "Northern Heights" of London at Muswell Hill (as opposed to the "Southern Heights"' at Sydenham). This was the Alexandra Palace, named after the Prince of Wales’ Danish wife.</p><p>It was designed to attract visitors from the north of England as well as London by means of the newly-opened station at Wood Green, from which a branch line ran directly to the main entrance of the palace, continuing to the Great Northern main line at Highgate. When they arrived at the palace, visitors were pleased to discover that they only had a few steps to climb to the central transept, as opposed to the long flight of steps at Crystal Palace (Low Level).</p><p>The north end of the transept was dominated by a brand-new Willis organ, which at the time was the largest in the world blown by two steam-engines. A choir and orchestra of one thousand performers could be accommodated around the organ, where busts of Beethoven, Handel, Rossini, Verdi, Mendelssohn and Auber could be seen.</p><p>Sixteen days after its opening the palace was burned down. Since supplies of water were inadequate to fight the fire, the volunteer brigades concentrated on saving the railway station, which had become a Promising source of income in its brief career, nearly one hundred thousand people having travelled to the palace in the sixteen days.</p><p>By 1875 the palace had been rebuilt, but of a new design, more solid in construction and, judging from its four water-towers, obviously not meant to suffer the fate of its predecessor. The main feature was the Great Hall, 386 feet long and 184 feet wide, with seating sufficient for 12,000 and a brand-new Willis organ.</p><p>The station remained in its original position, outside the main doors to the Great Hall. In spite of all the apparent advantages of the Alexandra Palace it has never been a financial success. Soon after the opening a Choral Society was formed but due to the extremely resonant acoustics of the Great Hall they eventually gave their performances elsewhere.</p><p>In the beginning there were many organ recitals on the magnificent new instrument, and fairly frequently choral and orchestral concerts took place, with opera performances in the theatre. Towards the end of the century the concerts dwindled and remained at a low ebb well into the present century.</p><p>A very unusual connection between railways and music was made during the first London performance of Elgar’s <i>The Kingdom</i>: during the concert the organ bellows burst and the Trustees decided that</p><p></p><blockquote><p>the Great Northern Company be communicated with, as to the steam from their engines entering the boiler-house and damaging the organ, and for the same to be remedied.</p><p></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Mapleson’s National Opera House</h3><p>Another musical project in London which had connections (quite literally) with the railway, aim which was even less successful than the Alexandra Palace, was the National Opera House planned by the impresario Mapleson. This building was to have been constructed on the Victoria Embankment on the site now occupied by New Scotland Yard.</p><p>It was to have its own station on the new District Railway and would contain changing-rooms downstairs next to the station where opera-goers from the suburbs would be able to change into evening-dress after their journey. Mapleson does not appear to have considered the effect of the vibrations of the trains passing underneath on the building on the performances. The foundations were laid officially in 1876 arid were to have cost f2,500.</p><p>The Thames-soaked land caused so many problems, however, that they eventually cost £33,000. Similar problems continued to be encountered and the building had to be stopped due to lack of funds. The railway station became that now known as "Westminster" - and Mapleson’s ambitious scheme came to nothing.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Carl Rosa Opera Company</h3><p>Although many provincial towns contained theatres of some description and although operatic performances were sometimes mounted there, first class professional performances were not seen until the coming, of the railways,. Whereas formerly it would have been unthinkable for a whole company to tour complete with singers, orchestra and scenery, the railways made this a distinct possibility and several impresarios took up the challenge. The first of these was the opera company owned by Carl Rosa.</p><p>This was formed in 1875 and made its debut at the Princess Theatre in London. It was Rosa’s policy to give all operas in English, thereby removing the snobbery found at the Royal Italian Opera (Covent Garden) where almost all operas were performed in Italian. After the first London season the company toured Britain incessantly, occasionally returning to London for a summer season. The company, by means of the railway, brought opera in good performances to many thousands of people who had never even heard bad performances before.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company</h3><p>In the year of Carl Rosa’s first London season another impresario named Richard D’Oyly Carte persuaded the young Arthur Sullivan to compose curtain-raiser for Offenbach’s <i>La Perichole</i>; the result was <i>Trial by Jury</i>, an immediate success. Following, this Gilbert and Sullivan wrote a two-act comic opera entitled <i>The Sorcerer</i>, which was again produced by D’Oyly Carte’s Comedy Opera Company. The remarkable success of these two works made D’Oyly Carte decide to tour with them both.</p><p>In March 1878, they travelled to Liverpool for three nights, then on to Bradford, Glasgow, Aberdeen. Edinburgh, Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Dublin, Liverpool, Hull and ended up on Sheffield on 5th August. Another touring season began in September, during which they revisited several of these towns and added Southport and Brighton to the list.</p><p>With the phenomenal success of <i>HMS Pinafore</i> in May 1878, D’Oyly Carte decided that one touring company was insufficient to cope with the provincial demand for performances. He therefore introduced four companies. The "1st Pinafore Company" covered Scarborough, Manchester, Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh, Newcastle Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Liverpool, Nottingham, Leicester, Brighton and Bristol; the "2nd Pinafore Company" toured Southampton, Bath, Exeter, Plymouth, Jersey, Guernsey, Ryde, Worthing, Eastbourne, Chatham, Tunbridge Wells, Margate, Alexandra Palace, Canterbury, Bury St Edmunds, Colchester, Ipswich, King's Lynn, Peterborough, Huddersfield, Halifax, York, Darlington, South Shields, Sunderland, Carlisle, Preston, Bolton, Hanley. Wolverhampton, Leamington, Cheltenham, Cardiff and Torquay.</p><p>These two companies, together with the "1st and 2nd London" companies, (which in fact only gave three performances in the capital) managed to get HMS Pinafore to almost every town of any importance in Britain. If the order of visiting each town is compared with a map of the railway system it will be seen that, with few exceptions, this order was actually dictated by the railways.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusion</h3><p>Without the development of an adequate railway system during the early part of the nineteenth century, the social and economic progress of England would have been minimal. Generally, fast travel would have been non-existent and industrial growth would consequently have been hindered greatly. There would have been no towns greater than the size which the surrounding countryside could have provided food for.</p><p>The railways are now an established part of everyday life. Indeed, so rapidly were they accepted as part of the Victorians' world that it was soon difficult to imagine a life without them. For this reason the profound effects of the growth of the railway system on many aspects of society have been forgotten. One small yet interesting aspect is the development of musical life during the century. At first sight, the connection between this and the railways may appear tenuous, but as has been seen, they played a vital part in this development in many different ways.</p><p><br /></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-33785835280164495092020-09-11T22:20:00.000+01:002020-09-11T22:20:46.177+01:00Elgar, Binyon and 'Arthur'<p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote><h4 style="text-align: center;">To<br />SIR JOHN and LADY MARTIN HARVEY</h4><p>With what names should I inscribe this play but with yours? Yet what right have I to dedicate to you what is already so much your own? Memory goes back to the June day, now long ago, when first I undertook to write for you a play out of Malory's pages on a theme long pondered by you both. And many days come back to me, in London or by the sunny Channel, when time was forgotten in ardent work and interchange of ideas; in rejecting and recasting; in the search for essential structure. How much the play owes to you, both in framework and in detail, none knows so well as I. Give me leave, therefore, to write these words in grateful acknowledgement of that initial trust, of much fruitful suggestion and inspiriting counsel, and of all I have learnt from you of the playwright's patient craft.</p></blockquote><p>With these words, the playwright Laurence Binyon introduced his play <i>Arthur: a tragedy</i>. The dedication is to my ancestor, Sir John Martin-Harvey and his wife, and the music for the first production was written by Sir Edward Elgar.</p><p>In February 1998, Anthony Payne's elaboration of the sketches which Elgar made for his Third Symphony received its first public performance in London's Royal Festival Hall.</p><p>For the first time, people who had not been familiar with the sketches either as they were published in <i>The Listener</i> or W.H. Reed's <i>Elgar as I Knew Him</i> (1936) became aware that the symphony seemingly drew on Elgar's music for Binyon's play <i>Arthur</i>.</p><p>I want to present here some paragraphs taken from <i>The Autobiography of Sir John Martin-Harve</i>y (Sampson Low, Marston and Co, 1933), which explain the background to Binyon's play in some detail. Then I want to discuss briefly Elgar's music for the play, and how it relates to the <i>Third Symphony</i> sketches.</p><p></p><blockquote><h3 style="text-align: center;">Martin-Harvey's account of the genesis of the play</h3><p>After the production of Oedipus Rex at Covent Garden in 1912-13, a new ambition had taken possession of me. In my mind arose again the loved stories of my youth - those of Malory's <i>Morte d'Arthur</i>. What would be more glorious than to produce a play on the great British theme of Arthur, written by a British poet, in settings by a British artist, in the foremost British Theatre?</p><p>Laurence Binyon for the poet, my old friend Professor Robert Anning Bell for the designer, and Covent Garden Opera House for the production!</p><p>Binyon had entered enthusiastically into the project and many an hour had we spent with my wife over the construction of the play in her cottage at Bonchurch, to which he refers so charmingly in his dedication of the printed copy.</p><p>Our original idea was that Lancelot should be the leading character; but , when I read the play aloud, my wife much preferred my expression of the King, and, with Binyon's concurrence, it was decided that I should play Arthur. This necessitated some changes in the latter part of the play which Binyon willingly made. In the meantime, consultations with Anning Bell over the costumes had been frequent and a large staff of work-people had been carrying them out at Covent Garden Opera house.</p><p>Then came a disappointment. I had approached Robert Loraine to play 'Lancelot' and he had agreed, though at that time he was not in fit condition to undertake any work. He was war-weary and his doctor insisted upon a long sea voyage to re-build his health. The production of the play was postponed and, as I now had the tenancy of Covent Garden on my hands, I decided to revive Hamlet there for four weeks, with the same production which had been received with such favour at the Shakespeare Tercentenary performances at His Majesty's Theatre in 1916.</p><p>The postponement of <i>Arthur </i>was a great disappointment to us all, and conditions have changed so greatly since the War that I have not yet found it possible to produce the play. The fact is that the traditions in which I had been brought up were, before the War, still a powerful influence in my imaginative conception of poetical drama and were moulded on the old Lyceum lines - long casts, vast scenes, great crowds, elaborate and subtle lighting effects, large orchestras and all the rest of it. These things are no longer possible. The glories of that long line of Irving productions, in these days of Trade Union tyranny and mass discipline, can never return.</p><p>Perhaps the drama will be none the worse; for these are not essentials - "the Play's the thing" - and the acting. It is partly characteristic of the changed point of view in the matters that, whereas I had spent sixteen hundred pounds on costumes for Arthur, the 'old Vic', where the play was ultimately produced, has staged it complete for fifteen pounds, ten shillings!</p><p>Yes; an opportunity had presented itself for its production there, and after Binyon's disappointment I could not say 'No' to the opportunity; besides, I very much wanted to see the play brought to life. It is only then that one can finally judge of its form. Alas! the play was staged at a time when I was travelling and I could not see it, but I had a later chance.</p><p>The dramatic section of the London County Council Literary Institute in Drury Lane prayed for permission to give the play, and it was performed there by girls on an occasion when my wife and I were in Town, and very well too. The representation renewed my admiration for Binyon's noble work and confirmed my intention to produce the play whenever the favourable moment can be seized. There is so insignificant a public for such plays in London that it would be courting bankruptcy to stage it there, but that it will be welcomed and supported by an audience in the country I am convinced.</p><p>In the midst of these hectic movements I received news of our King's gracious bestowal of the dignity of Knighthood upon me, an honour which he himself had chosen as one which would be equally shared with my wife, in recognition of her long and arduous services during the War.</p></blockquote><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Elgar's music for the play</h3><p>Sir Edward Elgar and Laurence Binyon first collaborated in the three-part choral work <i>The Spirit of England</i>. Binyon quickly became a friend of Elgar and in 1923 asked the composer to write incidental music for the production of Arthur.</p><p>In a letter to Binyon the composer wrote in January 1923:</p><p></p><blockquote><p>I want to do it but since my dear wife's death [in 1920] I have done nothing & fear my music has vanished ... my wife loved your things & it may be that I can furnish (quite inadequately) music for <i>Arthur</i>.</p><p></p></blockquote><p>Elgar's score amounted to nearly ninety pages ranging from a few bars to one piece of nearly five minutes. He scored the work for flute (doubling piccolo), clarinet, two cornets, trombone, drums, percussion, harp, strings and piano. He wrote introductions to eight of the nine scenes of the play (omitting No 6). In the original production the music began before the end of the third scene and continued into the fourth. Elgar drew much of his music from his old sketchbooks.</p><p>The scenes of the play are:</p><p>Scene 1: Sir Bernard's castle at Astolat</p><p>Scene 2: A room in the Palace in London: the King and Sir Bedivere</p><p>Scene 3: Sir Bernard's castle at Astolat: Elaine asleep</p><p>Scene 4: The Banqueting Hall at Westminster</p><p>Scene 5: The Queen's Tower at night</p><p>Scene 6: The King's Tower, the same night</p><p>Scene 7: The King's camp before Joyous Gard and Battle Scene</p><p>Scene 8: Arthur's passage to Avalon</p><p>In a letter to Binyon after the performances Elgar wrote:</p><p></p><blockquote>...for theatrical purposes I sh. have like Arthur & all his train to march mistily past, seen through a window on the stage R.</blockquote><p></p><p>A sentiment with which Martin-Harvey might well have sympathised.</p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Elgar's Third Symphony</h3><p>What was the significance to Elgar of the old themes which he first used in <i>Arthur</i> and then reused in his <i>Third Symphony</i>?</p><p>These are the themes:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Elgar's second movement is a scherzo and uses for its main opening section the central section of the introduction to Scene 4 (The Banqueting Hall at Westminster).</li><li>For the second subject of the final movement of the symphony, Elgar used the theme which appears (in the Hurst recording) at 1' 20" in the introduction to Scene Two (The King and Bedivere). The theme is based on an arpeggio figure and is strongly reminiscent (to me) of the "chivalric" themes of Elgar's old Froissart overture.</li></ul><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-85544716160425087762020-06-17T14:20:00.008+01:002020-06-17T14:28:10.486+01:00William Edwin Surman (1897-1937)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7N-p2P5ZH9M/XuoX7AVZd8I/AAAAAAAAz7o/RddpyfpMwlErTBgfgVKXfvK1M02hp7IDACK4BGAsYHg/s466/b75143bd-3b2c-4d63-99c0-ccbd417249bd.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="William Edwin Surman" border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="382" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7N-p2P5ZH9M/XuoX7AVZd8I/AAAAAAAAz7o/RddpyfpMwlErTBgfgVKXfvK1M02hp7IDACK4BGAsYHg/w328-h400/b75143bd-3b2c-4d63-99c0-ccbd417249bd.jpg" title="William Edwin Surman" width="328" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>William Surman spent the first fifteen years of his life growing up in the pleasant country town of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, After leaving school he worked in a local shop. But this wasn't enough. In 1913 he left his family and moved thousands of miles away when he emigrated to a new life working on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. A year later the Great War started and he joined the Canadian Army as soon as he was eighteen. </div><div><br /></div><div>After being demobbed in 1919, William returned to Tewkesbury to live with his widowed mother Mary and in 1924 married local girl Irene Bennett. They set up home at 47 Barton Street and went on to have two sons, Roy and Alan. William had a secure job with the Tewkesbury Burial Board and worked in Tewkesbury Cemetery. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1932 the family took in a lodger, 43-year-old Charles Edwards. Early the next year Irene found herself pregnant - and the father wasn't William. In October she gave birth to a daughter in discreet, faraway Barrow-in-Furness. They were divorced in 1935 and William was given custody of their two sons. Irene, Charles and their baby daughter moved to Hertfordshire where their family expanded. They don't ever appear to have married.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 1937 William received the news that he would have to move from his home at 47 Barton Street. Although his landlady offered him alternative housing, and at a lower rent, he felt that none of it was of the right standard for him and his sons. Although his mother later said he had recovered from the divorce, the loss of his home triggered the rapid onset of severe depression. We can only speculate that it was related to the breakdown of his marriage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday 16th December was the day for William and his sons to move to the new home he had eventually found in nearby Nelson Street. At 6.30 that morning his wife's sister Elsie Dickenson was woken by a banging on her door and boys' voices shouting. It was her nephews telling her their father had broken a gas pipe in his bedroom and the room was filling with gas. Their father would not get up. When Elsie saw him later that day she asked him about the the gas and he told her that he was feeling "sick" and that the piping had broken when he'd clung on to it. But when Elsie saw the gas piping she didn't believe him. It looked as though it had been cut through. William's first suicide attempt had failed.</div><div><br /></div><div>She later told the inquest: "He was very funny that morning. I was frightened of him. His eyes were glassy and he seemed strange. He tried to blow out my flashlight. He made me anxious."</div><div><br /></div><div>His mother helped him with the move. Did she know about his suicide attempt with the gas pipe? She later told the inquest jury "He wasn't normal. He'd stand about and looked dazed and had no energy, so I stayed with him till 11.30 that night. I told him to go to bed and get some rest and I'd help him in the morning. He never suggested doing himself an injury."</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day, Friday, William went to work as usual and later visited the local Woolworths store to buy a half-pint bottle of Flame disinfectant. He walked back towards the cemetery and in a small lane close by, drank almost whole the bottle. As the contents burned through his stomach and beyond, he rushed to the small pond in Mills Ground, 150 yards from the cemetery, and threw himself in to end his agony.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because of their age, his two sons were not called as witnesses at the inquest so we don't where they spent the Friday night, but it's most likely that they stayed with their aunt Elsie for at least the next few days, and probably longer.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Saturday William was reported missing from home and the police made enquiries. The bottle of disinfectant was found in the lane where William had dropped it. On Sunday morning P.C. Masterson and P.C. Horton dragged the pond in Mills Ground and found his body.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the inquest which followed the jury returned the only possible verdict: "Suicide while the balance of his mind was disturbed".</div><div><br /></div><div>William's funeral took place on 23rd December when his burial in Tewkesbury Cemetery was preceded by a service in Tewkesbury Baptist Chapel. The Rev. R. J. Reith officiated at both places.</div><div><br /></div><div>The family mourners were Mrs. M. A. Surman (his mother), Mrs. F. Trinity, Mrs. E. Hallett and Mrs. H. Beecham (his sisters), Mr. H. Hallett (his brother-in-law). Mr. and Mrs. O. Dickenson (his brother-in-law and sister-in-law), and Mr. W. Freeman (a friend).</div><div><br /></div><div>As the sympathisers assembled at the chapel, the organist, Mr. P. Wilkins, played Tchaikovsky's <i>Chanson Triste</i> and then Handel's <i>Largo</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The hymns were "Jesu, Lover of my Soul" and "Abide with Me".</div><div><br /></div><div>William's employers were represented by Alderman G. P. Howell, Councillors H. D. James and W. Walkley, while Messrs. J. J. Whiteley. A. H. Hulbert and H. Green were present on behalf of Tewkesbury Brotherhood. Also present in the chapel were Miss Wilkins, Mr. R. Wilkins, Mrs. W. Smith, Mr. W. E. Workman, Mr. W. Smith and Mrs. Chambers.</div><div><br /></div><div>The coffin was carried by Messrs. Walker, Robins, Cooke and Hodges. Among the wreaths were those from the Tewkesbury Baptist Church, Tewkesbury Baptist Women's Own, his neighbours, his workmates at the cemetery, and the Tewkesbury Brotherhood.</div><div><br /></div><div>Roy and Alan, William's sons, moved to live with their father's sister Ethel in Birmingham. They both died in 2001. William's mother continued to live in Tewkesbury and died there in 1956.</div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-57726082944850646542020-06-16T12:39:00.000+01:002020-06-16T12:39:06.112+01:00A Memorial to a Murdered Policeman<div>On 21st April 1815, John Burnett, the "Peace Officer" of the Cornish town of Lostwithiel was murdered by a drunken soldier, John Simms. Simms was tried and hanged in Bodmin Gaol.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WwOwbow6XNs/XuivDSYTLaI/AAAAAAAAz6U/C6O_HSmUwPgf1lX-4tKqJf9q8X5BZpRAACK4BGAsYHg/s3921/P1370451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The memorial to John Burnett inside Lostwithiel parish church" border="0" data-original-height="3921" data-original-width="3232" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WwOwbow6XNs/XuivDSYTLaI/AAAAAAAAz6U/C6O_HSmUwPgf1lX-4tKqJf9q8X5BZpRAACK4BGAsYHg/w330-h400/P1370451.jpg" title="The memorial to John Burnett inside Lostwithiel parish church" width="330" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Kentish Weekly Post or Canterbury Journal - Tuesday 6th September 1814</h3><div><br /></div><div>ATROCIOUS MURDER </div><div><br /></div><div>The 28th regiment of Foot, which had been quartered at Pendennis, since the disbanding of the Royal Miners, having received orders to proceed by forced march to Plymouth, for the purpose of embarking there for America; the baggage passed through Lostwithiel on Sunday last. Four of the baggage guard, who had been drinking at a public house remained when the party moved forward it should seem, unconscious of the departure of their comrades. Two of the four were so much intoxicated, as to render it impossible for them to proceed, and the other two who appeared in.full possession of their senses, applied to the constable, to procure a cart to convey the drunken men to the next town. This the constable refused to do, as did a Magistrate who happened to be passing by at the time. An altercation ensued, and the soldiers threatened to shoot the constable, who prudently retreated into his house and shut the door. Enraged at this they fixed their bayonets, with which they menaced some persons who stood by, at the same time threatened to fire through the constable's door, and proceeded to charge their muskets with ball cartridges, which had been served out to them as part of the baggage guard. After having loaded their pieces they walked down Fore-street, one of them presenting his musket in different directions, and attempting to fire it amongst the people, a number of whom were assembled in the street; happily the ruffian was unable to effect his purpose, as the piece flashed in the pan without going off. Having proceeded in this way for some distance, regardless of the remonstrances and intreaties of the inhabitants, they were met by Joseph Burnett, the town serjeant, who made known that he.was a peace officer, and should take the man who was. endeavouring to discharge his piece into custody. The soldier replied, "I’ll shoot you first” and resting his musket on the wheel of a cart, in front of Burnett, declared that if he advanced an inch he would fire. The officer moved a little to one side, to get out of the direction of the piece, when the villain raised the musket, stepped back few paces, and levelling it at the unfortunate man, instantly fired. The ball passed through Burnett’s body, and struck another man named Walter Davies, who stood behind him,* near the hip, shattering his back bone; - both instantly fell. The spectators immediately endeavoured to secure the miscreants, who made all the resistance in their power; fortunately the man whose musket was not discharged, was seized before he could fire; the other kept the people at bay with his bayonet for some time, but was length secured without further mischief. Burnett expired in about half an hour after he was shot; Davies languished until Wednesday, when also died. Both have left families; the former nine and the latter five children. A Coroner’s Inquest was held on the body of Burnett on Monday, and returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against John Sims and Richard Rogers, who were conducted to Bodmin Gaol. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Stamford Mercury - Friday 2 September 1814</h3><div><br /></div><div>John Sims and Richard Rogers were Monday se'nnight committed to Bodmin gaol, for the murder of Joseph Burnett and Walter Davies.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Royal Cornwall Gazette - Saturday 22 April 1815</h3><div><br /></div><div>CORNWALL ASSIZES CROWN BAR </div><div><br /></div><div>Before the Honourable Sir ROBERT GRAHAM, Knt., one of the Justices of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench. </div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday, March 29. John Simms, aged 30, and Richard Rogers, 26, were charged with the wilful murder of Joseph Burnett.</div><div><br /></div><div>William Hicks sworn and examined— Lives at Lostwithiel; was a constable in August last; recollected seeing the two prisoners in the town; they came to his house between 1 and 2 o'clock and enquired for a cart to forward some drunken men; said they belonged to the 28th regiment of foot; a part of that regiment had passed through Lostwithiel in the morning. Witness told the prisoners they could have no cart, they having no right to one, and asked why they did not go on with their own baggage cart; they made no reply; he then enquired who would pay, they said, the Government; he told them as old soldiers they ought to know better, their own officers were bound to pay for baggage carts; Simms said <em>he</em> was not drunk, did not want a cart for himself, and would not be seen to ride on one; they then left the house of the witness, and he went in and shut the door; his house is near the middle of Market-street. In 10 minutes or a quarter of an hour the prisoners returned to his house, and again required a cart to carry the drunken men to Liskeard; he told them they had no right to a cart but if they would pay he would get one; Simms asked the price; witness told him 12 shillings; He said to Rogers, " Pay the man for the cart;" Rogers then said "Bring the cart here;" Witness said, "Let me see the money, and I will;" on which Rogers turned and said "I'll be d—d if I do," and walked off, and witness returned into his house. Simms appeared sober, and Rogers drunk. James Netherton lives at Lostwithiel; remembered the prisoners at the bar; saw them in Market street, in August last; saw them speak to Mr. Hicks at his door; they made an application to him for a cart; witness was sitting in his own window opposite; after the conversation, Hicks went in and shut the door, and the prisoners went away ; saw them return together to Hicks's house, where they enquired for a cart, as before, and Hicks agreed to get one if they would pay for it; they refused at first, but afterwards agreed to pay for it by making application to another man at the bottom of the town; Rogers went away, and Simms went to the steps of Miss Spernon's house, at a little distance on the same side of the way; witness heard Simms say, with many oaths, that he would have the blood of some person before he left the town; he had a musket in his hand; he fixed the bayonet, and brought it down to the charge; as soon as Rogers was within hearing, Simms hailed him, and requested him to load his gun; Rogers had his piece; Simms desired him to load, saying that "some of the Cornish a—s were going to murder him;" there were many people, chiefly boys and young persons, round Miss Spernon's door; they said nothing to the prisoners, nor offered them any insult or affront; Rogers attempted to unbutton his pouch to load, but was unable, being so intoxicated. Simms then bade him come to him, and he would assist him; Rogers went up to him, and Simms unbuttoned his pouch and took out a parcel of cartridges, he untied the parcel, took out one, and gave it to Rogers, who bit off the end and primed his piece, and returned the remainder (with Simms' assistance) into his gun; Simms then requested Rogers to ram it down well; he did so, fixed his bayonet, went a few yards down the street, presented his piece, and levelled right down the street; there were many persons in the direction in which he presented it; he cocked his piece and snapped it, when it flashed in the pan; Simms said that Rogers's was a poor gun, and he would load his own, but witness did not see him do it; they then went together down the centre of the street, but witness remained at the head of the street; the prisoners were nearly close together, and some persons were standing at a small distance from them. The witness knew Mr. Joseph Burnett, he was serjeant at mace of the borough of Lostwithiel, and lived in Fore street; witness could see his house from the place where he was standing; he saw Burnett come out of his house, having on the laced hat usually worn by the town-serjeant. The prisoners had not reached the turning at die bottom of the street, when Rogers turned and snapped his gun again, in the direction in which Barnett was going; there was no footpath in the street. Witness saw a man of the name of Davey tap Rogers on the shoulder; prisoners then went down the street together with Burnett and Davey, and passing the corner were lost to the view of the witness; he followed them, and was at the corner just at the report of the gun; he ran to the turning, and saw the smoke of Simms's gun; the arms were then taken from the prisoners, and the loaded musket, belonging to Rogers, was given to the witness; he examined the gun and drew the load, with some assistance; it contained a ball-cartridge; after the prisoners were put into the hall, witness saw Burnett in Mr. Reed's house, where he lay in the parlour, bleeding; witness continued in the room with him; he lived about three quarters of an hour after being shot. Witness knew nothing of what passed after the prisoners turned the corner. James Dewan lives at Lostwithiel; is in the Local Militia, his mother keeps a public house in Fore Street; he saw the prisoners in August last; he saw Simms ramming something down into his piece; the prisoners afterwards came to his mother's door; Burnett was there; Simms then put his ramrod in his piece; witness they saw the piece was loaded; Burnett said in the hearing of Simms, he did not think it was loaded, and Simms then put his ramrod into his piece again, and witness said he was sure it was loaded; and he desired Simms to come inside the door and let him draw the charge, that he (Simms) was an old soldier, and ought to know better; Simms instantly came to a charge at the witness and said he would rather put <i>that</i> into him; the bayonet was fixed, and witness put up his hand, and put it aside; Simms then threw his piece to his shoulder, and the prisoners both went away down the street, they stopped at about 50 or 60 yards; no person followed them at that instant; witness observed the prisoners come to a priming position, one faced up the street and the other down, their locks coming nearly abreast of each other, Simms put his hand to Rogers's lock, and then walked off down the street; witness had observed Rogers's lock before, and saw that the pan was too full of powder to shut close; the prisoners went down the street together, and Davey followed them; witness and Burnett went down about five minutes afterwards; Burnett called at the constable's house; Mr, Rowe's, and witness went to a public house kept by George Reed, in an open place near the Fore street; the prisoners were there, and Burnett afterwards came there; witness was close to the prisoners, when Simms turned and asked him what business he had there; he said he was going in to Mr. Reed's; when Burnett came up, he said he was the town-serjeant, and desired him to go into Reed's and give up their arms to him; Simms repeated that he would kill the first man who came to take his arms, he then went back a few paces, and rested his piece on the wheel of a cart, and took a level on the wheel; witness then turned to Burnett, and desired him to come away, for the prisoners would shoot some person; witness then went into Reed's passage, and had not been there two seconds when he heard the report of the piece; he turned round and saw Burnett turning round towards the door; witness observed a hole in the breast of Burnett's waistcoat. There were many persons in the street, but witness saw only one man follow the prisoners before himself; no person offered any insult to the prisoners. <em> Nicholas Pomeroy</em>, corroborated much of the testimony of the preceding witnesses, and added that he saw one of the prisoners rest his piece against a wall, and attempt to strike a man called Walter Davey; witness followed the prisoners round the corner, towards George Reed's house; heard Burnett say "I require the peace; come in here, and deliver your arms to me;" Simms said "he would be d—d if he did not shoot him first;" witness saw him, after resting his musket on the wheel of a cart, take it up and present it at Joseph Burnett who might be 10 or 20 feet distant ; Rogers was a few yards distant from Simms, nearer to Reed's house; Simms fired, and Burnett put his arms around him, and turned into the house. <em>George Wills,</em> <em>Walter Lucas</em>, and <em>George Reed</em> corroborated much of the preceding evidence, and all saw the piece fired by Simms. <em>Mr. Burgess</em>, surgeon at Lostwithiel was called in to see Joseph Burnett about 2 o'clock in the afternoon of the 21st of August; Burnett was then at George Reed's house, witness found him bleeding very much, and on examining him he discovered a wound, apparently made by a bullet, which had entered at the lower part of the breast-bone, passed through the right lobe of the lungs, and came out at the right side, about 5 or 6 inches from the spine which was undoubtedly the cause of his death; the deceased was removed to his own house, and died in about three quarters of an hour after the witness saw him. The prisoners then being called on, said that they ,"stood in their own defence, as it was wanted to take their arms from them." They called no witness. The Jury found John Simms <i>guilty</i>, and Richard Rogers not <i>guilty</i>, the latter burst into tears when the verdict was returned; but Simms appeared unconcerned. The Judge then addressed the prisoner Simms in the following words: "John Simms, you have been convicted bv evidence the most clear and precise, of a very heinous crime, the crime of taking away the life of one of your fellow subjects, whose blood calls loudly for retaliation, and who, in the capacity of a Peace Officer was using his utmost endeavours to prevent you from committing that mischief which you by your intoxication and temporary insanity at that time was capable of doing; and while I proceed to my duty in passing the awful sentence of the law upon you, I cannot help regretting your unprepared state for it. The victim of your violence, Burnett, was, as the evidence have stated, a man who was doing and doing no more than his duty as a preserver of the public peace; and however reluctantly you as a soldier might permit your arms to be taken from you, yet the circumstance of your intoxication is no extenuation of your guilt; it is therefore my duty, my painful duly, to pronounce the sentence of the Law upon you, which you have drawn down upon your own head; a Sentence which, though it be both awful and severe, yet I fear you are very unprepared to meet, I therefore most earnestly hope that the short period of time which you have now remaining, you will employ in making your peace with that God whom you have so grievously offended. The Sentence of the Law therefore is, that you be taken to the place from whence you came, and from thence, on Friday next, you be brought to the place of Execution, where you he hanged by the neck till you be dead, and that your body he given to be dissected and anatomized; and may God have mercy upon your Soul!" </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Execution</h3><div><br /></div><div>John Simms was hanged for the murder of John Burnett on 31 April 1815 at Bodmin Gaol</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-15948930087218292332020-06-16T12:13:00.002+01:002020-06-16T12:15:02.567+01:00Two Russians Sailors buried in Plymouth<div>Plymouth's large nineteenth century private cemetery at <a href="http://www.ford-park-cemetery.org">Ford Park</a> contains the graves of two Russian sailors who died while their ship, the <i>Askold</i>, was in Devonport Dockyard for repairs in 1917. One is in good condition; the other is in pieces. The sailors whose remains lie buried in Ford Park lived and died at a time of major change in the Russian Empire, and their stories shed a little personal light on those times. </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Imperial Russian Cruiser <i>Askold</i></h2><div><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPtwzmhmFGk/XuidsBS1ztI/AAAAAAAAz3Y/UTC5S06ckV06dnq6oljUubGSfzSNfWL9wCK4BGAsYHg/s2400/Askold1901Kiel-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Imperial Russian cruiser 'Askold' at Kiel in 1901" border="0" data-original-height="1698" data-original-width="2400" height="226" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZPtwzmhmFGk/XuidsBS1ztI/AAAAAAAAz3Y/UTC5S06ckV06dnq6oljUubGSfzSNfWL9wCK4BGAsYHg/w320-h226/Askold1901Kiel-1.jpg" title="The Imperial Russian cruiser 'Askold' at Kiel in 1901" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The cruiser <a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B4_(%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%80)"><i>Askold</i></a> of the Imperial Russian Navy was launched in 1900 at Kiel in northern Germany. She initially entered service with the Russian Baltic Fleet, but only after one year was assigned to the Russian Pacific Fleet based at Port Arthur, Manchuria, instead. After seeing action in the 1904-5 Russo-Japanese War she became the flagship of the Russian Siberian Flotilla. <i>Askold</i> began the Great War as part of the Allied (British-French-Japanese) joint task force pursuing the German East Asia Squadron under Admiral Maximilian von Spee. </div><div><br /></div><div>In August 1914 she patrolled the area to the east of the Philippines, resupplying out of Hong Kong and Singapore. In September and October, she was assigned to escort duty in the Indian Ocean. <i>Askold </i>was then assigned to the Mediterranean Sea for operations off the coasts of Syria and Palestine for coastal bombardment and commerce-raiding operations based in Beirut and Haifa. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1915, she was involved in operations against the Ottoman Navy and the Austrian Navy in Greece and Bulgaria, including support for troop landings in the Gallipoli Campaign. She underwent an extensive refit in Toulon, France, beginning in March 1916, which involved the replacement of her guns. The repairs were delayed by lack of materials and manpower. Tensions arose in the crew as the men were forced to live on board, whereas the officers went to Paris. </div><div><br /></div><div>On 19th August there was an explosion in her powder magazine attributed to sabotage, and four crewmen were later convicted and sentenced to death. Repairs were completed only in December 1916. <i>Askold </i>was then transferred to the Barents Sea theatre of operations. </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><i>Askold</i> arrives in Plymouth</h2><div><br /></div><div><i>Askold</i> left Toulon on 27th December 1916, heading for England via Gibraltar. In bad weather, she suffered some storm damage in the Atlantic and reached Plymouth on 20th January 1917 with only 70 tons of coal left. The storm damage was repaired at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMNB_Devonport">Devonport Dockyard</a> where she remained until she left for Greenock in Scotland on 23th May 1917.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;"> A note about the Russian Calendar</h3><div><br /></div><div>At this point, dates become important. At the beginning of 1917, the Russian Empire was still using the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_calendar">Julian Calendar</a> while most of the rest of the world had moved to using the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar">Gregorian Calendar</a>. As a result, dates in Russia were thirteen days behind those used elsewhere. This difference in calendars in conventionally shown as "Old Style" ("O.S." - Julian Calendar) and "New Style ("N.S." - Gregorian Calendar". </div><div><br /></div><div>On 13th January 1917 in the United Kingdom it was 1st January 1917 in the Russian Empire - and on board the Imperial Russian Navy's ships. How many people understood this at the time is a moot point when considering the dates of the deaths of these two sailors.</div><div><br /></div><div>Under the influence of modernising forces in Russia, the calendar changed in February 1918 with the removal of thirteen days: 31st January 1918 was followed by 14th February 1918. Unless otherwise stated <i>all</i> the dates in this article are given as "New Style" dates whether they refer to the Russian Empire and its Navy or Great Britain. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">A note about the Russian Alphabet</h3><div><br /></div><div>At the beginning of 1917 the Cyrillic Alphabet had letters which is does not have today. The alphabet had these letters "removed" during the early Soviet era. But in 1917 those characters were still in use. </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">The "February Revolution" of 1917</h2><div><br /></div><div>The main events of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_Revolution">revolution</a> took place in and near Petrograd (present-day <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg">St. Petersburg</a>), the then-capital of Russia, where longstanding discontent with the monarchy erupted into mass protests against food rationing on 8th March 1917 (New Style). Revolutionary activity lasted about eight days. It involved mass demonstrations and violent armed clashes with police and gendarmes, the last loyal forces of the Russian monarchy. It came to be known - because of the Julian Calendar in use at the time - as the "February Revolution". </div><div><br /></div><div>On 12th March mutinous Russian Army forces sided with the revolutionaries. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated on 15th March, ending Romanov dynastic rule, and Imperial Russia. The British government reluctantly offered the former Imperial family asylum in the UK on 19th March 1917. It later withdrew that offer. The officers and crew heard about the revolution and the Tsar's abdication from the English newspapers in Plymouth. Only when he received official notification from Petrograd did the captain of the <i>Askold</i>, <a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9A%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9,_%D0%9A%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%A4%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87">Kazimir Ketlinski</a>, make an announcement to his ship's crew, urging them to remain loyal to the Motherland. His reduced the risk of attempts on the lives of the officers by having some men removed from the ship. After that, the ship took an oath of allegiance to the Provisional Government.</div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Pyotr Ogorielkov - Петръ Огорљлковъ</h2><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OvBNZGwxe6A/Xuih6gPS7BI/AAAAAAAAz30/jXQSilryylEITD4NXm1jYsl7fftP5i1iQCK4BGAsYHg/s2048/Pyotr-Ogorielkov-%25D0%259F%25D0%25B5%25D1%2582%25D1%2580%25D1%258A-%25D0%259E%25D0%25B3%25D0%25BE%25D1%2580%25D1%2599%25D0%25BB%25D0%25BA%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B2%25D1%258A-grave-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The grave of Pyotr Ogorielkov in Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OvBNZGwxe6A/Xuih6gPS7BI/AAAAAAAAz30/jXQSilryylEITD4NXm1jYsl7fftP5i1iQCK4BGAsYHg/w240-h320/Pyotr-Ogorielkov-%25D0%259F%25D0%25B5%25D1%2582%25D1%2580%25D1%258A-%25D0%259E%25D0%25B3%25D0%25BE%25D1%2580%25D1%2599%25D0%25BB%25D0%25BA%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B2%25D1%258A-grave-2.jpg" title="The grave of Pyotr Ogorielkov in Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We know from Pyotr's gravestone that he was a 27-year-old Stoker on the <i>Askold</i> when he died in March 1917. Pyotr's headstone shows his date of death as 7th March. It uses the Julian Calendar to show the date in Old Style. The New Style equivalent is 20th March.</div><div><br /></div><div>The gravestone is written in Cyrillic and Pyotr's name is shown as Петръ Огорљлковъ. This inscription shows two Cyrillic characters no longer used in Russian. </div><div><br /></div><div>Why does this matter? Because when it came to transliterating Pyotr's name for his death certificate and inclusion in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission there was some confusion which has led to it be <a href="https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead/results?lastName=Garielkow">recorded incorrectly</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first character is <span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Љ</b></span> known as "Lje", pronounced like the "ll" in "mi<b>ll</b>ion".</div><div><br /></div><div>The second is <b style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Ъ</b> known as the "Hard sign". </div><div><br /></div><div>Before spelling reform in 1918, a hard sign was normally written at the end of a word when following a "non-palatal consonant", even though it had no effect on pronunciation. So Pyotr was written as <b>Петръ</b> before spelling reform and <b>Петр</b> afterwards. And <b>Огорљлковъ</b> is now written as Огорелков. So today his name would be written as <b>Петр Огорелков</b>. This would now be transliterated at <b>Pyotr Ogorielkov</b> and gives a reasonable approximation of the original Russian pronunciation. </div><div><br /></div><div>But at the time, as you can see from his death certificate below, it was recorded as <b>Garielkow</b>. And is as as <b>Garielkow</b> that he is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nee2f230oUM/XuilWJNGTfI/AAAAAAAAz4Q/BRDwC47nQm03_gf3HPTuxuneQ0IApcDIgCK4BGAsYHg/s809/Garielkov-death.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Peter Garielkov death certificate" border="0" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="809" height="118" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nee2f230oUM/XuilWJNGTfI/AAAAAAAAz4Q/BRDwC47nQm03_gf3HPTuxuneQ0IApcDIgCK4BGAsYHg/w625-h118/Garielkov-death.jpg" title="Peter Garielkov death certificate" width="625" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>How did this happen? Pyotr died of heart disease in the Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse, Plymouth. It seems likely that in the confusion of his death and the need to register it, a handwritten transliteration as <b>Ogrielkow</b> was misread. (The use of the German transliteration of <b>в</b> as <b>w</b> rather than the English <b>v</b> was not uncommon at the time.) </div><div><br /></div><div>But look at the date - recorded at 19th March. This does not correspond with the date on his gravestone (7th March (OS) = 20th March (NS). Again, it seems that the confusion of a busy Naval hospital in wartime led to the error. </div><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">Nicolai Yevgrafov - Николай Евграфовъ</h2><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tPl6d1PqV-4/XuinKtNQNdI/AAAAAAAAz4s/JqI-pIPZmlADFut_lt3jupFRI-0I7EFDQCK4BGAsYHg/s2048/Nicolai-Yevgrafov-%25D0%259D%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BA%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BB%25D0%25B0%25D0%25B9-%25D0%2595%25D0%25B2%25D0%25B3%25D1%2580%25D0%25B0%25D1%2584%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B2%25D1%258A-grave.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The grave of Nicolai Yevgrafov in Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth" border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tPl6d1PqV-4/XuinKtNQNdI/AAAAAAAAz4s/JqI-pIPZmlADFut_lt3jupFRI-0I7EFDQCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h300/Nicolai-Yevgrafov-%25D0%259D%25D0%25B8%25D0%25BA%25D0%25BE%25D0%25BB%25D0%25B0%25D0%25B9-%25D0%2595%25D0%25B2%25D0%25B3%25D1%2580%25D0%25B0%25D1%2584%25D0%25BE%25D0%25B2%25D1%258A-grave.jpg" title="The grave of Nicolai Yevgrafov in Ford Park Cemetery, Plymouth" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>While Pyotr Ogorielkov's death was from natural causes, even though he was only 27, Nicolai's was a very different matter. Is that the reason that his grave is in pieces? The Commonwealth War Graves Commission have confirmed that both of the graves are in their care, but they are treated as "private" graves and no funding is received for them from the Russian government. Nicolai's gravestone shows that he died, aged 30, on 7th April 1917. Again, it gives the date in the Old Style. The New Style equivalent is 20th March. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nicolai's name is written as <b>Николай Евграфовъ</b>. Apart from the final <b>ъ </b>(Hard sign), the Cyrillic spelling has not changed since his death. At the time, for the death certificate, it was transliterated as <b>Nicolay Engraffoff</b> and subsequently for the entry in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission database it became <b><a href="https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/75458930/engraffof,-nicolai">Nicolai Engraffof</a>. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>The second letter of his surname is definitely <b>в</b> the letter best transliterated as "v". But on both death certificate and CWGC is has been represented by the letter "n". This gives the name a completely false pronunciation. Nicolai's death certificate reveals that his death was not from natural causes. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6HVSRQddMQ/XuioR5ZlFjI/AAAAAAAAz5I/7DDwCNo6Qh0kR-PUjsqvyp8GS8P55fGUACK4BGAsYHg/s810/Engraffoff-death.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nicolai's death certificate" border="0" data-original-height="146" data-original-width="810" height="114" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_6HVSRQddMQ/XuioR5ZlFjI/AAAAAAAAz5I/7DDwCNo6Qh0kR-PUjsqvyp8GS8P55fGUACK4BGAsYHg/w625-h114/Engraffoff-death.jpg" title="Nicolai's death certificate" width="625" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Although his gravestone says that Nicolai was a Stoker, he was actually a mechanic in the <i>Askold</i>'s engine room. </div><div><br /></div><div>As with Pyotr's death certificate, there is a discrepancy between the date recorded on Nicolai's grave and that on the certificate. The grave claims he died on 20th April, while the certificate says it was 11th April. Which is right? Nicolai died an agonising death in the Royal Naval Hospital from a self-administered dose of hydrochloric acid. </div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately, a newspaper report of his inquest provides some background, and confirms that the date on the death certificate is the correct one. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkEFQ5OROkg/XuiowLADpcI/AAAAAAAAz5c/10DbEkXYsKAotEsvebB_-24lKDxuJXh4wCK4BGAsYHg/s646/Western-Morning-News-Saturday-14-April-1917-Inquest-of-Engraffoff.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="646" height="191" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkEFQ5OROkg/XuiowLADpcI/AAAAAAAAz5c/10DbEkXYsKAotEsvebB_-24lKDxuJXh4wCK4BGAsYHg/w400-h191/Western-Morning-News-Saturday-14-April-1917-Inquest-of-Engraffoff.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> So Nicolai's death was due to suicide. He didn't die immediately and was able to tell the <i>Askold</i>'s surgeon that he had taken poison "because he felt life was not worth living under the new conditions in Russia." He was the only supporter of the Imperial Russian Family on board. </div><div><br /></div><div>That fact that he killed himself did not prevent him having a formal Naval funeral at Ford Park. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rOwn4YlBztE/XuipF5sYDEI/AAAAAAAAz5w/tPD4Qrm59mERGLQRPr-MnmYQjuoFtWa8ACK4BGAsYHg/s810/Western-Morning-News-Monday-16-April-1917-Funeral-of-Engraffoff.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="810" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rOwn4YlBztE/XuipF5sYDEI/AAAAAAAAz5w/tPD4Qrm59mERGLQRPr-MnmYQjuoFtWa8ACK4BGAsYHg/w400-h308/Western-Morning-News-Monday-16-April-1917-Funeral-of-Engraffoff.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There being no Russian Orthodox priest in Plymouth, a Greek Orthodox chaplain officiated, and the coffin was drawn by a party of Russian sailors on a gun-carriage with a detachment of marines firing shots over the grave.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0Plymouth, UK50.3754565 -4.142656524.480690409536855 -39.2989065 76.270222590463135 31.0135935tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-87373481789369060892020-06-16T08:34:00.008+01:002020-06-16T11:11:14.190+01:00Buried alive in a well<h4 style="text-align: left;">From the Essex Standard - Saturday, 6th May 1899:</h4><div><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: left;">MARVELLOUS ESCAPE FROM DEATH</h2><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Rescued After Eight Hours' Entombment</h3><div><br /></div><div>Great excitement was caused at Brightlingsea early on Monday morning when it became known that Mr. Samuel Wilson Webb <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">born in Colchester in 1861 and died there in 1945, aged 83. In the 1901 Census, he is living at 31 John Street, Brightlingsea, with his wife and family and working as a "carpenter and joiner"</span>, a master carpenter, had been accidentally buried at the bottom of a well. The well is 25ft 6in <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">7.77m</span> deep and is situated in East End Garden, the enclosure being hired by Mr. Herbert Francis <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">born in Ardleigh in 1865, in the 1901 Census he is living with his wife and son at 5 School Yard, Brightlingsea, with his occupation described as "market gardener". In the 1911 Census he is at the same address and a "nurseryman"</span>, a market gardener. </div><div><br /></div><div>It appears that last summer the well failed, in consequence of which Mr Francis decided to increase its depth by three feet, and Mr Webb was engaged to do the work. At a quarter past six on Monday morning Mr. Webb, with two assistants (Donald Dinwoodie <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">in the 1901 Census, Dinwoodie is living at 54 Mill Street, Brightlingsea, with his wife and family. His occupation is "excavating contractor"</span> and Harry Copsey <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">in the 1901 Census, Copsey is living at 101 High Street, Brightlingsea, with his wife and family working as a "bricklayer"</span><span style="background-color: white;">),</span>to continue the work which they had commenced a week earlier, and a hand-derrick had been placed over the well, which Mr. Webb descended by means of ladder which was resting on the bottom. Chains were fastened at the bottom of the well and secured at the top as a precaution against anything like a collapse, and everything being considered safe Webb descended once more.</div><div><br /></div><div>He called to one of his assistants for two or three tiles, and immediately there was a terrific crash. The assistants, who were terrified, looked down the well, and found that the walls h«d fallen in about fifteen feet from the surface, and that Webb was completely buried beneath about five tons of bricks, mortar, and other débris. </div><div><br /></div><div>"Are you all right?" they shouted, and were delighted at hearing the faint reply, "Yes; get help and work like Englishmen. " </div><div><br /></div><div>In a very few minutes a party of five professional well-sinkers, who are engaged on the new Waterworks at Brightlingsea, were on the spot, and at once set to work to rescue the buried man, and were assisted by a large band of willing workers. It being unsafe to operate at the top of the well, the men began digging a large pit a few feet away, with the object of tapping the well-side when they had reached a sufficient depth, and then removing the débris through the hole. </div><div><br /></div><div>At the same time the sides of the well itself were shored and when the exact whereabouts of Webb had been ascertained, a three-inch water-pipe was sunk, thereby insuring a constant supply of air. Those who listened down the pipe could hear Webb singing the well-known hymn "Rock of Ages," and also praying, and to a man named Wrinch, whose voice he recognised he called out "If I don't come out alive, tell my wife l am trusting in Jesus."</div><div><br /></div><div>The wall of the well was penetrated about mid-day, when Charles Burns <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">I have not been able to identify Charles Burns; he appears not to have been a Brightlingsea resident</span>, who superintended the gang of workers, burrowed his way into the well, aad was in imminent peril of instant death. </div><div><br /></div><div>About an hour later Webb's head was freed from the débris, and his left arm was liberated, but his right arm was still weighed down by the solid mass. The men spared no exertions in their work, and soon afterwards the entombed man's bead and shoulders were sufficiently cleared to give him some refreshment. Brandy was administered to him by the means of a tube, it being feared be might collapse, for it was stated that he was subject to fits. </div><div><br /></div><div>As the work proceeded it could be seen that he was shivering with cold, and that he had become very nearly exhausted. Soon after two o'clock it was decided to put ropes under the man's armpits and haul him out, and in order to do this the workmen borrowed into the well, bound Webb's body with matting and sacks, and placed the ropes under his arms. The rope was gradually tightened, and amid intense excitement Webb was dragged to the surface after eight hours' burial. </div><div><br /></div><div>His face was very pale, one eye was cut, his clothes were torn and a boot had been wrenched off one foot, and altogether he presented a pitiable sight. He was immediately placed on a stretcher, which had been fetched in readiness, and conveyed to the residence of Mr Francis, where Dr. Ling <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">born in Suffolk in 1855 and died in March, Cambridgeshire, on 9th August 1916. According to the Medical Directory of 1900, Dr Charles Arthur Squire Ling qualified as a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1877, he was District Medical Officer and Public Vaccinator to Tendring Union, Admiralty Surgeon and Agent, Medical Inspector of Seamen, and Medical Officer of Health for the Port of Colchester</span>, who had been present during the whole of the operations, followed and administered stimulants. He afterwards made a careful examination, which showed that no bones were broken, and that though the sufferer was in a state of collapse and had lost all sensation in his lower extremities, he was not otherwise seriously injured. Webb was then conveyed home and Dr. Ling was confident that be would thoroughly recover.</div><div><br /></div><div>Good service was rendered by Police Constable Peacock and a constable throughout the whole of the operations, in preventing encroachment on the part of the public who assembled in great numbers, and the greatest possible praise is due to all those who assisted so heroically, in what was unquestionably a wonderful rescue, more especially to Burns, who not only superintended the operation but undertook the most difficult and dangerous part of the work.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">ANOTHER ACCOUNT</h3><div><br /></div><div>Considerable excitement and sensation was caused on Monday morning. when it became known that Samuel Wilson Webb, a carpenter and builder, of John Street, had been buried alive owing to the collapse of a well in which he was working The first intimation which the general public had that something extraordinary had taken place was about 7.30 a.m. when Webb's brother, who is also a builder, was seen driving to and fro through the town, each time at a gallop, and it was not long before the news had spread from one end of the place to the other, and had even reached the fleet of boats, which were engaged at brood dredging in the Colne. </div><div><br /></div><div>The accident occurred in a garden near East Green which is occupied by Mr. Herbert Francis, market gardener. In the garden was an old well about 21 feet <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">6.4m</span> deep, and during the dry weather of last summer the supply of water failed, causing Mr. Francis considerable inconvenience. With a view to prevent a similar occurrence during the next summer it was decided to deepen the well about four feet <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">1.2m</span>, and the work bad been undertaken by Mr. Webb. The work was commenced on Tuesday of last week, but owing to various circumstances it was on the same day abandoned for a time. </div><div><br /></div><div>On Monday morning about half-past six, Webb, and two of his workmen, named Donald Dimwoodie [sic] and Henry Copsey went to renew operations. A hand-derrick had been rigged up over the well, and a couple of chains carried from top to bottom, to hold up the existing brick-work. These, together with a ladder placed in the well, had been left in position from the previous Tuesday, and as soon as the men arrived on Monday morning Webb descended, to inspect the chains and ascertain if they were all right. He soon reascended being satisfied by the inspection, but for additional safety he considered it wise to place a third chain up and down the well. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was speedily accomplished, and Webb again descended, and shortly afterwards called out to his men to hand him two or three tiles. He then placed one foot on the bottom rung of the ladder, for the purpose of climbing up to reach the tiles as they were handed to him, and immediately, without the slightest warning, the well bulged in the middle and Webb was buried in the débris, with several tons' weight around and above him.</div><div><br /></div><div>The awfulness of the situation of the buried man, and the absolute necessity for immediate help being secured, were at once fully recognised by those upon the surface. Their first desire, however, was naturally to ascertain whether the entombed man was alive, or whether he had been crushed to death by the falling débris. Before the cloud of dust raised by the crash had been cleared away, they looked in at the top of the well, and shouted an enquiry, and, to their relief and joy a response came from the entombed man, bidding them to get help and</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">WORK LIKE ENGLISHMEN</h3><div><br /></div><div>an injunction considered by those who know Webb best, as being characteristic of the man. The top of the ladder projected somewhat above the well, and it was undoubtedly owing to the position of the ladder that Webb was saved from instantaneous death. The ensued a brief pause, which to the buried man must have seemed like ages, while help was being obtained. Before many minutes had elapsed, however, there were several willing workers on the spot, and those thus early on the scene could hear a voice proceeding from the depths of the earth, and when they listened more closely they recognised the strains of the well-known hymn: </div><div><blockquote>"Rock of Ages, cleft for me, </blockquote><blockquote>Let me hide myself in Thee."</blockquote></div><div>Subsequently they could hear the unfortunate fellow pleading in earnest prayer to God, and when he was cognisant of the fact that the work of attempting to rescue him had been commenced he called out to a man named Wringe <span style="background-color: #fce8b2;">in the 1901 Census, James Wringe is living at East Green with his wife and family.working as "head horseman on farm." This is probably the farm now known as East End Green Farm</span>, who lives nearby, and who was one of the first on the spot, and requested him if he did not come out alive to inform his wife that he was "trusting in Jesus." Meanwhile, additional help had been obtained, and was arriving every minute. A load of tools was secured, and the help of a party of professional well-borers, who were engaged in sinking a new well for the public water supply of the town, was obtained. The direction of the rescue operations was at once assumed by Charlie Burns, the foreman of the party, and were vigorously proceeded with in a scientific manner, which, though at first criticised by the onlookers for being too slow, were eventually recognised as being the safest and surest. Webb was able to apprise his rescuers of his exact position, so they were able to concentrate their efforts at exactly the right spot. It was evidently impracticable to operate from the top of the well, or to touch the sides lest a second collapse should occur, and thus succeed in that which the first had failed to accomplish. Scores of willing workers were engaged in excavating a large pit a few feet distant from the well, on the side which Webb had indicated his rescue could be most easily effected, the intention being when a sufficient depth had been reached to tunnel through to the well, and by the hole thus made to remove the débris. While this work was going on, other competent hands were busily engaged in shoring up the top part of the walls of the well, which had remained standing, in order that they might not give way as a result of the operations which were going on outside, and which it was naturally supposed must tend to render the frail structure even more unstable. Efforts were also made directed to securing a supply of air to the buried man, and for this purpose several lengths of water piping were passed through the débris alongside the ladder. At intervals words of encouragement were spoken to Webb by his two brothers and others, and it was evident from the replies given that the poor fellow had not lost any of his well-known stock of courage, for although not possessed of a super-abundance of physical strength, being subject to fits, it is generally recognised that he possesses an iron nerve, which has on more than one occasion stood him in good stead. While the work was going on one individual expressed a doubt as to whether he could possibly be got out alive, and it was reassuring to hear from a bystander his personal conviction that there was not the slightest doubt about it, as </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">"SAMMY WAS NOT BORN TO BE KILLED"</h3><div><br /></div><div>or that would have taken place years ago, as he had in the past gone through what would have killed half-a-dozen men".</div><div><br /></div><div>Notwithstanding his own danger and the fact that he was placed in such an awful position, Webb's thoughts were evidently not solely concentrated upon himself, for in addition to the message or his wife mentioned above, he subsequently enquired if his wife knew of</span> or watched the operations, and how she was. Hundreds of men and women had during the morning assembled, and either assisted in or watched the operations, and it is most satisfactory to note that in no way was the work retarded by the assembled crowd. Among the early arrivals were the Rev. A. Pertwee (Vicar) and Rev. A. J. Johnson (Wesleyan Minister), who at once took a spade and helped in the work of excavation until he was relieved by others who were perhaps more accustomed to such work, and Dr. Ling remained on the spot until the work of rescue was completed. Nearly all the master builders in the town were also present, and rendered valuable help, as well as the timber and tools for the rescue work, and special mention ought to be made in this connection of Messrs. J. O. Fookes, E. Blyth, W. James, W. J. Nicholls, W. Nicholls, and A. Langley. But the brunt of the most perilous and difficult work was carried out by Charlie Burns, and he must have experienced a sense of relief when the work was finished almost as great as that felt by Webb himself. He recognised all through the peril in which he was placing himself; he recognised that at any moment he himself might share the same fate as the man whom he was endeavouring to rescue, but he did not hesitate although, when all was finished, he admitted that nothing but the fact that a human life was in danger and that there was just a possibility of rescue, would have tempted him to enter into what he declared, was a veritable death-trap. About noon the wall of the well was penetrated from the outside pit, and the removal of the débris through the tunnel was commenced. But it was slow work as the débris had to be removed merely by handfuls, and drawn up in buckets, while as soon as the space of about a foot was cleared shores had to be placed to prevent another collapse. Soon after one o' clock a clearance had been made round the buried man's head, and some brandy was passed to him through a tube, which with characteristic pluck he at first declared he did not require. Another hour passed during which time the work had not been suspended even for a moment, for whenever one man desired a spell of rest from his arduous labours, there were always half-a-dozen ready to take his place. Burns stuck nobly to his work hour after hour, and it was not until almost exhausted and bathed in perspiration that he ascended to the surface for a breath of fresh air and some slight refreshment. In a few moments he was again engaged in his perilous work, his place having during the brief interval been taken by a fellow-workman named Patrick. It was becoming evident that the imprisoned man was getting very exhausted, and the anxiety of all was becoming more and more intense, as it was seen that another hour must elapse before the work could be completed. The question was freely put, could the poor fellow hold out so long, or would the noble band of rescuers only have the melancholy satisfaction of withdrawing his dead body? As the time passed on Sergeant Peacock and Police Constables Mann and Beasley, who had been present throughout, experienced a little more difficulty in keeping the crowd from the vicinity of the well. Ropes were passed down and an attempt made to move the ladder, but it was found impossible, the only response to the effort being a weird groan from the captive. Then it was decided to pass ropes under the man's armpits and a call was made for a sack, or something to place under the ropes. As soon as this was asked for, handkerchiefs of all sizes and colours were thrown to the workers, one man offered the loan of his shirt, but before he could divest himself of this article of apparel several sacks and pieces of carpet were brought forward. Then followed a painful pause, during which the silence which reigned became oppressive, those outside beiug able only to imagine what was being done in the depths of the earth. Then a signal was given from those below to those above, and a careful and steady pull was given on the ropes, which after a slight resistance gave evidence that success would soon be assured Another pause, almost as painful as the last while Webb, who had been drawn up on a level with the aperture, was being released from the ropes, and then at exactly three o'clock, borne on strong arms he was drawn through the tunnel into the open pit. Then everybody heaved a great sigh of satisfaction and relief as expressive as the loudest cheers could have been, for it was known that the man had been rescued alive after having been over </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">EIGHT HOURS IN THE GRAVE</h3><div><br /></div><div> Needless to say he presented a sorry spectacle, bruised, cut. and bleeding, his clothes dirty and torn, and minus a boot. But his pluck had not forsaken him, and he attempted to stand, but realising that tins was impossible, he looked up to Dr. Ling and said "Have you a horse and cart here? I can't walk home." "That's all right," cheerfully replied the doctor, "we'll see about getting you home presently," and Webb was placed on the stretcher which had been got in readiness, and a stimulant was administered to him by Dr. Ling. He was conveyed into a cottage situate in the garden, where a bed bad been prepared hours before, and Dr. Ling followed and made a careful examination of him. It was found that no bones were broken, and that, beyond being in a state of collapse and an inevitable numbness in his legs and arms, he was not seriously injured. </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">TO REWARD THE RESCUERS</h3><div><br /></div><div>A public subscription is being raised in order to acknowledge in a substantial manner the heroic exertions of Charlie Burns and those who worked with him, and a small committee has been constituted to carry the matter out. The names of Dr. Ling and Rev. A. Pertwee are at the head of the list, each opposite, a subscription of half-a-sovereign.</div><div><br /></div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0Brightlingsea, UK51.816142 1.02139923.505908163821154 -34.134851 80.126375836178852 36.177649tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8308646089494835464.post-72564829506310629902020-06-15T17:44:00.011+01:002020-06-15T18:08:22.006+01:00An Execution at Execution Dock<div><blockquote>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p57g_luILZg/Xuek5kQ9INI/AAAAAAAAz0c/MwW-kszLC34iPxWc9X2xJ4p2NjRRILW9gCK4BGAsYHg/s1280/430713082_84023bdddd_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="St Mary the Virgin, Wivenhoe, Essex Headstone to the memory of Joseph and Harlow Martin" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p57g_luILZg/Xuek5kQ9INI/AAAAAAAAz0c/MwW-kszLC34iPxWc9X2xJ4p2NjRRILW9gCK4BGAsYHg/w300-h400/430713082_84023bdddd_o.jpg" title="St Mary the Virgin, Wivenhoe, Essex Headstone to the memory of Joseph and Harlow Martin" width="300" /></a>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></blockquote>In the churchyard of the sleepy Essex riverside village of Wivenhoe there is a headstone standing against a wall, one of many. Since the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin was 'tidied up' in the 1960s it no longer marks the place where those named on it are buried. But it recalls a vicious murder which happened in the middle of the English Channel in the summer of 1815.</div><div><br />Formed in 1809, the Preventive Waterguard was the sea-based arm of revenue enforcement and complemented the "riding officers" who patrolled the shore. The Waterguard was initially based in Watch Houses around the coast.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mary Cole was six or seven months pregnant when she married Joseph Martin, the father of her unborn child, on 5th November 1789. Their child, named Joseph after his father, was born in Wivenhoe two months later on 17th January 1790. Baby Joseph appears to have died in infancy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Their next child, born in November 1791, was another son who they named Edward. He survived infancy and went on to become a Master of the Royal Navy and for thirty years commanded the Marquess of Anglesey's yacht Pearl. He is remembered today by a stained glass window in Wivenhoe's parish church.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joseph and Mary's third child, born in 1793, was their first daughter. They named her Mary Elizabeth Martin. She went on to marry ship and house builder Thomas Harvey - my great-great-grandfather.</div><div><br /></div><div>Their next two children followed with only eleven months between them. Joseph and Harlow were born in June 1794 and May 1795 respectively. They must have grown up together almost as twins. So it is scarcely surprising that when it came to finding a career they both chose to join the Preventive Waterguard.</div><div><br /></div><div>By 1815 they were both working on the revenue cutter Fox patrolling the English Channel, looking out for smugglers who had - ironically - thrived during the Napoleonic Wars. Joseph aged twenty-one and Harlow aged just twenty. Fox was designed for speed rather than carrying capacity - catching smugglers was her job.</div><div><br /></div><div>On 13th August 1815 Colchester witnessed a sad scene and one that brought news to the Martin family in Wivenhoe which they did not want to hear. One of the small rowing boats belonging to the Fox arrived in Colchester a couple of miles upriver from Wivenhoe. Captain Hore was in command and with him were several men who had been wounded by the crew of a large smuggling lugger between the Goodwin Sands and France. The lugger had run down the Fox's rowing boat which had been chasing her. The smugglers had fired at the crew and killed Joseph Martin, second mate of the Fox, his brother Harlow, two other men, and wounded all the others in the boat.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Wivenhoe parish records contain no mention of the Martin brothers' burial in the churchyard, so it seems probable that their bodies were not in that small rowing boat. The account of the remand hearing (below) strongly suggests that Joseph Martin's body was not recovered, and that this may well have been the case with Harlow's body as well. Nevertheless, their family ensured that they were both remembered on this headstone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Several months seem to have passed while the case was investigated. Bow Street Runners</div> were dispatched to France to interview witnesses, and one of the smugglers gave evidence against his former colleagues.<div><br /> In November, one of the smugglers was captured and turned King's Evidence. By December, the case was sufficiently sound for a remand hearing at Bow Street Magistrates' Court.<h4 style="text-align: left;">From the Kentish Gazette, 2nd December 1815</h4><blockquote> <br />Bow Street<br /><br /> Charge of Murder<br /><br /> Saturday a long examination took place at this Office ;before Richard Birnie, Esq. relative to the murder of four of the crew of the 'Fox' revenue cutter on the 8th of August last.<br /><br />The Solicitor to the Customs conducted the proceedings for the prosecution and called William James who said he belonged to the 'Fox' cutter on the employ to the Excise.<br /><br /> On the 6th of August last witness was in the cutter's boat with the following persons comprising the crew,viz. Joseph Martin, second mate of the cutter; Harlow Martin, William King, John Bland, William Horrocks, Luke Underwood and Thomas Strutt, about six leagues off the South Foreland; witness, on leaving the watch, saw a lug-sail boat bearing S.S.E.; he gave notice to the master and the cutter's boat then at anchor was soon got under weigh and gave chace [sic] but did not fetch their object. <br /> <br /> They put about and on nearing the smuggler, which was then on the opposite tack, the crew of the latter waved their hats in answer to which Harlow Martin fielded up the Fox's colours. The smuggler kept off; and the Fox's men fired several muskets upon which the smugglers lowered their main lugsail. As they were near running the boat down, Martin said to them "keep off;" some of their crew replied "you precious ------, you perish every soul of you." <br /> <br /> The stern of the smuggler immediately struck the boat and her crew discharged their arms and shot Joseph Martin and King; Martin then discharged two pistols and attempted get into the smugglers' boat, some of whom pushed him overboard and he was seen no more.<br /><br /> King kept in the boat's bow but was afterwards shot dead. Four of the Fox's men boarded the smuggler for the boat was sinking. Harlow Martin was also wounded and thrown overboard but recovered and swam back to the boat and clung to the gunwale. The smugglers hove John Bland out their boat into the Fox's. The boats were then cleared and the Fox's boat fell over upon her side. The Fox's people still clung to her and two hours after Harlow Martin said to his associate Bland "Good bye, dear John, I can't stop any longer," and fell dead into the water.<br /><br /> The witness was here ordered to look upon the prisoners, Gillham [The majority of sources spell this Gillam] and Brockman; but could not say that they were the men. The three other survivors were called but they could not swear to the prisoners. An accomplice, however, identified Gillham as the Captain the smuggler and the other having been a party concerned. They were remanded.</blockquote><div> </div><blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div>
With Gillam and Brockman on remand, a month went past before the case was
heard by the Court of Admiralty [The Court of Admiralty was responsible for
crimes occurring at sea] at the Old Bailey.<br /><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
From the Kentish Gazette, 26th January 1816
</h4>
</div>
<blockquote>
<div>
Adjourned Admiralty Sessions<br /><br />
Monday, Jan. 22<br /><br />
Trial for murder<br /><br />
At Justice Hall in the Old Bailey before
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Scott _1st_Baron_Stowell">Sir William Scott</a> [Judge of the High Court of Admiralty] and
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicary_Gibbs">Sir Vicary Gibbs</a> [Chief Justice of the Common Pleas], John Gillam, William
Brockman (alias Brock alias Billy Rock) and Samuel Brice stood capitally
indicted for the wilful murder of Harlow Martin, Joseph Martin, William King and William Horrox [Horrocks] on the high
seas, within the jurisdiction of the Admiralty of England, about
six leagues from Ramsgate, in the county of Kent, the 8th of
August last.<br /><br />
Mr. Bolland opened the indictment which contained various counts charging
them with the murders of the individuals mentioned separately.<br /><br />
The Attorney-General [Sir Vicary Gibbs had actually retired from the post
in May 1812] at considerable length stated the case.<br /><br />
William James, the first witness, deposed that he was a seaman
belonging to the Fox revenue cutter on the 8th of August last. He was in
the eight-oared boat of the cutter that day together with the deceased and
others of the crew. They were lying about six leagues [18 nautical miles;
20.7 statute miles; 33.3 km] from the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Foreland">South Foreland</a>, about half way across the Channel [South Foreland is the closest
point on the British mainland to the European continent at a distance of
20.6 miles (33.2 km); this is at odds with the "six leagues"]. About one
o'clock at noon they observed sail which appeared to be coming from the
coast of France. It was a lug-boat. She was then within five or six miles
of the Fox. The boat neared them and they hauled anchor and made a tack to
come up with her. She neared them to within about a mile and half and the
Fox then hoisted her colours and fired a gun bring the boat to but the
signal was not obeyed.<br /><br />
</div>
<div>
Witness and his companions neared them to within half a mile and the boat
of the prisoners then made towards them. The deceased Joseph
Martin, who commanded the boat of the Fox, waved his hat and
called out to them to keep off. The reply of the crew in the prisoner's
boat, however, was "you shall perish every soul of you."
</div>
<div>
<br />
Their boat immediately ran in upon them and cut the side of that belonging
to the Fox. The prisoner John Gillam, who commanded the smuggling boat,
and his companions then commenced firing blunderbusses and other fire arms
by which Harlow Martin and others of the crew were wounded.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
Witness and three others boarded the smuggler when they were attacked and
beat by the crew of that boat. Harlow Martin was shot in the breast and
afterwards received a blow on the side of the head with a musket and was
thrown overboard.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
Witness and Bland escaped back to their boat much beaten. William King was
then sitting in the boat labouring under a musket wound the neck of which
he afterwards died. Harlow Martin was this time clinging to the end of the
boat and on the point of sinking. The boat of the prisoners then stood
away from them and the boat the Fox became a complete wreck the flat
bottom being turned up.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
After rowing some distance from them towards France the prisoner's boat
again put towards them and witness and the other survivors asked for
assistance: the crew however laughed at them, some of them waving their
hats and pointing downwards as if they meant to say "sink". Harlow Marlin
fell from their hold which he had some time maintained and was lost;
William King, Joseph Martin and William Horrox were also lost.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
The conflict commenced about three o'clock and lasted some minutes. The
witness and his surviving companions floated upon the wreck of their boat
until seven o'clock in the evening when they were picked up a Deal boat.
The names of these surviving companions were Thomas Strutt, John Bland,
and Thomas Underwood. While floating upon the wreck witness and his
companions saw prisoner's boat row for the English coast.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
Strutt, Underwood and Bland confirmed the testimony of the last witness.
All of them particularised the kind of boat which the prisoners were in
the inhuman manner in which they attacked and fired upon them particularly
Harlow Martin and the still more cruel conduct they evinced when the boat
of the Fox had become a wreck and four the hands that had not sunk were
floating upon it.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
John Atkins, one of the crew the prisoner's boat, but who had since become
an evidence deposed that in the month of August last he saw the prisoner
Gillam who was the master in Walmer Roads. The latter engaged him to go a
voyage to Boulogne and he agreed to go tor 7 guineas. It was long white
galley and was generally called a Centipede. It was quite new and newly
rigged and they went from Deal to perform their trip.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
The three prisoners were then on board. There were also the brother of the
witness Henry Atkins, Joseph Brown, Thomas Andrews, William Daniel, Thomas
Epps, "Jack of Clubs", and Duckey Wells making in all eleven, ten oars and
John Gillam who steered.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
They arrived at Boulogne the day after, and took in a cargo of spirits in
tubs, or half anchors as they are called, each holding about three gallons
and half. The boat might hold rather more than 200 tubs.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
They left Boulogne for England about eight o'clock on the morning of the
8th of August last with this cargo, the whole of the persons already named
returning in the boat. Witness did not know that there were fire arms
aboard when they left Deal, but discovered that there were two
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blunderbuss">blunderbusses</a>, two
pistols and some
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musket">musquets</a> there
when they sailed from Boulogne.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
On their passage home they fell in with number of fishing boats upon the
oyster beds between Calais and Gravelines. They got a basket of oysters on
board from one George Church, and in return gave him three bottles of
cherry brandy. They then set sail again, and had nearly got halfway
across, when they observed a boat at anchor, with her sails down.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
Having neared her a little more, she got under weigh and advanced closer,
she fired a gun to bring the prisoner's boat to. Witness and his
companions however kept their course and refused to answer the signal. The
sail wore towards and gained upon them, but she did not appear so long or
large as their own boat.
</div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<div>
Upon each coming within hail, witness heard a cry from the boat of the
Fox, "Keep off, we don;t wish to have anything to do with you." Two or
three of the crew cried out to Gillam to do so, but the latter replied,
"no; he would either go on board or sink them." Gillam, who steered, might
have gone clear if he pleased.<br /><br />
After making some manoeuvres, their boat ran in upon the side of the boat,
and commenced firing. One man from the boat of the boarded them, but he
was knocked overboard. There was a considerable firing and conflict, which
lasted about five minutes, when they stood away towards the French
coast.<br /><br />
They afterwards veered again and bore to the eastward; witness heard
"Billy Rock" say he had shot one man. On turning round and again
passing the boat of the Fox, he saw four men floating on her broad bottom
wreck. One of the crew said, "let us go and put them out of the way."
This, however, was objected to, and they were left to their fate.<br /><br />
The witness and his companions then made their way to England, and
arrived, at twelve o'clock that night, in
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herne_Bay, _Kent">Herne Bay</a>.
The goods they had board were landed safe.<br /><br />
They afterwards took the boat a little along shore, and put in some beach
as ballast. While engaged this way, a boat came up, and demanded to know
what their boat was? Gillam replied, it was "a wooden one." This appeared
to be the boat of another revenue cutter, and after searching their boat,
it put off. The fire arms which they had board were left upon the banks,
after which Gillam gave orders to put to sea, and they went to
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravelines">Gravelines</a>.<br /><br />
The same crew that went
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulogne-sur-Mer">Boulogne</a> and
returned, were still on board. They all went on shore at Gravelines to the
house of one Rosa Le Clerq. They slept there that night, and next day John
Gillam left them to come to England. Witness's brother, and "Jack of
Clubs", were wounded in the conflict with the boat of the Fox. They all
remained until Saturday in Gravelines, when a person called "Gipsey
Jack" came from England, and brought some news!<br /><br />Witness
heard from him that four of the Fox's men had been picked up, and he
immediately resolved upon coming home. That afternoon himself, his
brother, W. Brice and Thomas Epps left Gravelines. They were followed two
others the party, with "Gipsey Jack" to Calais, from whence, in two
separate vessels, they sailed for Dover.<br /><br />
A few days after his arrival in England, he met Gillam in the
neighbourhood of Deal. From him he received eight guineas for his voyage,
observing to him that there was one extra account of the fray which had
happened. Gillam was soon after taken into custody, but was again
liberated when he observed to the witness, "he was glad had been
taken, as he would take care he would not he secured again."<br /><br />Witness
was apprehended in November last and was since detained to give his
evidence.<br /><br /><i>
Cross-examined by Mr Alley</i><br /><br />Determined to give his evidence in
four or five days after he was taken up. His testimony, however, <br />
was not received by the Magistrate for 14 days, he kept a lodging house at
Walmer, but was never indicted. Did not exactly know that there was £1000
reward offered the present case, until sometime after he had determined to
give evidence. He had heard £500 and subsequently the £1000. Never
threatened do Gillam an injury. Witness informed against all the parties,
not excepting his own brother. Never knew the prisoner Brice before the
transaction in question.<br /><br /><i>
Re-examined by the Attorney-General</i><br /><br />
Gillam proposed him about fortnight after the affair to go smuggling
again? He refused, as did his brother also. Gilliam then said, "if you
don't with me, then you'll never go at all.""<br /><br />
George Church deposed that on the 8th of August last was fishing upon the
oyster grounds between Calais and Gravelines. Remembers seeing a large
boat come from the direction of Boulogne with her main lug set. She came
within stone's throw of witness and other persons fishing there. Witness
went in a punt belonging to one Jemmy George, with two lads, alongside the
boat in question gave them a basket of oysters, upon which some persons on
board asked if they would have any cherry brandy?<br /><br />Witness
accepted of three bottles for different persons, and left the boat; one
the parbailed, and said, "is she nicely trimmed; does she look deep."
Witness replied she looked very well. He could not identify the prisoners,
but had some slight recollection ot Gillam.
</div>
<div>
<br />
Hart, the son-in-law of the last witness, remembered the lug-boat, the
transmission of the oysters, and the receipt of the brandy. Witness
remembered Billy Rock in the long white boat, but could not speak with
certainty to the others.<br /><br />
James George corroborated this testimony; saw the boat or centiped; Gillam
and John Atkins were on board; knew them both about two years, and had no
doubt of their persons.<br /><br /><i>
Cross-examined by Mr Alley</i><br /><br />
Witness did not give information of what knew until about five weeks ago;
had since heard, and not before, that a reward had been offered to the
conviction the persons who committed the crime in question. He was not
since out of town, being advised by Mr Mahow, the solicitor to the excise,
not to go. That gentleman was to defray his expenses while detained.<br /><br /><i>
Examined by the Attorney-General</i><br /><br />
No other boat than that of Gillam's had given his boat brandy or them
oysters.<br /><br />
Henry Tillman was one of the petty officers belonging to the Scorpion
revenue cutter. On the 8th of August last he left her with five others and
went on board the long boat in Herne Bay as "look out." About two o'clock
on the following morning, they saw a long white boat lying on the shore at
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beltinge">Beltinge</a>. She
appeared to be from forty to fifty feet in length. Witness approached and
asked what boat she was. A man said he did not know but looked into her
himself and saw nothing but ballast with which they were filling her. He
saw the crew about her, eleven in number and the boat put to sea.<br /><br />George
Warren and W Barfield corroborated this evidence. and produced the fire
arms which they had found after the departure of the boat, already
mentioned, from the shore.<br /><br />Rosa Le Clerq deposed that she lived
between the harbour and town of Gravelines. Many persons resorted to her
house. She knew Gillam for three or four years - knew John Atkins about
the same time. Gillam frequently came to her place, and remembers his
being there particularly the 9th of August last; ten others came with him,
they were all Englishmen, and with them was Billy Rock, J. Atkins, and J.
Brown. She does not know names of the others - knew person of Brice but
could not swear to him; they remained there all night.<br /><br />
The parties came in a long white boat, and two of them were wounded. One
called Jack of Clubs was hurt over the eye; she saw him wash it with milk
and water, his hair was also cut about the wound. The prisoner Gillam went
away, as he said, to England on the following morning. Some person
came in a few days after and took away six more. Jack of Clubs, Brown,
Billy Rock, and another remained.<br /><br />
Gillam returned in a few days. Witness told him she had heard he had been
put in prison. His reply was "you see I am not." In some days after, he,
with the four already mentioned, went away and said they were going to
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk">Dunkirk</a>. Witness saw
them go away in the long-boat, which like others, was used by Gillam and the smugglers, conveying spirits from the French
coast. Witness remembered Taunton and Howley, two Bow Street officers,
afterwards coming to her house.<br /><br />
John Louis Le Clerq, husband to the last witness, confirmed her testimony.
He remembered the party of eleven, of which Gillam was the head, coming to
his house. He was employed by that person to watch the boat, of he which
took the charge for sixteen nights. The party were all Englishmen. He was
paid by Giilam for his labour, and was well acquainted with his person;
knew the prisoner Billy Rock; also, and remembered the witness, Atkins, being of the party; he remembered the
departure of Gillarn and his return; the departure of six of the original
crew, and the circumstance of six other hands being brought to man the
boat to Dunkirk.<br /><br />
The prosecution having closed, Sir Vicary Gibbs desired to know if the
prisoners had any thing to offer in their defence.<br /><br />
Gillam asserted his innocence. He had frequently risked his life for
persons in distress and never injured anyone to his knowledge. He had
offended Atkins by not taking him out in board him, and had sworn to be
revenged on him which he was now doing by swearing away the life of an
innocent man.<br /><br />Brockman denied any concern whatever in the
transaction, and said that a severe illness for more than a year,
precluded the possibility of his having been engaged in such an
undertaking.<br /><br />
Brice in the most solemn manner, denied any knowledge of, or participation
in, the crime.<br /><br />
</div>
<div>
The prisoners called no witnesses.<br /><br />
Sir Vicary Gibbs then proceeded to sum up the evidence. He observed that
if the Jury had merely to scrutinise and examine upon the evidence of
accomplice Atkins, unsupported by other testimony, even the most trivial in the case, related by him, were confirmed by, he
would say, "a cloud of witnesses", there was less embarrassment in this
exercise of their painful duty. If his evidence, therefore, supported by the testimony they had heard, was to be credited, he feared
it must be fatal to the prisoners.<br /><br />
If a doubt remained on their minds of a rational and well founded nature,
the Jury would no doubt give the benefit of that impression to the
prisoners. With regard to the prisoner Brice, he knew there was other
identify[identification] of him beyond that of Atkins; but if all that
person had detailed was so incontestably confirmed, it remained with the
Jury to say whether, with respect to his evidence, it was not as complete and as correct as it had been throughout.<br /><br />
The Learned Judge concluded by recommending the Jury to weigh the case
dispassionately; and if they felt themselves painfully bound to convict
the prisoners, not to shrink from their public duty.'<br /><br />
The Jury then retired, and after an absence of about hour and a half,
returned with a verdict of acquittal on the part of W. Brice, and finding
John Gillam and William Brockman, alias Brock, alias Billy Rock,
guilty.<br /><br />
Sir William Scott, in the most solemn and affecting manner, immediately
proceeded to pass the awful sentence of the law upon the two last
prisoners, which was, that they should be executed on Wednesday morning
next, at
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_Dock">Execution Dock</a>,
and their bodies to be afterwards given over
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_Act_1751">to surgeons for dissection</a>.<br /><br />
This sentence, however, was afterwards respited to Wednesday the 31st
instant on account of the tide not serving at an hour for the purpose
contemplated in such cases [according to custom, the hanging would take
place below the low water mark and then the incoming tide should cover the
body once dead; what is being said here is that the tide was not at the
right level to allow for the body to be covered].<br /><br />
W. Brice was afterwards put to the bar and arraigned upon the several
indictments which imputed to him the murder of the other persons of the
Fox cutter, who met with their death on the 8th of August. On each of
these he was respectively acquitted, and dismissed with an admonition from
the court.
</div>
</blockquote>
<div>
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">From the Evening Mail, 2nd February 1816:</h4>
<blockquote>
EXECUTION OF GILLAM AND BROCKMAN.<br /><br />
ln the course of Monday the sacrament was administered to these
unfortunate men in the condemned cell by the Rev. James Rudge [Dr James
Horace Rudge (1783-1852), minister of St Anne's, Limehouse], who, at their
express desire, has attended them daily since their conviction.<br /><br />Previous
to their receiving the holy sacrament of the Lord's Supper, they fully
acknowledged Mr. Rudge the justice of their sentence, and their deep
conviction of the crime for which they were to suffer.<br /><br />
After the ceremony, Mr. R. conducted their respective friends to them for
the last lime.<br /><br />
Yesterday morning they were hanged at Execution Dock. At a quarter past
nine the unfortunate wretches entered the cart from the felons' side of
Newgate, attended by the executioner and a great number of officers.
Gillain seemed much dejected; but in the appearance of Brockman there was
no alteration since his trial.<br /><br />
Before they entered the cart, they shook hands with their friends, and
said to them that they were going upon a more prosperous voyage than any
they had yet taken, and that they would reach it sooner. Gillam looked
with great benevolence upon all around him. He took from his neck silk
handkerchief, which he begged the gaoler would deliver to an intimate
friend. The unfortunate delinquents arrived at the fatal spot about a
quarter past ten o'clock, and met their fate with calmness and
resignation.
</blockquote>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEv5a9dVIqo/XuekX6giEtI/AAAAAAAAzzs/XnAo8ztrlu0au8J4sghhRnqcBe5SH6ULACK4BGAsYHg/s1002/Fullscreen-capture-05012017-105924.bmp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The hanging of Gillam and Brockman at Execution Dock" border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="1002" height="271" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEv5a9dVIqo/XuekX6giEtI/AAAAAAAAzzs/XnAo8ztrlu0au8J4sghhRnqcBe5SH6ULACK4BGAsYHg/w400-h271/Fullscreen-capture-05012017-105924.bmp.jpg" title="The hanging of Gillam and Brockman at Execution Dock" width="400" /></a>
</div>
<div><br /></div>
<br />
This image of the execution of Gillam and Brockman is taken from the
collection of the Royal College of Surgeons of
England, specifically <a href="http://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/abs/10.1308/147363507X193993">Treasures from the Library</a>, 49, The Bulletin of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 89(5),
p. 184.;"Murder in the English channel"
</div>
</div>Webrarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02975303713948128132noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073509 -0.127758323.197117063821153 -35.284008299999996 79.817584736178844 35.028491700000004