Pictures and stories from 10, 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 years ago from Stamford, Rutland, Bourne and the Deepings
Join our weekly stroll down memory lane looking at news from up to 200 years ago.
Our Mercury Memories is produced thanks to the support of the Stamford Mercury Archive Trust.
10 years ago
November 8, 2013
Improvements are well under way at a primary school as a new head and governing body look to boost their Ofsted rating.
Inspectors visited Bluecoat Primary School in Green Lane, Stamford, early last month.
Their report, released on Monday, gave the school a “requires improvement” grade. But the report gave a positive impression of the school and commended the senior staff on recent efforts to turn results around.
Chairman of governors Mark Kieran said the report was a fair assessment of the school's situation. He added: “We know where the school is right now but the imspectors had to take a view based on the whole period since the last inspection.
“Within that period we faced some significant turbulence and a lot of significant challenges arose from that.”
The school's last inspection was in November 2010, when it was given a good rating. In the two years following that report the school underwent a period of instability.
Mr Kieran said: “In September the decision was taken to appoint a new headteacher and to strengthen the governing body. That was the turning point and gave us the capability and capacity to get a clear picture of the challenges the school faced.”
Diners at two pubs in Stamford and Oakham have raised £1,000 for the appeal to rebuild Thorpe Hall Hospice.
The Thurlby Group pledged to donate £1 to the appeal every time a customer ordered from its “two for £20” pizza menu during the last two months.
Customers at the Tobie Norris in Stamford and The Lord Nelson in Oakham also filled collection tins on the bars to support the appeal.
Pub owner Mick Thurlby said: “Thorpe Hall is so local to us and it's a cause very close to our hearts so we always like to support them when we can.
“The offer was running for two months and we raised just over £1,000 which is a really good amount. It's great to be involved with the charity.”
The money was presented to regional fundraiser Alison Toomey this week, taking the appeal total to £1,549,468.
Alison said: “This was a great initiative by the Thurlby Group which raised a huge amount of money. It really does show that the small amounts do add up and make a big difference to our appeal.”
The Sue Ryder charity needs to raise £6m to build a new 20-bed hospice in Peterborough.
A protest group has been formed to fight plans to build about 50 homes on greenfield land on the outskirts of Stamford.
Kier Homes revealed its intention to develop land off Kettering Road, opposite Stamford AFC's current ground, when it submitted a screening opinion to South Kesteven District Council in September.
Since then a group of neighbouring residents have formed Stamford! Protect Our Green Space to fight the plans.
David Taylor of Wothorpe Road, set up the group. He said: “We are realists. We recognise that development must occur to allow our town to grow. We also accept that some of that expansion will be at the expense of greenbelt.
“But where this particular Kettering Road site is concerned we felt a stand needed to be made. The vista of which this land forms a part constitutes an iconic view of Stamford and we feel it right to fight for it and for the over-stretched infrastructure which would support it.”
25 years ago
November 6, 1998
Traffic will be unable to travel up Market Street or Market Place in Oakham for 10 days while the BBC turns the area into a 19th century scene for the filming of Charles Dickens' drama Great Expectations.
The streets will be shut off from next Friday until Sunday, November 22, to allow the film crew to work on the area.
Location manager Lynn Grant said temporary cosmetic changes will be made to Oakham School, Dalton's Solicitors, Oakham Post Office and Moat House Furnishings to return the buildings to the 1850s.
In the drama Oakham will feature as the main character Pip's home town on the Kent marshes. It will also be used for the indentures ceremony when Pip is bound over by a magistrate to be a blacksmith's apprentice.
On Wednesday, November 18, after the normal market has cleared, the props team will dress the area around the Butter Cross with livestock pens, laying a straw and peat covering to disguise the modern pavements.
Newage International this week announced that 60 jobs at its Stamford factory will be lost before Christmas.
Staff had known for months that the American owned engineering company was looking to cut up to 100 posts at its Barnack Road factory.
Bill Brogan, plant convenor for the Amalgamated Electrical and Engineering Union, said: “Because of the downturn in orders it has been necessary to reduce manning levels across the shop floor.
“The AEEU has been working with management to minimise the cuts, but there will still have to be 60 redundancies.”
Of the 60 just over half have opted to take up voluntary redundancy payments. The remaining cuts have been decided on a 'last-in, first-out' basis.
All members of staff affected by the job cuts were informed by management on Wednesday.
The redundancies come on top of a batch of 26 announced in the summer, and a further review of office staffing is continuing.
A partially sighted widow says she was made a prisoner in her own home for 18 hours because of inconsiderate council workmen.
Doris Robinson (76), of Willoughby Road, Bourne, claims she only found out South Kesteven District Council were concreting her path when she woke up at 7.55am and found them working outside.
The path, which is the walkway out from Willoughby Road, is also used by her two neighbours.
Mrs Robinson agreed the path needed repairing as cracks were making it unsafe, but she says she was given no warning when they recently carried out the work.
She said: “It was a disgrace. There was just a puddle of concrete where the path was. I got my trolley out to go shopping but there was nowhere to go. The only other way to get out is across the mud and cabbage patch which I couldn't do as I suffer from arthritis.
“I really felt worried for the gentleman two doors up because he has had two heart attacks and three strokes this year already – I thought this was going to cause him to have another heart attack.”
SKDC chief executive Chris Farmer said: “We owe Mrs Robinson and her neighbours an apology, and we shall be writing to that effect. Having got the path repaired, we are extremely sorry that a breakdown in communication meant the bungalow residents suffered as a result of the work.”
50 years ago
November 9, 1973
A woman who jumped into a mass of blazing rubble after a devastating gas explosion at Barleythorpe near Oakham, at midnight on Sunday, has died.
Mrs Doreen Featherstone's fight for life in Leicester Royal Infirmary ended at 6.30 pm on Tuesday. She was 44.
She and her 47-year-old husband Alfred, who is recovering in hospital, were forced to leap from the first floor into the inferno.
It was their only means of escape after the blast had left them trapped in the bedroom of their burning terraced cottage.
Mrs Featherstone fell badly on her back into the scorching debris and her nightdress and hair were set alight. Rescuers dragged her from the flames.
One villager told the Mercury that it sounded like a land mine had hit Barleythorpe when the explosion happened.
The Featherstones' cottage had its roof blown off and only the shell of the house was left.
Next door Mr Roy Jordan, his wife and five children fled their home as flames came through on to their landing. They have been given emergency accommodation.
At the other end of the terrace 82-year-old Mrs Blanche Brewin's home was rocked by the blast – plaster and parts of the ceiling fell on to her bed and rubble crashed into her bathroom.
Villages in the Ketton and Barnack areas may get a boost in amenities – because their local council headquarters are likely to be put up for auction.
For the money from any sale is expected to be shared between the parishes for spending on village projects.
It is anticipated that the council building in Broad Street, Stamford, which is headquarters for Barnack and Ketton Rural Council, will be auctioned in January.
The premises are no longer needed as council offices because both authorities will disappear in April under local government reorganisation.
Ketton goes into the Rutland District and Barnack into Peterborough.
And although the council building could be used by the new South Kesteven District Council, they have said they do not want it.
More people are coming to live in the Stamford, Bourne and Rutland area – and that's official.
Figures released on Wednesday show the population of the area rose by nearly 1,000 in the year ending in mid-1972.
There was a steady rise in most parts of the district – including the major centres.
Stamford's population went up 160 during the year to 14,770 – and there was a jump of 130 to 6,600 at Bourne.
The South Kesteven Rural District, which includes the booming Deepings area, had a rise of 210 people to 17,730.
And there were 200 extra people in the West Kesteven rural area, which covers Colsterworth and the Withams.
In Rutland the population rose by 360 to 29,580.
This was due almost entirely to a massive jump of 440 in the population of the Oakham rural district.
This increase helped to off-set slight drops in population throughout the rest of the county.
The number of people in the town of Oakham dropped by 50 to 6,810 – and there was a similar decrease in the Ketton rural area where the mid-1972 population was said to be 3,720.
Uppingham rural district's 6,870 population was 20 down on the 1971 figure.
There was another decrease in the Oundle and Thrapston rural district, which covers Easton-on-the-Hill, Collyweston, Duddington and the King's Cliffe area. Here the decrease is by 90 to 16,760.
100 years ago
November 9, 1923
Progress of Girl Guide Movement – Girl Guides, with their friends and relations, were present in good numbers at the Assembly-rooms, Stamford, on Thursday afternoon, on the occasion of a visit from the County Commissioner (Mrs. W. M. Rawnsley, Alford). The chair was taken by Miss Peacock, District Commissioner, who stated that whereas two years ago they had only two companies in the Stamford division they now had ten. Mrs. Rawnsley outlined various proposals that were being adopted for the extension of the movement in the county. Mrs. Mark Kerr, Deputy Chief Guide, spoke on the ideals of the guide movement, emphasising the value of the movement in educating girls in the art of citizenship. After the meeting the Guides were inspected, and Mrs. Kerr presented the Stamford 1st Company with the Divisional challenge shield, and congratulated Miss Pickett, the officer in charge, upon the excellence of the company's work.
Hospital Work - A meeting was held on Thursday afternoon in the Town-hall, Stamford (by kind permission of the Mayor), when Mr. Battle, of Northampton, gave an address upon the organisation of Hospital Week Committee as carried on in Northamptonshire. The Marquess of Exeter presided over a good attendance.
Magisterial Compliments – At the conclusion of the business of the Borough Police Court, on Saturday, the mayor (Mr. J. W. Pepper) said he wished to thank his fellow magistrates, now that he had reached the end of his period of civic office, for the kind way in which they had worked with him during the past two years. His thanks were also due to the Clerk (Mr. R. M. English), to Insp. Sindall, and his sub-ordinates, and to the Press. He had always received the greatest consideration from all, and he hoped it would not be long before he returned to the office he was relinquishing. Mr. E. Joyce, on behalf of the magistrates, expressed thanks for the Mayor's words, and congratulated him upon the ability with which he had carried out his duties.
An Analysis of Behaviour – In connection with the Congregational Church, an interesting and edifying lecture was given in the Albert-hall, Stamford, on Monday evening by Professor J. G. Mckenzie, professor of psychology at Paton College, Nottingham, whose address on “Psychologial facts of behaviour” was treated in a masterful style. The Rev. J. D. Carnegie presided over a good attendance, and a collection was taken on behalf of the Sunday school funds.
Creating An “Atmosphere” - At a meeting of the Board of Guardians on Monday, at which Mr. J. W. Coulson (vice-chairman) presided, it was decided to replace the plain glass in the east window of the Workhouse chapel by stained glass at an approximte cost of £3.
Bourne
Presentation to Bank Cashier – Mr. C. E. Hindley has retired from the position of chief cashier at the Bourne branch of Lloyds' Bank after 46 years' service. The termination of his business association with the bank was marked by the presentation of a silver salver and purse from past and present members of the staff. The gift was handed over by Mr. F. A. Peacock, the senior surviving partner of Mesrs. Peacock, Willson and Co. Mr. J. Reade, manager at Bourne, associated himself with all that Mr. Peacock has said, and Mr. Hindley expressed his thanks.
150 years ago
November 7, 1873
We hear it is intended, at the annual meeting of the Town Council on Monday next, to nominate Mr. T. G. Mason for the office of the Mayor of Stamford. It may be remembered that Mr. Mason was proposed last year in opposition to the present Mayor, but was then in a minority. It is not yet known whether the election on the 10th will be unanimous, there not having been a meeting of the Town Council either publicly or privately, to settle the question.
The Stamford Terra-Cotta Company (Blashfield's), Limited – The first annual meeting of the shareholders in this company was held on Tuesday at 28, Berners-street, Oxford-street; Mr. M. P. Churrie in the chair. The report, which was taken as read, showed that since commencing operations the works of the company had been extended, and great economy had been introduced into the working expenditure. The net profit for the past year had amounted to £1367 18s. 11d., being equal to a dividend of rather more than 6 per cent. per annum on the paid-up capital, which the Board proposed to carry forward to the new profit and loss account. Considering the exceptional circumstances arising at the time the company commenced operations,, the directors felt satisfied with the results obtained. The report and accounts were adopted, and Messrs. F. J. Morgan and P. Stewart, the retiring directors, having been duly re-elected, the proceedings terminated.
There was no business to transact at St. Martin's (Stamford) petty sessions on Friday last. There was also a clear charge-sheet at the Stamford petty sessions on Saturday.
Two entertainments in Stamford by the C. C. C. Christy Minstrels are announced for Saturday and Monday evenings. This is the company which has always been so attractive when it has visited the town.
Stamford Union – The business at the Board for two weeks has been unusually heavy, owing to a revision of the relief list. On Wednesday last the applications for relief were numerous; but the number of paupers in the house is only four in excess of the number in th corresponding week of last year, the figures respectively being 134 and 130. The receipients of out-relief also show little variation. 22 tramps were relieved in the house during the week.
A few weeks ago Miss Annie Stewardson, late infant school mistress at Greetham, resigned that post, and has since accepted another at Bengeo, near Hertford – a larger school. The parishioners presented her with a gold watch as a mark of sincere respect.
On Saturday evening last, about 6 o'clock, a collision occurred between the carriage belonging to C. B. Reynardson, Esq., of Holywell Hall, and a trap belonging to Mr. Percival, of Wansford, on the Ryhall-road, near the Stamford Infirmary. The latter was overturned, and the occupants of the vehicle thrown into the road; one had a thigh fractured, and the other a rib.
On Saturday last the thatch of an outhouse on the premises of Mrs. Sculthorpe, at Bulwick, took fire. It was fortunately discovered before much damage was done, one corner only being destroyed. Had it got more hold, the consequences might have been very serious.
At the fair held at Bourn on the 30th ult. there was the largest quantity of sheep known for many years, the greater part of which changed hands at prices about the same as realised at other fairs.
200 years ago
November 7, 1823
On Friday evening last, as Geo. Palmer, the driver of the Leeds up waggon, was passing through Buckden, he was asked by a man of the name of Travel to let him ride. Being a stranger to him, he enquired of the landlord of the Falcon, what was his character; it being out of Mr. Gilby's power, who knew the fellow well, to give him a good one, he was told he might go into the hay-bag, but he should not ride in the body of the waggon. They were seen drinking together at a public-house in Southo; but when the waggon arrived at the White Horse in Eaton, the driver was missing. Mr. Thorn, the landlord, immediately sent off people in search of him, who could learn nothing; but found Travel in a public-house in Eaton, kept by his brother-in-law. On being questioned as to what was become of the driver, he said the b----r fell over the bridge into the water and was drowned. The body has since been found near the bridge, without exhibiting any visible marks of violence upon it. Travel is sent to Bedford jail, on suspicion of having murdered him.
As a poor man of the name of Seaton, of Elton, was returning from Peterboro' on Friday, where he had been to receive his pension, he was so overcome by the storm as to be unable to proceed. When found, medical assistance was immediately procured, but the poor fellow died on Saturday evening.
On Saturday last John Rogers, horse-breaker, of this place, met with a serious accident from a restive horse belonging to Mr. Gilchrist. In trying to open a gate, the beast threw him, by which one of his legs and several of his ribs were broken.
On Saturday last an inquest was held at the Red Cow, Boston, before J. H. Hollway, Gent. coroner for that borough, on view of the body of Charlotte Thorne, servant to Mr. Laming, of Willoughby Hills, who put a period to her existence by taking a quantity of arsenic. It appeared that the deceased possessed her reason at the time she committed the fatal act, and the jury, after patient investigation, returned a verdict of felo de se.
Mr. E. Butt, Linen and Woollen Draper, &c., High Street, Stamford, respectfully thanks his friends for the liberal support he has experience for the last thirty years, and begs to inform them that he has declined business in favour of Mr. Beasley.
T. Beasley (late of the firm of Beasley and Knight) respectfully informs his friends, the friends of Mr. Butt, and the public in general, that he has commenced business upon the premises lately occupied by Mr. Butt; and having purchased the stock of that gentleman upon very advantageous terms, he is determined to offer it, with the goods brought from the late firm, upon such low terms as bid defiance to competition. Having just returned from the London markets, where he has been purchasing upon his original system, for ready money, he is enabled to offer to his friends a large stock of prime New Goods unusually cheap.
Every article in the Tailoring department supplied as usual in the first style of fashion. Funerals furnished. Loan of the pall to the poor gratis.
Stamford, November 3d, 1823.
A ewe sheep, the property of Mr. Reachlous of Oundle, was slaughtered by some miscreants on Monday night last.
