British History – Page 3

On this day in history….31st December 1892

On this day in history : 31st December 1892 – The first hostel for homeless men, Rowton House in Vauxhall, London opens….

It was the brainchild of Tory Peer and philanthropist Montagu William Lowry-Corry (1838-1903) – otherwise known as Lord Rowton – who put £30,000 of his own money into the venture….a considerable amount in the day – equating to over £3.5 million in today’s terms….

Montagu William Lowry-Corry – Public domain

Lord Rowton had been Private Secretary to Disraeli and had helped to set up the Guinness Trust in 1890 – helping homeless people in London and Dublin…. He had inspected common lodging houses in the East End of London on behalf of the Trust and was appalled by what he saw…. It was then he made the decision to open the hostel on Bond Street (now Bondway) in Vauxhall….

Lord Rowton (pictured right) with Benjamin Disraeli – Leslie Ward – Public domain

His was a completely new concept in helping down-and-out or low paid working men…. The aim was to provide decent, cheap accommodation, that was far superior to the squalid lodging houses which were the only alternative at the time….

“Lord Rowton’s Lodging House” ~ the Poor Man’s Club, where he finds a Comfortable Home, Good Food and Wholesome Recreation ~

The accommodation comprised of 470 bedded cubicles; each man would be supplied with clean sheets and had the use of facilities to wash and dry his clothes…. In the bathrooms there was an ample supply of hot water….and each wash basin had above it a hook for him to hang his hat and coat – so he could keep an eye on them…. There was a large dining room and a library….all for the price of 6d (sixpence) a night….

Rowton affectionately referred to his venture as ‘the Beehive’…. He even had one of the beds installed in his own home – so he could try it out….

On the first night of opening only 77 out of the 470 cubicles was occupied…. However, news spread quickly – in the first year 140,105 beds were let – and the hostel returned a profit…. Such was its success that Vauxhall became the first of six such establishments across London….

It wasn’t all plain sailing from the start though…. In the early days there was a high turn over of staff – and it was hard to maintain a constant, smooth running establishment…. In the first few weeks every book in the library had disappeared – so lockable bookcases had to be introduced and a paid librarian employed…. During the first fire drill it emerged all of the copper fittings on the hosepipes had been stolen…. It was also decided that soap was going to have to be charged for as such huge quantities were being ‘used’…. Eventually a superintendent was employed – a former sergeant major – who soon had things in order….

Nowadays Rowton House is occupied by the Centrepoint Vauxhall Hostel…. The Centrepoint Charity provides accommodation and support for homeless people aged between 16 and 25 years-of-age…. Before she died Princess Diana was its patron – her son Prince William has been patron since 2005….it was his first patronage….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….30th December 1887

On this day in history : 30th December 1887 – A petition, signed by more than a million women, is sent to Queen Victoria, calling for public houses to close on Sundays….

(From ‘Street Life in London’ – 1877)

Women would have had a variety of valid reasons for putting their name to such a petition…. Many were fed up with their menfolk spending much of their free time in the pub – an establishment that generally did not welcome women – and since the 1830s alcohol consumption had been linked with many social issues….

Then there were those who supported the Temperance Movement…. A fierce movement against the consumption of alcohol which had begun in America during the late 1700s and in time was to spread to Britain and Ireland…. A great British global expansion had taken place during the 19th century and in the latter part of the 1800s there was a fear that this ‘greatness’ would drown in a sea of alcohol…. Of course, even with the signatures of over one million women, the petition was never going to get far…. In fact it got no further than Henry Mathews – the then Home Secretary….

The Beer House Act of 1840 required public houses to close at midnight….generally opening at 5 or 6am it was pretty much possible to get a drink at any time of the day…. It was the advent of World War 1 that eventually brought changes to the licensing laws – restrictions were put in place limiting the hours publicans could serve alcohol…. Ironically many of these restrictions were aimed at women….

The Government became concerned about the amount of alcohol being consumed by female munition workers…. With their menfolk away fighting and combined with increased spending power – the girls were out to have a good time…. With unrestricted opening it meant more drinking hours in the day….and productivity in the munitions factories was not as high as the government desired…. David Lloyd George, the then Minister for Munitions (but also to serve as Chancellor of the Exchequer and then Prime Minister during the war years) said at a speech in Bangor – “drink is doing us more damage in the war than all the German submarines put together”…. In another speech, given to the Shipbuilding Employers Federation he is known to have said Britain was “fighting Germans, Austrians and Drink, and as far as I can see the greatest foe is Drink”….

Women workers in the New Gun Factory, Woolwich – Photo from the collections of the Imperial War Museums

Lloyd George initiated a campaign for complete abstinence for the duration of the war…. He had support in the highest of places – having managed to persuade King George V to promise that no alcohol would be consumed in the Royal Household until the war was over…. A statement was put out….“no wines, spirits or beer will be consumed in any of His Majesty’s houses after today; Tuesday April 6th 1915″….

Others who lent their support and followed the King’s example were Lord Kitchener – the Secretary of State and Richard Haldane – the Lord Chancellor…. However, Herbert H Asquith, Prime Minister at the time and a some what heavy drinker, refused…. Asquith was regularly under the influence when he addressed the House of Commons – his reaction to Lloyd George was that he had “completely lost his head on drink”….

David Lloyd George, 1915 – Photo by A. & R. Annan & Sons – Public domain

Herbert H Asquith – Bain News Service – Public domain

Lloyd George was tempted to outlaw alcohol entirely – but knew there would be a backlash…. So a range of laws and restrictions was introduced instead….

In cities, towns and industrial areas a change in the law meant public houses could only serve between 12 noon and 2.30pm and in the evenings from 6.30pm to 9.30pm…. Most rural areas were unaffected and could still open throughout the day….

Laws were introduced reducing the strength of alcohol and taxes were increased, making it less affordable…. In 1918 a bottle of whisky typically cost £1 – five times more than it had before the outbreak of the war…. Other measures were put into place, such as to where alcohol could no longer be consumed – for example drinking on trains was banned….

One of the more unpopular laws was the ban on buying a round of drinks…. The ‘No Treating Order’, introduced in October 1915, meant it became illegal to buy an alcoholic drink for another person – the maximum penalty for breaking this law was six months imprisonment…. Licensing authorities had the power to close pubs who allowed treating….

A report in ‘The Morning Post’ on the 14th of March 1916:- “At Southampton yesterday Robert Andrew Smith was fined for treating his wife to a glass of wine in a local public house. He said his wife gave him sixpence to pay for her drink. Mrs Smith was also fined £1 for consuming and Dorothy Brown, the barmaid £5 for selling the intoxicant, contrary to the regulations of the Liquor Control Board”….

Unsurprisingly, this combination of tough measures worked…. By the end of WW1 Britain’s alcohol consumption had dropped by nearly 60%…. Beer consumption in 1914 was 89 million gallons, whereas in 1918 it was just 37 million…. In 1914 London 67,103 people were charged with drunkenness – in 1917 that number had fallen to 16,567….

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On this day in history….29th December 1860

On this day in history : 29th December 1860 – HMS Warrior, Britain’s first iron clad warship, is launched – during the coldest winter London had seen for 50 years…. It was so cold Warrior froze to the slipway during her launch and it took 6 tugs to help haul her into the River Thames….

Warrior was built to rival the French iron clad ship ‘La Gloire’….the first ship of its kind in the world…. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir John Somerset Pakington, was determined to have a ship bigger, faster and with more gun power than that of a French ship….

Warrior was designed by Chief Constructor of the Royal Navy, Isaac Watts and Chief Engineer Thomas Lloyd…. The 40-gun, steam powered armoured frigate was built between 1859-61….and the contract for the great iron hull was won by the Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Company, in Blackwall, London….

On the day of the launch large crowds gathered to watch – braving the bitter cold….the dockyard and even the Thames covered in frozen snow…. Braziers had been lit down each side of the ship the day before and kept burning through the night – but despite this Warrior remained frozen to the slipway…. Sir John Pakington named the ship….but she was stuck fast…. On the upper deck hundreds of men ran from side to side to try and rock her free…. In the end tugs and hydraulic rams had to be employed and some twenty minutes later the ship began to move…. “God speed the Warrior” shouted Sir John….as he broke a bottle of wine upon her bow…. Cheers erupted from the watching crowd as she took to the water….

HMS Warrior under sail – by William Frederick Mitchell – Public domain

The morning after the launch Warrior was moved to the Victoria Docks, ready for fitting out…. She eventually left the Thames bound for Portsmouth on the 19th of September 1861…. When commissioned Warrior was the largest warship in the world – 60% bigger than La Gloire and weighing 9,210 tons…. Along with her sister ship, ‘Black Prince’, the pair were to become the most feared ships to sail the seas….

Warrior began active service in June 1862, patrolling coastal waters and sailing to Gibraltar and Lisbon…. She was the pride of the British Navy – and was crewed by 50 officers and 656 sailors…. The majority of the crew lived on the gun deck – with up to 18 men, sleeping in hammocks, between each gun…. Life would have been very similar to that on board the traditional wooden ships….the work hard, with a lot of heavy labour involved…. The anchor alone was one of the heaviest manually hauled anchors in history….

Gun deck after restoration – Photo credit : Paul Hermans CC BY-SA 3.0

The officers were allocated small, individual cabins at the rear of the ship…. Whereas, the Captain had two spacious and well-furnished cabins….

Reproduction of the Captain’s day cabin – Photo credit : Geni CC BY-SA 4.0

By 1871 Warrior had been superseded by faster ships with bigger guns….and she was downgraded to coastguard patrol and reserve purposes…. In May 1883 it was discovered that her masts were rotting – and it was decided it would not be economic to repair her…. In 1904 she was renamed Vernon III and was converted into a floating naval torpedo training school….

In 1924 Warrior was put up for sale as scrap – but no buyers came forward…. So in March 1929 she was taken to Pembroke Dock and turned into a floating oil pontoon and give the rather un-majestic name ‘Oil Fuel Hulk C77’….

Warrior as ‘Oil Fuel Hulk C77’ in Llanion Cove, 1977 – Photo credit : Verbcatcher CC BY-SA 4.0

Between 1861 and 1877 forty five iron hulled warships were built for the Royal Navy….by 1978 Warrior was the only one left…. It took a £9 million restoration project to restore her to her 1862 condition…. The work was completed in Hartlepool – and she has been back in Portsmouth at the Historic Dockyard as a museum ship since 1987….and well worth a visit if you are able….

Warrior’s figurehead – Photo credit : Colin Smith CC BY-SA 2.0

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On this day in history….28th December 1734

On this day in history : 28th December 1734 – The death of Robert MacGregor – a Scottish outlaw and folk hero of the early 1700s – better known as ‘Rob Roy’….

Engraving of Rob Roy by W.H.Worthington – Public domain

Born in February 1671, in Glengyle, Trossachs, on the southern edge of the Highlands, Rob Roy was the son of Colonel Donald MacGregor – one of the MacGregor clan – and who won his commission through loyalty to King Charles II….

Robert MacGregor acquired his name ‘Rob Roy’ at an early age – on account of his mop of curly red hair – which he inherited from his mother’s side…. At the age of 18 he joined the Jacobite rising of 1689, along with his father – whom he fought alongside with the aim of restoring King James VII, the last Catholic King, to the Scottish throne…. Rob’s father was caught and imprisoned for treason for two years….during that time his mother suffered ill health and subsequently died…. Rob moved to Glen Shira, living under the protection of the Duke of Argyll – and was permitted to build a house upon land granted to him….

In January 1693 Rob Roy married Mary Helen MacGregor of Comar – his cousin – and they had four sons…. He became a cattle drover, buying and selling Highland cattle…. The MacGregors were a wild clan – cattle rustling and running what was effectively a protection racket…. By the early 1700s Rob Roy had established his own flourishing protection racket….charging landowners around 5% of their annual rent to ensure their cattle remained safe…. Those who didn’t pay could expect to lose everything…. Nowadays this would be seen as criminal – but in those times it was actually considered a respectable way of making a living….

In 1711 Rob Roy borrowed £1,000 from the Duke of Montrose, a land owner at Murdock Castle, north of Glasgow – he planned to purchase cattle for the following year’s market – and had taken investments from various local chieftains…. In early 1712 he gave his head drover the task of purchasing the cattle on his behalf…which he did…. But the drover then sold the cattle on….and disappeared with the proceeds….

Rob Roy returned home to find he had been made bankrupt and outlawed by the Duke of Montrose…. His land had been seized – and his wife and young family evicted from their home – thrown out into the depths of the savage Highland winter – their home burned to ashes…. The Duke of Montrose was also settling an old score with the Duke of Argyll – who was his sworn enemy….

What remains today of Rob Roy’s home at Upper Glen Shira – CC BY SA 3.0

Rob Roy set out to seek revenge – he had never even been given the chance to repay the original loan….he felt he had been unfairly treated…. He set out on a campaign of ‘cattle lifting’, targeting Montrose’s stock…. He became an expert – he excelled in theft and banditry…. He even kidnapped Montrose’s rent-collector, who happened to have £3,000 of rent money upon him at the time…. He was a thorn in the side for the Duke of Montrose – and all the time he had a powerful ally in the Duke of Argyll…. Gradually his attentions began to turn to other landowners in the area and he started to target them too…. Those not willing to pay him protection money would find themselves relieved of their stock…. Now a fully fledged outlaw the ‘law’ were out to find him….but he roamed the hills of Loch Lomond, always in hiding – rather like a Scottish Robin Hood….

Kneller, Godfrey, 1646-1723; James, 1st Duke of Montrose (1682-1742), Secretary of State for Scotland (1714-1716) — The Duke of Montrose – After Godfrey Kneller – Public domain

During the November 1715 Jacobite Uprising Rob Roy was used as a guide for the Jacobite army – as it marched from Perth to Stirling….resulting in the Battle of Sheriffmuir – with the Jacobites against the government army, led under the Duke of Argyll…. Eventually the government army prevented the Jacobites from reaching the Lowlands…. Rob Roy was torn between his Jacobite beliefs and his loyalty to the Duke of Argyll….

The Battle of Sherriffmuir – John Wootton – Public domain

At the end of this escapade he emerged with a price on his head – both for his earlier banditry and now for treason for his part in the uprising…. He was captured several times – but always managed to escape…. Tales of his exploits began to circulate….

In 1722 he was finally caught and imprisoned for five years…. But his tale had spread to those with influence…. In 1723 Daniel Defoe published ‘Highland Rogue‘ – based upon his story….and so his popularity rose…. Just before he was due to be transported to Australia Rob Roy was granted a Royal pardon…. After which he settled down, gradually returning to live a normal life among his own people in Balquhidder, north of Trossachs….

Rob Roy died on the 28th of December 1734, in Balquhidder Glen – and was buried in the Kirkyard – later to be joined by his wife and two of his sons – who were buried beside him….

Since then, in 1818 Sir Walter Scott wrote the novel ‘Rob Roy’ – and he has been the subject of two Hollywood films….

British History, Uncategorized

On this day in history….27th December 1836

On this day in history : 27th December 1836 – The deadliest avalanche to be recorded in the United Kingdom occurs – not in Scotland or Wales, as would be expected – but in the South East of England….

Oil painting in the Anne of Cleves House Museum

The West Sussex market town of Lewes is situated in a gap within the South Downs, on the River Ouse…. It is surrounded by hills – including to the east Cliffe Hill, rising to 164 metres above sea level….

At the foot of Cliffe Hill lies South Street….and at the time upon which lay ‘Boulder Row’ – a row of workers’ cottages – or ‘poor houses’, owned by South Malling Parish….

The winter of 1836-37 was very severe throughout the whole of the United Kingdom, with heavy snow and freezing temperatures, accompanied by gale force winds…. It had started snowing in the Southeast on Christmas Eve and was particularly heavy over the South Downs…. The snow persisted for the whole of the Christmas period – along with strong winds, which caused snowdrifts – some over 10ft high…. A huge snowdrift, reported as being over 20ft deep, formed on the top of Cliffe Hill, with an overhanging ledge – or ‘cornice’ – at the cliff edge….

Worried passers-by informed the inhabitants of Boulder Row and advised them to leave their homes…. But for reasons only known to them the residents chose to stay….most likely they had no other place to go in the sub-zero temperatures…. Even when on the 26th of December a large mass of snow fell from the cliff top on to a timber yard below – destroying it – they refused to leave….

The inevitable happened at 10.45 am on Tuesday the 27th of December…. The cornice collapsed – causing an avalanche of snow to crash towards Boulder Row beneath…. Witnesses reported that the cottages appeared to be struck at the base by the avalanche – which then broke above them like a huge white wave, completely burying them….

A rescue operation lasting several hours was mounted by the townsfolk…. Seven survivors were pulled from the snow and wreckage – and taken to the local workhouse for treatment…. Among them was a two-year-old child, Fanny Boakes; the white dress she wore that day can be seen in the Anne of Cleves House Museum, in Lewes…. A further eight people lost their lives, having died from suffocation or hypothermia….

The victims were buried in an unmarked, communal paupers grave in South Malling Parish Churchyard…. A fund was set up by the townsfolk to raise money for the families of those killed – and also for a memorial plaque – which is situated on the north wall of the church….

South Malling Church

Memorial tablet : Photo credit Russ Arno – Atlas Obscura

Where the Boulder Row cottages once stood a public house can now be found…. Built in 1840 ‘The Snowdrop Inn’ was named in commemoration of the disaster….