Not Just Beef and Plum Pudding!

07/12/2020 by Northumberland Archives

The traditional image of Christmas Day in the workhouse is of inmates sitting down to beef and plum pudding. Reports in local newspapers confirmed this but also highlighted that there were many more treats and gifts provided by local shop keepers and wealthy patrons.

The Morpeth Herald reported that Alnwick workhouse enjoyed a happy Christmas in 1888. There was the usual dinner of beef and plum pudding, but residents were also given sweets. Smokers were gifted tobacco and those who didn’t smoke received tea and sugar. All children received sweetmeats and oranges. In the evening, all inmates were treated to tea with fruit and cakes which was followed by musical entertainment. The children received toys, cakes and buns and all the older inmates were given a glass of punch at the close of the evening.

In December 1903, there was a lovely treat for the younger members of Alnwick workhouse. Her Grace the Duchess of Northumberland gave an afternoon tea and gifted a Christmas tree to the children. The tea took place in St. Michael’s Guild Room in Alnwick and 25 children were present under the supervision of the Matron and the School Superintendent. They had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and received gifts of sweets and toys. Her Grace the Duchess of Northumberland and the Ladies Margaret and Victoria were present during the festivities.

In 1904, to go with the beef and plum pudding, Alnwick inmates also feasted on mutton, pork and mince pies. Half a barrel of ale was supplied by the Alnwick Brewery Company and Messrs T. Dixon & Son, Confectioners, supplied all the children with sweets. In the afternoon all residents were entertained to a nice tea. The Duke’s forester sent evergreens for the adornment of the dining hall and Mrs Bosanquet of Rock Hall sent a Christmas letter conveying seasonal greetings and words of encouragement and hope for the future. The ladies Margaret and Victoria Percy gave presents of cake, tobacco and flowers.

The Morpeth Herald reported that Christmas 1864 was a very happy one in Morpeth workhouse. A Christmas tree was exhibited for the entertainment of the children and was laden with oranges, apples and sweetmeats of various kinds. After they had feasted on the pretty vision of the tree, the fruits were distributed to the excited infants. Mr Robert Oliver, baker of the town, proudly presented each inmate with a piece of his ’monster loaf’. In 1888, the Christmas beef was described as ‘prime’ beef and this was accompanied by an abundance of vegetables. A full barrel of beer was supplied and pretty plants decorated the dining tables. The Rector gave Christmas cards and each inmate received a Christmas letter from the Young Women’s Christian Association.

The Hexham Courant reported on workhouses in Hexham, Rothbury and Haltwhistle. In 1877, the children of Hexham workhouse enjoyed a treat of tea and oranges provided by the Waddilove family of the parish. The festivities took place in the boys school room which was decorated in a neat and tasteful manner with holly, evergreens and Chinese lanterns. On Christmas Day, the Hexham inmates received an unexpected treat after lunch. The band of the Hexham Rifle Corps, on their way back from a performance, entered the workhouse yard and to the great delight of inmates played a selection of music ending with Auld Lang Syne. The following year, it was agreed by the Hexham Guardians to give the inmates a tea on New Years Day instead of beer with their Christmas Dinner. This was readily welcomed by all.

In 1889, residents of Haltwhistle workhouse were reported to have received their usual Christmas breakfast treat of fruit loaf, cheese, tea and coffee. Dinner was the usual beef and plum pudding then after the meal there was entertainment in the dining room which had been beautifully decorated for the occasion. Inmates were treated to a performance of Little Red Riding Hood by Miss Saint’s Sunday School class. After the show there was singing and dancing then a tea similar to breakfast finished off the lovely day.

On Christmas Eve in 1904, all inmates in Rothbury workhouse had an excellent tea and the smokers were given tobacco. On Christmas Day all the children received toys, and cakes were supplied as an extra treat for tea. Mr & Mrs Donkin of Haw Hill presented each inmate with half a pound of tea and sugar and gave tobacco to the smokers. Mrs Blackett-Ord sent two parcels of tea, shawls for the old women and toys for the children.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 26 NOVEMBER 1920

28/11/2020 by Northumberland Archives

MEMORIAL TABLET UNVEILED AND DEDICATED

The evening service at St. Aidan’s Church on Sunday last took the form of a War Memorial service, the silver tablet bearing the names of the members of the congregation who fell in the war, being unveiled and dedicated. This tablet has been affixed to the front of the handsome oak pulpit which the pipe organ has been placed along with in the Church as a Memorial. The organ was opened in the end of August last year by Dr Ross, Edinburgh, and is one of the latest type, with an exhaust pneumatic action, which gives the greatest effect and makes the touch on the keyboard of the detached console very light. The pulpit was dedicated a few weeks later, and now that the tablet has been added, the memorial is complete. On Sunday the pulpit was draped with black and purple hangings, and a vase of white chrysanthemums placed between graceful palms on the table in front lent an added artistic touch.

During the service, the Rev. J. M. Miller gave a short address, based on words “It was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter, and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch,” taken from John 10, verses 22 and 23. St. Aidan’s had, said Mr Miller, given 20 men in the sacrifice for freedom that we might go about in comfort and peace. That was a great contribution, which we and generations unborn, would greatly appreciate. The tablet was unveiled and dedicated by the Rev. J. M. Miller, who before reading out the names, removed the covering Union Jack. Then followed the “Last Post,” sounded from outside, followed by an interval of two minutes’ reverent silence broken by “Reveille.” The congregation remained standing throughout the unveiling ceremony, and after joining in the National Anthem, listened to the “Dead march in Saul” rendered in fine manner by Mr Marshall, organist of the Church.

The names on the tablet are :- Robert Bell, Robert Bremner, Christopher Burns, Thomas Crosbie, George Henry Evans, James Evans, Adam Gladstone, Thomas Grieve, William Grieve, Thomas Heslop, William Heslop, George Hogg, Thomas Logan, George Macleod, Thomas Laing Robson, John S. Scott, Richard Scott, Strafford Wilson, Hugh White, John R. White.

The tablet is of polished silver mounted on oak, and the inscription reads: – “St Aidan’s English Presbyterian Church, Berwick-on-Tweed. To the honour and glory of God, and in proud memory of the men of the congregation who fell in the great European War, 1914-1919, the organ of this Church is dedicated.” Afterwards follow the names, and at the foot are the words;- “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.”

FELLING A RAILWAY BRIDGE AT BERWICK STATION

On Sunday morning about 8 o’clock, the old bridge over the railway at Berwick Station which has been stripped lately ready for felling to make way for the new bridge which is being erected was reduced to a pile of stone and mortar. The news that the key-stones of the bridge were going to be pulled by the St. Margaret’s crane having leaked out, there were large crowds of townspeople near the bridge when the operations commenced.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is High-Greens.jpg — This image shows the High Greens area of Berwick, which in 1920 felt the shock waves from the demolition of the nearby railway bridge. © James Allan, Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 2,0).

The initial work was gone through smartly and at ten minutes to eight, when the big railway crane had drawn the key-stone on the arch over the north lie, the structure came down with a crash, which shook the houses situated in the High Greens, Garden City, and Railway Street.

The “piling cranes” erected at each side of the bridge immediately got to work with their heavy steel rammers, knocking down the portion of arch which still remained, and a large gang of workmen were engaged meantime in clearing up the debris, which was trimmed into steel buckets and raised by the cranes to be tipped into wagons.

All day long the work continued, the traffic being run on the single line system. The 8.20 p.m. express from Edinburgh was brought down the “lie” behind the station and shunted back to the platform. The lines were clear in the early hours of Monday morning, but workmen were still busy trimming off the broken masonry from the side pillars.

DR PHILIP MACLAGAN ON “HOUSING AND TOWN PLANNING.!

Members of Wallace Green Literary Society were privileged on Monday night to have the subject of “Housing and Town Planning” explained to them by the Medical Officer of Health for the Borough. Naturally there was a large and interested audience. “The fact of the matter is, “said Dr Maclagan, “that the housing question is by far the most serious matter before the country at the present moment , and I am afraid must remain so for many a long day. The size of the question may be indicated by the example of Northumberland and Durham. In 1901, there were in the two counties 20,928 one0roomed houses and 99,156 of two rooms. Again, of 70,000 working-class houses in the same area, nearly 5,000 were occupied by two or more families. When one realises the size of the rooms and the type of house so occupied, the effect on the health, comfort, and morals of the community may be imagined. I have no hesitation in saying that the main cause of the labour unrest and of the deterioration in moral character, which has been so evident during the last few years, is largely to be found in the unhealthy, uncomfortable, dark and inconvenient houses of the working classes. To a certain extent, the people who live in them make the houses what they are as regards dirt and lack of comfort; but, on the other hand, anyone who is constantly in the houses of the poor will be struck by the great, and more or less successful effort which many of these people make to render their homes habitable. What can you expect the housewife with a large and growing family to make of some of the small dark rooms of the closes and alleys of Berwick?”

“In any housing scheme, it will be necessary to ensure that the houses are of sufficient size, are comfortable, easily worked, light and well ventilated. If unlimited financial means and unlimited space were available, the question would be easy. All that a Local Authority would have to do would be to build sufficient houses on a new site, then close and demolish all the unhealthy houses in their area and rebuild at their leisure.”

SCREMERSTON

The second of a short series of lantern services was held in St. Peter’s Church, Scremerston, on Sunday evening, and was as largely attended as on the previous Sunday night. The subject of the lecture was “The Message of the Church Bell,” the various aspects of worship, prayer, thanksgiving, penitence, meditation, and praise all being dealt with.

The illustrations were explained, and their suggestive appeals voiced by the Vicar, who spoke not from the pulpit but from among the congregation. The varied scenes shown were very clearly depicted, and included both reproductions of great paintings, representing the Gospel story, and also scenes from common life, on which the subject of the lecture threw an interesting and helpful light. Tissot, Millais, Plockhorst, T. Faed, de la Roche, and Pettie were some of the artists represented. Suitable hymns were shown on the screen and sung by the congregation, whose interest in the service was evidenced by the excellent order maintained throughout the night.

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 12 NOVEMBER 1920

24/11/202013/11/2020 by Northumberland Archives

ARMISTICE DAY CELEBRATIONS

At the Armistice Day celebration at the British School, Palace Green, today (Thursday), the Rev. W. Jardine delivered an address after the two minutes’ silence at 11a.m. The hymn “O God, our help in ages past” was sung, and then Mr H. W. Willits unveiled the War Memorial to the fallen scholars. Mr Jardine offered prayer, and the proceedings closed with the “National Anthem.”

There was a short service at Berwick Parish Church today (Thursday), commencing at 10.45. The two minutes’ silence was observed, and prior and after that period appropriate psalms, lessons, and prayers were recited, the Vicar conducting the service.

At the barracks the troops paraded, the “Last Post” being sounded at 11a.m. and Reveille at the expiry of the two minutes.

At 11 o’clock today (Thursday) the Commandant of the Berwick branch of the Comrades of the Great War laid a laurel wreath at the foot of the Tweedmouth War Memorial. The wreath bore the inscription, “In loving memory of those whose names are seen here and their unknown comrades, this wreath is laid by the Comrades of the Great War.”

THE NEW SHERIFF

Mr Robert Carr, of The Elms, Berwick, who was unanimously elected Sheriff of the Borough of Berwick, is one well fitted to hold the office. For such an ancient and honourable position, it is very appropriate that a gentleman who has dabbled in the historical records and folklore of the Border as Mr Carr has done should be selected. It is certain he will fill the office with credit to himself and to the town.

To agriculturists in North Northumberland and Berwickshire, the name Robert Carr, of Grindon, is as familiar as the Corn Exchange on market day. Grindon, apart from Mr Carr and he from Grindon, would have been an unthinkable thing some few years ago, but it came to pass nevertheless, and he now lives the life – to him the rather slow and tiresome life- of a retired gentleman. While in Grindon, Mr Carr became known around the district as one who knew how to produce the most from his land, and who took second place to none as a successful agriculturist. He was a keen student of the various problems arising in the industry, and his advice and word carried weight with others. He was one of the most prominent members of the Berwick and Borders Farmers’ Association, now merged in the N.F.U., and there he took a leading part in the business coming before the Association from time to time. He is still associated with Norham and Islandshires Ploughing and Hedge Cutting Society, which was promoted to stimulate interest in successful tillage and farm cleanliness amongst farm workers and masters alike.

LOCAL NEWS

At the Kennel Club’s Championship Show at Crystal Palace, London, on November 3rd and 4th, Mr David Black, Berwick, won 1st prize Puppy, 3rd prize Limit, and 3rd prize Open Classes, with his sensational winning puppy, Tweedside Red Hot. His well known stud dog, Tweedside Red Squire, was also entered, but failed to do his weight, having lost 4½ lbs. on the journey down, so did not compete in either of his classes.

Wallace Green Literary Society, at their meeting on Monday evening, were invited to discuss various topics, suggested by contributions to the “Berwick Times.” The Editor, Mr W. Paterson, read the various articles, eight in number, and lively discussions followed each one. The first contribution was a poem entitled “Our Literary Society,” and dealt in humorous fashion with the “awful silence” that invariably fails upon the audience, when, after a paper, the chairman throws the meetings open to discussion. Then followed an interesting article entitled “Ought we to criticise the way other people spend their money?” by “Evangeline.” This provoked a good deal of discussion. A third article was in the nature of a plea for Wallace Green Church Library, founded in Golden Square Church in Dr Balmer’s days, when it was the only circulating library in the town. Now the membership has sunk to “three or four devoted souls,” but hopes were expressed that, the volumes having been put in order and the catalogue brought up to date, there would soon be a lengthy queue outside the Session House on a Thursday evening. “Diogenes” gave an amusing criticism on the meetings already held by the Society this session. “II Penseroso” treated with the slang phrase “ I don’t think,” arguing that it contained more than a germ of truth – that a great proportion of the men and women of today do not think, but accept the opinions of other people as their own. “A Sufferer” wrote of the behaviour of people in the street and the general neglect of the rule “keep to the right.” A strong condemnation of the delay in bringing the ex-Kaiser to justice, contributed by “Nemisis.” wound-up the evening. The eighth paper, in the form of a short letter was not read.

THE NEW RAILWAY BRIDGE

The deputation from the Town Council when it goes to Edinburgh to see the General Manager of the N.B.R. about the stairway to the Railway Bridge will have the solid backing of the inhabitants in the northern part of the town.

1970s view of Berwick Station was taken from the current road bridge, which at that time carried the main A1 road over the east coast main line. © Ben Brooksbank, Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0).

At the moment, when alterations are in progress, people are willing to put up with the absence of the stairway, but they could not be expected to do without it permanently. It will, however, be a great convenience to have the reconstructed stairway lead to the platform for the south trains. Under the old conditions, whether you were going north or south, you had to cross the bridge to get a ticket. If the stairway is placed as we suggest, only half of the passengers will need to cross the bridge.

INQUEST ON BERWICK CHILD

Coroner H. R. Peters, without calling a jury, on Friday night conducted an inquest in his office touching the death of Annie Bolton, the four month old child of Allison Bolton, single woman, Driver’s Lane, whose death occurred rather suddenly in the early hours of Thursday morning, 4th November.

Allison Bolton, the mother, identified the body as that of her child. The child had been suffering from a cold for two or three days, but she did not think there was anything seriously wrong with it. It had been taking its food regularly. At eight o’clock on Wednesday night she fed the child and put it into bed. Apart from the cold it was then all right. Witness went to bed shortly after, and at 1 am on Thursday was awakened by the child coughing and having difficulty with its breathing. She at once went for Dr P. W. Maclagan, leaving the child in her mother’s charge. On returning the child was dead.

Dr P. W. Maclagan said he was called by the last witness at 1.30 am on Thursday morning, and proceeded to the house in Driver’s Lane. On arriving there the child was found to be dead. It had only been dead a short time. He enquired about its illness, and was told it had been suffering from a cold, but had only become seriously ill at one o’clock. On Friday, along with Dr Caverhill, he conducted a post mortem at the mortuary, where he found that death had resulted from an attack of acute double pneumonia. The child was well nourished. Witness had attended the birth of the child, and at that time difficulty was experienced in getting the child to breathe. Otherwise the child was all right and healthy. In a child of that age the symptoms of double pneumonia would not be very marked prior to the fatal illness. The pneumonia would develop suddenly.

The Coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

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