General

There is so much going on this time of the year Halloween, Bonfire night and Remembrance Day, but covid has put a dampener on all. There will be no mass gatherings around the country, at city, town and village memorials. How will you remember the war dead, human and animal? What do you call it Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Remembrance Day? Everyone calls it something different. When I was asked to write this blog I didn’t know what I would find. Many newspaper reports basically say that there was a church service and wreaths laid at memorials, but I did find some interesting snippets that you may or may not know. I hope you enjoy this article.

Why the Poppy when did it all start?

The beautiful landscapes of France and Flanders were totally transformed over 4 years of war and bloodshed. The landscape was turned into a muddy quagmire, bleak and barren where nothing surely could grow. However the bright red of the Flanders poppy flourished in the middle of the destruction and chaos and they grew in their thousands. In 1915, Canadian Lt. Colonel John McCrea, wrote a poem following the loss of a close friend and was moved by the sight of these poppies. The poem was called ‘In Flanders Fields’. This poem inspired an American academic Professor Moina Michael to adopt the poppy in memory of the fallen and started a campaign across the world. A French lady called Anna Guerin was in London in 1921 selling poppies when she met Earl Haigh founder of Royal British Legion and she persuaded him to adopt the poppy as the organisations emblem which we have all grown up to recognise. The British Legion ordered 11 million poppies that year and they quickly sold out. The Legion raised £106,000. To ensure that in years to come there were plenty poppies for future appeals, Major George Howson set up a poppy factory which employed disabled ex servicemen to make them.

Earl Haig’s wife Lady Haig set up a similar factory in Edinburgh, producing poppies for the Scottish populace. These are different from the English poppy as they have four petals and no leaf like ours. Today these are still made by hand by disabled ex servicemen.

The use of the poppy is an apt emblem to adopt as it is a symbol of sleep, peace and death. Sleep because the opium extracted from the poppy is used as a sedative and the blood red colour a symbol of death. In Greek and Roman mythology poppies were used as an offering to the dead.

Did you know that the Queen wears 5 poppies? It is not known why, but many believe that it represents the services in war – Army, Navy, Royal Air Force, Civil Defence and Women. 

The first Armistice Day was held on 11 Nov. 1919, a year after hostiles ceased and peace was declared. In response to Politicians and suggestions by King George V the country paused for a two minute silence and this happened until the outbreak of World War Two. After World War Two Armistice Day was replaced in a way by Remembrance Sunday and this was standardised in 1956 and fixed to the second Sunday of the month.

In November 1922, the Blyth News reported that Armistice Day was observed by the sale of Flanders Poppies in aid of Ex Servicemen’s funds. The Band of Blyth Royal Field Artillery met in the market place and played a selection of hymns at 11 o’clock, bussers sounded and church bells rang to mark the two minute silence. Interestingly the day before, a ceremony took place at the Wellesley Nautical School when the boys sang “Lest we Forget” before the wonderfully names Captain Kitcat gave an address before the two minute silence and prayers.

In September 1927 the same newspaper published an interesting article on how some of our allies celebrate the day – “Great Britain celebrates Armistice Day not as a day of national grief, but rather as a commemoration of a great occasion in the National History. The following statement appears in an Admiralty Fleet Order. The Order lays down procedure to be followed on board ships and states that when other ships are present from other nations. The procedure maybe complicated owning to differences in the conception as to how the day should be observed. In France the achievement of victory is more emphasised, while in Italy the birthday of the King is celebrated on that day. When a British ship is with ships of any nation (except Italy) there will be a short service followed by a two minute silence and then the last post will be sounded. Ships are not, to half mast the colours. If the vessel is in a French port or near a French ship the French custom of dressing ship, firing salutes and illuminating will not be followed. If in Italy or near Italian ships then at 8am the ship must be dressed, 10.35 undress the ship; 10.45 to 11.05 British Ceremony at 12 noon redress the ship fire royal salute of 21 guns at sunset undress ship.

In 1929 the BBC announced that the Cenotaph Service for Armistice Day will be relayed from Whitehall to all BBC stations on the experimental short wave transmitters. At 10.30-10.45 the massed bands of the Grenadier, Coldstream, Scot, Irish and Welsh Guards will play a selection of hymns. At 10.50 there will be a pause whilst the Prince of Wales lays a wreath on behalf of the King. The chimes of Big Ben will sound the start of the two minutes silence and then a trumpeter from Royal Air Force will play the Last Post.

The Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail published an article on 11 November 1939, that could describe anywhere and what are parents and grandparents must have experienced. “Armistice day in a world of sandbags boarded up windows, whitened pavements, gas masks and tin helmets, but still bought an important message. There might not be parades in Whitehall, no official silence and less public shows of remembrance through the country, but nearly every hoarding proclaims courage, resolution, sacrifice which is at the heart of Armistice and what the country still needs. Alongside the British Poppy there appears the French Cornflower. Two Million Cornflowers, the emblems of the French who died in the last war have been flown from Paris by special aeroplane and have been distributed around the UK. Thousands of Poppies have been sent to troops serving in France and to the ships of the Royal Navy.  

During the War the massed gatherings at Whitehall were considered not appropriate by the King and the Government so none took place. An announcement was published in the Shields Daily News on 11 November 1943 that the German controlled Paris radio stated that the Vichy Ministry of Interior had banned the Armistice celebrations in France. However Moroccan radio said that the French command of nation Liberation would meet today for a solemn celebration of Armistice Day.

Things returned to normal after the war and Remembrance Day services resumed and were well attended on the second Sunday in November and 11 November Armistice Day is still remembered. I know we all gather in the search room to show our respects to remember the fallen of the two world wars as well as the conflicts in Korea, Falklands War, the Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Morpeth Herald in 1951 recorded that a Polish Padre from Hartford conducted a service on Friday 1^st November at Morpeth Cenotaph in remembrance of the Polish dead. The gathering then proceeded to Morpeth churchyard when candles were lit on the graves of dead comrades, relatives and friends. These services started in 1945 and has continued ever since by Polish people in Morpeth and its districts. The following day members of the Royal British Legion placed poppies on all the graves.

In 1943 the Morpeth Branch of Royal British Legion laid a wreath in the churchyard with the following inscription:-

“This wreath is placed in proud and loving memory of all service and ex servicemen buried in this churchyard.”

An act of parliament in 1856 made it compulsory for every county to have a police force. The force in Northumberland came into being in 1857. It was initially under the control of a Police Committee formed by the Quarter Sessions which included two Justices from each Petty Sessions division of the county. A small booklet was issued containing rules for the government of the new force. 

The booklet stated that the Chief Constable needed to be recommended to the Secretary of State by the magistrates in whom the appointment was vested. It was imperative that he was a person of good character and conduct. The Superintendent and Inspector must not exceed 40 years of age and be at least 5 feet 7 inches tall without shoes. It was essential for them to be a man of general intelligence and be able to read, write well and keep accounts. They also needed to be certified by a medical practitioner to be free from bodily complaint and have a strong constitution. The same rules applied to the appointment of a Sergeant and Constable. 

The Sergeant and Constable were to be provided with the following articles of clothing and equipment in addition to their pay: 

Year 1  1 Greatcoat with cap and badge  1 coat with badge  2 pairs of trousers  1 pair of boots  1 pair of shoes  1 hat  1 stock

Year 2  1 coat with badge  1 pair of trousers  1 pair of boots  1 pair of shoes  1 hat

The clothing supply for the third year was the same as for the first year and the fourth year was the same as the second year, and so on for successive periods. The constables were also issued with a pair of handcuffs and a small cutlass. The cutlass was only to be worn at night or at times when attending a riot or serious disturbance. 

The table below shows the pay scales of the officers in pounds and shillings. 

CHIEF CONSTABLE	SUPERINTENDENT	INSPECTOR	SERGEANT	CONSTABLE
£250-£500 per annum	£75-£150 per annum	£65-£120 per annum	19s-25s per week	15s-21s per week

When it came to the appointment of constables, men were unable to join if they were a Gamekeeper, Wood Ranger, Bailiff or Sherrifs Bailiff. They were also forbidden to keep a public house or have any interests in any house that sold beer, wine or spirituous liquors. 

Northumberland Archives hold a number of male and female patient case books and chronic case books for St. George’s hospital [1890-1949]. These volumes reveal why people were admitted and chart their behaviour and progress. Some patients were successfully released but sadly, many died in the asylum. 

Many cases in the volumes involve an obsession with being watched or followed. One gentleman claimed the police were hovering in the air above him while one lady said serpents were watching her and wanted to kill her. Religious delusions also feature heavily with one lady believing herself to be the mother of God; her duty was to perform profound blessings on all that came near her. Another patient suffering from sunstroke, believed himself to be the second Christ claiming he once died but now lives again. His notes state that he believes that the wind cries for justice and cats bow before him. He talks wildly on religion and claims God has spoken to him in the form of a fiery bush. 

Reasons for entering the asylum were split between moral & physical. The table below lists just some of them. 

MORAL	PHYSICAL
Domestic Trouble (loss of relative/friend)	Intemperance in Drink
Adverse Circumstances (business anxieties)	Venereal Disease
Mental Anxiety and Worry	Self Abuse (sexual)
Religious Excitement	Sunstroke
Love Affairs (including seductions)	Pregnancy
Fright and Nervous Shock	Change of Life
	Congenital Defect
	Old Age
	Epilepsy
	Uterine and Ovarian Disorders
	Fevers
	Hereditary Influences
	Lactation

Below are extracts from the case books showing some of the types of cases that were admitted. 

Male [aged 50]   Admitted December 1891  Diagnosis – Paralysis.   This gentleman states his wife is constantly concealing men around the house and he needs to find them. He would like to put a knife in her as she is an adulteress and a fallen angel & he hopes for repentance. He is convinced that one of the men that his wife had in the house liked to dress up as a woman.   This man was discharged in January 1892.

Female [aged 23]  Admitted – May 1916  Diagnosis – Congenital Idiot  This patient presents the appearance of a congenital idiot. She is stunted in her growth, is practically dumb, mouth always open and laughs for no reason. She is docile & good tempered with no unpleasant habits. She is unable to speak & exhibits no intelligence.   This lady died in the asylum in February 1918.

Female [aged 33]  Admitted – July 1920  Diagnosis – General Paralysis  This lady claims she has been burnt, which is untrue. She is convinced that her husband’s friend gave her a drink which burnt her inside & out. She asks for water but won’t drink it. She is wildly maniacal & says whenever she is touched, she is burnt. She talks to imaginary people & shouts out “don’t burn me”.  She also believes that her body is going to be burnt in boiling fat. This young woman was committed for 8 years and died in the asylum in February 1928.

Male [aged 26]  Admitted – July 1892  Diagnosis – Unknown  This gentleman is restless and asks for the whispering to be taken away from his face. He believes that Jack the Ripper wants to kill him and is always whispering to him as he is living inside of him. Jack’s whispering charm has taken this gentleman’s speech away so his tongue is not his own. This patients actions are strange and he likes to walk upon his hands rather than use his feet. This gentleman was transferred to West Riding Asylum in July 1895.

Male [aged 45]  Admitted – January 1893  Diagnosis – Unknown  This gentleman claims his wife is trying to kill him and that she feeds him on her own flesh. He believes he has been crucified and that there is a mouse living inside of him. Part of his body is dead and it has been for years. His wife states he has attempted to kill her several times proclaiming “one of them must die and if she were dead, then he would probably get better”. The patient believes his wife has queer people around her and that it is a foul shame.  This gentleman was discharged and classed as recovered in January 1894

While resident in the asylum, many patients engaged in work. This was therapeutic but also beneficial to staff as patients could assist with day to day tasks. There were also options for the men to learn a trade and help with the making of furniture, clothing or shoes. Making items within the asylum was seen as a good way to help to reduce costs.

Buildings were split into a male and female side. The male side of the ground floor housed a flour store, bakehouse, bread room, shoemakers, tailors, plumbers & smiths. The female side contained a wash house, laundry, drying closet and female work room. 

Male patients worked in the gardens and also worked closely with the plumber, engineer, painter, joiner & tailor. They also worked in the kitchen where they assisted the baker and carried the coals. Some men were involved with domestic duties and would help with the cleaning of the wards. The women also cleaned the wards and assisted in the kitchen and laundry. They also mended stockings and were involved with binding boots and shoes. Other tasks included knitting & netting, sewing, quilting and working in the garden.  

In an asylum report in 1861, the work done by male patients and hospital attendants was noted and their achievements highlighted. This included the making of 12 tables, 1 bookcase, 36 stretcher frames, 5 invalid chairs, 2 medicine cupboards and 1 rake for the kitchen.