Canada

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 100 years ago

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BERWICK ADVERTISER, 12 OCTOBER 1923

A WELL KNOWN BERWICKER IN CANADA

We publish this week a photo of Mr and Mrs William Hogg, who, as announced in our columns last week, have founded in Canada a “Berwick-on-Tweed Association.” Mr Hogg was at one time a well-known in sporting circles. He was associated with his father and brother in the bill-posting business in Berwick and district and was one of the most enthusiastic workers on behalf of the Berwick Cycling Club, in which he held office. He was also keenly interested in football. Mr Hogg’s wife is a daughter of Mr T. Rule, Fenwick, and a grand-daughter of the late Mr Peter Rule, Tweedmouth, Berwickers in Canada who wish to get in touch with each other should communicate with Mr Hogg at 13 Reynold’s Place, Toronto, Canada.

THE BABY SHOW

There was great excitement amongst the proud mothers of Berwick on Monday when in connection with the Baby Show, officials from the County Council Medical Department attended at the Parochial Hall to examine no less than 107 bonnie babies who had been entered for the competitions. The work of examination was started at 10 a.m. and when the babies arrived with their mothers in relays of ten every half hour, the work went through without a hitch, being about 4.30.

Parochial Hall, Chapel Street, late 1960’s.
Ref: BRO 2103-4-4-12a

The examination was a very thorough one, the youngsters being judged in cleanliness, weight, limbs, digestion, and general health. As at other baby shows a number of rising generation objected strongly to be undressed, weighed and handled, and loudly protested, while others appeared to enter into the spirit of health week and posed like little statues of Greek gods.

THE PRESENTATION OF PRIZES

Thursday was of course the field day for mothers and not only those who were showing, but others who would have been likely competitors had the show been held thirty years ago, were lined up outside the Hall nearly an hour before the opening. In the centre of the hall a space had been reserved for the mothers of competing children, and the remaining floor space of the hall was utilised to the last inch, the crowd which was nearly wholly women extending out into Chapel Street. Even the yard was utilised by those wishing to see the babies, and through the open windows women could be seen struggling to get a look inside. At the back of the hall the heat was almost unbearable, nut there was a cool current of air I the centre of the hall from the open windows.

Ald. Wilson presided, and he was accompanied on the platform by Mr D. S. Twigg, Town Clerk; Dr P. W. Macglan, Mrs Redpath, Mrs De La Hey, Mrs Macaskill, Mrs Erskine, Mrs Jno.Gray, Miss Weir and Miss Makin, of the County Council Medical Service; Miss Chisholm, Tweedmouth.

Mrs De La Hey then graciously presented the prizes, and as each proud mother went up to the platform carrying her baby, the assembly cheered loudly. Some very bright children were amongst the winners and several when held up for the inspection of the audience, grinned broadly and one had the courage to wave its hand.  Girl prize-winners were in the majority, but the boys rather came in to their own in the twin classes. Ald. Wilson had a special word for Mrs Jefferson, 23 Walkergate, who was awarded a prize and also a special award as the mother who had reared a healthy baby under greatest difficulty. With a large family, said Mr Wilson, Mrs Jefferson has had her hands full, and we are all the more pleased to see her a prize-winner.

At the conclusion of the prize distribution, the Town Clerk moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman (Ald. Wilson), and in the course of a few remarks he said the show a “scream” as he had been led to believe from the advertisement. He noticed that girls predominated as prize-winners, and this pointed, he rather thought, to Berwick becoming in future years an ideal place for eligible bachelors to stay. (Laughter and applause.)

The following were the prize awards:-

Under 6 Months – 1, Mary Gordon, Mill Strand, Tweedmouth, and Janet Patton, 70 Church Street; 2, Elizabeth Johnson, 31 Woolmarket, and Nancy Guyan, 35 East Street; 3, Mary Johnson, 164 Main Street, Spittal.

Under 1 Year – 1, Isolda Wakenshaw, 13 High Street; 2, Margaret Logan, High Letham, Jack Gregg, 14 Quay Walls, Iris Robson, 30 Woolmarket, and Barbara Moffatt, 16 High Street; 3, James Cook, 15 Walkergate, and Charles James Menzies, 50 Castlegate; 4, Catherine Mavin, 76 Church Street.

Under 2 Years – 1, Emily I. C. Smith, Scotsgate House; 2, Harold Yardley, 10 Married Quarters; 3, William Dow; 85 High Street; 4. Thomas Spelman, 8 Church Road, Tweedmouth.

Under 3 Years – 1 Betty Trotter, 70 Church Street; 2. Margaret Horsbrough, 11 Scotts Place; 3, Eileen Swanston, 39 East Street.

Twins – 1 Douglas and William Craik, West End, Tweedmouth; 2 Douglas and Irene Cockburn, Castlegate, Berwick; 3, Norman and Nora Faill, 9 Coxon’s Lane, Berwick; 4, Ronald and Jean Heeley, Church Road, Tweedmouth.

Extra Prizes for Babies under 6 Months – Jessie Patterson, 5 Low Greens, James William Plummer, Married Quarters, George Abbot, married Quarters; Harry Jefferson, 23 Walkergate; George Manual, 16 High Street, Elizabeth Flannagan, 39 Chapel Street, Charlotte Blyth, 37 Chapel Street, and Susan Octon, 52 Church Street.

The Mother who has had the greatest difficulties and who has overcome them – Mrs Jefferson, 23 Walkergate.

Walkergate, dated 1934. REF: BRO 794-70-4-10

THE EXAMINERS’S VIEWS

Miss Weir, one of the examiners, said this was one of the best shows she had ever taken part in as an examiner. She was highly delighted with the way it had been taken up and the organisation was splendid. Both Miss Makin and herself had been particularly struck with the sporting manner in which mothers had received the results of the examination, and to the appreciation hearing they gave to any remarks made by the examiners. Even though many mothers had not the satisfaction of seeing their child a prize-winner they were not stinting in their praise of the examiners awards. “We were greatly impressed by the co-operation amongst workers on the Ladies’ spirit shown on the part of everyone to do their best. The babies on the whole were a very fine lot of youngsters, and we were very pleased with the high standard of mothercraft shown. the clothing of the children was generally good.”

ECHO OF BERWICK BURGLARY

At York Quarter Sessions on Monday Charles Arthur Benson, alias Bourne (21), motor mechanic, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment for sealing a motor car. Benson, it will be remembered, was arrested at York when attempting to steal a motor car. He had previously broken into Springbank, Castle Terrace, and other places on his way south. He travelled on an old Indian motorcycle, and Alnwick and Gosforth both had his attention.

Indian Motorcycle, dated 1917.

It was stated that he was a native of Edinburgh. He received a good education and was apprenticed to a firm of motor engineers there. In 1916 he was sent to an industrial school for stealing a motor car, but absconded and committed a series of housebreaking offences in Edinburgh, for which he was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. In 1917 he was sentenced to two terms of three months each at Berwick-on-Tweed for shop breaking at Mr Crisp’s premises, when he was singled out as the ringleader amongst some band boys of the K.O.S.B., and on completing his sentenced he returned to Edinburgh to his parents. In 1918, he committed a further series of housebreaking offences and was committed to a Borstal institution for three years, being released in 1920.

His parents sent him to a relative in Canada, but he stole a motor car there and was ordered a year’s imprisonment and deportation. On arrival home he was arrested and completed the Borstal term. Since September of last year he had resided with his parents a warrant out for him on further housebreaking charges.

Sir David William Smith, 1st Baronet

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The name, signature and reference ‘D.W. Smith’ frequently occurs within Dickson, Archer & Thorp paperwork from the 1820s and 1830s; particularly in relation to transactions involving the Duke of Northumberland (Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke). In a letter, discovered amongst paperwork covering the purchase of premises in Walkergate, Alnwick by the Duke, ‘D.W. Smith’ was referred to as ‘Sir’ and ‘Baronet.’  So, who was D.W. Smith?

David William Smith was the son of Colonel John Smith and his wife, Anne.  Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, he joined his father’s regiment, 5th Regiment of Foot, as an ensign in 1779.  He married his first wife in 1788 and rejoined his father’s regiment at Detroit in 1790 (at that time, Detroit was still under British rule).  Smith served on the land board in the Hesse District (named after the Hesse region of Germany and subsequently part of Quebec) in 1791 and 1792, was Acting Deputy Surveyor General in 1792 and Surveyor General of Upper Canada in 1798.  He resigned from the army and, in 1792, was elected to the first Parliament of Upper Canada (part of British Canada established in 1791 to govern the central third of the lands in British North America) representing Suffolk and Essex, and went on in 1796 to be elected for the 3rd Riding of Lincoln.  Smith became a Member of the Executive Council of Upper Canada in 1796 and in 1800 was elected to the Legislative Assembly representing Norfolk, Oxford and Middlesex, becoming Speaker from 1796-1801.

An influential and wealthy man, he owned 20,000 acres of land in Ontario, was an established politician, businessman and known to be fair-minded.  He was even the author of the snappy-titled book: “A Short Topographical Description of His Majesty’s Province of Upper Canada in North America to which is annexed a Provincial Gazeteer”!

It would appear he was well-respected, and yet he turned his back on Canada and returned to England in 1802 where he became Land Agent for the Duke of Northumberland and was made a Baronet in 1821. Whether he left Canada due to some political disagreement or his health is unclear, however he did frequently suffer from fever and correspondence within the Dickson, Archer & Thorp collection does often refer to his health. With correspondents wishing him better and, in one letter, describing himself as being “too weak” to become embroiled in lengthy arguments.  These documents were dated between 1827-8, although Smith did not die until 1837.

We would like to thank the volunteer who has kindly cataloged and researched D. W Smith’s correspondence, their blog is a fascinating insight into an engaging character.