Leicester Town Hall
Number 59
May 2012 1
Gild Banquet Weekend 9th / 10th June 2012 This is to give you notice of the Gild’s Banquet Weekend in June, we would very much appreciate your support. The Banquet will be held on Saturday 9th June (7.00pm) in the Holmes Suite at Devonshire Place, 78 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0RA the city’s renowned banqueting establishment, located half a mile from the city centre near the railway station and close to several hotels. There is a carpark at the rear of the building in Prebend Street. Following a bucks fizz/wine pre-dinner reception, an appetising four-course menu, plus coffee and chocolates, has been selected, with vegetarian alternatives. Tickets cost £39 per head, please use enclosed booking form. A wine table offering reasonably priced wines will, of course, be available for dinner. The Freemen’s Service will be held on the following day, Sunday 10th June (10.30am), at the Leicester Cathedral. The banquet is open to all members, their friends and relations. A booking form can be found in the centre pages. If you require any further information or require details of hotels please contact John Tolton on 0116 283 5042 2
Number 59
May 2012
Patron: Colonel Robert Martin OBE President: The Lord Mayor of Leicester OFFICERS 2012 - 2013 Master: J.E.Tolton Deputy Master: A. Chettle Clerk: L. Roffee Chamberlain: M.B. Hill WARDENS M.E. Ayres, E.L. Critchlow, J.D. Lewitt, A. Marriott , B.W. Mudford, L. Kirk (co-opted) 3
GILDHALL NEWS May 2012
Contents Editor’s comments
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Report by Brian Mudford, Past Master of the Gild
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Report on the F.E.W. by your representitive Michael Ayres
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Report by Bill Hargrave, Chairman of the Board
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Future programme - dates for your diary Sunday 20th May, visit to the Swindon “Steam” museum and Designer Outlet Saturday 9th June, Annual Gild Banquet at Devonshire Place Sunday 10th June, Annual Freemen’s Service at Leicester Cathedral Sunday 24th June, Freemen’s Garden Party at Freemen’s Holt Sunday 19th August, visit to the Grimbsby “Fishing Heritage Centre” Saturday 10th November, Fish & Chip evening with a talk on Family History
Contributions to the Gildhall News Distinguished Army carreer of John Ross by Paul Ross
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Steam trains and Plums by Marianne Hancock
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Another side of the Common by Maurice Hill
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New Members
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Subscriptions
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For Amusement Only The Green Thing
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Have you changed your address? Forms in the centre of the Newsletter
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Booking form for Visit to Swindon Booking form for Annual Gild Banquet Booking form for visit to Grimsby Application for Membership & Associate Membership of the Gild Standing Order form for Annual Subscriptions Gild products order form
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Editor’s Comments Every issue of the Gildhall News that I have produced was proof read in detail by Roger Allen. Another function of many that he carried out behind the scenes. He will be sorely missed as a friend, a collegue and an organiser. So there is a good chance that you will find a few grammatical errors in this and future issues. Family History seems to be very popular with many of the readers. I have received four articles with a Family History theme recently. With this in mind the Court is arranging a Fish & Chip evening in November with a speaker on Family History. If you have a story that would be of interest to other members, please put pen to paper, or finger to e-mail. We don’t need a book, only a short article, possibly one or two pages long. It could be longer if it’s enthralling!! Preferably I would like to receive them as an attachment to an e-mail if possible, but pen and ink is acceptable.
Brian Mudford
Report by Brian Mudford, Past Master of the Gild At this point I would like to record our deep sadness at the tragic death of our Chamberlain, Roger Allen, we have lost a true gentleman. His death has left a huge hole in the organising ability of our Gild, and we will have to work very hard to match his expertise. On Friday 17th February a Long Alley Skittles Night was arranged at the Coach & Horses pub, at Field Head, Markfield. Forty one persons booked, including eight from the Coventry Gild. Thirty seven persons attended, one not playing skittles. We had four teams of nine, and had a very enjoyable evening. The food selection of Faggots & sausage, Steak pie and Vegetable Lasagne, accompanied by chips and peas, was to everyone’s satisfaction, and we were asked at the end of the evening to repeat at the same location next year. On Saturday 24th March, we held a Cheese and wine evening preceded by a “Night at the Music Hall”. This was ably presented by Felicity Austin, who entertained us with a history of the music hall, together with a certain amount of musical participation, thirty one people attended. The evening was arranged by John Tolton and the setting up of the room and arranging the food was done by Mick and Jean Ayres. The food and drinks were very much appreciated and a good night was had by all. Thank you John, Mick & Jean and those who helped during the day and with the raffle 5
The Open Morning at Freemen’s Holt was held on Sunday 1st April. Subscriptions for 28 members and 18 Associates were taken on the day, and £61 worth of Gild products were sold. Tea and biscuits were served and the raffle raised £60. Many thanks are due to the refreshment helpers and raffle ticket sellers, and of course to all those of you who attended. Common Hall was held on Wednesday 18th April in the Council Chamber at the Leicester Town Hall, and forty persons attended. It was disappointing that more of the new Freemen who had decided to join the Gild did not attend. Maurice Hill, Tony Chettle and Paul Ross retired by rotation from the Court. Paul Ross did not seek re-election, and he was thanked for his work on the Court for many years. After a vote by the Members, Maurice Hill, Tony Chettle, Andrew Marriott and Lynn Roffee were elected as Wardens of the Court and Lorna Kirk was co-opted onto the Court. Having completed three years, I retired as Master of the Gild. I would like to thank all of you who have make it a very enjoyable three years in office. John Tolton was elected as Master of the Gild, Tony Chettle as Deputy Master, Maurice Hill as Chamberlain, Lynn Roffee as Clerk of the Gild, and John Tolton as Archivist. Congratulations to them all. St. Mary de Castro again invited the Gild to attend their St. George’s day service on Monday 23rd April. Mick Ayres made the arrangements, and it was attend by around twenty Gild representatives. The Gild was again invited to attend the Crown Court service at St. Mary de Castro on Tuesday 24th April at 10am. John Tolton, Peter Staines, Tony Chettle and myself attended the service. The Letters Patent were not read in the Leicester Castle, as is nomal on these occasions, because the Castle was being re-furbished. I hope that this means the Leicester Castle is being made fit for use again and will be opened for public viewing, as should be the case. You may remember that the Court was asked to look at having a website for the Leicester Gild. This is still proceeding, and we are in the process of looking at the pros and cons of having a combination of a website, Facebook page and using Twitter. It has been suggested that the events and trips organised by the Court were not suitable for our younger Freemen members. If any of the younger ones of you out there agree with this, why not write in with suggestions of events or trips that you would support.
Brian Mudford 6
Report on the FEW (Freemen of England and Wales) by Michael Ayres The FEW held their first Executive meeting for 2012 on Saturday the 17th January at Freemen’s Holt. This meeting is only open to members of the FEW executive. Monday 27th February. Tony Chettle and Michael Ayres represented the Leicester Gild at Moyra Johnson’s Funeral at All Saints Church Pavement, York, the Gild church of the York Freemen. Her coffin was draped with the Union flag and followed in to church by a RAF standard bearer and the Freemen of York and other Guilds. Moyra a respected past Master of the York Gild during the year 2000- 2001 passed away in her 96 year. Taking up her Freedom in 1981 and was a well known Glider pilot, she learnt to fly when she was twenty years old. The Leicester Gild sends our deepest sympathy to her friends and the Freemen of York. (Moyra unfortunately had no immediate family) Saturday 17th March. For the second time this year the FEW visited Leicester for their Court Meeting held in the community centre at Freemen’s Holt. These meetings are open to all members of the Leicester Gild, which I have emphasized in my previous reports. Only a few members of the Leicester Gild were present at the meeting. The full report of the meeting will be published in the Freemen of England and Wales Journal 170. If any member of the Leicester Gild requires a copy you can contact me on 01162242353. The report will be published on the FEW website. http://www.freemen-few.org.uk The next meeting of the FEW will be the AGM. This year it is hosted by the Freemen of York over the weekend of the 14th to 16th September, to coincide with the York 800 year charter. When I receive the booking forms and costs for the weekend, I will publish them in the Gildhall News. Please contact me on 0116 2242353 if you require any other information. If any member of the Leicester Gild or associate member would like to become a member of FEW, membership forms are available from the Membership Secretary Eileen Forth, 88 Whitethorn Close, Huntington, York YO3 9EU. Telephone 01904 638361.
Michael Ayres 7
Report by Chairman of the Board - Bill Hargrave It is a great honour to be elected Chairman of the Board of Deputies. I look forward to a challenging and interesting term of office. I would like to thank my predecessor, Wayne Manship and the committee chairmen; for their work during the past year. Also, Jeff Lewitt, who after 14 years has retired from the Board. Jeff has served on all committees and was chairman of the board in 2003 and 2004. The year started with great sadness with the passing of Roger Allen. Roger was our auditor for many years, working closely with the clerk to ensure the integrity of our financial record keeping. He was a committed ambassador for the Freemen of Leicester. He will be sadly missed by us all.
New Deputies In January this year a letter was sent out to all Freemen, inviting them to consider taking up a position on the Board. This proved extremely successful and resulted in several requests for further details and six Freemen putting their names forward. I am pleased to welcome to the board of deputies: Jane Bell, Susan Cave, David Chettle, Barry Daniel, Lynn Roffee and Jane Wildbore. This boosts the number of deputies to 17. There are still four vacancies yet to fill so if you would like to discuss this further please contact Lynda Bramley, Clerk to the Board on 0116 2834017 or e-mail leicester.freemen@talktalkbusiness.net
Freemans Courts There have been three Freemans Courts held recently, two in March and one in April, with a total of 54 people taking up their Freedom including my two daughters, Emma and Laura together with my sister, Brenda. I would like to take this opportunity of paying special tribute to Lord Mayor Robert Wann, who has presided over 4 Freemen’s Courts during his term of office. This has reduced significantly, the large backlog of applicants who have applied to take up their Freedom. I am told by the Lord Mayor’s office that there are now less than a dozen people waiting for the next ceremony. However, there are a further 50 or so 8
applications which are awaiting the return of the necessary documentation which is required as evidence of their qualification to inherit the freedom of the City of Leicester.
Recent developments at the Holt After the refurbishments of bungalows 35 and 16, we welcomed new residents John & Josie Tolton and Ronald Freer. Work continues on bungalow 34 which will provide another two-bedroom property. The annual inspection of the estate took place on Saturday, 21 April. The deputies have developed a project plan for improvements and any necessary remedial work. There have been a few changes to the flower and shrub beds over the past few months and I hope you will agree that they continued to improve the appearance of the Holt. We are all looking forward to the Garden party planned for Sunday, 24 June and I hope that you have noted this in your diaries. A steering committee under the guidance of Maurice Hill is working extremely hard on a programme which they say will have something for everyone. The tremendous success of the last Garden party which was held in 2010 is a benchmark which Maurice and his team are confident of meeting. Although we hope for good weather again this year the committee says that will just be a bonus. The only thing necessary to ensure the success again is that you support this event.
Bill Hargrave
Letter from Mrs Pat Allen. Pat and family of the late Roger Allen wish to thank the Gild of Freemen and the Freemen’s Deputies for all their support at Roger’s funeral. He would have been very proud that so many turned out for him, and that his son Martin could wear his father’s gown with pride. A big thank you goes to Lynda and all her helpers at the Holt for all their hard work on the day of the funeral, it was greatly appreciated. I would very much like to donate twelve yellow rose bushes for the garden at Freemen’s Holt in remembrance of Roger.
Pat Allen 9
Roger Allen, 30th September 1943 – 27th March 2012 It is with great sadness that we have to report the death of Roger Allen, our Chamberlain, who passed away after a short illness on Tuesday 27th March 2012. Roger was born and raised in the Charnwood Street area of Leicester and would often enjoy recounting his fond memories of the location and of his years at Charnwood Street School. He left ‘Charnie’ in 1955 to attend Wyggeston Boys’ Grammar School, after which he was articled to a local firm of chartered accountants for seven years. His hard work and study paid off and he became a chartered accountant, at which point he decided to spread his wings and move to Peru to work for a mining company. During his time in Peru he returned to England for a visit in 1976 to take up his freedom along with his father Frank and his brother David. He eventually returned to England permanently in 1984 with his two children, June and Martin and settled in Coalville. It did not take long for Roger to make his mark on the Gild of Freemen, He was elected as Chamberlain to the Gild in 1985, a post he held until his last breath, which made Roger by far and away the longest serving officer on the Gild Court in the same post. Not only did Roger manage the accounts with great skill and diligence he also organized the many events and activities of the Gild with much enthusiasm. The climax of his organizational skills came to the fore in 2007 when he managed the arrangements for the 900th Anniversary weekend and Freemen of England and Wales AGM, an event which received many plaudits from freemen up and down the country. His other interests in life were too numerous to count, but his main interests, after his family and friends, were in sport, especially horse racing, cricket, and his beloved football team, Leicester City. Roger will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him. He was a true gentleman who would go out of his way to help people and his presence enriched the lives of many who met him. Our sympathies go out to Pat, his wife, and his children, June and Martin and to all his close friends and relations. 10
Programme of Future Outings and Events
Visit “Steam” telling the remarkable story of the men and women who built, operated and travelled on the G.W.R. railway “God’s Wonderful Railway” Hands on displays, drive an engine, work the signal box, see World famous locomotives, a reconstructed station platform, posters and holiday memorabilia that recreates the glamour and thrill of the golden age of steam. Meet Isambard Kingdom Brunel with his first locomotive “North Star” and learn about his great engineering genius. So whatever your age, fun, excitement and adventure is there to be had.
2 for 1 Visit to Swindon Sunday 20th May 2012 Visiting two venues “Steam” museum of the Great Western Railway and The Swindon Designer Outlet Our Luxury Coach leaves the Holt at 9.00a.m. prompt £22.00 adults £18.00 children To book seats on this popular trip do not delay Complete the enclosed Booking Form 11
Housed in the now restored Great Western Railway works the Swindon Designer Outlet has had over £40million spent on its development and construction and is now reputed to be the largest shopping mall in Europe with over 90 stores including Hugo Boss, John Lewis Home Outlet, M & S outlet, Next Clearance and Pavers Shoes. More than 3 million People visit the Outlet each year, and with prices your purse will love too you’ll find everything you could want in the Outlet – even a train.
The Gild Annual Banquet Saturday 9th June 2012 Devonshire Place, London Road, Leicester The Gild are again holding a banquet at Devonshire Place on London Road in Leicester. In previous years the event has been a great success and attended by freemen from many other guilds/gilds up and down the country. Ticket prices this year have been maintained the same as last year at £39.00 per head, which includes drinks at a pre-dinner reception and a delicious fourcourse dinner. Devonshire Place is an excellent venue providing top class food accompanied by top class service and, of course, the company will also be top class. The Banqueting Hall is set out with round tables which make for easy conversation with fellow guests. All freemen, not just Gild members, are invited with their friends, and the banquet is an ideal way for new freemen to find out what we are all about and meet other freemen. If you would like to reserve your places at the banquet please complete the booking form in the centre of the Gildhall News and return it to John Tolton at the address on the form. General inquiries about the banquet, or any other Gild matter, should be directed to John Tolton at johntolton@hotmail.com.
Visit to the deep sea “Fishing Heritage Centre” at Grimsby 19th August 2012 For our second trip this year we have arranged a visit to the Fishing Heritage Centre in Grimsby. This multi-award winning museum recreates Grimsby’s maritime history. Deep sea fishing has been described as one of the toughest jobs in the World, the Centre invites you to witness firsthand what life was like for trawler men and their families in the 1950s. Experience the sights, sounds and smells of the times that follow visitors through the interactive displays. Plot your course in search of the catch as you take the wheel in the skippers wheelhouse, experience the rolling seas through the moving deck, the urgency and excitement of the catch, cramped living conditions and the heat of the engine room.
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Safely back on “dry land” explore the reconstruction of the twisting back streets and alleys of 1950 Grimsby, peep into the living room, join the fishermen in the Freemen’s Arms, visit the dockside shops and join the queue at the “Settling office” to collect your pay. Climb aboard the “Ross Tiger” trawler moored alongside the Centre and imagine what it would be like out at sea. Listen to some of the tales the trawler guides will entertain you with from their days at sea. The Centre is suitable for all ages, there is also an easy access route. The seat price of £20 adults , £15 children under 16 years and £23 for non-Gild members includes admission to the Centre and the visit to the Ross Tiger. We are hoping that to end the day we will be able to arrange a fish and chip supper before returning home. If we are successful believe me you will look at your piece of fish in an entirely new light. To reserve your seat on the trip please complete the enclosed booking form.
Contributions to the Gildhall News ***************************** Distinguished army career of John Ross, Freeman of Leicester. This is the army career of my great uncle 5x removed. The county has produced some notable soldiers but up with the best of them must be Lieutenant General John Ross, Peninsula War veteran and one-time Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey. John Dawes Ross was born on September 28, 1769 – the same year as Wellington and Napoleon – the first-born son of the Rev John Dawes Ross who had 18 children (this is where many of the people with the surname Ross descend from. The future general was baptised at All Saints’ Church, Leicester. He became a freemen of Leicester on 18th May 1790 and he married Katherine Brownrigg, the daughter of Sir Henry Moore Brownrigg, on October 2, 1811, at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London. Ross got his first commission in 1793, as an Ensign in the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot, and was commissioned a lieutenant in the 52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot in May 1796, becoming captain in the same regiment in 1800. With his regiment, Ross took part in the unsuccessful Ferrol Expedition later that year. He became a major in the regiment in 1804. In January 1808, Ross purchased a lieutenant-colonelcy in the 91st Regiment of Foot, but exchanged back into the 52nd in February 1808. 13
He served in the Peninsular War with the 2/52nd, which he commanded at Vimiero, where he was mentioned in despatches. In the battle the British under General Arthur Wellesley (later Duke of Wellington), defeated the French under General Junot, putting an end to the French first invasion of Portugal. Ross continued to command the 2nd Battalion through Sir John Moore’s famous campaign that winter, and five companies of the regiment in the Walcheren Campaign. Ross subsequently returned to the Peninsula to command the 1/52nd, with whom he fought at Pombal, Redinha, Casal Novo, Foz d’Arunce, Sabugal, and Fuentes de Oñoro, during the French general Masséna’s retreat from Portugal in the spring of 1811. In 1811, Ross was appointed Deputy Adjutant-General to the Forces in Ceylon. He served there until June 1814, when he returned to Europe for reasons of health. He was promoted colonel in the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot in June 1814. He was made a Companion of the Bath in June 1815. After serving as Deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland from 1815 to 1818, Ross was made Commandant of the Depot on the Isle of Wight in 1819, and went on half-pay in 1820. In May 1825, he was promoted MajorGeneral. Ross was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey in 1828 and retired from that post in 1837. The next year, he was promoted Lieutenant General. He became Colonel of the 46th Regiment of Foot in August 1839 and died on May 17, 1843 in Southampton. Lt General John Ross is recorded as having been buried at All Saints Church 24 May 1843. His address is given as Anglesea Place and his age 65. There are no more details. All Saints Church was bombed in WW2 and the 14
remains in the churchyard were exhumed and reinterred at Hollybrook Cemetery 2 Aug 1944. John Ross was amongst them and the list we have records the plot number as D4 33.
Paul Ross
Steam Trains and Plums by Mariane Hancock In the fifties (and possibly earlier?) my dad, Eric Tolton, fed his family of four on an ample supply of good garden produce from his allotment at Welford Road. If anyone was to ask me about my childhood, that allotment would take absolute precedence in memory. Most Sundays, we would wobble along on old push bikes, Dad with empty bags and I, with thoughts of plums, play and trains. As a child, those allotments held a rural world of winding lanes and gardened strips, separated by rickety gates, homemade fences and tied lengths of string, each piece of land boasting rows of vegetables, compost heaps, fresh turned soil, fruit bushes and trees … and at some junction nearby, an old cast iron water pump served to fill watering cans, buckets and dry mouths. In Dad’s allotment, the piece de resistance for me was the Louis Bonne pear tree. A mature fruit bearing stairway that, once climbed, overlooked a vista of allotments, countryside and railway tracks – the latter along which regularly chugged the steam train, belching white clouds as it hooted and trundled down the line. I often wandered to the nearby bridge and leant over as the train emerged from the tunnel below sticking my head in that snow white fog, only to end up bizarrely with a smutty black face! And the garden shed - sometimes a castle, sometimes a cottage, but whatever, I’d always fill a jar with fresh dandelions and daisies to stand on the old nailed shelf. Depending on the time of year (although it was always summer to me then) I’d feast on gooseberries, plums, pears, apples, peas and blackberries. Whilst I gorged and explored, Dad would busily work his plot until several hours later, we happily wobbled back home, laden with fruit and veg and full of sunshine. It’s funny what sticks in your mind, but the end of my day peaked watching Sunday Night at the Palladium before the once a week Sunday bath and bed! Of course, as a child I didn’t think where or how this allotment had come about. I didn’t know that my great grandfather, William Tolton the Younger 15
had been made a Freeman of Leicester almost a hundred years earlier. William, (the son of William of William of William and William) was born in 1837 and in 1851, at the tender age of 14, became an apprentice to Mr Joseph Warburton, a tobacco pipe maker, residing at 47 George Street. As I understand it, men were made “Free” either through inheritance or by completing an apprenticeship to a Freeman, and, in 1858, having completed his apprenticeship, he was made a Freeman and thereby started the honour that we, in our family, carry to this day. That same year, 21 year old William also married Sarah Whitworth. He and Sarah went on to have eight surviving children, four girls and four boys, and guess what they called their first born son?! But it was not a William who was my grandfather, it was the youngest, Archibald, born in 1880, who brought the privilege to our personal family lineage. To be honest, I’m not sure when the Freemen’s Common was made available as allotments to Freemen, in fact writing this has given me more questions than answers. Did Archibald have an allotment? Or any of the previous Williams’ before him? In fact, when did Welford Road’s share of the donated land become Freemen’s Common? But finally, in the 1960s, as the Beatles became more important to me than steam trains and plums, the Freemen’s Common was purchased by the City Council, ending an era for many of us. I’m not sure when Dad gave up his allotment or if he worked it until the land was sold, but I wonder if he knew how precious those early years had been for his youngest daughter? Funds from this land were used to buy the 7.5 acres on which 36 bungalows, a community hall, a warden’s office and allotments were built - known, of course, as The Freemen’s Holt. Although change inevitably brings some loss, there is no doubt it brought my parents, and many others, a well deserved, secure and contented retirement and will hopefully continue to do so. Mum sadly died in 1992, but not only do I have these wonderful treasured childhood memories, but they are followed by the safe reassurance my parents, and then just Dad, had such comfortable and secure accommodation for their remaining years. After Mum died, a visit to Dad caught him in a reflective mood. I asked him how he was. He smiled, cast his eyes around and gestured to infer the community, the warden, the support, the grounds, the allotments, the wildlife, the bungalows, the friendship … Good old William Tolton – youngest son of William, William, William and William!
Marianne Hancock (nee Tolton) 16
“Another side of the Common” by Maurice Hill Freemen’s Common was not entirely just summerhouses, flowers and vegetables there was that side that was given to a more social or non gardening activity. I have gathered together some examples to illustrate this. The first example concerns the Chawner brothers Joseph and Arthur who lived at number 48 Lower Brown Street. The photograph on the left shows houses in Lower Brown Street approximately 20 years after the Chawner brothers engagement and still lit by paraffin lamps. When they became engaged to Lillian and Edith in 1910 they felt that the Common was a more attractive place to have their photographs taken than in Lower Brown Street. and went to the allotment of their father Andrew Chawner. Their photographs were taken outside the open doors of their father’s summerhouse.
The engagement photograph with left to right Joseph, Lillian, Edith and Arthur outside their father’s summerhouse
The second example concerns my family. When my auntie Alma was married in 1925 the reception was held at the off licence on X Road and there was a full family gathering.
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Auntie Alma’s wedding reception in front of the off licence. In the group photograph note the gentleman 5 from the left is my Uncle Bill (Chairman of the Board 1941), the shorter of the two gentlemen behind the bride is my Grandfather William and of the two boys to the right of the group the one in the suit is my cousin Bill. These were the three Williams who in succession ran the off licence. The tall gentleman on the left of the group is my father Rowland. It is interesting to note that the young Bill eventually took up the Freedom and with the three others there were only four Freemen in the picture. With the present day ruling of Lady Freemen if this had been in force at that time then there would have been a total of 10 Freemen and potential Freemen in the Picture Apart from the off licence which I believe was previously a public house and the overseer’s shop selling sweets and chocolate pre WW2, there were other commercial activities on the Common. In 1900 the Mugglestone family lived in a summerhouse on W road and they made and sold herb beer for a 1d a bottle. The photograph at the top of the next page shows Arthur Mugglestone and his wife Ellen (nee Cowell) outside the summerhouse they lived in on W Road with four of their eventual thirteen children. The notice attached to the tree advertises herb beer for sale. The photograph next to it shows the W Road summerhouse awaiting demolition in the 1960’s. in the latter part of the 1800s on M Road at number 25&26 was a family business called the Alma Tea Gardens which opened in 1851 and “accommodated visitors to the Common”. The business was run by the English family and a letter written 18
by George English in 1864 records that after thirteen years the business is still going strong. George English was born 18th July 1849 and attended Alderman Newton’s School. He wrote the letter on 25th August 1864 and died aged only 15 in October 1864. Quoting his letter he says that, “We now dwell on the Freeman’s Common Leicester, we are in a small business. We keep tea gardens for the accommodation of visitors. We have been in this business for nearly thirteen years. The situation is very beautiful and pleasant in the summer but in winter it is very cold” The letter was written in an exercise book which was possibly part of his school work. Of special interest inside the cover of his book he has recorded his address as; Freemans Common Leicester 25.26 M Road Alma Tea Gardens Alfred English (born 1857) Nephew of George English with his wife Mary and daughter Amelia outside their summerhouse on M Road. Was this part of the Alma Tea Gardens?
Maurice Hill 19
New Members It’s great to welcome Mrs J.E.Langley, Eileen Greenwwod, Margaret Warner, Elma Summers, Nicholas Cave and Rachel Allen, who have recently joined the Gild as members. We look forward to seeing you all at Gild functions soon.
Subscriptions As mentioned previously, subscription rates for members and associate members increased from April 2012 to £9.00 and £6.00, respectively. This means that those members who kindly pay by standing order, if you haven’t amended your standing order, as requested in the last issue of the Gildhall News, your bank will have paid the incorrect amount on 1st April 2012. If you are a new freeman who were previously an associate member of the Gild who paid by standing order, then obviously you will need to amend your standing order. Would you please check your bank statement. If you have under-paid would you please send a cheque for amount owing together with a new standing order using the form that appears in this issue of Gildhall News. This form should be sent to Maurice Hill, who will process the new Standing Order with your bank ready for your next year’s subscription. The Gild Court much prefers payment by Standing Order, as it makes for easier administration. However, if you prefer, you may pay by cheque in the traditional manner, sending in the enclosed form with your payment.
The green thing Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own shopping bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.” The cashier responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.” She was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day. Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. We 20
refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day. We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every shop and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day. Back then, we washed the baby’s nappies because we didn’t have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day. Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the county of Yorkshire In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then. We drank water from a fountain or a tap when we were thirsty instead of demanding a plastic bottle flown in from another country. We accepted that a lot of food was seasonal and didn’t expect that to be bucked by flying it thousands of air miles around the world. We actually cooked food that didn’t come out of a packet, tin or plastic wrap and we could even wash our own vegetables and chop our own salad. But we didn’t have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the tram or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then? 21
Have you changed your address ? In the event that is necessary to inform the Gild or the Board of any change in circumstances then the information should be sent to: Lynda Bramley Clerk to the Board Leicester Freemen’s Estate 32 Freemen’s Holt Old Church Street Aylestone Leicester LE2 8NH Telephone: 0116 – 283 4017 E-mail: leicester.freemen@talktalkbusiness.net Leicester Freemen web site: www.leicester-freemen.com
Copy for the next issue should reach the Editor by Friday 13th July 2012 For your News and Views write to : Brian Mudford 11 Huntsman Close Markfield Leicestershire LE67 9XE Telephone 01530 245414 e-mail: brianmudford@tiscali.co.uk
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John Tolton being congratulated by Brian Mudford after he was elected the Master of the Gild at Common Hall on Wednesday 18th April 2012
The Lord Mayor of York with Masters of the various Gilds of Freemen after the service held on Sunday 22nd April 2012, the day following the Gild of Freemen of the City of York’s Banquet. 23
Seated from left to right either side of the Lord Mayor, Cllr Robert Wann are Bill Hargrave, Vice Chairman of the Board of Deputies, Wayne Manship, Chairman of the Board of Deputies, Brian Mudford, Master of the Gild of Freemen, Michael Ayres, Warden of the Court . The twelve ladies and five gentlemen in the photograph are the new Freemen after their swearing in ceremony on 1st March 2012
Seated from left to right either side of the Lord Mayor, Cllr Robert Wann are Bill Hargrave, Chairman of the Board of Deputies, Paul Ross, Honorary Treasurer of the Board of Deputies, Michael Ayres, Warden of the Court, John Tolton, Clerk of the Gild of Freemen. The fourteen ladies and three gentlemen in the photograph are the new Freemen after their swearing in ceremony on 17th April 2012