Charles Hall goes coursing greyhounds, 1818

York Herald, 12 December 1818

In addition to the several convictions which have lately taken place in Cleveland, under the game laws, John Leng, of Bilsdale, carpenter, was convicted before the Very Rev. the Dean of York, on Friday week, in the penalty of £20 for setting snares in the estate of Sir Wm Foulis, at Ingleby Greenhow, on Sunday the 29th ult. and Charles Hall, of Hutton, near Rudby, labourer, was convicted on the same day before Sir W Foulis, in the like penalty, for coursing with greyhounds, without having obtained a game certificate

I think this is the Charles Hall mentioned in my research notes (People of Hutton Rudby in the C18/19):-

30 Nov 1817:  Charles Hall of Whorlton married Mary Taylor otp [of this parish].  Their children’s baptisms:  Jane 1818, Elizabeth 1819, Charles 1821, John 1823, Benjamin 1827, Robinson 1829, Marianne 1831, Isabella 1837.  Charles is described as farmer 1818-9, and labourer thereafter.  Their son Benjamin married in 1851 and remarried in 1861.  Charles died in 1854 a60.  His family’s gravestone [MI 396] is near the cholera mound, and records Charles, Elizabeth his daughter who d1844 a22, and Mary his wife

(On the subject of the Game Laws, it looks as though Gentlemen & Poachers: The English Game Laws 1671-1831 by P B Munsche is definitely the book to read.  I see from the 'Look Inside' preview pages on Amazon that Charles Hall should have paid £1 a year tax for keeping a greyhound.)

John Richard Stubbs: death announcement 1916

For those of you who have enjoyed reading John Richard Stubbs' diaries, this is the announcement of his death in the local newspaper:- 

Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough, 8 December 1916

Death of Mr J R Stubbs

Doyen of the Legal Profession in Middlesbrough 

The death has taken place at his residence, Trafalgar-terrace, Coatham, Redcar, of Mr John Richard Stubbs, one of the best known and most highly-respected citizens in the North Langbaurgh Division, and also in Middlesbrough, for many years past. 

The deceased gentleman was admitted a solicitor in 1860, and was the oldest practising member of the profession in Middlesbrough.  At one time he was in partnership with Mr Fred Brewster, and later with his son, Mr T D H Stubbs. 

For nearly 30 years the deceased gentleman had been clerk to the magistrates in the Langbaurgh North Petty Sessional Division (South Bank).  He was also for a considerable time the Official Receiver for Middlesbrough. 

In his 78th year, Mr Stubbs had not been enjoying very good health for the past few months, never having completely recovered from the shock caused by the death of his grandson, Mr Duncan Stubbs, a midshipman, who went down with HMS Aboukir, early in the war. 

He leaves a widow, a son, and a daughter. 

His son is Major T D H Stubbs, of the North Riding Battery of Artillery, and who is a solicitor and Deputy Coroner for Cleveland. 

The interment has been fixed to take place tomorrow afternoon at Coatham.

New Close Farm, Hutton Rudby, in 1812

York Herald, 10 October 1812

Hutton, otherwise Hutton Rudby

TO BE SOLD,

PURSUANT to an Order of the High Court of Chancery, bearing date the 8th day of July, 1811, made in a Cause wherein THOMAS BINKS is Plaintiff, and the Right Hon. MORRIS Lord ROKEBY and Others, are Defendants, a FREEHOLD and in part TITHE FREE ESTATE, called NEW CLOSE HOUSE, situate in the Township of Hutton, near Rudby, otherwise Hutton Rudby, in the County of York, consisting of a Mansion-House and Offices, and divers Closes or Pieces of Arable, Meadow, and Pasture Land, containing 143 Acres, or thereabouts, with Barns, Stables, and Outhouses. 

The said Estate will be sold in one Lot, before SAMUEL COMPTON COX, Esq. one of the Masters of the said Court, on FRIDAY the 20th day of November, 1812, between the hours of TWO and THREE o'clock in the afternoon, at the public Sale-Room of the said Court, in Southampton-Buildings, Chancery-Lane, London. 

Particulars whereof may be had (gratis) at the said Master's Chambers, in Southampton-Buildings aforesaid; of JOSEPH EGERTON, Esq. Solicitor, Gray's Inn Square; of Messrs TURNER and PIKE, Solicitors, Bloomsbury-Square; of Mr WHELDON, Barnard-Castle; and of Messrs CLARE and GREY, Solicitors, Stockton upon Tees 

New Close Farm lies off Black Horse Lane.  It was obviously a very desirable property, with its "Mansion-House", but why it was involved in this Chancery case, I do not know. 

Morris, Lord Rokeby (1757-1829) inherited the title as 3rd Baron Rokeby from his uncle, Matthew Robinson.  He came from a remarkable family. 

The first Baron Rokeby was the clergyman Richard Robinson, Archbishop of Armagh.  The title was created for him in 1777, with special remainder to Matthew Robinson (1694-1778) of West Layton, near Barnard Castle, his second cousin twice removed.  Very keen on public works, not so bothered about people, seems to have been the general verdict about Richard.  Sir Thomas Robinson, the extravagant creator of Rokeby Hall, was his brother.

Matthew, the 2nd Baron, heavily bearded, deeply eccentric, was the brother of two distinguished women of letters: the bluestocking Elizabeth Montagu and the novelist Sarah Scott.

Morris himself was an author, but his play The Fall of Mortimer is described in Biographia Dramatica (David Erskine Baker, 1812) rather discouragingly as

Never performed.  There is frequently force and spirit to be met with in the diction of this play; but the incidents and conduct of it are not so managed, as to produce the necessary degree of interest to have rendered it successful on the stage.

Speedy business, 1825

A reminder of a slower time:-

Yorkshire Gazette, 3 September 1825

On Monday week, Mr John Langdale, of Menithorpe, near Malton, started from Easingwold at one o'clock, and rode to Thirsk, where he did business; thence he rode to Potto, making three calls on business; from Potto he proceeded to Hutton Rudby, Middleton, Hilton, and to Stockton, making eight other calls; from Stockton, by Seamer, to Hutton Rudby, all with six hours, being a distance of at least fifty miles.

The first Primitive Methodist Chapel in Hutton Rudby is opened, 1821

I was very pleased to find this report from a Leeds newspaper when I was searching the digitised newspapers available on findmypast.co.uk.

It's an account of the opening of the first Primitive Methodist chapel in Hutton Rudby.  As you can see, Primitive Methodism had become very popular and great numbers of people filled the street.  It will have been a scene filled with lively singing and huge enthusiasm:- 

Leeds Intelligencer, 3 September 1821

Ranters.– A neat and commodious chapel was opened at Hutton Rudby, on Sunday, the 5th instant, for the use of the ranters.  There were three public assemblages in the street at the same time that public worship was performed in the chapel; and the concourse of people was immense, and of all descriptions.  Since the Ranters have had reason to apprehend prosecutions for preaching in the open air, many landholders and farmers in the north riding of Yorkshire have accommodated that sect with the use of their barns and other outbuildings.  They continue to increase in numbers and zeal.

You can find more information on the arrival of the Primitive Methodists – often known at the time as Ranters because of their style of worship – here in Chapter 1. Hutton Rudby: a North Riding Township of my book, Remarkable, but Still True.

Linden Grange, Hutton Rudby

I've mentioned Linden Grange, Hutton Rudby, several times on this blog. 

It is included in Stately Homes of Hutton Rudby, and it's mentioned in the accounts of Miss Winifred Rachel Blair and her scrapbooks, in the story of George Young Blair & Drumrauch Hall, in various chapters of Remarkable, but still True and so on.

But I never dealt with the garden and the grounds in any detail.  However, there is a full and interesting account by Louise Wickham of the development of the gardens and parkland of the house on the website of the Yorkshire Gardens Trust.  Not to be missed.  You'll find it here.

Revd Henry Clarke of Guisborough (1813-61)

On 15 March 2013, I wrote a blogpost about John and William Richardson, doctors and brothers, who were the mayors of Stockton-on-Tees and Middlesbrough in the 19th century and I illustrated it with photographs from old albums – a photograph of each brother, as I thought.

But I was wrong – or, to be more exact, it was probably my great-great-aunt who was wrong – in labelling a photograph "Dr William Richardson" when it was actually a picture of the Revd Henry Clarke of Guisborough (1813-61).  I know this because I've been contacted by his great-great-grandson, who has a framed photograph with an inscription on the back to prove it definitively!

So here is the Revd Henry Clarke, looking very relaxed:

Revd Henry Clarke of Guisborough (1813-61)