More on the cholera and the Rev R J Barlow

This exchange of letters casts more light on the events of the Cholera Epidemic in Hutton Rudby in the autumn of 1832:  Mr Peacock uses Mr Barlow's activities during the epidemic to strike back at critics of the Established Church.  In his reply, Mr Barlow praises the doctors who came to the assistance of the stricken villagers:-

Yorkshire Gazette, 17 November 1832

To the Editor of the Yorkshire Gazette 

Sir, – It ought to be mentioned, to the praise of a humane and pious clergyman of the Church of England, the Rev. Barlow, vicar of Hutton-Rudby, in Cleveland; – and also as an example "to go and do likewise," – that during the prevalence of the cholera in that village, he never failed to visit every individual afflicted with that dreadful malady, especially the poor and needy; and to administer to their wants and comforts with a truly christian benevolence.  I may also add, that the funeral service was performed by him in the numerous instances of mortality, with a seriousness and solemnity befitting so awful a visitation. – He has indeed raised for himself, in the language of Horace –

"Monumentum aere perennius"

that will live in the grateful recollections of his parishioners. 

Yet such are the men whom it is too much the fashion of the present liberal age to depreciate and vilify!  But what greater injustice can there be, than to cast odious reflections upon the venerable Establishment, because, forsooth, a few of its members may possibly walk unworthily, and in some instances, neglect the duties of their sacred calling.  But let such examples as have been mentioned, have their due praise; – such conduct exhibits the traits of true christian heroism, as well as of humanity, – far more ennobling than the laurels of the warrior when "died in blood, and bedewed with the tears of the widow and the orphan." 

I am ever yours respectfully, 

G C Peacock

Sowerby Grange Academy, near Thirsk,

November 14, 1832

Yorkshire Gazette, 1 December 1832

To the Editor of the Yorkshire Gazette 

Sir. – Having accidentally seen in your Gazette of the 17th inst., a letter signed G C Peacock, of Sowerby Grange, near Thirsk, permit me, through the medium of your excellent and widely-circulated paper, to present unto Mr Peacock my most grateful thanks and acknowledgments for the very handsome and flattering manner in which he has introduced my name to public notice.  Deeply as I feel impressed with a sense of my own unworthiness, if, during the awful pestilence at Hutton Rudby, I have afforded spiritual or temporal comfort to the unhappy sufferers, I trust I may ever feel thankful to the Almighty God, who, in his mercy, not only spared my life, but gave me, as it were, new strength both of mind and body, proportioned to the duties I had to perform. 

Allow me to trespass for a moment longer upon your valuable time, to pay an humble, but just, tribute to the merits of Doctor Keenlyside, of Stockton, and James Allardice, Esq., of Stokesley, our medical assistants, who kindly gave up their own excellent practice, and, with a truly philanthropic spirit, came into the midst of the plague to alleviate the anguish of suffering humanity.  To a stranger nay, to the very people of the village unconnected with the seat of disease, it is unknown how much those gentlemen had to contend with, between prejudice on the one hand, and on the other from the want of an hospital, and all other conveniences which a well regulated town can command; but, to the honour of their names be it recollected, their unwearied attention and benevolence surmounted every difficulty, – for which I do feel myself personally much indebted to them, and for which the inhabitants of Hutton Rudby can never repay them without a grateful remembrance of their names, convinced as they ought to be, that to their assiduity and professional skill alone, under divine Providence, must be attributed the rapid disappearance of the alarming malady. 

I have the honour to remain, Sir, 

Your most obedient Servant.

R J Barlow, Clerk.

Linden Grove, Rudby, Nov. 29th

It does seem a pity that the doctors' names were not remembered – instead, a story grew up that the doctors came out from Northallerton only so far as Doctors Lane, and would not enter the village.

But, as I pointed out in my book, Doctors Lane was known by that name before the Asiatic cholera ever arrived in the British Isles.

Disrobing at the altar, Otley in 1808

I was looking for something completely different when I came across this exciting story:

Tyne Mercury, 3 May 1808

Tuesday last, at Otley, after a disconsolate widowhood of three months, Mr George Rastrick, of Hawksworth, aged 78, to Mrs Mitson, of Burley-wood head, aged 60, making the fourth visit paid by the husband, and the third by his fair bride, to the altar of Hymen.  

In compliance with a vulgar notion, that the wife being married in a state of nudity, exonerates her husband from legal obligations to discharge any demands upon her purse, the lady, with much sang froid, began to disrobe herself at the altar, and did not desist till her chemise remained her only covering; thus having attained the very summit of the nude ton, the marriage ceremony commenced, and it was not till the whole had been deliberately gone through that the parish sexton, in the capacity of waiting woman, began to dress this blooming daughter of Eve, and to revive, by the genial heat of warm clothing, that spark of hymeneal fire which a chilling air and humid atmosphere had well nigh extinguished.

Jacob Honeyman's pony is stolen, 1829

Jacob Honeyman's pony must have been left to graze by the roadside when it caught the eye of Thomas Boulton.  Boulton's defence – such as it is – is striking by its hopelessness, and the sentence is a reminder of the days of the Bloody Code of criminal law.  But it's quite possible, as that link shows, that Boulton was transported instead.  If he survived the voyage and the appalling punishment regime, he and his descendants might have done rather well ...

York Herald, 8 August 1829

THOS. BOULTON (33), charged with having stolen a pony, the property of Jacob Honeyman, of Hutton Rudby.

Mr Alexander stated the case, which was briefly this.  Early on the morning of the 18th of May last, the pony was taken from a lane near the village of Hutton Rudby.  The prisoner was seen to be riding it without a saddle, &c. which caused suspicion to be created that he had stolen it.  He was interrogated, and the result was, he and the pony were secured.  In his defence, he said that he had another pony in the lane belonging to himself, which he exchanged with a stranger for the one stolen.  He had several respectable witnesses to that fact, who unfortunately were not here.  The jury found him Guilty, and judgment of death was recorded against him.  He handed some letters to his Lordship, and hoped he would read them.  The learned Judge did so, and said that he would advise him to send a representation to the Secretary of State.

A sea monster at Coatham, 1778

A newspaper report from this day, 240 years ago.  A most surprising find at Coatham!

Caledonian Mercury, 3 August 1778

Friday se'enight, was killed at Coatham, near Kirkleatham in Cleveland, a very extraordinary monster that resembled a crocodile.  It was seven yards long, and was thought, by a numerous company who assembled to see it, to be the most surprising creature ever seen on any coast in England.

Emma Eteson of Knaresborough (1835-1911)

The entry on Emma Eteson of Knaresborough among the dramatis personae of John Richard Stubbs' diaries caught the eye of a reader:

Emma ETESON of/in  Knaresborough
Diary references:
9 Jul 1855: “ Emma Eteson &c to tea”
14 Oct 1856:  “..to Miss Stotts...Emma Eteson & Jacob...&c &c”
15 Oct 1856: “..to Mrs Powells party  Had cards  Emma Eteson & I played Joe & Miss Smith”
21 Oct 1856: “..to Humburton..had a large party  Emma Eteson was there  had a jolly dance”

My correspondent tells me that this would be Emma Jane Eteson (1835-1911), the eldest daughter of William Eteson and Ann Powell.

William was born in 1796, the son of John Eteson (b1767) & Mary Ann Clough (1774-1833).  Ann, who died in 1851, was the daughter of Samuel Powell (1777-1859) and Ann Bolland (1779-1868).

John Stubbs will have been referring to Mrs Ann Eteson and her mother Mrs Ann Powell in this entry:

20 Jan 1857:  “Mother was at Mrs Powells at tea.  Mrs Eteson of Knaresboro was there”

Emma was left a good sum of money from her father's estate, some put in trust for her until she reached the age of 21.  She married George Wailes (1833-1915) in 1859.

This photograph shows the house in Windsor Lane, Knaresborough where William & Ann Eteson were living at the time of the 1851 Census

Linden Grange, Hutton Rudby, in 1830

I've written about Linden Grange before, as I explain in this blogpost.  It is the house that lies between Hutton Rudby and Potto, and was previously called Linden Grove.  In the early 19th century it was called Suggitt Grove, and before that, Tunstall Ground.

In 1822 it was inherited by Dr George Merryweather of Whitby from his uncle Benjamin Suggitt.  He was the inventor of the Tempest Prognosticator, a leech-powered weather forecasting device, and between the years 1840 and 1861 was curator of the Whitby Museum (and if you haven't visited the museum, then you simply must!)

An advertisement of 1830 gives us a glimpse of the interior of the house; you can find the history of the gardens, which were "stocked with the choicest Trees and Shrubs", here on the website of the Yorkshire Gardens Trust.

Yorkshire Gazette, 06 March 1830

TO BE LET,

An agreeable COUNTRY RESIDENCE recently fitted up, and in complete repair, beautifully situated in Cleveland. 

The House consists of Breakfast, Dining, and Drawing Rooms, Day Nursery, four good Bed-Rooms, Attics, Double Staircase, Large Kitchen and Pantries, &c; Dairy, Stabling, Carriage-House, and sundry Offices. 

The Breakfast, Dining, and two Bed-rooms, will be Let Furnished, if required. 

The Gardens and Pleasure Grounds are stocked with the choicest Trees and Shrubs. 

This place is, in every respect, suited for a genteel Family, desirous of living in a rich and fertile country.  It is situated a quarter of a Mile from Hutton Rudby, 5 Miles from the Tontine Inn, 5 Miles from Stokesley, 10 Miles from Stockton, and 16 Miles from Darlington. 

The Premises are open for Inspection; for Particulars, apply to Mr. MERRYWEATHER, Whitby.

The house became the home of the new vicar, the Revd R J Barlow (see this chapter of Remarkable, but Still True), until he built the vicarage on Belborough Lane.  It was clear from the letters he wrote to the newspapers during the Year of the Cholera that he was living there in October 1832, but when I was writing the book I could not find out when he moved in.  The following advertisement shows that he had not been long in the house when the cholera epidemic broke out:

Yorkshire Gazette, 4 August 1832

TO BE LET, 

A CAPITAL CORN-MILL, (from Michaelmas next) in excellent order, driving three pairs of Stones, with all requisite Machinery, and suitable convenience for an extensive business; together with a DWELLING HOUSE, and about EIGHT ACRES of superior Grass Land adjoining. 

The above Mill is situate on the river Leven, at Rudby, in Cleveland, at a reasonable distance from the port of Stockon-on-Tees, and in a good Corn District. 

Also, a compact HOUSE, and about SIX ACRES of Grass Land adjoining, in the village of Hutton, near Rudby, now in the occupation of the Rev. Mr Barlow, and suitable for the residence of a small genteel family. 

For particulars inquire of GEO. BRIGHAM, of Rudby, near Stokesley Land Agent, if by Letter, post paid.
July 25th, 1832

I don't know where the compact house with its 6 acres of grass land was, but I think it was probably the house now called White House Farm, mentioned in the blogpost about the Revd Jeremiah Grice.

The information on the Rudby Mill is another useful addition to our knowledge of the mill.  A previous tenant, Robert Robinson, had become insolvent in 1823 (cf this blogpost on Various Occupants of Rudby Mill), so let's hope the tenant in 1832 was able to make an "extensive business" there, as suggested by Mr Brigham in the advertisement.

Hutton Rudby and District Local History Society on Facebook: old photos

Visit the new Facebook page of the Hutton Rudby and District Local History Society and you'll find it a source of the most fascinating old photographs.

This is thanks to the hard work of Malcolm McPhie and he tells me there are plenty more to follow - just keep visiting the page!