Anyone researching the life of a commercial traveller in the early 19th century may be interested in letters now deposited at North Yorkshire County Record Office.
Among the papers of John Leslie ("Jack") Mackinlay of Pinchinthorpe Hall near Guisborough and Simonstone Hall near Hawes were letters written by his great-great-grandfather John William Nicholson Storr.
John William Nicholson Storr was born in 1781 and he married Elizabeth ("Betsey") Maine on 30 December 1816 at St Mary Magdalene's, Bermondsey. The first of the letters was written the following August, when Betsey was staying in Margate, and the last of them dates from January 1842, with John describing a North Sea passage. These are loving letters home, often written over several days, from a travelling salesman, recounting his news, his journeys, accounts of Betsey's family, and instructions for the home.
The list below gives the date on which John Storr began his letter, the address to which he sent it, and a little excerpt from the letter:
- 31 Aug 1817: to Mrs Jno Storr, at Mrs Fosters near the Jolly Sailor, High Street, Margate, Kent from Chester. Betsey has gone by sea from London to Margate for a holiday:
"My love My dear Betsey. I have just returned from walking on the Walls of this City, it being here a very fine day, I have only known the want of the Company of my Wife to have participated in my observations of this Curious Ancient City, and to have enjoyed the pleasure of Her expressing the delights I know she would have felt beholding the distant View of the Welch Mountains … My dear this City contains the Antientest [ancientest] looking Houses I ever saw and is all together the strangest place I ever saw … I am sorry to hear that you was so very unwell on your passage … pray Betsey do not bathe if you find yourself inclined at all to be unwell, as it will do you great injury ..."
- 12 Mar 1819: to his wife from Lym
- 4 Apr 1819: to Mrs Storr, No 4 Cornwell Rd, Waterloo Bridge, London from Newbury
- 11 April 1819: to Mrs Storr No 4 Cornwell Rd, Waterloo Bridge, London from Bristol
"My Love on Friday I left Cheltenham for Dursley, which I have before mentioned to you I think one of the finest rides in England. On my arrival at Dursley I sent a Message to announce the arrival of His Royal Highness to Coley [Coaley], an answer was brought back that Mr Underwood was not at home so I waited on Him yesterday Morning. The road for [illeg] of a Mile before you come to the Mills and House is through water up to the Horses Knees. On my entering the yard Mr Underwood met me and shook hands with me before I dismounted my Horse & said Mr Storr I presume, I hope you are well, on my dismounting he ordered my Horse into the Stable, invited me into the House to take lunch, when I followed Him into a very Genteel Parlour and was introduced to Mrs Underwood and about ½ a dozen other Ladies relations. Mr Underwood is a very nice man as is also Mrs U – they have a large family, expressed their regrets at my not sleeping there – Mrs U has particularly invited you to come and see them, they have beautiful Gardens & are very pleasantly situated …"
- 12 Sep 1819: to his wife from Nottingham
"… I wish my Dear I was going to sit down to Breakfast with you at our little garden window which I expect smells nicely …"
- 3 Oct 1819: to Mrs Storr No 4 Cornwell Rd, Waterloo Bridge, London from Basingstoke
"… As time now is such an object to me I do not intend comeing to London untill I have finished my Journey – from Portsmouth I shall go to Sussex and Kent which will be a great saveing of time and money to me – My Love in about a fortnight or three weeks you shall meet me at Southampton, and we will go to the Isle of White [sic], cross Spithead to Portsmouth from whence I shall send you home …"
- 17 Oct 1819: from Newton Abbot to his wife
"I am sitting at my Inn waiting for the Stage at 12 o clock to take me to Exeter at which place I hope to be by four to Dinner … I left my Horse at Bath on Wednesday since which I have been to Plymouth … I hope to be at Bath on Tuesday. I am quite tired of travelling by coach …"
and from Bath on 19 October
"… Since I left here I have been near 300 miles – I expect that you will receive a Hare a brace of Partridge and a Quart of Clotted Cream on Saturday ..."
- 12 July 1820: to his wife from Liverpool.
"… I think of leaving here for Dublin tomorrow … I hope you have not been alarmed by the fear of thieves in the night. I wish that I had a Bell put from my Brothers Room to yours, but if you are at all afraid have it immediately done … The quickest passage from here to Dublin by the Steam Packet is 24 Hours and I have been in company with a Gentleman who has been 4 days & 3 nights crossing by the Sailing Packet …"
- 2 Nov 1820: letter addressed to Mrs Storr, Cirencester from Southampton
"… Since my last which I have no doubt has more than a week since reached Cirencester I have seen your Grand Mama! and your Aunt Gardner and Mrs Wards two little Girls … Your Grand Mama poor thing is quite childish, she appeared just to remember Betsey Maine and I am afraid I have got in her Black Book as I spoke too loud for Her – She told me not to hoopey so – which I did not understand untill your Aunt Gardner explained – and I am sorry to say that I was a second time desired by the Old Lady not to Hoopey - & to tell the Truth I think she was glad when I was gone – thinking me an odd Kind of fish …"
- 20 Oct 1821: to Mrs Storr, Gloucester Place, Hackney Road, London from Cambridge
- one sheet survives of a letter to Mrs Storr, No 10 High St, Stoke Newington, London
"… afternoon and had continued so ever since I shall not call on Mr Underwood as we have not heard any more about the Bills …"
half way down the page
"Dursley July 1st "... My Dear … This place brings to mind poor Underwood – and being now exactly opposite the post office, reminds me of the many epistles that has passed to & from Him through it"
- 14 Feb 1822: to Mrs Storr, Gloucester Place, Hackney Road, London
"… My dear, I hope you and the Baba are well. I took a very bad Cold on Tuesday it being so very foggy all day, but I am getting better. I do not know if you saw the narrow escape I had at the Old Lady's door of having a Coach turn over my Horse & Gigg, she having taking fright as it turned across the Road, which made me so anxious to be off …"
[The Baba must have been their baby, John Storr, baptised on 16 June 1821 at St Leonard's, Shoreditch. The parish register shows that John and Betsey were living at Gloucester Place and gives his occupation as Hatter]
- 16 Sep 1823: to his wife from Derby
"… I have been through Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire – all which is ground that I have taken into my route wholly on account of Mr Baileys business …"
- 10 Mar 1824: to Mrs Storr, Gloucester Place, Hackney Road, London from Bristol
"My Dear Wife, I recd yours directed here, forwarded at my desire to Exeter. I am sorry to hear that your Head is not well which I think is owing to the rough state of the Weather but I wish you to be particular in Keeping your bowels in a regular State … Last Sunday week I left here to go into Devonshire by coach that I might have the start of Hall. I have been into Cornwall, and on my return home saw him Mr Hall at Exmouth, going over the ground I had just come from. I have done quite as much business as I expected. and have no doubt but that I have done quite as much as Mr Bigg – or Messrs Price expects – it is at present rather early for the straw business – and Lent is very much against fancy business … I apprehend the House at Newington is let as you have not recd any letter … I wish we had the House at Newington as I think business might be done their [sic] by you …"
and from Sherborne on the Saturday night after quite a fright:
"… I intend buying a Phosphorous tinderbox to carry in my driving Box – as in my anxiety to get out of Bed, as a man was running through the town crying Fire violently, the Church bell ringing, Rattles springing &c &c not knowing but it was at the Inn and having 3 or 4 hundred Pounds property with me – my great toe caught into the front of my Night Shirt and down I came off a high bed on to the Carpet, but I do not feel any bruises – I am going to have a Glass of Grogg – in which my Love I shall drink yours and Babys Health …
- 2 Apr 1824: to "My Dear Wife" [address missing] from Tewkesbury
"… I am glad the House is not let, of course you will make the best bargain you can for the fixtures, and I wish you to say that if they will take £25 per qtr year, & thoroughly upon the Hour I will take the transfer of the Lease if it is correct … I have sent you a bit of Bacon and a little Cheese … Keep the Bacon & Cheese as dry as possible … My Love I am your Affectionate Husband – hopeing not any more to be so long from Betsey and Barn [variant of bairn] – Jno Storr"
- 4 July 1824: to Mrs Storr No 10 High St, Stoke Newington, London from Glastonbury, with a lively story of Betsey as a girl:
"… Your cousin does not recollect your Person but perfectly recollects a hoyden Girl that used to drag her into the Fields, and also took Her in to Royston Church, & also the same person run up into the pulpit, and looked over at Her, after which ran up to the Very top of the Tower of the Church, and also pointed out to Her Her Grandfathers Grave …"
- 5 Aug 1824: to Mrs Storr No 10 High St, Stoke Newington, London from Bromsgrove
"… I have done all Mr Baileys business on the Ground that I have been over and have taken several very good Orders here for Him …"
- 25 Oct 1826: to his wife from Kidderminster.
"My dear Little Betsey – I arrived here to Dinner and enquired of the Landlady who is an elderly woman how your late Governess was – she sent to the next door to enquire as they correspond – they sent word in that they had not heard from her for some time – but suppose that she is well … My Dear I took a Walk round your old School – and as I went along the lane I looked for the Apple tree that a particular friend of yours dropt out of into a Cabbage – as I passed the House I heard a Fiddle play it being dancing day from the window of a Room looking into the lane – I thought somewhat about twenty years since, My Betsey was dancing under the same roof ..."
- 26 Jan 1842: to Mrs Storr, No 1 Heath St, Commercial Rd, London from Hull.
"My dear – I duly recd yours of the 23d inst through the medium of Mr Mottram – On Saturday the passage untill we some way passed the Nore was beautiful, as the Wind served – either comeing to or going from London – every Vessell was a picture as every inch of Canvass was up & well filled – and on our passage we met one of H M Steam Vessels – soon after followed by the Firebrand [HMS Firebrand] containing his Prussian Majesty coming to the Christening of the Prince of Wales …"
John Storr, the "Baba" mentioned in his father's letter of 14 February 1822, grew up to marry a tailor's daughter, Mary Ann Eedle, at Lambeth in 1844. He was by turn a shoemaker, a bookseller and a commercial traveller, artist and colourman.
John and Mary Ann's son Walter William Storr was an engineer. He lived at The White House, Coatham in the early years of the 20th century and was Secretary to Messrs Bolckow, Vaughan & Co. He retired to Darlington before the First World War and moved to Sussex on his second marriage.
His first marriage was to Catherine Annie Georgina Hoey, born in Meerut, the daughter of a doctor in the Bengal Army. Their daughter Mary Gwendoline Storr (born 1882) married John Joseph Harrison Mackinlay, engineer and blast furnace manager and the stepson of a well-loved Coatham GP, Dr James Mackinlay.
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