GAZETTE.
JACKSON'S DIRECTORY OF 1880 LISTS 3 NEWSPAPERS ACTIVE IN WHITEHAVEN. THESE INCLUDE
THE WHITEHAVEN FREE PRESS OPERATING FROM BLUE BELL LANE OFF TANGIER STREET.. THE
WHITEHAVEN NEWS BASED AT 26 KING STREET AND THE NORTHERN COUNTIES GAZETTE
OPERATED FROM 60 STRAND STREET. THE LATTER WAS PUBLISHED BY ONE GEORGE WINDROSS
WHO LIVED AT 13 SCOTCH STREET. BY 1897 THE KELLY DIRECTORY INFORMS US THAT THE
PAPER HAD BECOME THE WHITEHAVEN GAZETTE AND WAS PUBLISHED FROM 43 NEW LOWTHER STREET.
MR WINDROSS WHO DESCRIBED HIS PUBLICATION AS " THE CONSERVATIVE ORGAN OF WEST CUMBERLAND
" APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A SOMEWHAT OUTSPOKEN MAN A HABIT WHICH GOT HIM IN TROUBLE WITH
THE YELLOW EARL. DOUGLAS SUTHERLAND IN HIS BIOGRAPHY OF THE LATTER TELLS US THAT IN
RESPONSE TO ONE OUTBURST AGAINST LOWTHERISM THE FAMILY " SUED HIM FOR LIBEL AND GOT
SMALL DAMAGES BUT THE COST OF DEFENDING THE CASE MADE HIM BANKRUPT. HE RECOVERED
AND RETURNED TO THE ATTACK MORE VIGOROUSLY THAN EVER. HIS ENEMIES HIT OUT AGAIN THIS
TIME BY GETTING THEIR FRIENDS TO WITHDRAW ADVERTISING SUPPORT FROM HIS PAPER . WITHIN
A FEW MONTHS WINDROSS RETIRED BROKEN IN HEALTH AND THE PAPER FOLDED UP QUIETLY A FEW
WEEKS LATER."
PRICED AT ONE PENNY IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT VALUE FOR MONEY FOR IT CONSISTED
OF 20 SIDES MEASURING APPROXIMATELY 20 INCHES BY 15 INCHES AND WAS PACKED WITH
INFORMATION OF ALL KINDS.. ADVERTS, AS CAN BE SEEN FROM THE ABOVE EXTRACT KEPT IT
GOING SO THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF THESE AND A FEW OF THESE HAD ILLUSTRATIONS BUT
THE PRICES SEEM REASONABLE!!
MR WINDROSS WAS ALSO PREPARED TO SEND PAPERS OUT BY POST AND ONE WONDERS ,
IN THE DAYS OF HORSE DRAWN TRAFFIC, HOW LONG DELIVERIES ACTUALLY TOOK!! NOTE HOW
HE REQUESTED PAYMENT IN ADVANCE.
MY COPIES ALL DATE FROM 1896/7 AND I HAVE BEEN FASCINATED BY WHAT HE CALLED
" UNCLE SAM'S EXCELSIOR BAND OF BOYS AND GIRLS."
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION OF MUSIC OR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS SO I CONCLUDE THAT IT WAS A
CLUB OR SOCIETY AND JUDGING FROM THE FACT THAT TWO WHOLE PAGES WERE GIVEN UP TO THE BAND
IT WAS VERY POPULAR. MEMBERS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY SUBSCRIBED TO IT AND FURTHERMORE
WHEN YOU READ THE LIST OF RESOLUTIONS WOULD BE MEMBERS HAD TO ABIDE BY IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN
RUN ON GOOD LINES.. NO NEED FOR ASBO,S IN THOSE DAYS IT WOULD SEEM. WOULD THAT SUCH STANDARDS
WERE COMMONPLACE TODAY!!!!
A WOULD BE MEMBER PROMISED THAT....
I WILL TRY TO IMPROVE MY MIND BY READING SENSIBLE BOOKS.
I WILL TRY TO WRITE A GOOD PLAIN HAND.
I WILL BE MERCIFUL & NOT CRUEL TO ANIMALS & THUS SET A GOOD EXAMPLE TO OTHERS.
I WILL NOT MAKE USE OF PROFANE, VULGAR OR OBJECTIONABLE LANGUAGE.
I WILL TRY TO BE INDUSTRIOUS & ACTIVE.
1 WILL TRY TO BE HONEST AND TRUTHFUL.
I WILL AIM AT THE ADVANCEMENT OF MY CONDITION & WILL LEND A HELPING HAND TO
ANY OF MY COMRADES WHO MAY REQUIRE MY AID & ATTENDANCE.
I WILL URGE MY FRIENDS TO JOIN THE BAND.
WITH SUCH RESOLUTIONS DEMANDED YOU WOULD WONDER WHO WAS TEMPTED.
JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE WHITEHAVEN LIST OF MEMBERS.
FIND ANY ANCESTORS?
WHEN YOU REMEMBER THAT THIS DOCUMENT DATES BACK TO 1896, A TIME WHEN THERE WAS NO ORGANISED
EDUCATION SYSTEM IN ENGLAND & THAT MOST SCHOOLING HAD TO BE PAID FOR, IT SPEAKS VOLUMES FOR THE
SUCCESS OF THOSE SCHOOLS THAT DID EXIST IN WHITEHAVEN & THAT THERE WERE SO MANY LITERATE
CHILDREN IN TOWN CAPABLE OF ACCEPTING THE TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP AND BEING ABLE TO ENTER COMPETITIONS
FOR WRITING LETTERS THE LIKE OF WHICH I WILL SHORTLY QUOTE.. MOST OF THE SCHOOLS
THEN IN OPERATION WERE NOT PURPOSE BUILT BUT RATHER IN OLD BUILDINGS ABOUT THE TOWN , MOST OF THESE
BEING CHURCH SCHOOLS FOUNDED BY INDIVIDUALS .
I
THE EARLIEST OF THESE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THAT FOUNDED BY MATTHEW PIPER WHO, IN 1818 CREATED THE
MARINE SCHOOL OFF HIGH STREET.
IN
IN 1824 THE REV ARMISTED WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOUNDATION OF ST.JAMES
NATIONAL SCHOOL.
ST NICHOLAS
ST NICHOLAS SCHOOL ON SCOTCH STREET FOLLOWED IN 1846 & 6 YEARS LATER TRINITY CHURCH NATIONAL
SCHOOL APPEARED IN HOWGILL STREET.
ST BEGHS CATHOLIC SCHOOL OPENED IN WHAT WAS FORMERLY A CHAPEL ON COACH ROAD IN 1868 AND 8 YEARS LATER
THE EARL OF LONSDALE SCHOOL WAS ALSO OPENED.
I IN I
INN 18IN
INTENTIONALL OR NOT, THE GAZETTE ENCOURAGED
IN
8
MR
INTENTIONALLY OR NOT MR WINDROSS AND HIS PAPER ENCOURAGED GOOD ENGLISH AND SPELLING BY OFFERING
PRIZES OF HALF A CROWN TO COMPETITORS FOR WRITING SHORT LETTERS ON "THE MOST AMUSING LOCAL
PARAGRAPH..INCIDENT OR ANECDOTE. " A FURTHER SHILLING WAS ON OFFER TO ANY MEMBER WHO SPOTTED
"THE GREATEST NUMBERS OF ERRORS IN SPELLING IN THE COLUMN OF THE STRAY NOTES."
WOULD THAT WE ALL PLACED SUCH IMPORTANCE ON SUCH MATTERS TODAY!!!!!
IN THE DEC. EDITION OF THE PAPER A BOY CALLED FRANK THRELFELL OF LOW HALL , HENSINGHAM WON
HIS HALF CROWN FOR THE FOLLOWING LETTER ENTITLED "HOW I SPENT XMAS DAY."
"XMAS DAY WAS ONE OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS I HAVE EVER SPENT. I GOT UP AT 8. O' CLOCK & CARRIED SOME MILK TO
THURNHAM WHICH I DO EVERY MORNING. WHEN I CAME BACK I GROUND SOME COFFEE,& GOT MY BREAKFAST. THEN I
FED MY RABBITS & ABOUT 11 WENT TO CHURCH & RETURNED AT 1 O'CLOCK. THEN CAME THE XMAS DINNER, WHICH I
ENJOYED VERY MUCH. WE HAD A GOOSE AND A DUCK.. MINCE PIES ETC. AFTER DINNER THE POSTMAN CAME |& I SPENT SOME
TIME LOOKING AT THE CHRISTMAS CARDS. AT 4 O'CLOCK I WENT TO THE CHURCH, AS I AM IN THE CHOIR. AFTER
SERVICE WAS OVER THE CHOIR BOYS WENT TO THE VICAR'S HOUSE WHERE EACH OF US RECEIVED 5 SHILLINGS,
2 ORANGES, A MINCE PIE & A CAKE. BEFORE LEAVING WE SANG 2 HYMNS & THEN WE WENT HOME. AFTER TEA I PLAYED AT
GAMES TILL IT WAS BED TIME. SO NOW YOU SEE I HAVE SPENT A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS ."
LITTLE WONDER HE WAS PLEASED. A WELL EARNED MERRY XMAS YOUNG MAN!!!!
MORE LATER.