Escaped lunatic!

[Timbo]

"Would you throw away a book that was over a hundred years old?" asked Ben Gunn, my future father in law and the official boat's 'man with a shed'.

"No!" I replied.

"I thought you might say that, I've got something for you then!" said Ben Gunn.

 

You see I am an avid collector of old books, particularly those related to history, maps or angling. I have a proud boast of a 'Complete Angler' by Isaac Walton but the majority of my collection is of no monetary value.

 

However I find them fascinating, not just for their literary content but also for the pencilled contents of the marginalia, and the occasional document that is slipped between the covers of the book. 

 

The book that Ben Gunn passed across was 'The Book of Farm Management'. 

 

Pencilled in the front cover is a name I can't quite distinguish but looks to read Clifford d' Jean and the clearly written date of July 3rd 1885. To put the date in context Salisbury was the prime minister, Riel's second rebellion in Canada took place, British troops withstood an attack by the Mahdi and General Gordon was killed in the Sudan and professional football was legalized 17 days after the inscription in the book was written.

 

The book also contains quite a significant section on field sports including angling.

 

But what piqued my interest was two newspaper cuttings I found within the covers. Obviously retained for the 'scientific' research notes on farming and the price of stock fetched at market, but when you turn them over there is the story of  "The Escaped Lunatic" in Lincoln.

 

It's the language that appeals to me. Confronted with an escaped lunatic Mrs Ward calls her husband "whose peremptory notice to begone was heeded not!".

 

There was also an interesting advert on the back of another clipping for the lease of a corn, cake and coal warehouse together with three maltings in a Norfolk Port Town.

 

Just thought I would share my interest. 

[Timbo]

Just a quick additional note. The Asylum mentioned in the article would be St.Johns in Bracebridge Heath, now a new housing estate. My Grandfather was committed to St Johns and died in there. Those were the days when 'hardening of the arteries' was not treatable and often resulted in dementia. 

I can remember in one lucid moment my Granddad turning to talk to me while the rest of the family who were visitng him were involved in their own private discussions. 

"What's up Granddad?" I asked.

"I don't know about you ar' kid, but I reckon some of these buggers in 'ere are mad!" said Granddad conspiratorially.

 

My grandfather had been a stallion walker in his youth. Should one stallion walker meet another they would tie up their respective horses and engage in a fist fight. The winner would then have the right for his horse to service the local mares while the loser would walk to the next farming district. As a consequence my Grandfather was a tough little man and when I was a schoolboy would roll up his sleeves and jokingly ask 'Would tha' like t'partake of the ancient art of fisticuffs' (this was the only ceremony before the stallion walkers would fight) before giving me instructions on how to quickly and efficiently knock someone senseless. 

 

I have to add that my Grandfather was not a violent man by nature. He left his father's Yorkshire farms over a disagreement and went to work 'down pit' as a deputy. In his spare time he painted in oils, usually horses and churches. Sadly none of his paintings survive. He also had an interest in woodwork, I still own a bookcase he made for me as a child, and he was a lover of classical music and light operetta. I  get my love of art and Gilbert & Sullivan from him.

[unclemike]

read the title and thought you were starting your autobiography tim

[Hockham Admiral]

Fascinating stuff, Tim!   :clap

[grendel]

fascinating Tim, I too am an avid collector of old books, in one we found transcribed the lyrics to a ***** spiritual ' Ders one more Ribber for to cross'.

Grendel

[grendel]

The book that this  was found in was Frithigf's saga, by E Tegner, translated and printed in 1880, picked up at either a church jumble, or boot fair or bookstall somewhere.

below are photos of the original (and a clearer transcript)

we dont know anything other than its obviously an old black spiritual, and was put there sometime after 1880

Grendel

[Timbo]

That is fantastic Grendel! A real find. I seem to remember seeing somewhere online a database of ***** spirituals which attempted to trace their origin from plantation to plantation and state to state or colony to colony. I think, but I'm not sure, it had something to do with the Wilberforce Museum that charts the despicable practices of slavery that mars our history and seems to get brushed under the carpet.

[quo vadis]

I seem to recall something like this too although I had been drinking heavily that night / day

[DelticMemories]

Why is the word "*****" blanked out in the above posts? It is certainly not a racist term and is very important in Afro Caribbean culture. Political correctness gone mad!

[DelticMemories]

Wow - seems the software is programmed to blank it out automatically - how silly!!!!

[AdnamsGirl]

What an interesting thread!

 

I collect old books too, although mine are largely Norfolk Broads related (of course!). My best find came from within the pages of an original copy of PH Emerson's "On English Lagoons" . The book was published in 1893, but was obviously taken along on later Broads holidays as, tucked away in the back, was a receipt for mooring at Horsey Staithe in the 1930s. The mooring fee was the princely sum of one shilling. Signed by millman A.Dove, I decided to try and find out a bit more about him ... I covered the full story in a blog post at the time: http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk/blog/2012/04/arthur-dove-horsey-millman/

 

I love finding hidden treasures like this

 

 

 

Carol

[JanetAnne]

When I saw the title I had to check where I was just in case it was me! Dont worry, you are all safe, I am still here!

 

(Was that the 50th post)?

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

When Karen and i were at WRC on Lightning last year, we bought 4 of the Chris Crowther series, but to be honest, i did`nt think i`d ever read them. We bought them because Karen likes to read at lunchtimes at work, and sometimes in bed before lights out.

 

When we got home, I picked up one of them and started reading. It was slow to start, but i did`nt want to put it down. about a week later, i finished it, having read a page here and there, or a chapter once i got into it.  When i finished this particular one, the following day, i picked up another, and could`nt put them down, and was actually disappointed when i finished all 4 of them.

 

Up til then, throughout my entire 56 years, i`d only ever read 3 books. 2 were Nigel Mansell books, and the other was Swallows and Amazons Forever.  It was`nt untill we bought the Chris Crowther collection that i read any more, and could`nt put them down, so much so, that when we stopped off at Thurne and called into Ramblers (Lizs shop) we bought the last one of his Broads books, and learned that he`s supposed to be writing another.

 

Although i`m not a big reader by any stretch of the immagination, there`s something about books that is special. I`ve always had this dream about having my own library, but don`t read much, other than monthly special interest mags. Wierd i know, but that`s the magic of books.

[BroadScot]

Hi Neil,

 

I sent for his books direct to him before Christmas last year, he sent them very quickly, and he signed a copy. Nice touch I thought.  http://www.chriscrowther.co.uk/index.php?option=com_jshopping&controller=category&task=view&category_id=1&Itemid=0

 

Iain.