Dennis Perriam: WW1 and its effect on Cumbria.  November 2008

We are looking back 90 years to the Armistice.   The first things we saw were Government posters saying Remember Belgium, and then the Belgian refugees started to arrive.   Rickerby House was turned in to a hostel for them and became the HQ for their reception and distribution to the many parishes which offered hospitality.

There were many restrictions: no photography, especially near military depots; all aliens had to register with the police even the Italian ice cream vendors, although Italy was our ally;  German sounding names were changed by deed poll, as was reported in the local papers; censorship of the papers was introduced, as well as of letters home from the Front.   There was an expectation of sabotage and Boy Scouts manned check points and guarded bridges when the Army was overstretched, against Germans and the IRA.   There was one casualty when a passer by did not stop at Wetheral Bridge.

Because many of the police had joined up, Special Constables were recruited for Sunday duty, most of whom were beyond military age.

There was a rush to join up and the Labour Exchange replaced the Castle as the recruitment centre, by 1916 new huts were in place outside the castle walls.    New recruits trained in Bitts Park and on the old Racecourse which were flood vulnerable.   Eventually the camp was established in Durdar the current racecourse site.  The Territorials formed a new battalion of the Border Regiment and went out to Burma, freeing the 1st Battalion to go to France.   Turkish prisoners were used to build railways in Burma, some were sent to Irak.

The idea of the Chums regiment, local lads joining up, training and fighting together became prevalent and the Earl of Lonsdale founded the 11th Battalion of the Border Regiment, they and the 12th trained on the racecourse site and a pamphlet with photographs was published after the war.   They paraded through Carlisle as a recruitment drive before they went to France in 1916. 

Women did their bit, first as nurses.   The Volunteer Aid Detachment of the Red Cross worked in hospitals which were set up to cope with the wounded.   During the holidays the County High School was commandeered as a hospital but when the Governors discovered this at the beginning of term, the authorities had to make other arrangements. Scotby House, Eaglethwaite Hall near Armathwaite and Dalston Hall all became temporary Hospitals.   Their first test was the railway disaster in May 1915 at Gretna when a regiment en route for Galipoli lost over 200 men as well as the wounded.

Industry was put on a war footing as was needed by the Army.   In 1916 conscription was announced and all men between the ages of 18 and 41 had to join up unless they could prove their work was essential.   A military tribunal judged all cases and these were reported in the papers.   Those on essential war work were issued with medals each year so that they could display them and not suffer the indignity of being presented with a white feather every time they went out.

In December 1915 two captured German guns were paraded through Carlisle to the Castle where they remained on display as propaganda and encouragement.

Because so many men were in the Army women joined the industrial work force for the first time. Pictures of the Drill Hall show it converted to the East Cumberland Shell Factory, the Drill Hall Volunteers had all been drafted into Defence.   Ninety-eight per cent of the work force was female.   They published a booklet with photographs after the war.

Women had to wear trousers for safety among the machines, they formed football teams, staffed the munitions works at Gretna, were employed as police constables.   By 1919 there was one female PC in Carlisle, when she retired there were none until 1939.   Many new things were tried, some women became train drivers - not in Carlisle.

The Cumberland Volunteer Regiment consisted of men in essential war work and those over the age limit.    Some of them manned anti-aircraft guns along the Solway.

What was it like in France?   Newspaper reports and photographs were sanitized and censored as were the letters from the Front, after the first few months.   We saw a photo of British prisoners in Germany,1915.

The papers carried lists of prisoners as well as casualties.   As these mounted a Carlisle photographer of 40 was able to persuade the Tribunal that he was doing essential work, taking studio portraits of the men who joined up.   One artist used his skills to sketch life in the trenches and also designed camouflage coverage for ‘planes.   His work appears in the Imperial War Museum.   James Scott Douglas published his experiences as a ‘Conchie’.  

Flag days were held for various charities, the Alexandra Rose Day among them.   Rest Rooms for soldiers were set up in Court Square, Church Halls,etc.   War Bonds were promoted.   With women working, nurseries and creches were provided.   Ration books were brought in, and posters warned against wasting scarce resources.  Allotments were made available and gardens were turned into vegetable plots.   Sunday school boys grew food, the Land Army was formed “wi’ lassies at the plough”.    Children picked berries and wild fruit.  Horses had been sent to France so mechanization hit Britain and tractors were seen on farms.

In 1917 George V visited the north-west.   He came to Barrow and Carlisle and went on to Gretna. He presented medals to the Cumberland Volunteer Regiment in Carlisle and visited the Gretna Tavern one of the early pubs which had been taken over by the city to host the soldiers.

Eight breweries were amalgamated and taken over , the exterior advertisements for the former breweries were removed and the interiors became austere.   One local man complained that he could not recognize a pub any more.

Laings were working hard, building aerodromes etc. but in 1916 they also built the new Post Office and the City Picture House in Carlisle.   Canadian lumberjacks joined up to come and work our cumbrian forests.   In 1918 the Fusehill Workhouse was made into a military hospital, as were Brook Street School and Newtown School.   Wounded soldiers wore a blue jacket with wide lapels.

Woodrow Wilson came via Carlisle to London and Paris on his way to sign the peace treaty in 1919.   In September 1919 some of our troops began to return and a Peace Dinner was held in the Market Hall in Carlisle, more returned in 1920.

There is not a lot of pictorial evidence of the time, newspapers relied on amateur pictures, having carried none before the War and then none after it until 1924.  Brochures, like those of the East Cumberland Shell Factory, and of the training camp at Durdar were produced after the War as a record of the times we lived through.

We had seen a hundred slides which gave us a flavour of the period.

Liz Boydell expressed our sincere thanks to the speaker.

AGM 22 October 2008

The 23rd AGM of the Caldbeck and District Local History Society was held in Hesket Newmarket Chapel on 22nd October, following a most enjoyable supper across the road in Denton House. As in previous years, there was a good attendance.

President Liz Boydell opened the meeting by welcoming members and inviting a short silence in memory of the three members, Peggy Maynard, Ursula Banister and Ian Dunmor, who had died since the last AGM.  She said how honoured she had been to preside during her three year term of office and how well supported she had been by the hard working officers.

Diana Greenwood, the Secretary, then read the minutes of the previous AGM, which were approved.   There were no matters arising.

The year's financial accounts had been audited by Audrey Noble and were presented by Lesley Kingham, who confirmed that the finances were in a healthy state.

Kathleen Davie, the Publicity Officer presented a detailed account of the last year's activities.

The many members who had attended found the speakers interesting and informative, as well as enjoying the excellent refreshments provided by the catering team, led by Evelyn Tickle.

Beryl Hibbs, who had assisted with the organising of the programme for the next year, outlined the wide range of speakers who had agreed to come.   She was thanked for her long years of membership and good wishes were expressed for her future in Keswick.

Vice-President Ron Davie reported on the projects in progress.   The publication of Richard Greenup's 'A Walk Around Our Village of Caldbeck' had been delayed due to the concentration of work on another publication(below).   However, there was extremely good news in that Greenup’s original manuscript had now been found, so that reliance on often badly degraded photocopies was no longer necessary.    The book, ‘Memories of Lakeland’, has been completed, transcribed and checked.   It is with the printers and will be launched in Caldbeck Parish Hall on November 29th.    The work on a DVD of local photographs with commentaries was continuing.   He paid tribute to the dedication and hard work of the many members who had been involved in all these efforts.

Changes to the constitution were accepted by the meeting.

Ron Davie assumed the position of President.   He had to confess failure to find anyone to fill the position of Vice-President.   Is a commitment to three years as 'stand-in' and then three years in office a deterrent?   All the existing committee members with the exception of Beryl Hibbs were willing to stand and were re-elected.   The meeting approved the Committee decision to split the Publicity Officer's work into two sections, a) Reports and b) Posters.    Kathleen Davie retained the latter and Dorothy Chalk took on the media reports.  Kathleen Davie also agreed to be Archives Officer.

The new President asked members to consider the need for change.   Can we attract the younger generations?   How do we need to change?  Could we support other projects? 

There was no AOB and the President closed the meeting, with heartfelt thanks to Liz Boydell and the Committee members, at 9.45 p.m.

The raffle prize, a years subscription to the Society, was won by Margaret Jones.

Look out for details of the  GUEST  NIGHT  in January.

The Mind of the Medieval Doodler 17 September 2008

At its September meeting in Caldbeck Parish Hall the Caldbeck & District Local History Society welcomed again as its speaker, Dr John Todd, whose topic was ‘The Mind of the Medieval Doodler’. The doodler in question was the person responsible for the drawings in the margin of the Lanercost Cartulary. Like many monasteries, the medieval canons of Lanercost priory had made copies of the original charters recording grants of land, etc. (the forerunners of modern title deeds) in a large book known as a cartulary. The Lanercost Cartulary had been started in the early 1250s and completed in 1364. Dr Todd has edited this charter book, which is now in the Cumbria Record Office.

About 30 to 40 years after the cartulary’s completion, some “crude but lively” drawings had been added in the margins of the book – an extremely rare phenomenon in cartularies. The Lanercost Cartulary was thought to have disappeared in 1826 but it eventually re-emerged in good condition in 1982, and was purchased by Cumbria County Council. However, although the text itself was already known  from 18th century copies of the cartulary, the “thrilling aspect” of the find was the unsuspected drawings in the margins. Dr Todd has since fully researched and written about these.

At the meeting he showed his audience an extensive sample of the 42 drawings, which included: coats-of-arms; churches and secular buildings; vegetation and landscapes; churchmen and workmen; farm animals; and farm implements.

Three main questions were posed for consideration: firstly, in the spectrum between fine art and graffiti, where did these drawings stand? Secondly, were they really taken from medieval life, or were they stylised or copied from other sources? Finally, why were the drawings added at all in the margins of such a precious book?

Whilst showing his slides, Dr Todd discussed many of the aspects pertaining to these questions. He concluded that the Lanercost Cartulary drawings were near the bottom of the vernacular level of drawing, although the “draughtsman” was at his best in his depiction of people. Though some of the drawings may have been fanciful (e.g. the one of the priory itself) or copied from elsewhere, they are of particular local interest for two reasons. First, they throw light on Cumbria in the later Middle Ages and, second, no other similar work is known in the north-west of England. In answer to the third question above, Dr Todd suggested that the Lanercost canon who did the drawings was perhaps just doing it for fun: a medieval doodler!

After Chairman Ron Davie had thanked Dr Todd for an extremely fascinating talk, the evening ended with refreshments provided and served by Evelyn Tickle, Mary Holliday and Eleanor Benson.

Outing to Dalemain  20 August 2008

At the July meeting of the Caldbeck & District Local History Society, Judith Doig, a guide at the historic house of Dalemain, near Penrith, had spoken about the house and its history from medieval times to the present day.

Her talk was followed on 20th August by a visit to Dalemain by a group from the Society. On this occasion, guided by Judith Earle, it was fascinating to see at first hand the unusual structure of two medieval pele towers and a Tudor mansion encased within an extensive Georgian country house – the home of the Hasell family since 1679.

From the Georgian entrance hall, the party was shown through the Chinese room with its original 18th century hand-painted wallpaper. This led into the dining room, rich with family portraits and photographs, followed by the servants’ passage (where the Georgian additions to the original Tudor buildings could more easily be seen) and the former pele tower. Here, there was an exhibition devoted to the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry. Once again, there were interesting family connections with what was on display.

After ascending the tower’s stone staircase, the group saw two Tudor rooms – with a Georgian room built between them! Of great interest in the first room were the artefacts which had belonged to Lady Anne Clifford, who had had many links with the Hasell family.

Having passed through a number of passages and rooms, most of them quite small and  of different historical periods, the tour ended in the room occupied by Dalemain’s former housekeepers. At the far end was a priest’s ‘hidey hole’, dating back to the Reformation but discovered only in the 1860s.

Not only did the group appreciate their guided tour of a portion of this intriguing house, they also had the lovely gardens to explore as well as the impressive 16th century barn, which included a display of agricultural implements and fell pony artefacts. Last but not least was the tea-room in the medieval Old Hall.

The History of Dalemain  16 July 2008

At its July meeting in Caldbeck Parish Hall, Judith Doig spoke to the Caldbeck & District Local History Society on ‘The History of Dalemain’. Mrs Doig, who was strikingly attired in a copy of a Georgian dress which she had seen in a portrait at Dalemain, has been a house guide there for some seven years. 

The house, whose name means house in the valley is situated a few miles southwest of Penrith. From the outside it looks for all the world like a Georgian country house. However, behind its façade lies a Norman pele tower, an enclosed Tudor mansion and an inner courtyard. In addition, the medieval Old Hall now houses the tearoom.

In 1679, Sir Edward Hasell, a steward to Lady Anne Clifford, bought the Tudor mansion for £2710, and to the present day Dalemain continues to be the home of the Hasell family.

Much restoration and renovation followed his purchase and, together with his mother, he planned and built the Georgian part of Dalemain, which was completed in 1744. This was the last significant addition to the house.

Mrs Doig explained that a great deal is known about the history of the Hasell family since they still live there and the house contains numerous family portraits and much archival material. She was therefore able to recount many interesting (and often amusing) anecdotes about some of the more colourful characters and events in Dalemain’s history.

In addition to the evolution of the house through the centuries, today’s beautiful gardens also have a history of their own. Particular mention was made of the now famous show in early summer of the beautiful but difficult to grow Himalayan Blue Poppies.

As an afternoon outing to Dalemain on 20th August has been arranged for the Society’s next event, Mrs Doig’s talk had provided much valuable background information and had certainly whetted the appetite for the forthcoming visit.

President Liz Boydell, who chaired the meeting, thanked Mrs Doig for her interesting history of Dalemain, after which everyone enjoyed Evelyn Tickle’s customary

excellent refreshments.

In introducing his subject, Dr David said that many people perhaps know of the Earl as the founder of boxing’s Lonsdale Belt but not that the yellow colour of the Automobile Association’s badge was due to his choice when President.

In discussing the reasons for Lord Lonsdale’s Arctic journey, Dr David advanced a range of possibilities which might have sparked the Earl’s interest, including various Cumbrian links with a number of 19th century expeditions to that part of the world.

Describing Lord Lonsdale as “larger than life” and “a great story-teller”, whose stated reasons for his trip were forever changing, Dr David said that the real reason was an affair he had had with an actress, Violet Cameron. Her resultant pregnancy when both were already married had led to Queen Victoria telling him to ‘disappear’ abroad in order to clear the air and escape the publicity. Thus, at the age of 31 and in the depths of the Canadian winter, he had set off for the Arctic – with his butler!

His adventure and its considerable hardships were entertainingly detailed by the speaker, who also showed photographs of Lord Lonsdale in various Arctic costumes – all of which were posed studio portraits, with ‘suitable’ Arctic backgrounds added on afterwards.

In assessing the significance of these travels, Dr David said that although there had been some flattering articles both here and in the U.S., Lord Lonsdale’s journey had often been regarded as “a huge joke” by the scientific establishment in this country. On the other hand, the speaker argued, he should be given credit for undertaking a remarkable and dangerous journey. Furthermore, he had brought back important and rare artefacts, and photographs of the indigenous people of the area; and had given around 200 items to the British Museum, which now form the core of its Arctic collection. However, it was unfortunate that he had provided no details to accompany this material, thus limiting its value. All in all, Dr David felt, the Earl could not properly be viewed as a scientific explorer – rather perhaps as “the first in a line of travellers and tourists” to the Arctic region of the world.

The meeting was chaired by Kathleen Ashbridge, who thanked Dr David for his entertaining and informative talk. This successful evening ended with everyone enjoying Evelyn Tickle’s excellent refreshments.