SRFN Miscellany: Henry Burstow: Reminiscences of Horsham: 2

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SRFN: Miscellany:
Henry Burstow: Reminiscences of Horsham

16	Reminiscences of Horsham.

Up to 1845 all shops kept open till 9 o'clock p.m. in summer, and 8 o'clock p.m. in winter. After that year, by general agreement, they closed at 8 p.m. in summer, and 7 p.m. in winter. Up to 1836 butchers, bakers, greengrocers, and barbers all kept open shop on Sunday mornings till Church time; butchers' boys on horseback, carrying baskets of meat, galloped round the town on that day as busy as, or busier than, any other day of the week. One of the most enterprising tradesmen in Horsham was old Johnnie Browne, the draper, who lived at what is now No. 16, West Street. Fashions used not to change so frequently as they do now, but when they did he was the first to have the new ones on sale. He was the first tradesman to sell ready-made boots. He once startled the town by having his name painted in the largest possible sized letters right along the top front of his shop. Just as they were finished, the old man was studying their effect from the opposite side of the street, when a wag asked him "Would you mind lending me a telegioscope; I want to see what letters they are on that building?" "You don't want a telegioscope for that," he replied, nettled, "It's a B and a Har and a Ho and a W and a Hen and a He, and that spells Browne," and the old man marched back into his shop. The Public Houses were centres of social life and intercourse, and of a good deal of drunkenness too. They opened early in the morning, and kept open until late at night - indeed, as often as not, until early the next morning. On Sunday mornings they were open as well, and did a good trade with many who, on account of their previous night's carousal, were possessed of a dry throat. Drinking and gambling went hand in hand, and were very prevalent. The "King's Head, " "Anchor," "Black Horse," "Swan,"

Recollections of Henry Burstow.

"Punch Bowl," "Green Dragon," "Hurst Arms" (which was also known as the "Black Jug"), each of these houses was the favourite of one or other group of tradesman or others, who used to meet regularly for their business talk and convivial meetings together. Saturday nights were especially convivial. Here is an old song of a later date —1847— expressive of the kind of entertainment enjoyed, and also, it would seem, of a little rivalry between the "Black Jug," kept by Jeremiah Brown, and the "King's head," kept by John Naldrett.

THE SONG OF THE "GO-A-HEADS."

When our week's work is o'er, to the "Jug" we repair,
For we always enjoy ourselves when we meet there,
We laugh, talk, and smoke, and sing with such glee,
No party elsewhere half so happy as we.

Though the swells at the "King's Head" may boast they have got
All the nobs in the town, yet we envy them not,
For no joys are to us like those that are found,
On a Saturday night with our friend Jerry Brown.

When you are thirsty, oh where would you seek,
Such ale and good porter as Jerry Brown keeps;
In our club room for us there's a bright roaring fire,
And to make us all happy it is his desire.

Our number already is over two score,
And before Xmas comes we shall get many more,
For all those that love to hear music's sweet sounds,
Must join the "go-a-heads" when they meet at J. Brown's.

The "King's Head" swells brag about what they can do,
With their pianoforte and their songs that are new;
But we have a "brick," the guitar well can play,
Who can beat all their lot let them try what they may.

For drinking too much we are sometimes to blame,
You may go to the "King's Head" and tell them the same,
There's many a "cove" there that drinks more I'll be bound
Than any of us or our friend Jerry Browne.

I give a list of the Public Houses and their several landlords about 1830-35: "King's Head, " corner of East Street, Mrs. Howe; "Anchor," Market Square, Mr. Lee; "Black Horse," bottom corner of West Street, Mrs. Robinson; "Crown," Carfax, Mr. Bartlett; "Swan," West Street, Mr. Stanford; "Dragon,"

18	Reminiscences of Horsham.

Bishopric, Mr. Scott; "Queen's head," East Street, Mr. Waters; "Punch Bowl," Middle Street, Mrs. Briggs; "Hurst Arms" or "Black Jug," North Street, Mr. Piper; "Castle," West Street, Mr. Putland; "Lamb," Carfax, Mr. Gardner; "Red Lion," Carfax, Mr. Jas. Lee; "Dog and Bacon," London Road, Mr.Potter. The "Lamb Inn" at this time used to be at the West corner of Richmond Terrace, where Messrs. King & Chasemore's offices are now. The name of the "Lamb" was afterwards taken by the public house still known as the "Lamb," on the Carfax. This house was hitherto known as the "Red Lion." The old "Lamb" then became the "Richmond" Hotel, with a painted sign of the Richmond Arms on the corner of the house. This hotel then moved to where the Post Office now stands, about the middle of Richmond Terrace. The same sign was put in a frame on a high post opposite on the other side of the road, and the old "Lamb" became a private residence. The "Horse and Groom" was opened about 1844, and the "Railway Inn" soon after the Railway was opened in 1848. The opening of a new public house, or a change of landlord, was always the occasion of a ceremonious dinner and a convivial evening, at which one of the doctors or lawyers or principal tradesmen would preside. The Post Office I can remember in nine different positions. The first was the south-west corner of Pump Alley, thence it moved to the house right in the corner south-east of the Town Hall;, afterwards in succession to what is now 19, Market Square, 11, West Street; 54, West Street; 48, West Street; 4, West Street; 31, Carfax; 16, Carfax (its present position); and I have known of eight Postmasters in succession, viz., Messrs. Elphick senior and junior,

	Recollections of Henry Burstow.	19

Tugwell, Breads, Price, Goldsmith, Poole, and the present one, Mr. Clarke. I also give the names of the larger private houses in the neighbourhood, and the names of their residents: Horsham Park, R. Hurst, Esq. (M.P. for Horsham, 1812-29); Causeway House, R. H. Hurst, Esq., son (M.P. for Horsham, 1832-41 and 1843-47); Manor House, N. Tredcroft, Esq.; Denne Park, — Platt, Esq.; Field Place, Sir T. Shelley; Strood, Admiral Commerell; Holbrook, Sir Jas. Whitshed; Chestnut Lodge, B. Fox, Esq.; Tanbridge, Miss Wolff; Tanfield, Mrs. Marriott; Millmeades, — Watkyns, Esq.; Springfield, Mr. Thornton; New Lodge, R. Aldridge, Esq.; Nunnery, T. Sanctuary, Esq.; Lyne, J. Broadwood, Esq.; Leonardslee, Colonel Beauclerc; Muntham, — Chitty, Esq.; Coolhurst, Marchioness of Northampton; Knepp, Sir C. Burrell. The roads in the town and neighbourhood were very bad in winter. There was no steam-roller for road-making or repairing. Flints were put down, usually at the end of the autumn, where thought to be wanted, and gradually worked in by the traffic. The country bye-roads were, of course, worse, and frequently quite impassable. Up to about 1840 turnpike roads only were hard. Like other people, my father, in travelling round the country roads, would sometimes find the wheels of his cart sunk in the mud up to the boxes, and be forced to borrow a farmer's horse to pull them out. Waggons always carried a spade for scraping the wheels, which, coming from a bye-road to the turnpike road, would sometimes be covered and filled in with clay or mud, looking like mill-stones. Sometimes it would take nine or ten horses to get a loaded waggon out of a bad road or up a steep hill. Even as late as 1851 I have sometimes found it impossible to walk to Newdigate without sinking in the mud nearly up to

20	Reminiscences of Horsham.

the calf of my leg. The pavements or causeways of the town, too, were but very indifferently laid and maintained; not that the town was unable to pave its street well had the authorities chosen to do so, for Horsham stone was plentiful and famous for roofing and paving. It was quarried in large quantities, but shoemakers always go the worst shod; Horsham sent most of its stone — and that the best — away to other places. The amount of vehicular traffic through the town was considerable, though of course not to be compared with that of to-day, and not sufficient even in West Street to prevent us boys playing marbles there. Several four-horse coaches, to and from London, Brighton, Worthing, Oxford, Reading, and Windsor passed through the town daily, calling at the "King's Head," "Anchor," and "Crown." In 1833 Horsham started its own direct London Coach, "The Star," which set out from the "Swan," in West Street, every morning except Sunday all the year round, at 7 a.m. punctually; reached the "Old Bell Inn," Holborn, at 11.45 a.m., started the return journey at 3.15 p.m., and arrived back at the Swan at 8 p.m. Little Bob Whittle, the coachman, who lived in the Causeway, was a thorough artist on the box. He was reputed to be the prettiest driver and whip and altogether the smartest coachman that drove into London. 'Twas said he could whip a fly off one of the leading horses nose without touching the horse. Poor Bob; his customers gradually deserted his horse for the steam engine: traps began running from Horsham to Three Bridges Station, whence the journey to and from London by train was quicker and cheaper. A pair horse 'bus ran regularly from Pulborough through Horsham to Three Bridges and back, picking up some of his customers. Many old people stuck to the turnpike, and vowed they

	Recollections of Henry Burstow.	21

would never get into a railway train; among those was my father; but eventually poor Bob found his occupation gone. In 1846, when but 41 years of age, he took ill and died, 'twas of a broken heart. Old Lloyd, the carrier, who lived at the corner of Wickersham's Lane, then called Lloyd's Yard, suffered a similar fate. He continued his journeys, with his four-horse waggons, to London as long as he could, but the goods he used to carry, via Dorking, transferred to the Three Bridges road, and when Horsham Station was built he found the ground taken, as it were, from under him. Post chaises, too, swifter and more expensive means of travel (2s. per mile was their regular price), to and from almost everywhere, came through the town, in addition to those that plied for hire, kept at the above Hotels. Now and again the private four-horse coaches and chaises of the large-landed gentry would travel through, whilst the private carriages and chaises of the local gentry went about daily, visiting or shopping. Many four-horse, and sometimes six-horse, farmers and carriers' waggons, laden with corn, barley, coal, timber, stone, groceries, and many other commodities, some fetching their loads from the Canal at West Grinstead, some from that at Newbridge, Billingshurst, more than equalled in bulk the other kinds of traffic, to which must be added that of the many farmers, professional gentlemen, and tradesmen who rode horseback; of the few yoked oxen going along very steadily and very, very slowly, and of the many dog carts that were in vogue for some years. The dogs were usually harnessed three-a-breast to small low-built carts. Several rural postmen went their rounds in them, and many hawkers of fish drove up here from Worthing and Brighton. The dogs travelled very fast, especially at starting, and barked loudly as they went along. A man named Whiting owned the fastest dogs in Hors-

22	Reminiscences of Horsham.

-ham, but he was very cruel to them, and was one day made to apologise to them by a magistrate, under threat of prosecution. In fact the dogs were generally ill-used and, partly in consequence, this mode of travel was legally abolished in 1854. Almost as soon as I could toddle I was sent to an infant school — the first infant school opened at Horsham. It was kept by Miss Jane Sayers, in the west end of the old barn still standing on the south side of the Bishopric, nearly opposite our house. My first year's schooling was paid for by a generous old quaker, Mr. Pollard, who then lived at "The Druids." Very little was done in those days to make schools attractive, but I enjoyed myself the short time I was with Miss Sayers, who looked upon me as an apt pupil. Every day we used to sing "God save George, our King," until his death in 1830, when I well remember Miss Sayers saying to us, "You must not sing George any more, it's William now." Miss Sayers soon after moved to Springfield Road, then called Chapel Lane, and joined the British Schools at the north end of London Road; here I stayed until 1834, helping mother between my school hours to trim pipes, for which she used to get 3d. per gross. In 1834 I went to the Church School, then held in Hill's Chancel, in the north side of the Church, occasionally having a day off to help old Albery, the harness maker, make ropes at his ropewalk from the corner of the Bishopric along the west side of Springfield Road, for which he paid me 6d. per day. In 1838 I "got in" to Collyer's Free School, where I stayed until it was pulled down in 1840. I give a reproduction of a painting of the old school by myself in 1838. In 1840 I was apprenticed to Jim Vaughan, who lived in the Causeway, to learn the boot and shoe-making trade. At a time when as yet there were no boot-making machines, and no ready-made boots,

	Recollections of Henry Burstow.	23

boot making was quite an important local industry; I daresay there were forty or fifty men regularly employed at it in Horsham. They were called cordwainers, or snobs, and were good hard-workers and sound beer-drinkers to a man. Indeed, so notorious were they as drinkers that when I went into the trade my mother's friends said to her, "Ah! Harry's done for now." But I can truthfully say that, though I stuck to the trade for the whole of my life, I took neither to "drinking" nor smoking; the only time I was ever drunk was once when I was the victim of a conspiracy to make me so. The first year I worked without getting payment; the next year I was paid 2s. per week, rising 1s. per week at the end of each years until I was out of my time. I stayed with Mr. Vaughan about ten years, and then went to work for Mr. Gilburd, in Middle Street, then called Butcher's Row, and was almost entirely employed by him at making women's boots, for which I was paid at first 1s. 4d. per pair, afterwards 1s. 6d. per pair. With Mr. Gilburd I stayed 30 years, till he died in 1880. On an average I earned perhaps 15s. per week, certainly not more, for a week's work of 60 to 70 hours. The greatest number of pairs of boots I ever made in one week was 13, thereby earning 19s. 6d.; that week I worked every available hour, and did nothing else except eat, drink, and sleep. I never once took 20s. for a week's work at my trade, so the reader can understand that I never made enough money to warp my political convictions, and do not possess enough to worry about now, as after a life's hard work I stand at the brink of the grave. The first event outside our house that I have any recollection of was the last night funeral at Horsham, which took place in November, 1829, when Mrs. Killick, from Tanbridge, was buried. These night funerals were elaborate, ceremonious affairs, with

24	Reminiscences of Horsham.

torch-light procession, accorded only to the rich. I was not present on this occasion; my recollections are but second-hand, derived from hearing my brothers and sisters talking about it the next morning. Another remarkable night funeral I have heard my father say was that of Miss Elizabeth Gatford, a most eccentric lady, who died the 8th July, 1799. She willed, in 1790, that her corpse was not to be buried for one month, and that spirits of wine was to be used for its preservation. Accordingly between £30 and £40 was spent in this manner; she also willed that she was to be buried in four coffins — a shell, and one each of lead, oak, and stone, and that the ceremony should not take place until after 10 o'clock at night. She was buried in a vault at the Old Baptist Chapel, in Worthing Road, at 12 o'clock mid-night, the Rev. Evans, of Worship Street, London, preaching the burial sermon. The chapel and burial ground were crowded with church folk and dissenters of all sects. In her will she left £15 per annum to support, till they died, certain animals, cats, dogs, parrots, guinea pigs, &c., whom she had lived with; and also £5 5s. per annum to be given in bread to the poor, a charitable bequest that is still regularly discharged. I can also recollect hearing my brothers and sisters talking of a murder committed on Saturday, 8th March, 1830, at the "Queen's Head" Inn. Several young men were inside that house drinking and card playing, when, late at night, they fell out among themselves. The landlord turned them outside, when two of them, Harry Hewett and Edward Smith resumed the quarrel. After fighting a few minutes, Hewitt took out a knife and stabbed Smith, who died in consequence after about a quarter of an hour. In the small crowd round the two fighters were Hewett's mother, Charlotte Venn, and brother. The mother

Recollections of Henry Burstow.

egged her son on to fight, "give it to him, Harry," she cried, "have your revenge;" but the brother tried to get the knife away, and in doing so had his hand cut very badly. Hewett was lodged in Horsham Gaol to await his trial at the coming Horsham Assizes. The following verses were written on the occasion, and used to be sung about the town:—

At the "Queen's Head" Inn in Horsham Town,
Poor Edward Smith met his death wound;
Drinking and gaming, and playing at cards,
Causes the best of friends to have words.

Drinking and gaming till twelve at night,
Then out in the street they went to fight;
Poor Smith thought he'd a friend so nigh,
But proved to be an enemy.

Young Hewett with his knife so sharp,
Aimed several times at poor Smith's heart,
He gave one stab, such a horrid deed,
Enough to make one's heart to bleed.

What could a mother be thinking on,
To stand near by and see her son
Engage in wicked, deadly, strife,
And rob his poor young friend of life.

The Horsham Assizes now draw near,
And at the bar Hewett must appear:
Before the Judge he now must stand,
With aching heart and trembling hand.

Young men! take warning by his plight,
Shun drink and cards by day and night,
Be honest, sober, kind, and free,
And so avoid such misery.

At the last Horsham Assizes, held on the 30th March, 1830, the charge of murder was preferred, but Hewett was found guilty of manslaughter only. He was sentenced to transportation to Bermuda for life, but came back to Horsham after the expiration of ten years of his sentence.

I can just remember the Coronation of King William IV., Thursday, Sept. 15th, 1831. It was a general holiday, and the occasion of great festivities. The celebration here commenced with the ringing of the Church bells, which continued on and off all day.

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