Cannon, Bells, Bazaars, a New Library, and The Cricketing Clowns
On 19th August 1850, a public meeting was held in the Town Hall “for the purpose of giving expression to the feeling of respect which universally prevails towards the noble Duke of Norfolk and his family”. Later that day the 13th Duke, who hadn’t visited “for a number of years,” arrived at the station by special train, “and proceeded to Glossop Hall amidst the firing of cannon and a hearty peal from the fine bells of the parish church.” Two days later a deputation, mostly millowners, elected by the meeting, “waited upon the Duke”, and presented him with an address “begging respectfully to express the pleasure which we feel at Your Grace’s arrival amongst us.”
The Duke, in return, said he hoped to visit more frequently. In June 1853 he presented the Glossop Society of Bell-Ringers with “a new peal of 49 handbells in C”, which they played “to a crowded audience at the Town Hall”, and in August 1854 the Duchess was patron there of a two-day bazaar “of useful and ornamental work” in aid of a new C of E church and school for Hadfield.
By then, the Lordship of the Manor had passed to their second son, Lord Edward Howard, and in 1861, for the Catholic Young Mens’ Society, he created in the Town Hall the St Mary’s Library, containing 658 volumes on “Religion, Art and Science, Amusement and Edification.” “The room is beautifully and comfortably fitted up, and is supplied with chess and draughts tables.”
There were, though, other cultural leaders. One of the loyal deputation had been Edmund Potter, who also funded a church, school and library, and in November 1851 the Dinting Vale Choral Society, “connected with his printing establishment”, gave a concert in the Town Hall to “a numerous and very respectable assembly”. One cold evening in January 1856 Potter himself gave a lecture there, to the Littlemoor and Howardtown Mechanics’ Institute.
It was called “Picture of a Manufacturing District” and is the best account we have of the town at that period. Some was based on his experience as a magistrate sitting in the same room, and he had no doubt about the major cause of crime – “a large majority is the result of drunkenness; the number taken up and fined during the year was 46” – or the solution – “I believe a large majority might be made to work out their debt to the country. Many would make active useful soldiers.”
The lecture, when published, filled 56 pages. Victorian Glossopians had stamina, and they needed even more in July 1877 when the Reverends Berger and Browne, C of E and Congregationalist respectively, held a public discussion at the Town Hall about the relationship between Church and State. It ran for four nights.
It wasn’t all hard going, though. In August 1876 the town was visited by Casey and Robson’s team of Clown Cricketers, who played a two-day match against Glossop Cricket Club. Only eight of the 14 were “what might be called professional cricketers”, the rest being, well, just clowns, but they beat Glossop 169 to 66, and in the evenings put on a variety show including “Yankee songs and dancing”, “solos on ten different instruments”, bell-ringing and juggling. They concluded with “an amusing extravaganza, and from the applause of those present none could doubt that there have been few if any better entertainments in Glossop Town Hall.”
NEXT – Part 14: Virtue, Truth, Liberty – and filthy stairs and leaky roof
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