Poems

Appendix

CRIME

Times were not always idyllic in Barrow Village; bad harvests, infant and childhood deaths accidents in the mines and drowning on the sands did not make for happy days. References to such incidents are to be found in the Diary of William Fisher, as well as records of crime.

21 August 1831. Robt Crearey fought with a man of the name of Readhead at Dalton one Sunday in harvest he Died on the Thursday following a Coroner Inquest was held before Wm Blendal Esqur and a Virdit of Mans Slaughter was brought in against Readhead who absconded Crearey was the beginer of the fight and cleared Readhead of any blame before he Died.

2 October 1847. A labouring man of the name Wm Johnson was Stabbed at Dalton in Furness by a person named Myers also a labourer it appears Johnson was preceding home about twelve oclock at night he was overtaken by Myers a quarrel encued when Myers drew a Knife and Stabbed him in several parts of his body he now lies in a dangerous State one of his arms was severely ulcerated (lacerated), and some of the arteries divided has been amputated Myers is in custody the knife which he used was found near his lodgings he was taken to bed soon after - Johnson Died on the 15th same Month.

25 July 1854 a robbery commited at Mr. Flemings Hotel Barrow by a man who staid a Night there entered Mrs. Garnets Room in the morning after she got up, wrenched the locks of two drawers and stole a pocket Book containing Notes and gold to the amount of £50 also a purse containing 20 sovereigns the Telegraph was only finished that morning to transmit the message to Ulverstone. He was taken at the Abbey stood his trial at Lancron the 7th Augt and sent to be imprisoned in the House of Correction for 12 months.

And, a sad little entry from the Fisher Diary ..... "Alice Daughter of Joseph Fisher awd 3 years was on a visit to her gran fathers Thos Storey late Officier of Customs and in play ran across the road Sunderland Terrace Ulverston where she was knocked down by a cart laden with 26 cwt of Copper ore the wheel passed over her Boddy and killed her on the spot".

The Dalton Hiring Fair

The annual Dalton Hiring Fairs for reapers were described by William Fleming* of Pennington (writing in 1806) as follows:

"It has been the Custom from Time immemorial for Reapers to offer themselves in the Market Place at Dalton in Furness Every Sunday Morning during Harvest, to be hired by the Farmers not only in the Neighbourhood but by those from Cumberland who constantly repair thither for that purpose. This day (August 17), being the first of the season, great Numbers of Irish came over to reap, who caused the Prices to be lower than usual . . ." Some strict observers of the Sabbath regarded the Hiring Fairs as a desecration of the Lord's Day. A Sabbatarian wrote this tract:

"Some three or four hundred men, some sober, some partially and others wholly drunk, sitting, standing, cursing, reviling and committing all manner of abomination, and here and there a sickle merchant and applewoman vending their respective wares in the narrow part of the long straggling town, directly between two of Satan's Temples". ("The Red Lion" and "The Cavendish Arms). "The Barrow contingent on returning home indulged in al manner of sports. A considerable contrast to an observance of the Sabbath in our day". (W E Roberts).

* The William Fleming Furness Diary is a collection of ten volumes, seven of which are on microfilm in Lancaster and Liverpool Universities, and in Barrow Library.