Researching one thing is liable to lead you off in an entirely different direction. I was using the British Archive online to find out more about Appleby's Mechanics Institute, founded in 1848. Some years later the Westmorland Gazette devoted a long article to the presentation of two etchings of Appleby "worthies" to the Institute; one of them was the well-known John Robinso…
This splendid building in Boroughgate was a Mechanics Institute. Appleby, like hundreds of other towns wanted to encourage its workers to "better themselves". The new industries wanted better educated, more skilled workers, and employers were willing to finance such institutions. According to an article in the Westmorland Gazette it was established in 1848 by some local t…
Applebians didn't start paying water rates until 1963 because the waterworks set up in 1874 were so efficient and economical to run. But if you'd been around in 1874 you might well have wondered whether the town would ever get an effective supply of water. Applebians didn't start paying water rates until 1963 because the waterworks set up in 1874 were so efficient and econ…
Fancy letting your son go and watch the drunken gypsies being collected from the town pubs during Fair Week. And who was this irresponsible father? None there than John Rigg, fire chief for many years and mayor on several occasions. Information arrives unexpectedly. Clearing out her attic a lady from Nottingham came across the account her god-father had written of his earl…
THERE CAN HAVE BEEN FEW DULL MOMENTS IN APPLEBY AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE REVEREND ALBERT WARREN AS VICAR OF ST MICHAEL’S, BONGATE. There can have been few dull moments in Appleby after the arrival of the Reverend Albert Warren as vicar of St Michael's Bongate. He hit the local headlines with a no holds barred correspondence about the use of mesmerism as a cure, he organis…
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