1940: Over 500 men between the ages of 20 and 23 registered for 'call-up' at the Peterborough Labour Exchange on this Saturday. Of these only five registered a conscientious objection. In the end 490 actually signed up. 64 with the Navy and 130 with the RAF. The rest offered no definite preference. Not surprisingly, bearing in mind the industrial landscape of Peterborough, there was more than the usual number of recruits who were in reserved occupations - mainly engineering. (Gray, David, Peterborough at War 1939-1945, David Gray, 2011)
Taken from The Peterborough Book of Days by Brian Jones, The History Press, 2014.
The Phoenix Brewery was based at the eastern end of Priestgate, opposite the Angel Inn. It was managed by Fredrick Markby initially, before he became bankrupt. It was then sold in 1844 and continued by J. G. Atkinson, a solicitor. He advertised the sale of Guiness, as well as Stout, Pale Ale and Bitter made at the brewery, with a 25% discount given to 'The Trade'. 1
In 1847 a useful addition was made to the premises:
'a very considerable addition has been made to the brewery at Priestgate-Street, a large yard with stables and outbuildings, having been added thereto. This is an improvement in this part of the city which was much needed, and will add materially to the liveliness and business-like appearance.' 2
He continued to manage the business until it passed to Charles Cutlack and his family. Many bottles marked with Phoenix and Cutlack have been found throughout the city and both names are synonymous with brewing in the city.
(1) Stamford Mercury, Fri 6th December 1844, p. 1.
(2) Cambridge Independent Press, Sat 7th Aug 1847, p. 3.
Thanks to the Churchwardens Accounts of St John's Church in Peterborough, we know some of the people living in the city in Tudor times. The church recorded how much rent was paid on property and who paid it. Most of the names are of men, but there are some women. Some people are only recorded by their surname.
A few of the names seem rather odd to modern eyes because they are spelt very differently to today, so alternatives are given. The four districts recorded relate to streets or areas that you might not recognise today, so their modern equivalent is provided. Dogsthorpe was included as a district, but has been missed off this list.
Prestgatt (Priestgate)
Fraunces (John Francis), Edward Bellamy, Elexaunder Mylner (Alexander Milner), Joanne Fletcher, Robart Pynnyng (Robert Pinning), Agnys Coper (Agnes Cooper), Sawnder (Alexander?) the labourer
Markettsted (Cathedral Square)
William Haw, George Spenser, Thomas Whyght (White), [Mistress Baley deleted], Sir William Bell, Allys Padman (Alice Padman)
Hygatt (Bridge Street)
Bygges Wyffe (Bigge's wife), John Houndysley (John Houndesley), John Pattenson
Westgatt (Westgate)
Wylkynson (Wilkinson), Joanne Cosson, William Farssett (possibly Farcet)
Bowngatt (Boongate)
John Monesty, The Myller (Miller)
W. T. Mellows (ed.), Peterborough Local Administration Chruchwarden's Accounts 1467-1573 with Supplementary Documents 1107-1488, Northamptonshire Record Society, 1939
Thomas Alderson Cooke was born in Salford in 1777 to a wealthy family. He moved to Peterborough after marrying his first wife Julia Image, also known as Judith. He was a well-respected gentleman and became a local magistrate, Sherriff of Northamptonshire and later High Sherriff.
He had married Julia Image in London in 1797 and moved to Peterborough to start a family: they had had 10 surviving children. After Julia's tragic death in 1817, he married another three times, most famously to Charlotte Squire in Peterborough Cathedral. Their marriage ended in a very public annulment after only a couple of years of marriage.
He is best known for his family home on Priestgate, which is now home to Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery. His initials and the date 1816 can be seen at the corner of the house above the entrance to the cellars, known as The Vaults. The other building connected to him is the Dower House on the corner of Trinity Street, which was built in the 1840s for his fourth wife to live in upon his death. It was a church for some years, when the spire was added, and is currently a nursery.
Mr Cooke was an influential magistrate for many years and continued to preside until the week before he died, despite being incapacitated. He died in December 1854, at the age of 77, after which his house was bought by the Fitzwilliams and gifted to the city as an infirmary.
On 4th May a large explosion occurred in Priestgate between the Phoenix Brewery and Angel Inn. Reports claimed that fumes from the Phoenix Brewery had mixed with sewer and coal gases. It's then thought these were accidentally ignited by a discarded cigarette.
The explosion was dramatic and affected both Priestgate and Narrow Bridge Street, but the effects were worse in Priestgate. Paving stones were thrown high up into the air and all of the windows were smashed in Priestgate, with more in Narrow Bridge Street. To make things worse the contents of the sewers, including thousands of dead rats, were thrown up against the buildings. People were particularly alarmed because there had been a recent threat to blow up the Cathedral. There were no records of any deaths, other than the rats, and no record of how long it took to get rid of the smell!
Following the death of Thomas Alderson Cooke in 1854 his Priestgate Mansion was sold to the 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam, who allowed it to be used as the city’s first hospital, the Peterborough Infirmary from 1857. The infirmary was run by a charitable trust. The house remained Peterborough's Infirmary until 1928.
The Georgian building known as Priestgate Mansion, which now houses Peterborough Museum was completed in 1816. It was created by wealthy magistrate Thomas Alderson Cooke, one of Peterborough’s most distinguished residents. The mansion was built on the site of the Tudor house known as Neville Place. It was built on top of the original building, which became the cellars of the new mansion. Some of the currently ground floor walls are possibly from the original house because of their enormous width.
Priestgate mansion was originally built as a large symmetrical cube with an additional south-facing curved end. The curved end most likely contained a breakfast room to make the most of the rising sun on cold days and to enjoy the view down to the river Nene.
The ground floor was designed for formal entertaining in the dining room and living room. On the first floor were the main bedrooms and on the top floor the nursery and servant rooms. There were not any bathrooms built in to the house originally, so portable water closets were used by people in the house.
Note: the date of 1816 is now disputed, with evidence suggesting the house was built before then and the cellars created in 1816
In 1536 a Tudor house called Neville Place was built by Humphrey Orme, who was a courtier of Henry VIII. The house was built on the land where the current museum is. The Ormes were important in Peterborough for over 250 years. They were Members of Parliament, Magistrates and also Feoffees. They were royalist during the English Civil War and were involved in the building of the Guildhall after the Restoration.
Note: the building of Neville Place in 1536 is currently disputed because Humphrey Orme rented the manor of West Deeping in that year. Written evidence of the Ormes living in Priestgate does not appear until the early 17th Century when they were living in a cottage next to Neville's Orchard.
The death of Julia Cooke in 1817 was a heavy blow to the Cooke family. Dying days after her 42nd birthday, she left behind 10 children and her husband Thomas Alderson Cooke. Their eldest child, daughter Julia, was not yet of age and their youngest, Louisa, was a mere toddler. What was a man to do with a houseful of children and no wife? He was to find himself another wife.
Within a year, Julia was engaged to be married to William Squire, the head of the merchant Squire family who had for many years controlled the river Nene through Peterborough and lived in a large house by the bridge over the river. They married in October 1818. Only four months later Thomas married William’s youngest sister Charlotte on Monday 8th February in Peterborough Cathedral; he was 41 and she was 27.
Charlotte instantly found herself the step-mother of 9 children still at home and a step mother to her new sister-in-law Julia who was only a few years younger than she was! We can only question how the marriage came to be, whether there was a persuasive match by her mother Lucy, or they married for the benefit of their families, however, suggestion that they married in haste and repented at leisure, would seem apt. The marriage failed after only two years and, shortly after Charlotte’s mother had died, Thomas filed to the courts to have the marriage annulled.
Divorce is common nowadays, but very few people could end their marriage at that time, it being only possible for the rich. Divorce could be brought about by a lengthy and invasive act of parliament, with details of the marriage made very public, or with a separation that allowed the couple to live apart but still continue to be married in the eyes of the law. It is very likely that Thomas was prepared for a divorce, but luckily for him, his case that Charlotte was unable to bear children was accepted after she was subjected to a physical examination. Their marriage was annulled in 1821.
We can imagine the gossips discussing this twist in the marriage and the effect this would have had on Charlotte who had effectively been rejected by her husband on the grounds of being defective. The benefit to them was that an annulment allowed them both to remarry if they so wished, but who would want Charlotte now? The annulment meant that neither had any rights to their family fortune or property too, and Charlotte would return to her maiden name of Squire.
Thomas married again another two times, the third time only a year later to a Mary Anna Boggis, remaining in his Priestgate mansion until his death in 1854. Charlotte slipped out of the records, appearing in fashionable Cheltenham again in the 1851 census. She remained in the city close to her brother William and sister-in-law Julia until her death in 1874, unmarried but living in comfort.
Image from Sam_Ig on Pixabay
The Phoenix Brewery was based at the eastern end of Priestgate, opposite…
Thanks to the Churchwardens Accounts of St John's Church in Peterborough…
In 1536 a Tudor house called Neville Place was built by Humphrey Orme, w…