Archived Extracts

  On Tuesday, Mr. G.G. Bonser, J.P., visited the Liberal Club, Sutton, to give one of his lectures upon Sutton in the 18th century. The visit had been anticipated by the older members of this well-known local institution, but, judging by the large attendance, the younger generation were equally as eager to listen to stories of the days of yere. The officials of the club had extended invitations to many friends, and over the large gathering Councillor T. Barnes (president) occupied the chair supported by Councillors A. Pepper and C.A. Morley.
  The Chairman briefly introduced the lecturer and expressed pleasure at seeing such a number of old Suttonians present. This proved that, not only was Mr. Bonser interested in his subject, but that all present were interested also.

  Speaking of the eighteenth century, Mr. Bonser said it was a most wonderful time and full of interesting episodes. In the year 1700 Sutton was famous for its stockings, as it has been ever since. The wills of the people showed how sheep were left to successive families, also one or two stocking frames. There were no such delightful things as tea, coffee or cocoa; they drank small beer. The people were happy and made almost everything they needed. The price of a sheep was only 3s. 6d., a cow 30s., and a horse a little more, but these prices could not be compared with a shilling to-day.
  The century also produced fine characters. Looking over the wills of the Brandreths, Clays and Ellis's they were able to see how the people did live. The church was the principal building in the parish, and a most beautiful place it was. It was built nearly one thousand years ago, and, when they looked at the mortar that held the great church together, then looked at the mortar in the Council houses, they would easily see how marvellous their church was. (Laughter.)

  In the year 1745 the Rev. John Green was its priest, though he resided at Pleasley. There was a great attendance of the people, and it was found necessary to erect galleries for further accommodation. The son of the Rev. Thomas Hart was Vicar in 1794 and resided in Low Street at what was now the Brick and Tile Inn. But the Non-conformists were a hundred years earlier, and several families of Quakers worshipped, leaving, according to their wills, certain amounts for the poor. The Congregationalists held a licence to preach in 1672, Samuel Nowell belonging to the cause; also Samuel Wilson, an excellent man, John Barrett, Jacob Brettel and a Mr. Rhodes.
  The Particular Baptists commenced at the close of the 18th century when Rev Abram Booth was the pastor; also Rev. James Whitehead, his son Joseph a self instructed philosopher and an inventor of an orrery where the sun, moon and stars were seen to revolve.
  The Rev. Abram Booth would walk to Nottingham and back on a Sunday to preach "What will a man do?" asked Mr. Bonser, "when he is earnest in his desire for truth?" "Let me say, " proceeded the lecturer " that truth is - facts as they are and not as we believe them to be." He urged them to be cautious in their thinking. "Do not pin your faith to something you are not sure of."

  The Chartist movement came about in 1840. Magnificent men were these, but they were in a hurry. The great reforms for which they pleaded, and which we now possessed without hardly knowing it had come to pass, would have been theirs fifty years before had this hurry been a slower one. He had seen the Waster Lane (Walstone Place) Baptist Church minute book, and it was a treasure. Mr. Bonser said he desired to pay his tribute to the Baptists; in 1774 they were wonderful men. The origin of the Wesleyan cause in Sutton was difficult ot find, but it was about 18th century. In 1812 a chapel was built in Low Street, now the shop of Messrs. Melins As a boy he remembered hearing Richard Hook, and when the church was pulled down he secured the stone erected in 1812 and presented it to the church in Outram Street.
  Neither was education neglected, for while the ladies knitted the children brought their pence for learning to read and write. "Education should he to draw out, not to drive in," said Mr. Bonser in a delightful homely appeal, but he regretted to think the pendulum had swung too far the other way in driving in. "Is it not a fat that we do not do enough thinking?" It was important that a boy leaving school should begin then to learn.

  Mr. John Hunt was the schoolmaster in 1749, and Sutton began to be favoured as a beautiful and interesting place. The pretty stream, with various kinds of fish, which passed through the back of Swan Street became famous for miles around. The Rev. Thomas Cursham, Vicar of Annesley, built the school house at the end of Hardwick Lane, in 1795 the National schools were erected, and in 1876 the School Board Act came into operation.
  The Brandreths were the largest farmers in the parish, and Richard, who was a fine man of the Cromwell type, was the registrar of the parish. In 1811 John Brandreth thought the invention of the machine was a danger to them, and he too was in a hurry. The new frames of Mr. Betts in Low Street were broken up and buried. "It proved to be a great mistake," said Mr. Bonser, "for the great art of thinking men is to guide, and man must have sound premises in his thinking either on religion or in politics."
  At the end of the 18th century John Haslam, a builder and contractor, built Cursham House, and the mill alongside the Dam, where an experienced workman was paid 1s. 2d. per day. Money, however, was only relative value, for when the church galleries were built there were engaged horses and men and drays to gather timber from Norwood Park, to make the galleries, and the cost was 10s. for the lot of them, said the lecturer. (Laughter.)

  The family of Unwin came from Budby, and they saw a future in the sale of cloth. It was wonderful stuff, it never wore out. They established a warehouse in Mount Street and put in looms. But the wife was the maker of this flourishing business. Married in 1735 she would ride horseback to London in three days, receiving orders and selling the cloth. Then the mill was erected and power machinery introduced, and every time the water-wheel went round people said "That's nother guinea in the Unwin's pockets."
  John Allwood built in 1724 a chapel which was behind the surgery of Dr. Donald, and this was occupied until the opening of the King Street Congregational Chapel. In it Samuel Unwin died. He had established a bank and issued notes. Mr. Bonser stated that he possessed a cheque dated 1810 which had an illustration of the dam and mill upon it.
  The parish maintained its own poor, and the workhouse was built in 1776. It was difficult to manage, and in 1790 Dr. Wilson, of Huthwaite, was its medical officer for 5s. per week. In 1816 the population of Sutton was 3,400, only 248 could pay rates, and 1,700 figured on the poor rate.
  The enclosure of the Forest was spoken of as a bad thing, but it proved unmitigated good. In 1797 the people of Forest Side began to build. In 1795 Henry Jephson was born in High Street. He built Leamington House and left legacies for the Chapel at Forest Side, and the old church. In Leaminton there is a memorial to his memory, yet they cannot give him an avenue for his famous name in the town of his birth.

  Spencer Timothy Hall lived in Brook Side, and after describing the house in which he resided, Mr. Bonser said he was a great poet, and as an illustration of his works Mr. Bonser very gracefully gave the following lines on "My Native Cottage."

  How beauteously the sunlit foliage waves
  Around this white-walled cottage in the dale!
  By its green hedge how light the young brook laves
  Joyfully laughing at its own sweet tale!
  What fragrance from these elders balms the gale,
  And, mark, where the old bowery willow throws
  Its tresses o'er the mossy-grey garden rail,
  How the bush woodbine dallies with the rose,
  And many a neighbour flower in pride and beauty blows!

  Concluding by a reference to his plans of the Forest and low Street Mr. Bonser referred to James Whetton, carrier, John Chambers, who managed all the roads in the parish, James Jackson, etc.
  Mr. Bonser received a warm cheer when he concluded.
  A vote of thanks to the speaker was proposed by Councillor A. Pepper, and seconded by Mr. Bewley. Mr. Bonser suitably replied. Mr. Bonser promised to give a further lecture to the members.