Leicestershire Historian No 42 (2006) Contents Editorial 2 The Coming of Printing to Leicester John Hinks 3 “What is a Town without a Newspaper?” The formative years of newspapers in Loughborough up to the First World War Diana Dixon 7 The Jewish Burial Grounds at Gilroes Cemetery, Leicester Carol Cambers 11 Is Sutton in the Elms the oldest Baptist Church in Leicestershire? Erica Statham 16 “Sudden death sudden glory” A gravestone at Sutton in the Elms Jon Dean 17 Barwell Rectory in the 19th and early 20th centuries John V.G. Williams 18 A Survival from Georgian Leicester: Number 17 Friar Lane Terry Y. Cocks 21 Poor Relief in Nailstone 1799 Kathy Harman 24 The Prince Regent’s Visit to Belvoir, 1814 J. D. Bennett 27 “So hot an affair” Leicestershire men in the Crimean War – the Great Redan Robin P. Jenkins 29 Stephen Hilton – Industrialist, Churchman and Mayor Neil Crutchley 33 Nature in Trust: The First 50 Years of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust Anthony Squires 36 Opening up village history to the world: Leicestershire Villages Web Portal project Chris Poole 40 The Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Historic Landscape Characterisation project John Robinson 42 University of Leicester – completed M.A. dissertations about Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Centre for English Local 43 History Recent Publications Ed John Hinks 46 Editor: Joyce Lee Published by the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, The Guildhall, Leicester, LE1 5FQ 2006 Leicestershire Historian 2006 Editorial The articles in this years Leicestershire Historian once again demonstrate the overall diversity of the subject, some of the richness of the sources available, and the varying ways in which locality can be interpreted. The press in Leicestershire is the subject of two articles. Using a wide variety of national and local sources, John Hinks provides a welcome article on the coming of printing to Leicester, the earliest extant item printed in Leicester being a single execution broadside in the British Library. On a related theme, Diana Dixon brings to life the development of the newspapers in Loughborough and some of the colourful characters involved through the words of rival editorials. Early newspapers and contemporary magazines are the primary source material used by J. D. Bennett to piece together the Prince Regents visit to Belvoir Castle in 1814. A sharp contrast with contemporary conditions elsewhere is brought out in Kathy Harmans exploration of a resolution to supplement poor relief in Nailstone in 1799, showing also how a single document can pose an interesting challenge! Less reliant on documentary evidence and more on personal memories and oral recollections, John Williams gives a very readable and often amusing account of a lost way of life at Barwell Rectory, formerly one of Leicestershires grander rectories. Two further articles are based on buildings, but from different perspectives. Terry Cocks delves into the story behind one of Leicesters finest domestic eighteenth century frontages, Number 17 Friar Lane. In contrast, Erica Statham focusses on the small annex of Sutton in the Elms Baptist church, investigating the belief that both the building and congregation are amongst the oldest in the county, and also possibly nationally. An informative insight into the history of the Jewish Burial grounds at Leicesters Gilroes Cemetery, along with the interpretation of inscriptions on Jewish gravestones, are the subject of Carol Cambers article. Robin Jenkins concentrates this time on the Great Redan, a little-known aspect of the Crimean War, using the diaries and writings of Leicestershire soldiers, whilst Neil Crutchley takes up the story of Stephen Hilton and the Hilton boot and shoe empire. The growing interest in natural and landscape history is reflected in two of this years articles. Anthony Squires charts the history of the first 50 years of the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust against a background of changes in agricultural practice, government legislation and a growing public interest. John Robinson describes Leicestershire County Councils historic landscape characterisation project which should become a welcome source of online information, as should the Leicestershire Villages Web Portal project. This edition also aims to highlight and disseminate the breadth and variety of research work carried out by students at the University of Leicester Centre for English Local History. I am doubly grateful to John Hinks this year, not only for his article on the origins of printing in Leicester, but also for the excellent job which he and his team of reviewers have once again done on identifying and reviewing a comprehensive range of new local publications, and producing what is a particularly valuable part of the Leicestershire Historian. My especial thanks go to Alan McWhirr for his invaluable support in putting this edition together along with its design and production. The Leicestershire Historian aims to promote the study of the countys history by providing a platform for established and new authors, and through encouraging the pursuit of research and project work. It also aims to publicise the work of local groups and organisations, and seeks to raise the awareness of research sources. Contributions for future editions are welcome from individuals, local groups, museums and other organisations and should be sent to the Editor for consideration. Articles can be short half-page items or longer in-depth pieces, and can be submitted at any time. If you would like to discuss an idea in advance, please contact the Editor. Joyce Lee, Editor Leicestershire Historian 2006 The Coming of Printing to Leicester John Hinks eicester in the middle years of the eighteenth century N.B. The said M. Unwin wou’d take an Apprentice, was described by the historian James Thompson as if he could meet with a sober industrious Youth, and ‘rapidly emerging from the dullness and slowness of one that would be willing to buy the Stock and the small market town to a state more important’ (1), Materials when out of his time. Or he will sell to any Lreflecting that, in common with many other English young Bookseller or Printer, all his Stock of Books, provincial towns, this was a period of many ‘improvements’, Stationary Ware and Printing Materials (immediately some inspired by the local Corporation and some by or at any time before next Spring) either for ready imaginative entrepreneurs. Alongside a number of Money or Annuity for his Life; whose ill State of environmental innovations, there were important cultural Health retards the Pleasure of Business and he having developments, not least the introduction to the town of the no proper Assistant, prevents him from going to drink craft of printing, and also the production of the town’s first the Waters or using such Methods as may conduce to newspaper. (2) In many towns these two developments his Recovery. The Value will be about 200 l. [£200] occurred more or less simultaneously, often being the work all which, and more, has been gained since 1739, he of a single person, but printing came to Leicester a decade or having paid all his debts. (7) so ahead of the town’s first newspaper. The arrival of printing in any town was an event of some significance, not The Angel Inn, which stretched from Cheapside to the old least because of the increasing need of local businesses for town wall (alongside Gallowtree Gate), had been the town’s printed advertising, packaging, labels and commercial main hostelry since the sixteenth century and many stationery. Many printers also printed books and pamphlets, distinguished visitors stayed there. Unwin’s location ‘over often of local interest, and some introduced a newspaper. against’ the Angel was a prime trading location. They also made a practical contribution to cultural developments by printing posters, programmes and tickets I have not been able to trace Unwin’s forebears with any for the theatre, concerts, balls, race meetings and suchlike. certainty but it seems probable that his father was Birmingham’s first printer, also Matthew Unwin. One The coming of printing to Leicester in 1740/41 was late in important source assumes that the Birmingham printer and comparison with other towns of similar importance: the Leicester one were the same person. (8) However, this Nottingham was ahead of Leicester by almost thirty years, would mean that Unwin (born in 1700?) was printing on his several printers being established there before 1740. (3) own account, in Birmingham, while still in his teens and was Likewise, the first newspaper, the Leicester Journal , did not subsequently apprenticed to a Leicester bookseller several appear until 1752, later than in most comparable towns. I years later, a most unlikely scenario. The earliest trace of have discussed elsewhere (4) the activities of John Gregory, Matthew Unwin in Leicester is his freedom on 20 August Leicester’s second printer and the proprietor of the Journal – 1727. (9) The date of his binding as an apprentice to the the present article focuses on the work of Matthew Unwin, bookseller John Ward is not recorded but must have been the town’s first printer. (5) around 1720. A 1728 advertisement in the Stamford Mercury records Matthew Unwin trading as a bookseller in Unfortunately, we know much less about Unwin than Loughborough and Ashby de la Zouch, offering for sale a Gregory, as the latter made extensive use of his newspaper work entitled Dialogues Between Two Young Ladies . (10) to advertise his own goods and services in some detail. The Unwin is mentioned in other advertisements in the Stamford most important evidence for Matthew Unwin comes from Mercury , for example: his own hand. In a printed catalogue dating from 1743, he advertised as follows: This Day is Published. An Historical Narration of the Whole Bible. In Two Parts..