August 2018 John Bolton, 1855-1915: first John Bolton married Dorothy Harding in 1889, and James was born in 1890. Staying local historian of with them, in the 1891 census at 19 Mayo

Cockermouth, Lorton, and Street, later Ivy House, was Dinah Lancaster,

Loweswater. aged 88, who was Dorothy’s grandmother. an article by Derek Denman She had been born in 1802 at Low Hollins, John Bolton is best known to Society Brackenthwaite, and ‘although blind and members for his lecture Lorton and rather deaf her mental faculties are Thanks to Sandra and Richard Our Autumn Visit to Caldbeck Loweswater 80 years ago, given at Lorton unimpaired and her memory good and from the Chair by Tim Stanley-Clamp in 1891 Less well known is his more reliable. … what a storehouse of old world scholarly study of Cockermouth in recollections is her memory’. Mrs Lancaster’s The Society’s 2018 AGM was notable for the On 1 January, 1901, the first day of the new Wordsworth’s birthplace, of 1912, which is recollections add the colour of oral history to fact that it was the occasion when Sandra century, Richard Greenup took a walk a study of the development of modern civil the research that John Bolton presented in Shaw stepped down as Honorary Secretary round his home village and later wrote it up administration in the town. Despite these 1891, at the invitation of W L after fourteen years on the committee and for his neighbours, eventually publishing it works, little has been written about him. Alexander, the squire of Lorton, and ten as secretary. On a personal note, I could under the title John Bolton was born in 1855 to probably at Lorton School. The text is at hardly have wished for a more effective and A Walk Round Our Village of Hannah and James Bolton, a stonemason, www.derwentfells.com/pdfs/JohnBolton.pdf efficient person in the role from the moment Caldbeck, Cumberland either in Main Street or following a move where, for example, Bill Jennings, the I was elected Chairman. On the First Morning of the Twentieth to Derwent Street. John had an older maltster and father of the first brewer, is Century, New Year’s Day January 1st brother, Joseph, aged five, but his sister, described as ‘a fine looking old man , fresh 1901. Dinah, had died in 1854, aged four. and full of face, and used to .wear a bottle Our Autumn Visit on September 26 Elizabeth Hannah arrived in 1860, and green coat, a real swallow tail with bright will take us to Caldbeck where members of James in 1861-2. By 1871, the brass buttons. He wore knee breeches tied the local history society have generously stonemason trade had expanded into a with tape, but she cannot remember his offered to act as our guides. Re-tracing substantial building business employing shoes, whether he wore buckles or not, but Richard Greenup’s steps will form part of sixteen men. very likely he would’. the programme and there is an interesting The first son would usually go into In 1891 John Bolton was still just 36. His and important Church to see. Lunch will be the family business, and the second would main work was published in 1912, just three provided at the village pub. We plan to find other employment. John trained as a years before his death in 1915, aged 59. travel by coach, Leaving Lorton Tennis Club teacher, though details have not been Wordsworth’s birthplace: being the parochial at 9.30, picking up at Boots in Cockermouth sought, and in January 1877, at age 22, history and local government of the ancient he became the master in charge of Lorton Borough of Cockermouth, is a scholarly piece Sandra Shaw and returning to Lorton by 4.00. The cost On behalf of members of the Society I will be £10 each for the coach, plus the cost school. He held this position well into of historical writing, almost wholly from would like to reiterate what I said at the AGM of lunch. 1882, lodging for some time at what is records. It is set out chronologically as the in expressing very grateful thanks for all that now Kent Cottage, High Lorton. During progression of Cockermouth’s civic Sandra has done for it over the years. And I this period he gained much personal development up to the 1860s – after which, can report that at its meeting in July, in knowledge of Lorton. Meanwhile, the to him, it was no longer history. He notes his recognition of her much-appreciated work, Cockermouth family had moved to a smart father’s works as a contractor, but within a the Committee offered honorary membership house at 3 Skiddaw View. general recognition of the Cockermouth of the Society to Sandra which she has John’s career in teaching ended in people who had been responsible for the accepted. I should add that the Committee 1882, aged about 26, and that he moved market town’s development, and sometimes hasn’t lost her contribution to its back to the family business in for holding it back. The publication was deliberations, as she has been co-opted as a Cockermouth. The cause of this seems to funded by subscriptions from the middle committee member for the current year. be two family tragedies in 1879. First his classes of Cockermouth and its environs. Nor has the Committee lost Richard younger brother, James, died aged 18, Perhaps the curious title helped to swell the Easton as a member. Although he has and then his older brother was drowned in list to over 200 names, some of whom might handed on the baton for organising and Bassenthwaite, aged 30. By 1881, the have expected more notice of Wordsworth administering the annual programme of bi- Caldbeck business employed only 8 men, and in inside. monthly Talks to me, after four years 1885, John’s father died aged 62. After John Bolton’s two works provide an successfully and efficiently running them, for To reserve a place please send a late 1882, John joined the family business, invaluable resource for anyone interested in which on behalf of members I express cheque payable to L&DFLHS giving your and after the death of his father, John had the history of Cockermouth, Lorton and grateful thanks to him, he will continue to contact details. Please address it to Tim sole charge of the business as a builder Loweswater. Perhaps it is no co-incidence contribute his skills to the running of the Stanley-Clamp. and freestone quarrymen. That business that the Cocker Valley, from Loweswater to Society, particularly with IT. Reply Slip enclosed. needed to support his mother and Cockermouth, also contains the homes of Charles Lambrick unmarried sister, who moved to South most members of the Society. Street, probably when John married. John’s mother lived on to be 82. Our future programme 2018 Our Spring Visit – a report Watermills, Roman Legions by Tim Stanley-Clamp 13 ‘Breaking up is hard to do’: selling the Dr Alan Crosby and Benjamin Franklin join us on Facebook September Lowther Estates in West Cumberland We enjoyed a beautiful day in May at

26 Outing to Caldbeck by coach see the insert Mirehouse, the family home of the Spedding The Society’s Facebook page attracts much September family since 1802. Mirehouse had only two interest. My post about Double Mills, one of weeks earlier been the subject of a talk by 08 November Markets to Supermarkets: 200 years of Dr Michael the 15 watermills for which Cockermouth was its present owner, John Spedding, who gave shopping Winstanley once renowned, attracted over 4,000 viewers us a fascinating insight into his family’s Talks are at the Yew Tree Hall at 7.30pm unless stated otherwise. Visitors £3. Please and many shares. many connections with the intellectual and do not park to the left of the entrance (looking from outside) as the road is narrow. artistic history of the middle years of the

nineteenth century. In fact, the list of Officers and Committee 2017/18 prominent artists and intellectuals with President Professor Angus Winchester Financial examiner Peter Hubbard whom the family was connected throughout these years reads like a prospectus for a Charles 01900 85710 Lena Stanley- 01900 336542 treatise on early Victorian intellectual Lambrick Clamp history. Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy, Chairman Membership Coleridge, Southey, Carlyle, Fitzgerald, Ruskin, Constable were all visitors and Derek Denman 01900 829097 Tim Stanley- 01900 336542 Alfred Tennyson wrote much of the Idylls of Secretary, derekdenman@bt Clamp the King and In Memoriam while staying Wanderer internet.com Outings there. There was evidence too of the Christopher 01900 822171 Mike Bacon Richard Esaton energetic part played by members of the Thomas Fiona Lambrick Hugh Thomson family in the cultural life of the period. Treasurer Committee James Spedding wrote a respected Double Mills – photo by the author biography of Francis Bacon, while Anthony members A post by Mark Hatton, shared from the Froude, a cousin, spent most of his adult life Lake District & Cumbria Life page, told of the involved in controversy, often rancorous, at inscriptions on the banks of the river Gelt near The next issue of the Wanderer will be published on 1 Nov 2018. Please send any the highest levels of the nation’s intellectual Brampton, a major quarry where Roman short items to the Editor, Derek Denman in early October. life. He was expelled from his fellowship for Legions worked the faces to build and The Wanderer is published by the Lorton & Derwent Fells Local History Society, 19 publishing The Nemesis of Faith, which maintain the Roman wall. The men left Low Road Close, Cockermouth CA13 0GU. intervened in the increasingly bitter religious inscriptions dated AD 207: “A detachment of http://www.derwentfells.com disputes prompted by the Oxford Movement the second legion Augusta worked these rock https://www.facebook.com/Lortonlocalhistorysociety of the 1840s. faces, under Agricola” or “The century of Diary dates There is a lovingly preserved early Julius Peculiaris detachment of the Twentieth Cockermouth Heritage Group free exhibition The end of the war and a new Victorian ambience in Mirehouse which Legion Valeria Victrix”. beginning runs at the Kirkgate Centre from 30 July until 12 August, 10am – 4 pm somehow manages to communicate both The announcement of our July talk about The CLHF Convention and AGM is on Saturday 6 Oct at Newbiggin Village Hall, the cultural importance outlined in John the 18th century Cumbrian physician and CA11 0HT. The Convention is £12, including lunch, and starts at 10.30. Subject: The Spedding’s talk and also its role as a much scientist, William Brownrigg FRS, stimulated Victoria County History of Cumbria: Studies in Local History. loved family home. We saw this in the lively feedback from the Facebook

Library, with many of the publications it community. It provided photographs of the played host to, and the nursery with its houses lived in by this distinguished, but recollections of children at play. Outside the little-known man, and a link to the US Our Society moves forward Thanks to a good response to grounds stretch down to the shoreline of Government archives holding a letter to by Derek Denman requests, the Society now has a committee Bassenthwaite Lake, through the fields and Brownrigg from the American politician of ten and is able to fully resource its woods past the lovely Church of St Bega. Benjamin Franklin. The two men shared a At our AGM in June, some important activities. More than that, we expect to On a personal note, this was the passion for science and experiments, changes were made. Firstly, it was agreed develop our programme further, increasing eleventh or twelfth time I had visited although Franklin’s letter of 7 November 1773 that our membership year should be the member benefits, and to carefully extend Mirehouse – everyone who comes to stay reveals also some amusing domestic details calendar year. Consequently, this year our local history offering to members. gets taken there – but Mr Spedding’s talk about Brownrigg’s household. contains two extra months, and the One project is to consider the development and his generous welcome and introduction You can follow us on Facebook at November talk. of the Wanderer, to provide more content on the day of the visit helped me see it with www.facebook.com/Lortonlocalhistorysociety Secondly, our Constitution was and interest. If you have views on what you fresh eyes and made it memorable / You do not need an account to view. changed to require a privacy policy. You would like to see, please contact me or any Lena Stanley-Clamp can find the new Constitution and Privacy committee member. on our website, www.derwentfells.com .