Below are a selection of events for January 1862 showing what was happening around George Borrow and his family. The Borrows lived in 22 Hereford Square, Brompton, London, from September 1860 until George finally left in the second half of 1874.
The page for the 1862 gives a bit more background and links to pages explaining the sources and other months/years.
This is an on-going effort, and is expected to be updated. David would especially link to thank the wonderful staff at Kensington Local Studies for all of their help in researching this.
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1.—From this date until further notice South Kensington Museum would close Wednesday evenings and instead open on Saturday evenings until 10 p.m. Admission free.
4.—P.C. Ryan discovered three ragged and destitute Italian boys lying on straw in a field of Mr. Atwood’s, market gardener, Kensington. Whilst the Italian minister in Park Lane had offered to send them back to Italy, they declined as “they could not obtain sufficient support in their own country.”
6.—A Christmas Tea meeting would be held at 5 p.m. at Oaklands Chapel, Shepherds Bush, to welcome Rev. Charles Graham, their new pastor. Tickets 6d.
8.—At Kensington Vestry Mr. Maydwell commented on the slow progress of the Brompton Road improvements which lead to a “somewhat warm and personal discussion”. Mr. Freeman (chairman) and Mr. Broadbridge (surveyor) explained it was “no easy task to persuade owners of waste land to give up property without compensation.”
11.—In the West London Observer Gaspere Guarnerio, 28 High Street, Kensington, announced a sale with immense reductions on Christmas Present Fancy Stock. No reasonable offer refused. Gold watches from 3½ guineas.
13.—No. 2 Company, South Middlesex Rifle Volunteers, would resume drill, now with arms, at 6 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays at Knightsbridge Barracks, Fridays at 7.30 p.m. at Beaufort House.
14.—Frederick Perfect, 19, a painter, was charged before Hammersmith Police Court with neglecting to maintain his wife, Maria, of Kensington. Frederick said he’d been forced by Maria’s father to marry her in June 1861, and Maria said he’d left her on 24 August after she told him she’d been “intimate” with her own father and brothers. Frederick fined 10s.
15.—At Beauford House, Walham Green, under the patronage of Viscount Ranelagh and Hon. Edward C. Curzon, the South Middlesex Rifle Corps band would give a grand concert in aid of the band fund. Vocalists were Miss Saunders, Miss Marian Wheatley, Mr. Suchet Champion and Mr. C. Henry. Henry Wheatley would conduct.
18.—The West London Observer’s editorial was astonished at the progress in building the International Exhibition at South Kensington, due to be finished 1st February. They were also concerned that the local roads would not be sufficient for the crowds expected. In particular, Brompton Road hadn’t been widened.
20.—At the weekly meeting of the North End and West Kensington Philanthropic Society at the Hand and Flower, Hammersmith Gate, the previous year’s accounts were reported: donations £25 9d.; subscriptions £12 8s. 9d., surplus from the Cremorne Fete £5 1s. 9d.; £22 2s. relief given in money, £9 14s. 6d. in coals.
22.—At Brompton County Court (first reference in print) the case of Byny v. Prowse was heard over £14 of monies received from members of Kensington Det. 29th Volunteers, and not accounted for. At Kensington Vestry members of the Press first sat in the box specially provided for them, their numbers having increased.
24.—At the bankruptcy court Stephen Froud (otherwise John Henry Froud), a builder of Lansdowne Road North, Notting Hill, applied for a bankruptcy discharge. £634 was owed to unsecured credits, £3,518 to secured; property given up to assignees was £15 and property in the hands of creditors £4,450. Bankruptcy allowed to pass but discharge adjourned for another month.
25.—A proprietor of several houses needed £250 to finish a new one and offered the best security. Contact J. G. at the offices of the West London Observer.
27.—The Ven. Archdeacon Sinclair, Vicar of Kensington, opened the New School for Girls in Church Court.
29.—A letter from J. E. Bradfield, 19 Strand, appeared in the Daily News, claiming there was a plan to erect toll-gates in Hyde Park and that the Commissioners of the Exhibition were behind it. “Tyburnia has a right to endeavour to get to Brompton” but this could not justify the “desecration of a public park with ‘legalised highwaymen’”.