Below are a selection of events for November 1860 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 1860 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.
| November | ||||||
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| 4 | 5 | 6* | 7 | 8* | 9* | 10* |
| 11 | 12 | 13* | 14* | 15 | 16 | 17* |
| 18 | 19* | 20* | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24* |
| 25* | 26* | 27* | 28* | 29* | 30* | |
1.—Arthur Ballard, aged 11, appeared before the Kensington board of Guardians, charged with running away from Plashet School at 1.30 p.m. on 29 October. He was running away to his aunt, but didn’t know where she lived so went to his brother at 3, James’s Place. He was sent back to school with a good trashing.
3.—John Cordy Smith, 5, Devonshire Terrace, Notting Hill was advertising a large elegant assortment of watches etc. under a headline of “Wedding, Birth-Day and Christmas Presents” in the West London Observer. The first Christmas advertisement of the year.
6.—The Acton Choral Society gave a concert in the National School-Room. Mr. Martin’s comic songs “drew down much applause”. Mr. Lawrence, conductor, “equalled himself.”
8.—The Fulham meteorological report for the week ending 8 December, found the temperature to range from 38.9 to 53.6, with 0.48 inches of rain, falling 6 days out of 7. The West London Observer carried a detailed weekly meteorological report.
9.—George Wheeler, a gentleman’s coachman of Alfred Mews, Brompton appeared at Hammersmith Police Court charged with brutal treatment to a child (his son, George Wheeler) in an attack. The child’s face was dreadfully disfigured, there was a large cut down one cheek, one black eye etc. Sent to House of Correction for 14 days.
10.—A committee of residents was to be formed to clean up Shepherd’s Bush Common. “The effuvia arising from a large number of open ditches, coupled with the presence of a large number of diseased horses and other cattle ... deteriorate the atmosphere.”
10.—T. Caught, opposite the church, Turnham Green, started to make his celebrated Pork and Beef Sausages from a recipe used at Windsor Castle. Pork Sausages 10d., beef, 6d. per lb. Fine pickled tongues were always available.
13.—At the Kensington Vestry Sewers’ Committee there were applications for leave to drain premises being built on west side of Kensington Park Road, 6 houses on west side of “The Boltons”, 11 houses on the east side of Argyle Road, one on south side of Upper Phillimore Gardens. All approved. A new gully was to be constructed in Addison Road, Kensington.
14.—A sculler’s match in outriggers for £100, between George Hammerton of Teddington and George Drewett of Chelsea, both around 24 years old, was held from Putney to Mortlake. It was won by Hammerton in 24½ minutes.
17.—Henry Skiffen, who belongs to the fraternity of “Bath Chair-men” pleaded guilty to unlawfully drawing a Bath chair on the pavement. The parish has spent 9 years trying to put down the “bath chair nuisance.” Fined 20s. plus 2s. costs.
19.—Rev. P. M. Holden’s lecturer at Chiswick Hall on “The Rifle Movement,” yielded a profit of £22 which went to the Chiswick Company. (Reported 15 December).
20.—Notting Hill Baths, 146 High Street, held their regular Tuesdays and Fridays Ladies’ Baths for “first class only” at 1s., between the hours of ten and four.
24.—“Several charitable Ladies gave completely furnished beds to the accident wards of the West of London Hospital ... ” says the editorial. It was meant to have been reported in the previous week’s paper, but has not been found so far.
24.—Alfred Bird, Cambridge Road, Hammersmith was advertising a variety of Christmas presents. Hampers (one bottle of: port, sherry, rum, whiskey, old Tom and pale brandy) for £1. Cash on delivery.
25.—Lance-Corporal William Price of the South Middlesex Rifles, having been twice drunk within a month (second occasion when in uniform), was discharged. Lord Viscount Ranelagh of Musgrove House, Fulham, was the regiment’s Lieut.-Colonel. The regiment’s headquarters were Beaufort House, North End Road, Fulham.
26.—A little boy, Martin Connolly, an inmate of St. Philip’s Orphanage, Fulham Road, West Brompton, was found guilty of stealing 1s. 5d. from another boy and at the suggestion of a Roman Catholic Clergyman, was sent to Hammersmith Reformatory for five years. “The prisoner was then locked up, crying.”
27.—Christopher Shepherd, Campden Place, Kensington lost a case under the Nuisances Removal Act, for keeping swine upon his premises. He had been defended by his wife.
28.—Kensington Vestry received a letter from Matthew Field, 12 Queen’s Road, proposing the adoption of a free library in the parish. Mr. Field “essayed to address the Vestry from the public part of the Hall, but the Chairman told him they could not hear him.” On 8th December Mr. Field had a letter on the subject published in the West London Observer.
29.—At the Kensington Board of Guardians the Rev. Swift, Roman Catholic Priest residing in Addison Terrace, “in a very excited state” complained he had be “baulked, as usual” when trying to visit inmates, and claimed “a system of proselyting” was going on. In a heated discussion Rev. Swift observed “however wicked the Irish people were, they would not change their religion.” It ended with the Chairman declaring no cause for complaint, and the Rev. Swift leaving.
29.—No. 2 Company (Fulham) of the South Middlesex Rifle Volunteers had a banquet at the head-quarters, Beaufort House, Captain Hammersley in the chair, supported by Viscount Ranelagh.
30.—The Bishop of London consecrated the newly-built chancel added to St. Barnabas Church, Kensington, with upwards of fifty of the neighbouring clergy present. Afterwards there was a collation in the schoolroom, where lay parishioners could met the bishop.