Below are a selection of events for May 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.
| May | ||||||
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1* | 2* | 3* | ||||
| 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 | 31* |
1.—The opening of the Great Exhibition was the event of the week. Before 8 a.m. a jam of carriages had formed from the Exhibition (now Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road) back to Knightsbridge and Hyde Park. 30,000–40,000 visitors attended on the first day, including the Duke of Cambridge, Japanese Ambassador and Crown Prince of Prussia. [wlo 3 May]
2.—Between 6 and 7 p.m., a crowd having gathered at the corner of Norland Road near Shepherd’s Bush Gate to watch some performing dogs, Joseph Bliss, a drunken draymen, drove at them and knocked down and killed a little boy, Davis, 3½. [wlo 10 May]
3.—The parents of boarders at Douro House School, St. John’s Wood, were informed that boarders would be moving to Newton House, Church Street, Kensington, in May. [wlo 3 May]
3.—A General Servant was wanted for a Tradesman’s Family: wages £10 per annum, everything found, family washing put out and a boy to assist. Must be good cook, Irish objected to. [wlo 3 May]
5.—“Verax” wrote a reply to the West London Observer concerning “The Church and Her Enemies” (which had been running in the Correspondence columns for months). He defended the still unnamed Incumbent who “gabbled prayers”, the attendees who arrived late, the “abominable roaring of the Organ” and the “bad attempt at singing.” [wlo 10 May]
7.—At the Kensington Annual May Elections, Brompton Ward, Messrs. Edwyn, Allum, Baines, Buckley, Fitch, Freake, Gutteries, Peck, Scott and Vincent retired. All were re-elected except for Allum, Buckley and Vincent: Robert Turner, Edward Green and James Kendell were elected in their sted. [wlo 10 May]
10.—R. Nash, 5 Brook Green Lane, Broadway, Hammersmith, was again advertising his plumbing, painting, glazing, distempering etc. services: cheap and available at the shortest notice. [wlo 10 May]
12.—Matthew Fielde, St. David’s College, would preach a sermon in aid of the Working Classes’ National Albert Memorial Fund, at Monmouth Hall at 8 p.m. Admission free, reserved seats 6d. [wlo 10 May]
13.—Between 1 and 2 a.m. in Mr. Jacobson’s shop, (jeweller), 42 Westbourne Grove, Bayswater, a fire was discovered by the police who violently knocked the door to awake and save the inmates. The local engines arrived and it took an hour to put out. [wlo 16 May]
14.—Mr. Wilkins told Kensington Vestry that there were insufficient dust collectors in Brompton and if more were not recruited fever would become rampant in the poorer places. Mr. Green had been in contact with the contractor and two extra carts would be put on. [wlo 16 May]
16.—The West London Observer reported that during the past week the International Exhibition had been undergoing thorough changes and “now begins to present an appearance of completion.” Also, the turnstiles for registering visitors “have been brought to a sense of their duty.” [wlo 16 May]
20.—Miss Katharine Hickson would give an entertainment, “two hours with the tragic and comic muse,” at Westbourne Hall at 7.30 p.m. Stalls 5s., reserved seats 3s., family tickets (admit 4) 10s. 6d. Unreserved seats 2s., back seats 1s. Other performers included Henry Halford as Macbeth, Miss Stabbach and Signor Nappi (vocalists) and Master Arlidge, the infant wonder (flute). [wlo 10 May]
21.—The Royal Horticultural Society’s first great Exhibition took place at Kensington. The flower display was 200 feet by 130 and exceedingly beautiful. Unfortunately there were drenching showers all day, it was cold and the rain got through the canvass tent. Nearly £700 was distributed in prizes. [wlo 24 May]
22.—At Inverness Terrace, Bayswater, Police Sergeant 24 D., seeing two youths (John Collier and John Glawson) behaving strangely, stopped them and found Collier to be concealing a small dog under his coat. This was later identified as having been stolen from Eliza Johnston, 25 Kensington Gardens Square. At the Police Court a further case of dog-napping was brought against them. Remanded for a week. [wlo 31 May]
23.—The body of a respectably-dressed man, 45, was found in the Serpentine, Hyde-Park, by Mr. Farrar, 10 Raphael-street, Brompton. Dr. Christian was consulted and supposed death by drowning had occurred some hours before. A description of items found on the body was given to aid identification. [24 May]
24.—Vincent A. Morris, late of Kensington, was advertising his Hammersmith Riding School, 42a, St. Peter’s Square. Twelve lessons in the school £3 3s; on the road £5 5s. Horses broken for all purposes. [wlo 24 May]
27.—Thomas Sayers, Champion Chateau, Camden Town, London, with his “Mammoth Equestrian Company” which would be at Windsor Castle (27+28). Attractions included Brass Band, 40 American Cream-bred Horses, two hundred men and horses, William Mitchell, renowned Clown, Jim Powell, England’s Premier Horseman and his 8 beautiful children, troupes etc. Reserved seats 2s., boxes 1s., pit 6d. [wlo 10 May]
28.—On a crowded platform at Kew Bridge Railway station a middle-aged man was seen to stagger and fall, and when lifted was found to be dead. He had £100 on him and carried a letter which said “The bearer is John Ward, ... of Folkinghame, Lincolnshire ... in case of sudden death or accident by railway please write to my brother in law...” [wlo 31 May]
29.—The ancient ceremony of beating the bounds took place at Fulham. Starting at 9 a.m. the task took until 4 p.m. The railways had removed landmarks making the task necessary. Afterwards 20 parochial authorities sat down to an excellent dinner at the South Middlesex Riffle Volunteers, Beaufort House, Walham Green. [wlo 31 May]
31.—A memorial was available to sign at Mr. Cooper’s, Grocer, Union Terrace, Notting Hill; Mr. Grainger’s Tobacconist, Shepherd’s Bush and Mr. Stather’s, Draper, Norland Road, praying the West London Railway Company to build a Railway station at Shepherd’s Bush (the company had decided not to do so). [wlo 31 May].