Below are a selection of events for September 1866 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 1866 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.
| September | ||||||
| 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* | ||||||
1.—Page and George (late Miles), Pawnbrokers, 159 Marlborough road, Brompton, advised the public that they had a large stock of unredeemed pledges for sale including children’s clothing and bedding. This advert had been running weekly for some time, as stock was to be sold prior to alteration of premises. [cn 1 Sep]
1.—The gardener at the Manor House, Smith Street, King’s Road, Chelsea had a few hundred fuchsias and other choice window plants for sale at small prices. Also fine ripe Mulberries, fresh gathered, 6. per pound punnet. [cn 1 Sep]
3.—The autumn term would start at St. Leonard’s College for Ladies, 125 King’s Road, Chelsea (established 1842). Visitors included Rev. J. B. Owen (incumbent of St. Jude’s Chelsea), directors Mr. Smart and Mr. and Mrs. Eacott. English and Latin by Rev. J. Hunter, French Mr. Davière, Drawing Mr. Buss, resident French Governess etc. £8 8s. per annum (first class), extras include Pianoforte (2, 3, 6 guineas per annum), dancing 1 guinea per quarter, drill 15s. per annum, etc. [cn 1 September]
4.—There would be no class firing at Ealing for the 1st Middlesex Engineers (head quarters 67 College Street, Brompton) as No. 5 Company had the use of the range this day. [cn 1 Sep]
5.—The Reform League would hold a public meeting in the Vestry Hall to adopt means to press the demands of the people upon the Legislature in the next session of Parliament, and universal sufferage. The Chelsea branch holds meetings every Monday in the Admiral Keppel where members can be enrolled. [cn 1 Sep]
5.—In the morning some boys passing a pond in Latchmore Lane, Battersea, observed a black parcel in the water. Dragging it ashore they found it to be the body of a woman which police later described as around 23, 5ft. 4in. dark hair, black merino skirt, black lace bonnet, trimmed with blue ribbons. The body was taken to Wandsworth Union to be owned. [cn 8 Sep]
6.—Mrs. S. Cohorne, 2 Gloucester Terrace, Old Brompton, last saw her shawl and silk jacket, valued £2 10s. when she sent the jacket in a parcel to Victoria by Jane Fox, her lodger, which was later found to have been pawned by Fox. Later, more cases came forward of a similar nature. [wlo 29 Sept, wlo 6 Oct]
8.—Inhabitants of Chelsea and surrounding areas were asked to send lost and starving dogs to Edwin Paway, 18a Arthur Street, King’s Road, Chelsea who would forward them to a temporary home in Hollingworth Street. James Johnson, manager of the society also solicited donations. [cn 8 Sep]
8.—On this day the Brompton and Chelsea Volunteer Fire Brigade would remove to their new and commodious premises at the Admiral Keppel, Fulham Road. Superintendent H. Whittick and Secretary E. Bennett asked for messages to be forwarded there in future. [cn 15 Sep]
9.—Colonel Richard Ouseley was taken from Kensington Police Station to the workhouse and from there on the following day taken by Drs. Gardiner and Synnot to Clapton Lunatic Asylum, from which place he then escaped. [cn 15 Sep]
9.—Ann Bunce, aged 67, an inmate of Kensington workhouse had left the workhouse to visit a friend in Fulham Fields. Around midday William Spcier, an excavator living at Earl’s Court, was walking down Honey Lane, Brompton when he saw Bunce lying in the road: she breathed once or twice and expired. [wlo 15 Sept]
10.—“Scrutator” of Kensington wrote to the editor: it had been expected that the Old Church (St. Mary Abbots) would be closed and demolished, being inconvenient, ugly, very dirty and the vaults emitted foul smells. Instead the outside had been renovated but internal cleaning had been deferred. Archdeacon Sinclair should sort things out. [wlo 15 Sept]
11.—The Fulham Vestry heard a letter from Mr. Holland to Rev. S. B. Byers saying that Mr. Roberts of the Grove, Hammersmith, had applied for government permission for a burial ground ¼ mile west of North-End: did the Vestry know. This “raised a little storm ... and after some warm discussion” the Vestry would write to the government. [wlo 15 Sept]
11.—The numbers dying from cholera and diarrhœa in the last week (in London?) were published:
Death by |
Wed |
Thur |
Fri |
Sat |
Sun |
Mon |
Tues |
Cholera |
25 |
28 |
19 |
24 |
19 |
19 |
28 |
Diarrhœa |
20 |
14 |
20 |
23 |
16 |
16 |
16 |
13.—Following the resignation of Mr. Mann, Edwin Avery, clerk to the Guardians of Fulham Union Workhouse, advertised for a male nurse for the idiot wards, salary £30 per annum. Applicants must be single, between 30 and 50 and have prior experience. [wlo 15 Sept]
16.—“A lawyer’s clerk” wrote to the paper claiming the [Fulham?] Vestry clerk had gone crazy and unless he was restrained the Vestry would become his servants. As the law required notices to be posted (available for viewing) on Sunday, he’d insisted the beadle work on Sunday to put them up. [wlo 29 Sept]
17.—A match of bowls would be placed at Mr. Hartley’s, Bell and Anchor, Hammersmith for a handsome silver cup. It was signed by R. Pain, Hon. Secretary (reform league?) [cn 15 Sep]
19.—When Fulham Board of Works read last week’s minutes Mr. Brown said he hadn’t meant Uxbridge road pavement to have 150 yards of tar; Mr. Wells suggested postponing the tarring; Mr. Bean said it had been referred to committee; Mr. Lovely had written to Mr. Francis who said he’s not ordered it done; Mr. Lovely said someone had told he men the Board wanted it done, and they had already done it. General laughter. [wlo 22 Sept]
20.—Around 7 a.m. a horse and cart coming out of a gateway at the corner of Ovington Terrace (Brompton Road) knocked against the pillar of a gate where building operations were in progress. The pillar was knocked down causing about 20 yards of iron railings to collapse onto the pavement, crushing a poor man walking on the pavement. He was taken to St. George’s Hospital but faint hopes are entertained for his recovery. [cn 22 Sep]
21.—The children of the Fulham workhouse were treated to a visit to the Zoological Gardens (in four vans), the Zoological Society providing free admission. Afterwards they were taken to Primrose Hill and had dinner and games. A happy day was had by all. [wlo 29 Sept]
22.—Mrs. J. Hewell and Mr. J. M. Ford announced that their dancing academies would merge and would now meet in the Middle Class School Room, 136 King Street West, Hammersmith, on Monday and Friday evenings from 8.30 p.m. to 10 p.m. 10s. 6d. per quarter, or 4s. per month. [wlo 22 Sept]
22.—“A Subscriber’s” letter appeared in the paper condemning the practise of conveying the carcases of dead horses along the high road during busy times, e.g. when people were leaving Church. Covered carts or removal at an early hour would be better. [wlo 22 Sept]
23.—Around 5.30 a.m. an explosion of gas caused a fire broke out on the premises of Mr. Berry, 1a The Terrace, Kensington. The Kensington Engine soon arrived, and with assistance from two men called Chapman and Thompson the fire was confined. There was considerable damage to the stock in trade, but it was insured. [wlo 29 Sept]
24.—Patrick Vale of Jenning’s Buildings, Kensington, was taken by he police to Kensington workhouse, having received a severe wound on the head while in a brawl in Jenning’s buildings. [cn 29 Sep]
25.—Charles M. Elstob, having disposed of the lease of 103 Brompton Road, would auction the contents at 2 pm. of the former Stationer and Bookseller: bedsteads, wardrobes, tables, Brussells carpets, mahogany counter, cutting machine, books, general stationary etc. [cn 15 Sep]
25.—At the Fulham Board of Guardians it was reported the relieving officers needed 308 loaves and £31 for Fulham; 280 loaves and £35 for Hammersmith. Fulham owed the Board £600 and Hammersmith £900. [wlo 29 Sept]
26.—Minnie Stratton, the infant daughter of General Tom Thumb, died at the Norfolk Hotel, Norwich, having been taken ill whilst her parents were on a professional visit to Yarmouth and Norwich. [wlo 29 Sept]
27.—Arthur W. Read, hospital house surgeon, clarified his testimony to the inquest of William Middleton who had been killed at the Hammersmith distillery: Middleton would have had a better chance of recovery if he hadn’t been left an hour in the machinery without surgical assistance, and that he died at 7 a.m. five hours after the accident, not in the evening as reported. [wlo 29 Sept]
28.—T. W. N. [1] of Stratford Place, wrote to the paper comparing the roads of Paris to those of London, to the shame of the latter. Paris used steamrollers, paid constant attention to the roads, swept roads of horse droppings and puddles, employed intelligent and active workmen etc. [wlo 13 Oct]
29.—The visitors to the Patent Office Museum, South Kensington for the week ending 29 September was 2,397. The total number since opening on the 12 May 1858 had been 1,078,763. For South Kensington museum the figures were 14,030 with the total since opening 6,330,642. [cn 6 Oct]
30.—In their weekly railway timetable the Hammersmith and City, Metropolitan, and Great Western Railways gave the Sunday timetable as follows:
Route |
Frequency |
Moorgate street to Bishop’s Road station, Paddingdon |
7.50 a.m. to 10.35 a.m. every 10 minutes 1.05 p.m. to 11.15 p.m. about every 10 minutes |
Adlergate Street to Kensington |
8.23 a.m. to 10.43 a.m. and 1.13 p.m. to 11.13 p.m. every 30 minutes |
Moorgate Street to Hammersmith |
8.05 to 10.25 a.m. and 1.05 p.m. to 11.05 p.m. every 20 minutes |
North London Railway (Turnham Green) |
8.50, 9.35 a.m.; 1.05, 2.05, 2.35, 3.05, 4.05, 5.05, 6.05, 6.35, 7.05, 7.35, 8.35 and 9. 05 p.m. |
Note the gap for morning Church services. [wlo 29 Sept]