My first is myself whether robust or small
My second is used at sea in a storm or a squall
My third is like my first as you shall understand
My fourth is the darkest of servants that ever served man
My fifth is behind in both sea and land
My sixth is the element where we now stand
These initials make a word it's true I am told
This made by the heat by the aid of the cold.
By John Ostle
In 1855 The Steam Boat Bonny Dundee of Maryport towed the Steam Boat of Whitehaven they
call her the Whitehaven from St Bees Head to Whitehaven harbour with crew and passengers.
All safe for which they received seven hundred pounds. £100 Captain Joseph Glaister and £300
to be divided amongst the crew. £300 for the owners of The Bonny Dundee.
1855
The Screw Steam Boat Cumbria of Maryport sails two times every week between
that port and Liverpool with goods and passangers she is between 200 and 300 tons burthern.
Built at Newcastle.
From the 'Carlisle Patriot' July 14, 1855
A rough account of the Cumbria, what she costs every year without any repairs:-
| £ |
Captains Wage per year | 200 |
Sailors & Engineer men £24 per week |
1248 |
Labourer's wages £30 do |
1560 |
Harbour dues at Mpt & Lpool £6 do |
300 |
Insurance for £8000 |
600 |
Agents at Maryport |
180 |
Do at Liverpool |
120 |
Oil & Tallow |
150 |
Coals and wear and tear |
500 |
| £4750 |
Nothing the first reckoning I think is a small account of the other way I think £21 in debt too much
for going by steam.
My 1st is something often used in a storm
My 2nd is a tradesman his work is quite warm
My 3rd is a vesel to hold liquid is there
My 4th is a instrument often used on the chin
My 5th is a frute often comes from abroad
My 6th it is eaten to praise ye the Lord
My 7th is seen in winter congealed by the cold
My 8th yours in the youth And Decayed in the old
My 9th Signifies father in Scripture I attest
My 10th is a place for the weary to rest
My 11th is a road that suits best the lame
My 12th Three fifths of that Road will read from both ends the same.
John Ostle
June 26th 1855
A Cheap trip to Silloth Bay from Carlisle and Port Carlisle with the Steam Vessel Prince of
Wales. I think there appeared to be about one hundred including women and children and about
twice as many Holmes Dobins appeared on the Green to enjoy the toil of the afternoon and to
take of the enemy that steals away the Brain.
About 70 sat down to an excellent Dinner made by Mrs Penrice of Skinburness.
After dinner they had no musick so they send a conveyance to Mawbray for a fiddler but he would
not go but sent a fiddle to the Bay to his brother. Nothing to be seen worth notice no dock or
railway yet.
At the pleasure trip to Silloth Bay
The ladies appeared both bright and gay
If they were dressed so neat and thin
One nearly saw through to their skin
The time they danced I cannot tell
I think it's true there odd ones fell
So clumsy people stay at home
No more to Silloth you must roam
A Brisk Corn market makes a Dull matrimonial market
Dear Susan I love you and truly would wed
But the dearest of wives would starve on dear bread
He cannot live on love with nothing to eat
Although love I grant is precious and sweet
Dear bread and dear meat would make wretched our life
And you would repent that you had become my dear wife
So dearest of girls, although so dear let us tarry
And when all dearness is gone, save our own, then we'll marry
The Royal Agricultural Society Show at Carlisle 1855
Boydells Steam engine 6 tons 10 cwt travelled from three and a half to eleven miles an hour
and laid its own rails to travel on and turn round in a very small piece of ground. It was
steered with a chain something like the helm of a vessel at sea.
Clayton Shuttleworth and Co Lincoln had a drawing plough to drain by
steam. The steam engine was fixed at one end and the tiles laid at the other end, made fast
to the plough. The plough drawn by a wire rope about one and a half or two inches in
diameter. Upon the ground was a coulter about three feet long in the ground and the tiles were
fasterned to the coulter by a rope so that the machine drew the tiles in three feet deep. Then
they pulled the rope out and left them and then they made an excellent drain.
Luck here for steam. Horses, Cattle, Sheep and Swine they could not be equalled. And for
impliments and a machine sower by steam power to dress, measure or weigh, grind and
everything you can mention.
I think I may say, with stretching a little, that it could be
baked in the same time and, if I am not mistaken, they use one machine to eat it or, at least
to move peoples jaws. If, by chance, it could not be swallowed, there were turners rose to press
it down.
One horse 21 hands high they called it Goliath from America. Poultry were
numerous but not worth notice. Turnips and Mangle worsel as big as a child not 10 months old.
At the entrance you had to slip 2s6d or not to enter into some Jerosons hand, and spirit very
dear, nothing under 6d and very little for that. Six pence for a peice of bread 3 inches square
Carlisle for ever and God save the Queen.
Goose shooting came in on the 12th of August 1855.
John Ostle and a bag bearer had a day shooting on Bowness Moss. We bagged two brace of Goose,
it being an average. The birds was being well we had only one dog. It was about 16 months old, a
liver and white pointer. So we returned home in the evening quite satisfield and properly tired.
Ostle had a days sport at Threapland accompanied by J Saul of Newhouse. He bagged nine brace
of partridge and one hare, another got a mortal wound I think she will not live. I had another
at Brick Bank about five miles above Cockermouth. I only bagged one and a half brace and such a
country as no Holmes Dobby ever saw. The hills I thought terrible. I thought if I had one leg
about 9 inches shorter than the other I would have gone quite easily. Fairwell to the mountains.
I set out one morning about the latter end of November I went to New House and Mr Saul could
not go with me so he lent me his Dog Bob. So I set sail and had a head wind, but no matter. I
steered East and found a fine lot of birds, eleven in number, and they flew as far as I could
desire them and I came in contact with two of them so wild I never needed the pointer. And a
young man came to me. Just about noon, one bird arose and I killed it. Another arose and I
killed it and nearly killed Saul's Dog Bob! So we walked it and I carried the dog home, and it
came around again I think with the loss of an eye
So our sport was ended that day misfortunes comes odd. I went in 1856 and my dog never points
at game and often too soon and Bowness Moss worse still.
Cumberland Johnny's trip to the Great Exhibition
Come sit down my cronies a lal bit and listen,
And summit its queer to you I'll relate,
For I have just cum frae the Great Exhibition,
Where I kent strange things many folks o the state.
When I first got to Euston, I got oot a t'railway,
Depend on't my cronies; I got a surprise,
Gigs, horses and fwolk running this way and that way,
Sec a sict I had never yet seen wid my eyes.
But I tuke my bit bundle under my oster,
And prest my way through frae the thrang to get free,
When a chap came up to me and said 'take a cab ser'
But says I thous't a sharpster but wunnet catch me.
When I got into t'town I glourt a about me,
It louked feyre windows seck hurry and thrang,
But my steel caukert shoe slipt sair on t'flag pavement,
I dussent step fair for fear I got wrang.
There was some shops that was just like a lonnin'
I thought at far end opend intil a street,
And chaps back and forward like laterning was running
O man but it was a terrible seet.
I was just lukin through till far end o yon lonnin,
I emagint I saw a friend of meyne pass
When reet through the shop I set off a running
But instead of a duir it was a great looking glass.
I was pleast to see him and in seck a hurry
I thowt owertaek him in a lictack
When I ran intill glass with o my great hurry
And smasht it to slinders oer all my waistcoat
I about ship and tuck't my heels lyke a clipper
T'foolk was in t'shop a reet badly state
They a' ran to t'door as if they would stop me
But I scramblet o'r top and left them to their fate.
I ran like a hare and a lot of chaps follow't me
Till I ran o'r an old man, for which I regret,
When five or six chaps, I think were policemen,
Held me as fast as a swine in a net.
I shouted, hod up, for yer gannin' ta hurt me
It'll be as well to let me away,
But they helt me down till they tied and handcuffed me
I said, loose my hands - give a stranger fair play.
Sec they hault me away till a place called t'lock-up
They telt me I wud have to bide there a neet.
I slept there all neet, but was fair broken hearted
When I thought, from my friends, I was three hundred miles
But a says ta my sell, I'll not be dumbfounded
But act like a man in true Cumberland Style.
This poem does not seem to be an original composition and was probably copied
from a local paper
Custom of the Country for a farmer in 1860
To keep up your usual stock of Cattle and Horses
till Candlemass and to consume one half of your
last years crop of hay and straw upon the premises
and all the Hedges to be left in good and sufficient
repair
In case you cannot conserve one-half you must
endeavour to keep it dry and not to waste it also
one half of the turnips.
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