Stoke St Gregory - Years of History BACK to Main Site
1875 - 150 Years Ago
Somerset County Cricket Club was officially formed on the 18th of September. Queen Victoria was on the throne, and an 1875 ‘Young Head’ sovereign would now set you back around £1000.
Meanwhile, back in Stoke, there was the usual round of floods, foot and mouth disease, and people being fined for not keeping the ditches and rhynes clear . . . Other exciting news included the Rose & Crown being allowed an extra hour of opening for the cricket club annual dinner on the 30th September.
STOKE CLUB
See HERE for more details of the Cub (which gave the name ‘Club Room’ to the Royal Oak function room). This is how the Western Gazette described 1875’s Club Day proceedings in their 4th June issue:
“STOKE ST. GREGORY. The Friendly Society held its 26th anniversary on Tuesday. The weather was fine, and the bells of the Parish Church rang merrily during the day. At 11 o'clock the members met in the Schoolyard, when the roll was called by the Secretary, 80 answering to their names. Headed by the Curry Rivel Band, they then marched two abreast, carrying various banners. After a service in the church the procession was re-formed and repaired to the Royal Oak Inn, where Host Loveridge had prepared a substantial repast, to which full justice was done. The chair was taken by the Rev. R. Moor the vicar, and , the vice-chair the Rev Mr. Carter. The tent in which the dinner was held, was very tastefull decorated with banners, flowers, laurels, &c. After dinner the members visited the Rectory, where they were liberally supplied with drink. The band entertained the Rev. gentleman's family with a selection of music for one hour. Slough Farm, the residence of Mr Hembrow, was next visited, and a jovial hour was spent there. The members returned to the Royal Oak where they spent a very agreeable evening. The proceedings were brought to a close shortly after nine o'clock when all separated in a very orderly manner. The amount in hand is £300, and the funds are divided every 10 years. In the event of a death each member pays 1s toward the funeral expenses. The sick pay allowed is 7s week for bed, and per week for walking. No deaths have occurred during the year. Rec R. W. Moor is both president and treasurer Mr Charles Garland Is the secretary. The Club appears to be in a very prosperous condition.”
However . . . maybe it had not all been sweetness and light, as reported by the Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser on Wednesday the 9th of June:
“An Assault.—Jonas Wagott was summoned for assaulting Henry Hembrow, at Stoke St. Gregory, on the Ist June. Both parties, who were rather the worse for liquour, were attending a club feast, and while at a gingerbread stall, defendant struck Hembrow in the face and knocked him down. The offence was admitted, but defendant urged that he was provoked by the complainant ‘making motions’ at his wife. This was denied. The defendant was fined 20s, including costs for the complainant’s witnesses.
In Other News
The Central Somerset Gazette reported a heinous crime on Saturday 19th June:
“Walter, Pine, hay dealer, was charged with stealing one duck and seven ducklings, the property of Wm. Bobbett, at Stoke St. Gregory, on the 2nd June. Mr. Cook, Solicitor, of Bridgwater, was for the prisoner. His little boy, aged six, and his daughter, aged eleven, made statements which gave ground for the charge, but the bench accepted his explanation—that, having lost a duck and 10 ducklings, he took Bobbett's ducks by mistake and then returned them. The bench discharged him.”
And George Cridge made the Devon and Somerset News with his demeanour on 5th August: Riding "Without Reins.—George Cridge, of Stoke St Gregory, was summoned for riding without reins at North Petherton, —Defendant said he had reins, but not in his hands,—Supt, Jeffs said he met the defendant when he was driving to North Petherton. Defendant was in charge of two horses and a waggon. He had reins, but they were tied up on the horse’s back, When spoken to defendant seemed to think be had a right to ride in that way.— Fined 2s 6d and costs"
Sanitary Conditions
On a more serious note, Dr Alford’s annual report for 1874 of the sanitary condition of the Taunton rural district was published in April:
“Although much has been done during the past year to improve the dwellings of the poor, the old evils are to be found more or less in all parts of the district. Filthy houses, untouched for years, with closely adjacent privy and pigstye, have come under his notice; and polluted wells, polluted streams, and contaminated atmosphere follow as a necessary consequence. Overcrowding has been abated in some instances, but still continues to some extent, and frequently the inmates, for the sake of warmth, stop up every crack and crevice through which the pure air of heaven might come in to counteract the poisonous atmosphere of overcrowded rooms. Stoke St. Gregory appears to bear an unenviable notoriety, which we may hope local landlords will look into forthwith. The difficulty is, as the officer points out, that these hovels belong to the occupiers, themselves often paupers, who cannot afford to make any improvements (even if such were possible), and who won’t turn out until compelled to. It is often said that an Englishman’s house is his castle, but we see no reason why, if he will not, or cannot, keep that castle decent and wholesome, he should be permitted to injure his own health and the health of his family. I have every faith in a comfortable home, and I generally find that bodily dirt and mental and moral degradation go together. Next to pure air it is necessary to health that we possess pure water, and though much poetic romance is written about purling streams, it is the fact that out of 36 village wells tested by Dr. Alford, the water in 17 of them has been found so polluted with sewage as to be unfit for domestic use.”
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