Boston Guardian

The Boston Guardian newspaper began in 1854 and ran for over a hundred years until 1958, here are some snippets from one of the early issues dated April 19th. 1854.

There is an announcement that Steam Packets for Lincoln leave the Grand Sluice every morning at nine 'o' clock (Sundays excepted) arriving in Lincoln in time for trains to all parts of the Kingdom. Packets also left Lincoln for Boston at ten 'o' clock each day and arrived at Boston at four 'o' clock in the afternoon.

The advertisement columns provide many reflections of Boston life at this period, for one guinea Mr. Charles Ridgway taught Polka in six lessons, Mr. Keller had a musical warehouse in High Street, a library for subscribers and he was an insurance agent as well and Mr. J. Buck of Strait Bargate sold pianos at his music room. Music was not on tap in those days and people had to make their own.
The Pleasure Gardens at Vauxhall, Skirbeck, were re-opening, the Yacht Club were entertaining their Commodore to a public dinner at the White Hart and tenders were required for the building of the Corn Exchange and the Athenaeum. Mr. S. Southwell, hair cutter and wig maker of West Street not only made ladies and gentlemen's wigs but had private hair-cutting rooms next door to the Mansion, West Street. I wonder what became of the Mansion?
The old Guardian referred to was printed by Robert Roberts, in Strait Bargate, but for many years the Guardian had its works in West Street, the building (on the left in the picture below) was demolished and the Pizza Hut now stands in its place.

The last two men in Boston Stocks

The Stocks on Bargate green are a grim reminder of a punishment of times past, but have you ever wondered what kind of person was punished this way? Well, the last two people in Boston to be put in the stocks were "Barber Joe" and "Squealy Green".

The old Stocks in Wide Bargate.

Squealy Green was a queer fellow, him and his wife used to bury the stray cats and dogs for the Corporation but he would then go with a rake and get them up again, and then  they had to be buried once more which meant double fees. Eventually the Corporation found him out and Green was marched to the stocks.
Barber Joe is believed to be the very last to go to the stocks, he used to go to the Angel Inn (below) and shave the countrymen in the Tap Room. He would take his shaving tin in his pocket and put it on the Tap Room fire to boil and when the water was hot set to business.

The Angel Inn, Market Place, Boston.

It was a regular barber's shop on a Saturday night. He did very well but was not satisfied and started shaving on a Sunday morning in his own house at the back of the White Hart, that made the other barbers jealous, and they laid a complaint, and Barber Joe was put in the stocks one Monday morning.
Jim Maline and Joe Ashton were the two constables who put him in the stocks and they had to stand by him all the time he was there. People kept throwing pennies and half-pennies which the constables picked up but Barber Joe raved and shouted and made them put the money on the post in readiness for himself later.
So there you have it, Squealy Green and Barber Joe, two of old Boston's historical people who deserve to be up there with Herbert Ingram, Jean Ingelow and the rest of them.

Gert and Daisy

Nellie and Bessie Williams, two elderly sisters living in Revesby Avenue (and before that in the New Street area) were known by everyone in Boston as Gert and Daisy. I remember they were teased a lot by the children and teenagers of the town but always gave as good as they got.
They were almost always seen together on their walks around the town but sadly, one night in February 1964 Nellie, aged 70, failed to arrive home. When she was reported missing Boston Police began a widespread search and brought in Police dogs to help them, they concentrated part of their search on allotments and questioned children leaving school.
Her description was issued, slim build, grey hair, wearing a black coat, hat and boots, and only five feet tall. Nellie and Bessie had lived together at 12, Revesby Avenue for a little over two years. A neighbour said, "They were always going out for walks, often after dark. Almost always Bessie, who's even smaller than Nellie, used to walk on in front of her sister, and if she was vexed she used to walk home on her own"
Another neighbour said, "They never seemed to have much to eat at home, they often went for meals at the Cherry Corner Cafe. Sometimes their windows were screened by blankets, and often they could be heard from the street arguing inside". He went on, " I think they were born in Boston, but I've never heard that they did any work apart from a short while when, Nellie once told me, she scrubbed floors at the White Hart Hotel"
Unfortunately, a few days later, poor Nellie was found dead in the the River Haven and her sister Bessie was taken into Frampton House old folks home until other arrangements were made.
Gert and Daisy, two true characters of Boston who should never be forgotten!!

White Hart burglary

In the “London Chronicle” dated December 18^th. 1812 was the following report about Boston.

“Several daring burglaries have been committed in this town, within these few days back, which call for the most vigilant activity to discover the perpetrators, and arrest the progress of this increasing enormity.
On Sunday night the mail-coach office and warehouse at the White Hart were broken into, and a box belonging to Mr. Oates, upholsterer, despoiled of 120 yards of bombazeen, worth about £25. The robbers, after extracting the contents, filled the box with rubbish, ice, etc. and nailed it up leaving it where it was. They served a box of Mr. Jackson, silversmith, in the same way, after extracting the contents, value £32. Three crimson shawls, and other articles were also taken from a parcel belonging to Mr. Fuller, silk mercer, in Bargate, and Mr. Smith of Spilsby had a valuable parcel robbed at the same time.

On the same evening, or early yesterday morning, the counting house of Mr. Samuel Burnard, High Street, was broken into by some infamous villains, who fortunately were disappointed of their object, and forced to make a precipitated retreat, leaving part of a pick-lock key in the desk, which they were attempting to break open”.

Even more Pub pictures.

Eight more Pubs in Boston.

The Rum Puncheon and The Angel in the Market Place.

The White Hart near the Town Bridge.

The Rose and Crown (extreme right) on the corner of Witham Place and Union Place.

The King William IV on Horncastle Road.

The Queen's Head near Bargate Bridge.

The Three Tuns that stood on the corner of the Market Place and Church Lane.

The Wormgate Inn (now called Goodbarn's Yard).

The White Horse that used to stand in White Horse Lane.