Circus procession in High Street

Thank you to Sandra Nuttell for sending me these pictures of High Street in the 1950's. She informs me that the ones taken highest up are from Bank House in High Street where she spent part of her childhood. Before the days of Health and Safety when a circus came to town it was customary to have a procession like this to advertise the circus.

Below: Just visible in the distance are the Royal Oak and the Lord Nelson pubs and a building on the corner of Liquorpond Street that are all now demolished.

Familiar Boston Transport

Some once familiar vehicles in Boston.

Skinners Ice cream van.

Lincolnshire Road Car bus.

I was informed by an anonymous reader that two of the Lincs Road Car Bristol double deckers that were once based at the Boston depot finished up owned by a tour company at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains NSW, this info was given to them by Steve Shaw who as a school kid lived in the prefabs in Carlton Road and has lived in Australia for many years.

Tower Hill Transport.

Sharp's Buses.

W.W.Johnson Seed Merchants.

The Privateer

The Privateer, an iron built paddle steamer was 96.5 ft long and was registered first at Swansea.

In 1895 she came to Boston owners and made trips up the River Haven and out to The Wash.

In 1913 she helped demolish the old Town Bridge.

 She lasted until 1916 when she was lost at Bolougne on war work.

Dig in the Market Place

In October 1965 Boston Corporation workmen excavated a sewer trench at the south end of Boston Market Place in a line across from the Peacock and Royal Hotel towards the centre of the Exchange Buildings opposite.

A sample of material was collected from the excavation. The bulk of this came from a black silty layer at a depth of 3-4 feet from the modern road surface, and consisted chiefly of cow horn, leather insoles, green glazed pottery, metal fragments and nine bone or wood awls, presumably for leather working. The more complete pieces of leather sole were dated almost certainly to the fifteenth century. It seems possible that the material was deposited from cobblers' shops or stalls at the side of the Market Place.
Medieval and later pottery was recovered from the site of the former Peacock and Royal Hotel.

Grand Sluice railway bridge

The Railway bridge over the Grand Sluice was designed by Richard Johnson, chief engineer of the Great Northern Railway.

 It was built by Stanningley Iron Works in Leeds.

It was opened to traffic in May 1885 to replace the original wooden bridge of 1848 and is still in use today.

Murdered by a Soldier

From a 1774 edition of the Oxford magazine.

They write from Boston in Lincolnshire, that a few days ago a murder was committed by a private dragoon in Bland's regiment, quartered there, on the body of one Friskney.—The parties appeared very sociable, and had spent a great part of the day and night together at a public house: towards morning the deceased went to bed in the soldier's room, where the latter soon followed; and immediately on his entrance into the chamber, drew a bayonet and stabbed his companion in a most inhuman manner, in several parts of his body, then with the club end beat him very cruelly on the head, and supposing him dead, left him weltering in blood on the floor.—He then attempted the door of the landlady's room (its feared for the fame purpose) which resisted his strongest efforts; but the noise he made alarmed the family, who soon discovered the murder, and had him properly secured: he was soon after conveyed to Lincoln Castle, guarded by constables, and two of the military : when enquiries were made as to what could induce him to such a great act of cruelty, the only answer he would return was, "He thirsted for blood, and if in his favour he would have more."—The poor unhappy victim survived but a few hours and the Coroner's Inquest returned their verdict, Wilful Murder; and his corpse was conveyed to the grave, attended by a distressed widow and several children.

The Guildhall

The guildhall of St Mary's Guild in Boston (The Guildhall) was built in the 1390's and is one of the earliest brick buildings in Lincolnshire.

For years it was thought to have been built in 1450, but during restoration work experts dated the building much earlier.

At different times it has been the Town Hall, Council Chamber, a Court, a British restaurant during World War II and is currently a Museum. It was also used for banquets or any celebrations for the town.

It is also believed to have been the place where William Brewster, William Bradford and their followers (later to be known as the Pilgrim Fathers) were imprisoned following their arrest after trying to flee England.
 

In 1515, St Mary's Guild spent £20 on a single feast that they celebrated in the banqueting hall, £9,500 in today’s money. In contrast it cost 1 shilling to have a meal at the British Restaurant in 1943 - the modern equivalent of only £1.30!