BUTCHERS OF OLD.

Many, many thanks to Robin Smith for these lovely pictures of some of the old butchers of West Street in days gone by when we ate Australian and New Zealand meat or Canterbury lamb. What a contrast to the food that's for sale in West Street today!!

Above and below: The Boston Meat Co.

Stanwells.

Stanwells.

Stanwells.

J.F. Allin. 63, West Street.

Charles Fleet.

SOME PHOTO ODDMENTS.


Here are a few pictures that I can't find stories for at the moment, I hope you enjoy them.

In 1978 this lorry got stuck when the driver tried to get out of Mitre Lane in Bargate.

One of the many sets of cards given away by Beaulahs of Boston with their food products.

The Railway Mission Hall was in Fydell Crescent. Marriots Motors offices were built on the site and thankfully Marriotts kept this stone and built it into the new property.

The sixties group The Animals, on stage at the "Glider"

The last commercial sailing vessel to leave Boston Dock.

Some Boston nick nacks for the tourist trade.

An old Vesta case (match case) showing the Boston Coat of Arms.

An old picture of Carlton Road School.

Houses that were pulled down in Duke Street.

Looking out onto the Market Place from the Peacock and Royal window, note the Rum Puncheon in top right corner.

The Peacock and Royals curved window on show at the Guildhall.

Lord Nelson's Field in about 1966, built on its place now is the Nelson Way Industrial Estate.

Buildings on the corner of Pen Street and Main Ridge, demolished when John Adams Way was built.

The building of John Adams Way in the 1970's, with The Ram pub at centre right.

An old potato weighing machine used in the old hand-picking days.

The demolition of the Regal Cinema in West Street.

This is the Zion Church which was itself demolished and the Regal built on its site.

An old Lincolnshire Road Car bus and below an old Sharpes bus.

And finally some more nick nacks.

Memories of Boston.

In 1914, Mr. James Faunt (then over eighty years old) of 10, Cornhill Lane looked back and told us of West Street in the old days.

West Street he said was largely a residential street and was one of the main arteries of the town but it also had the offices and warehouses of a great many of the business firms of Boston. The dwelling houses were frequently of great age and almost the last of them (a row of particularly old houses pictured below) were demolished and the Municipal Buildings built on the site in the early 1900's.

An old mansion house stood on the present site of the Co-operative Stores and nearby the business establishment of Mr. Norris had, in its rear, a garden forming part of a paddock from which the name of Paddock Grove arose. The paddock provided a feeding space for sheep and cattle but was also used by the children of the town as a playground.

Mr.William Mumford of 9, Tunnard Street who was 82 years old in 1914 also left us some good descriptions of the town. He was born in the neighbourhood of the Workhouse in Skirbeck Road and a few years later in about 1844 moved with his parents to West Street to a house at the rear of the shop of Mr. J.H. Clarke, a fruiterer, near the Primitive Methodist Chapel (below, near present day P.C. World).

Here his father had five acres of garden, a portion of which was destined to be the the site of the present railway of which he went to the opening of in 1848.

He also remembered seeing Queen Victoria passing through the town on a train, there were some pear trees near the station and he put a ladder against one of them and climbed it to get a good view. Passing on, he remarked that we should have seen the market when all the country lads came in the town in smock frocks or slops on, and with their braided waistcoats.

He remembered a time when there used to be dancing booths open all night, there was one at the Little Peacock he said, and they had a fiddler and a cornet player. He also said that there were some good boxers in those days recalling the names of Joe East and three of the Holden family. "Tom Holden was a little fellow of about 9 stones" he continued "and I once went down to the Scalp Marsh to see a fight between him and Joe East"

"I think Joe East had the hardest head of anyone, I have often seen him run butt at a wall with his head." He would shout "You can't hurt my head, I don't care how you hit it" "I have often seen him do it where the Rum Puncheon is (below, the present day Stump and Candle)."

There used to be some fine does at the Queens Head (just over Bargate bridge) and the London Tavern (opposite the present day Waterfront pub and both pictured below) he said.

They had a free and easy at the London Tavern every Thursday night and some good singers there were too, there was "Diggery" Pearson, he used to sing some queer songs, he was a comical card.

Finally Mr. Mumford tells us that years before he used to go down Tattershall Road to the race meeting, there were many flat races and for one event "trays" were put down for the horses to jump. He had seen hundreds of people on the high bank on one side of the course, where drinking booths were erected by various publicans.

WORMGATE IN 1842 and 1854.

Mr. Victor Fox was born at 18 Wormgate in 1842.

He tells us that before the railways came to Boston in 1848 a lot of the trade with other places was done mainly by river navigation so many goods were landed near the Grand Sluice and brought into town through Wormgate making it a very busy street. He even remembered the grass growing between the pebbles in West Street while Wormgate flourished.

The chief business hotel down there was the Dog and Duck (later to become the Wormgate Inn and now Goodbarns Yard) and its smoke room was in much demand as a meeting place for the tradesmen from the Market Place. A bit further down the road the Packet House Inn was another favourite establishment.

Colley Street, one of the little lanes off Wormgate, was once the home of Tommy Howden who in his time was considered to be the best all round prize fighter in the locality. He was a lightweight and glaringly thin but although barely scaling ten stones he was a terror for many miles around. One of his memorable successes was against a giant of over six feet who answered to the name of Kiss Tebbs but who for all his length and breadth was brought down by the youthful Howden.

An unknown source left a description of Wormgate in 1854 from which I have been able to present the following.

Starting at the top end near the Stump where the present Vicarage stands was the Seven Stars Inn, the adjoining premises were occupied by Mr. Harvey a butcher and next came Miss Harvey a dressmaker.

The next building (now Goodbarns) was the Dog and Duck which in those days had the nickname of The Hotel Cecil and next door to that was Ernest Brown a bookbinder. The next place on the list is filled by Tom Ashby a baker and next to him was Miss Bucks Boarding School.

In quick succession now come Mr.Fox a dyer and shoemaker (Father of Mr. Victor Fox above), Mr. Fossett another baker, Mr. White a Tailor, Mr. Billiard a Butcher, Mr. Banks a shoemaker, Mr. Edward Spikins wood-turning workshop, Mr. Dring a shoemaker, Mrs. Harrison a sweet shop, James Reuten a barber, Mr. East a ropemaker, Mr. Fothergill a slater, Mr. John Baker a builder and paver, Mr. Massam a butcher and Mr. Wain a Tailor and General Dealer.

That side of the street finished we return to the Stump end and the opposite side where the Blenkin Memorial Hall is now.

The corner building was occupied by Mr. Atkin and next to him was Mrs. Swinn a confectioner known for her gingerbread and home made ginger ale. Next was Mr. Jay's Hat Emporium and next to him was Mr. Grantham a Tailor. A door further down was Mr. Ranyell a Joiner and Builder and then Mr. Julian a Butcher and Builder and at the Fountains Lane corner was Pickering's General Stores. On the opposite corner of Fountains Lane was Mr. Phillips a basketmaker. Next came in order of mention Messrs. Teesdale (tailor), Richardson (butcher), Peter Kitwood (grocer) John Peck (grocer and baker), Tuxford (watchmaker), The Packet House (Inn), Christopher Sewell (chemist), Edward Spikings (woodturner).

HERE IS COLLEY STREET.

At the opposite corner of Colley Street Sam Wells (carpenter), Milson (tailor), and Rainford (baker and miller)

HERE IS RED LION STREET

On the opposite corner of Red Lion Street was Miss Fox's high class boarding house and next door Mr. Harrison (brazier and tinker), the next property was taken up by the Laughton's Schools then Mr. Routen (painter) was next. The last few on the list are Mr. Barnes Milson (auctioneer and valuer), Chas. Kennigton (cabinet maker), and finally The Little Peacock Inn.

Boston Big Dig

At the end of July/beginning of August, for three weeks, an archeological dig took place in the Market Place in Boston, here are some of the things that they found in those three weeks. The "diggers" were professional archeologists and also volunteers of all ages.
They opened four trenches, one near the Herbert Ingram statue, on the site of the old Butchery,

one at the end of Dolphin Lane, on the site of the old Buttercross,

one outside the old Corn Exchange Hotel where the present day Marks and Spencer's stands,

and one in front of the Assembly Rooms.

These are just a few of the many things that they uncovered.

A 16th. century brass hairpin.

A wooden flea comb.

Above and below: Clay pipes.

A dagger sheath.

Various pins.

pottery.

A snuff bottle.

A trading token.

An upper part of a medieval boot or shoe.