Pub signs in pictures.

The old pubs of Boston are disappearing fast and many of the ones that are left have just signs that show letters only so I thought it would be a good idea to collect pictured pub signs of Boston past and present.

The Bell (where the Stump and Candle is now) from an old engraving.

The Spirit of Endeavour.

The Crown and Anchor.

The Woad Man

Looks like I just caught The Wellington sign in time.

The Unicorn.

To be continued.....................................................................................

The Old Postmen

Boston's oldest Post Box? It has an Edward VII (reigned from 1901 to 1910) crest.

The old postmen of Boston wore a navy blue uniform with red piping and a flat topped hat which had a peak both back and front to shield off the rain. In bad weather they had large and heavy oilskin capes to protect themselves and the mail they carried. The mail was carried in large, heavy canvas haversacks and in the dark they also had a small oil lamp hanging on their tunics. In the years of long ago the Postmen always rang the doorbell or rapped on the knocker when they put letters through the letterbox. There were three deliveries each day, early morning, around mid-day and at about seven in the evening. On Sundays there was only one delivery around nine o'clock.

The parcel post was carried around in large basket-work trucks with lids covered with oilskin to keep of the rain. These trucks were also used to convey mail to the Railway Station to connect to certain trains. Later on three-wheel basket cycles were brought into use both for the parcel delivery and for the station work.

The Guildhall gate.

The wrought iron gate standing at the side of the guildhall was made in about 1908 by Mr. Edward White who was then the proprietor of what was later to become "White's Motors" at Bargate End. Mr White was a blacksmith by trade and in between shoeing horses he made this fine gate with the assistance of his worker, Joe Coppen. Mr. White also made bicycles in the early days and these were sold under the name of "White's Imperial". Later on Mr. White began to deal in motor cars and he had, we are told, the first car in the town licensed as a Hackney Carriage, it was DO 33 and was driven by Tommy Shelton.

The Royal Coat of Arms.

Commercial House at 17 Market Place was once run by J.W. Loveley, even today if you glance up you can still make out the name on the side wall.
The strange thing about the building is that it once had the Royal Coat of Arms on it.

Loveley's Commercial House showing the Royal Coat of Arms.

Mr. John Loveley, speaking in July 1993 said that his Great Grandfather had a bakers shop in Dolphin Lane for many years. In the 1870's he purchased the shop in the Market Place from a jeweller who was giving up business, and that some years before, one of Queen Victoria's daughters, whilst visiting Sandringham, rode over to Boston and in fact purchased some jewellery from him and in consequence he was entitled to use the Royal Coat of Arms. These arms were put on the jewellers shop and were still on the shop when Mr. Loveley purchased it and it remained there for many years. Later a son of Queen Victoria stayed one night at the Peacock Hotel, so this became able to use the title "Royal" and the Peacock became the Peacock and Royal. The Arms on Loveley's shop were sold to the Peacock and  as shown in the picture stood over the main door. Maybe someone can tell us where they went from there.

The Royal Coat of Arms, just visible, above the Hotel door.

Good neighbours.

Robin Smith sent me this amusing story written by John Geoffrey Horton (1900/2002)who as a boy lived in Cheyney Street and was educated at Tower Road School. He says that on Market days in the 1990s Geoff used to hold court in the Still where a stream of people would come up to him and ask him all manner of questions about old Boston and to identify people and places on old photographs of the town, although a modest man he did this with ease due to his vast knowledge of the subject.

A Bullock in the Bedroom

by J.G.Horton.

On a very hot summer afternoon around 1910 all was quiet in Bargate End. It was hot and sultry and everyone who could had put work to one side. Fred Staniland the Barber was sitting in his shop doorway reading his newspaper. Tubby Wright the Butcher and his man Bill Raithby were sitting in the shop with the window and door wide open and the meat in the Ice Box. The Ram doors were wide open,in those far off days the pubs could open from 6am to midnight. The Vet Walter Dickinson had taken off his morning coat and was fanning himself. His coachman Tom Harrison was standing talking to Tom Foreman at the Smithy and there were others taking their ease.It was even to hot for us boys to play at anything energetic. In those days there were trees and grass around Mill Hill.

Mill Hill.

One lady who lived there was frequently taken with the "vapours" as she put it and had to have another little tot of brandy. This trouble often occurred several times a day. Her house had iron railings around the little garden and as she crossed over to the Ram for another little tonic she left the house door and garden gate wide open, it was of no real concern, as from her seat in the Ram she could see the house.

The Ram.

Suddenly the scene changed, a few bullocks were being driven from the Bargate Bridge direction and the drover stayed to have a word with the Smithy, the beasts seeing a small patch of grass went to it and after a moment the drover rather noisily tried to round up his small herd and they scattered. One of them bolted through the garden gate and house door and up the stairs, it came to a standstill wedged between wardrobe and the bed. "Here was a pretty kettle of fish". Everyone suddenly aroused from their rest and ran across to the scene and a plan of action was generally approved. Tom Harrison fetched a long ladder from Dickinsons yard, Bill Raithby fetched a big rope from the slaughter house in the Ram Yard. Tom Harrison broke the bedroom window and got in, Bill Raithby climbed the stairs and threw the loop of the rope to Tom Harrison who was standing on the bed and he slipped the loop over the animals horns, a light rope was also attached to one of the beasts hind legs to encourage it to walk backwards, meanwhile the frenzied animal was struggling to get free and broke many things in the process. When all was ready gentle pulling was exerted on the ropes and the animal very slowly responded and backed down the stairs. The filth and damage was indescribable. Meanwhile our lady had had to have a little more revival spirit and was by this time in no fit state for anything, she was helped into Mrs Gooses shop to sleep it off. Meanwhile willing hands with buckets of water and brushes cleaned up the worst of the mess and various ladies around and about helped clean up the house and so ended a hot summer afternoon.

LIQUORPOND STREET

There are a couple of stories to suggest how Liquorpond Street got its name. The first is that there was once a chain of ponds around the area and two extensive breweries, one at the Lord Nelson and one at the Royal Oak might have discharged their surplus water into one or other of these ponds.

Another more interesting one is that an old sailor went into one of the pubs in High Street and while the landlord was not looking stole a bottle of liquor. The bottle was missed almost immediately, and when the landlord went to the door of the inn he saw the man running up High Street. Together with other men he gave chase, and the man was caught in the lower part of what is now called Liquorpond Street but was then Walnut Tree Pasture. The man denied having stolen the liquor, but was handed over to the officers of the law and ultimately put on trial. The man had been thoroughly searched but no liquor was found on him and he was acquitted. About 20 years later one of the ponds was being cleaned out and the missing bottle was found. Realising that he could not outrun his pursuers the old sailor had evidently thrown the bottle of liquor into the pond.

THREE FORGOTTEN NAMES

HALF CROWN HILL.

The Ostrich and Gaol, demolished to enlarge the churchyard.

In 1774, Mr. John Parish gave the Ostrich public house and several buildings and shops adjoining for the purpose of enlarging the churchyard upon the condition that the Corporation would give the old Gaol and two shops for the same use. Behind these houses there was part of the churchyard called Half Crown Hill which had long been used as the burial ground of the lower classes and where, in consequence, the ground had been raised, until it was level with the windows of the Ostrich looking into the churchyard. The hill was levelled, the houses taken down, and iron gates and palisades next to the Market Place were erected.

BETTY BARBER'S LANE.

Stells Lane.

Betty Barber's Lane was the old name for Stells Lane in London Road. The lane appears to have been an old footpath that ran along the boundary line of the town, dividing Boston from Skirbeck and years ago a young girl named Betty Barber was killed while crossing the railway by this path, hence the name. After this fatality the Railway Company was put to the great expense of erecting a high wooden bridge that carried the footway over the shunting yard. This was later taken down and a new concrete footbridge (now demolished) was built near the present Black Sluice.

PARADISE ROW.

Church Close (below) was once known as Paradise Row.