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'Newport
First Stop' - 100 Years of News Stories Newport
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1810
- 1814
1810 D.V. (Res) Here lies at rest I do protest
John Frost this year opened a drapery business in Mill Street. The population of Newport has more than doubled in ten years. It now has 2346 inhabitants.
At this time Stow Fair was full of the spirit of fun and frolic; it was an established rule and maintained an "a right divine" that, there should always be a Lord Mayor elected to preside over the wild pleasures of the fair, whose province it was, while seated upon his rude throne, to issue his mandates for the commencement of any fresh merriment, and often to decide on what punishment should be awarded strangers who visited his Kingdom, without paying the customary toll. The punishment. inflicted for this offence, was of various kinds, not the most delightful among which was being ducked in a muddy pool in the vicinity of Stow, and obtaining an awkward seat in the village stocks - a position which Sir Charles Morgan (Gould) once narrowly escaped, by paying his guinea; which also, even the sacred person of the Rev Mr. Coles was, at one fair, only exempted from a similar honour, by the usual gratuity. With respect to such customs, a justice of the peace named Squire George, who was of a somewhat choleric disposition although rubicond and stout. This justice had a very large dog, of sufficient size and strength to overcome the justice himself occasionally; and on one evening, preceding Stow Fair, the animal found his way truantly into the midst of the throng on Stow Hill. Immediately he was recognised, a cry of joy went forth, and the roysterers at once seized the huge mastiff, quite regardless of his being "a justice's dog," and, with a spirit of fun indicative of how they would like to serve his master, they fastened on a tremendous big kettle to his tail, with which he went like lightening down the hill, and never stopped till he reached his master's house. Here, the old justice stood in placid mood, little dreaming of what awaited him; but the moment the mastiff and kettle appeared, they came "full butt", against the old gentleman's legs; which threw him off his perpendicular, and levelled him on the floor of the passage. Boiling with indignation, up rose the justice seized his staff, and forthwith proceeded to the fair. "Who dared tie a kettle to my dog's tail?" was his first enquiry. Seeing the rage of the querist, they guessed the results of their freak, and answered with nothing but a daring shout. "I'll make you stiffer for this!" he exclaimed; and was flourishing his cudgel about threateningly before turning his back on the laughing mob, when he was suddenly seized from behind, just as he was exclaiming, "I'll put a stop to this!" and without a moments warning the worthy representative of his gracious Majesty George the Fourth, was placed in the stocks! This contumellious conduct was so horrifying to the justice, that he was breathless with rage; but the mirth of the bystanders having evaporated, "his worship" was liberated, and desired to make himself scarce, before he, also was honoured with an old kettle as an appendage - a hint he was not slow to avail himself of. Several instances of rough treatment in these fashions, especially exhibited towards poor wandering pedlars who visited the fair, at length drew public attention to the necessity of placing some check on the lawless roysterers; and the then vicar, the Rev. Mr. Evans began the supression of the authority of "My Lord Mayor," and his immunities, which the succeeding vicar, the Rev. Mr. Isaacson, entirely abolished; and now Stow Fair bows to the governance and surveillance of Mr. Superintendent Hopkins and his active police force, who are indeed recognised as "the lords of misrule," but in a different sense to the meaning of the term in bygone times. The old tythe barn near the St. Woolos Church, after its vise in this respect was discontinued, became a grand place in the estimation of a laughter loving portion of the little community, for it was here that Baker, the famous comedian performed his drollness and farces and "kept the house in a roar" with his "quips and quirks" he had imported from England.
We understand from our correspondent in Newport that a new inn is under construction, at the junction of the road to Cardiff, and is due for completion shortly. It will be known as The Salutation Inn and will, we have no doubt, be of great benefit to those travellers passing through the town.
Newport, we hear, is expanding rapidly for yet another new inn is shortly to be opened in that town. We understand that it will stand on the west side of Commercial Street about half way along its length and will be called the Parrot Inn. [ Back ] |
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'Newport
First Stop' - 100 Years of News Stories Newport
Past |
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