Cholera scrapbook – drinking on Christmas Day, 1831

Posted on 19 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

Newspaper cutting and handwritten account of the Cholera outbreak, 1831 from ‘Collection relative to the cholera at Gateshead, in the county of Durham Vol I (Rare Books, RB 616.932 BEL)

This page from the Cholera scrapbook details circumstances around George Foster Smith, who sold some of his spirits to people on Christmas Day. It explains that nearly all of those that consumed the liquor from Smith’s establishment were those with whom Cholera first broke out in Gateshead. The Cholera outbreak occurred in Gateshead and lasted from 1831-2.

See another page from Cholera scrapbook Volume I, in Door No. 9 of the Special Collections Christmas Calendar.

Transcription reads;

George Foster Smith, then a considerable linen draper NoG(?)4. side, Newcastle with his spare cash began a cheap spirit shop in Tyne Bridge End Buildings in the last week of November 1831. – to gain custom with cheap spirit drinkers he gave to a number of persons some of his spirits, particularly on Christmas day, and strange to say the whole or very nearly the whole of the persons with whom the Cholera first broke out in Gateshead were proved to have been at, and partaken of this cheap spirit, the day before. – he and his spirits were much blamed. – the expected great trade of the spirit shop became nought, and his large linen drapery concern dwindled down to a Haberdashery shop, when he took himself drinking and died at his house in Leazes Terrace the 22. September 1846 aged 57 years

Find out more about our Cholera scrapbooks here.

The scrapbooks are part of the Rare Books Collections. Find out more about it here.

Courier ‘Coping with Christmas’

Posted on 17 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#ChristmasCountdown
Door No. 17

Article titled ‘Coping with Christmas’ from 12th December 2011 edition of The Courier

Sometimes it isn’t always all carolling out in the snow. Here’s what to do when festive spirit runs low, reality takes a bite and there isn’t a treble close at hand…

Article taken from the Courier, 12th December 2011. View the full issue here.

The Courier is Newcastle University’s student newspaper and has always been a voice for students to express their news, views, and opinions relating to campus life and the operation of the University. Its first issue was released in 1948, when the University was still known as King’s College (Kings College later split into Newcastle University and the University of Durham in 1963). The Courier is still being published today.

Find other issues from the Courier Archive online.

Christmas Card from John and Pauline Dower

Posted on 16 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#ChristmasCountdown
Door No. 16

Image from the uncatalogued Trevelyan Collection, CPT Uncat 56/4

This Christmas Card from John and Pauline Dower was sent in the second year of their marriage, and its clean, uncluttered style reflects the fashion of 1930. This card was likely sent to Pauline’s parents, Charles Philips and Lady Mary Trevelyan of Wallington (find out more about Charles Philips Trevelyan here).

The Dowers were both instrumental in the establishment and implementation of National Parks in England and Wales.

Grainger Street Local Illustration

Posted on 15 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#CollectionsCaptured
Door No. 15

Illustration of Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne (Local Illustrations, 030 ILL)

This illustration depicts Grainger Street during the 19th century, showing the hustle and bustle of central Newcastle with horse pulling carriages, looking down towards Grey’s Monument.

Find out more about our Local Illustrations.

Shakespeare’s Comedy of Twelfth Night

Posted on 12 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#ChristmasCountdown
Door No. 12

Reproduction print depicting Duke Orsino first seeing Olivia, from ‘Shakespeare’s Comedy of Twelfth Night or what you will’ (Rare Books, RB822.33 SHA)

The reproduction illustration by W. Heath Robinson is from Act I, Scene I; ‘DUKE. O, when mine eyes did see Olivia first’

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is reference to the twelfth night after Christmas Day (6th January). This is called the Eve of the Feast of Epiphany and prior to Shakespeare’s play, had become a day of revelry. Servants often dressed up as their masters, women dressed as men and men as women, and so forth. This Carnivalesque reversal is the basis of the play’s gender confusion-driven plot.

Twelfth Night is a Shakespearean comedy of mistaken identity. Twins, Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck. Viola fears Sebastian is dead and disguises herself as a boy, calls herself Cesario, and takes up service with Duke Orsino, falls in love but can’t do anything about it due to her disguise. Orsino falls in love with a girl called Olivia but rejects him. Orsino sends Viola (Cesario) to Olivia to try and win her round, but Olivia falls in love with Cesario. Meanwhile Olivia’s steward, Malvolio, is trying to keep order in the house but her uncle Sir Toby Belch and his friends have other ideas. They convince Malvolio that Olivia is in love with him and make him look extremely foolish – Olivia thinks her servant has actually gone mad. When she sees Sebastian, who has survived the shipwreck, she naturally thinks he is Cesario and promptly marries him. Orsino is furious when he finds out but once Viola and Sebastian meet and reveal their true identities there is a happy ending – for everyone but poor Malvolio.

Find out more about the Rare Books Collection.

Outbreak of Cholera in Gateshead, 1831

Posted on 9 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#ChristmasCountdown
Door No. 9

Letter describing the outbreak of Cholera in Gateshead, 1832 from ‘Collection relative to the cholera at Gateshead, in the county of Durham Vol I (Rare Books, RB 616.932 BEL)

This letter is contained within the first of two scrapbook volumes containing information about the outbreak of cholera in Gateshead in 1831-2. It was written on Boxing Day, 26th December 1831. It details that Cholera had broken out in Gateshead, with the death of 6 persons in Beggars entry, 2 in Hillgate, 1 in Jacksons Chair and several more falling ill in Gateshead.

Cholera is a bacterial infection caused by contaminated water or food, but at the time of this outbreak people didn’t know that! Throughout the 1831-2 outbreak, no cure was found, nor would it be until the English physician, John Snow, proved that it was a water borne disease caused by infected water during an 1854 Cholera outbreak in London.

Find out more about our Cholera scrapbooks here.

The scrapbooks are part of the Rare Books Collections. Find out more about it here.

Christmas Card to Professor Pybus

Posted on 7 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#ChristmasCountdown
Door No. 7

From the Pybus (Professor Frederick) Archive, FP/3/1/7

Written during World War Two, this Christmas card was sent from Major Saviour of the 53 General Hospital, a Royal Army Medical Corps hospital which formed part of the Middle East Land Forces.

The recipient was Frederick Charles Pybus, Professor of surgery at Newcastle Medical School. Major Saviour congratulate Pybus on his appointment and chair. In addition to Pybus’ research into surgical methods and the causes of Cancer, he also amassed the internationally important Pybus Collection. The collection consists of around 2000 books on aspects of medical history, spanning nearly 700 years.

Find out more about the Pybus (Professor Frederick) Collection.

17th Century Snow Cream Recipe

Posted on 5 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#ChristmasCountdown
Door No. 5

To make Snow Cream recipe from Jane Loraine’s recipe book (Miscellaneous Manuscript, Misc MSS 5)

Fancy making ‘Snow Cream’ the 17th Century way. Well, here’s how;

Take thick cream of the evening milk put to it a little sugar and some rose water, then put it into silver basin or a wooden bowl and with a little rod make a little brush and beat it with good strength and as you see it rising to froth put it with the rod into the other side of the bowl from the plate where you beat it and when you have a good deal made into froth take it up with a skimmer and as fast as you lay it into your cream bowls throw searced double refined sugar upon it, and when you have taken up as much froth as you have that made, that fall to beats in your cream again so do till you have made your dish of cream as big as you will have it that is done

This recipe is part of a larger recipe book that was created by a number of people including the manuscript’s owner, Jane Loraine. The recipes are culinary, medicinal and cosmetic. The manuscript is an excellent example of the kinds of knowledge and expertise that women in an early modern household needed during the 17th Century.

Find out more about Jane Lorraine’s recipe book here and find more recipes from the Jane Lorraine Recipe book in this digital edition.

Christmas Greetings to Kitty Trevelyan

Posted on 4 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#ChristmasCountdown
Door No. 4

Postcard from Katharine Trevelyan (CPT Uncat 62/19

This postcard was written to Kitty [Katharine] Trevelyan, daughter of Charles Philips and Lady Mary Trevelyan of Wallington, when she was four years old. The card sends Christmas greetings and is signed ‘Edie’. It was written at the Victoria Home for Invalid Children in Margate.

The Trevelyan family were a wealthy and important family who lived at Wallington Hall in Northumberland during the 19th and early 20th centuries. They played an important role in politics, culture and education.

The card was published by the German company of E. A. Schwerdtfeger & Co. Information on the reverse reveals that this particular card was ‘imperfect’ – likely relating to the slight misalignment of the print leaving a thin white band at the top, and some of the information missing at the bottom.

Courier ‘Stealing the Christmas Spirit’

Posted on 3 December, 2017 by nspeccoll

#ChristmasCountdown
Door No. 3

Article titled ‘Stealing the Christmas Spirit’ from 5th December 1985 edition of The Courier

Anyone see the pun here? Wonder if he was ever caught?

From 5th December 1985 issue of the Courier. View the full issue here.

Find other issues from the Courier Archive online.