1800-1900 Main Street 44-104
1850-1900 Main Street Menu
Main Street 44 parade of children. This is likely to be Cousin Charley parade which was the predecessor to the Cockermouth Carnival. Cousin Charley was the editor of the West Cumberland Times. Bradbury p133:
Each year the town has a carnival. At the beginning of the century this was Cousin Charley’s Day. There were queens and sports, and the day was rounded off with evening entertainments in the Drill Hall and the Public Hall.
In 1901 an added attraction was a [hot air?] balloon.
The place which this carnival held in the life of a Cockermouth child is illustrated by the reply given to a school inspector who asked which were the principal towns and what they were celebrated for, to receive the reply that Carlisle was noted for its mills, Workington for its ironworks, Whitehaven for its collieries, Cleator Moor for its ore mines and Cockermouth for Cousin Charley’ Day. c 1899
Main Street 46 bank carnival festival parade of horse and carriages with crowds c 1899
Main Street 46 bank carnival festival parade with horse drawn carriages clock tower built 1895 c 1899
Main Street 46 National Provincial Bank. To the left of the bank is 48 50 a three storey building that was demolished to be replaced by the current two storey building that was Lloyds TSB then Lloyds now Waugh & Musgrave.
The horse and cart drivers seem to stare at a horseless vehicle.
The clock tower was demolished in 1932 c 1900
Main Street 46 Cousin Charley childrens Pierrots parade carnival 1899 p1
Main Street 46 National Provincial Bank on the right.
The clock tower with railings is so significant that gentry pose, gentry identified by the status of their hats.
Note the earliest tree on roadside, 100 trees were planted in 1887 for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee. At a later time four gas lamps were placed at the corners of the railings around the clock tower. c 1899
Main Street 46 National Provincial Bank. clock tower with group of men arranged beneath. A child with the hand cart on the right. c 1899
Main Street – behind the clock tower is a three storey building that was demolished and replaced with the current two storey building that housed Lloyds TSB then Lloyds now Waugh and Musgrave.
The three storey building to the left is a charity shop and Greggs the baker
The next three storey shop at one time Straughton and Lothian shops but later demolished to be a new building with Boots the Chemist.
Note the parade of cycles for an unknown reason.
The clock tower built 1895 demolished 1932 horse and cart with young trees planted in 1887, this photo around 1899
Main Street unveiling of Mayo statue August 1875 note the large crowd on the street and many on the top of roof – how did they get there?
To the left of the Straughton Brown shop name was ladies outfitter but the building was later demolished by Twiname’s to make way for Boots the Chemist.
Note Kings Arms pub with the archway that leads to today’s Kings Arms Lane with its shops.
Main Street August 1875. Crowds gather for unveiling the statue of Mayo who had been their MP and later assassinated.
The popularity of this event in 1875 is indicated by people risking their lives to stand on shop signs and climb on the roof.
The sign in the foreground states “For Subscribers and Ladies” by the tiered seated area. The sashes and uniforms indicate something, and the various hats seem to indicate status.
Note the ladies who will not risk their fair complexion being tanned by the sun, so they sheild their fair skin from the tanning effect of the sun with umbrellas – it is not raining.
The statue of Mayo now dominates the central reservation of Main Street and is the fine marble statue of Richard Southwell Bourke, sixth earl of Mayo, M.P. for Cockermouth 1857-68. The statue was erected after Mayo was assassinated in 1872, whilst visiting the Andaman Islands as Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
The Kings Arms Inn many years later became Luchini ice cream and they manufactured their ices in the buildings down the lane but Luchini was replaced by Cusack of Cockermouth Travel who renovated Kings Arms Lane to become a wonderful shopping arcade with cafe and the history wall.
An unknown is the apparent cast iron post with cross piece that looks as if it should be a lamp post, but there seems no glass protection if there is a flame to come from it. Cockermouth was an early experimenter with gas lighting.
Note to the left of Kings Arms (lane) is Fattorini shop with precarious items balancing above the shop sign with apparently various wicker work chairs. Above the shop is the three ball sign for a pawnbroker, so Fattorini may be a pawnbroker.
Can you spot the spire and tower of the Congregational Church, now the United Reformed Church URC?
On the right of Kings Arms archway to the lane is the building that was rebuilt as Boots. Straughton & Brown Chemist & Druggist is now Greggs the Baker and the door to the right is still there, but no longer leading to Robinson Joiner. Date of photo is 1875
Main Street August 1875. Crowds gather for unveiling the statue of Mayo who had been their MP and later assassinated. The popularity of this event in 1875 is indicated by people risking their lives to climb on the roof.
Note the ladies who will not risk their fair complexion being tanned by the sun, so they shield their fair skin from the tanning effect of the sun with umbrellas – it is not raining.
The statue of Mayo now dominates the central reservation of Main Street and is the fine marble statue of Richard Southwell Bourke, sixth earl of Mayo, M.P. for Cockermouth 1857-68. The statue was erected after Mayo was assassinated in 1872, whilst visiting the Andaman Islands as Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
The Kings Arms Inn is many years later was Luchini ice cream and they manufactured their ices in the buildings down the lane but Luchini was replaced by Cusack of Cockermouth Travel who renovated Kings Arms Lane to become a wonderful shopping arcade with cafe and the history wall. August 1875
This photo is of a commemoration in India, erected after Lord Mayo’s assassination in 1872.
In Main Street Cockermouth the statue of Mayo now dominates the central reservation of Main Street and is the fine marble statue of Richard Southwell Bourke, sixth earl of Mayo, M.P. for Cockermouth 1857-68.
The statue was erected after Mayo was assassinated in 1872, whilst visiting the Andaman Islands as Viceroy and Governor-General of India. This commemoration in India is inscribed:
Dedicated to the memory of Richard Southwell Bourke Earl of Mayo Sometime Viceroy and Governor General of British India who after three and a half years of beneficent rule, during which he inaugurated many wise measures and won the regard of all classes, fell beneath the hand of an assassin at Fort Blair Andaman Islands on the 8th February 1872
The popularity of this MP of Cockermouth was so high that within three years of his assassination, public subscription raised money for a statue to commemorate our assassinated MP of Cockermouth,.
At the unveiling event in 1875 at which people risked their lives to stand on shop signs and climb on the roof to see the unveiling commemoration. 1872
Main Street statue of Lord Mayo.
The figure is nine feet high, carved from a solid block of Sicilian marble by W & T Wills of London. The pedestal on which it stands is 12 feet high.
The unveiling was planned for the first week in June 1875 but there was a long controversy regarding the site. One plan was to place it at the corner of Station Street and Main Street, thus narrowing the footpaths on the corner to allow more room for the statue. There was a suggestion to place it on the old bowling green at the Castle but this was not seriously considered.
A position in the widest part of Main Street was finally chosen, £30 being spent on making it wider still by curving the footpath parallel to the houses on the south side.
Mayo arrived by rail on 13th August, was hoisted up on the 16th and unveiled by Lord Napier and Ettrick on 19th.
The unveiling made the occasion of a town celebration, beginning with a procession from the Market Place. Lord Napier was supported by other dignitaries who, with subscribers to the fund, occupied stands erected in the street and by several thousand people.
A public lunch in the Agricultural Hall (Mitchells) was presided over by the Earl of Lonsdale. Later in the day there was tea for 1,300 children on the Castle lands at 5pm and dancing on the bowling green from 4pm.
To ensure that everything proceeded smoothly, 30 extra police were drafted into the town for the day.
In 1964 a tanker going along Main Street in the fog hit the statue and Mayo fell to the ground, broken into several pieces, and every block of masonry except the lowest was displaced by the force of the impact (see multiple photos). The statue was put together and re-erected. Only a close inspection of the neck will show any damage.
Main Street Mayo statue.
This photo was taken after 1875 when Mayo was unveiled but before 1887 when trees were planted to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee.
There are no gas lamps from the town gas yet. Nor are there any of the street’s trees yet, they were planted later, in 1887 for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee which was celebrated by 100 Lime Trees planted in Main Street, Station Street and Market Place, paid for by public subscription.
The archway would lead to stables and a place for carriages. c 1880
Main Street has the statue commemorating Lord Mayo who was assassinated while visiting a penal colony in the Andaman Island in 1872.
In Main Street Cockermouth the statue of Mayo now dominates the central reservation of Main Street and is the fine marble statue of Richard Southwell Bourke, sixth earl of Mayo, M.P. for Cockermouth 1857-68. The statue was erected after Mayo was assassinated in 1872, whilst visiting the Andaman Islands as Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Richard_Bourke,_6th_Earl_of_Mayo#/media/File:Assassination_of_Lord_Mayo,.jpg
Main Street August 1875 when the statue to commemorate Lord Mayo was erected.
Crowds gather for unveiling the statue of Mayo who had been their MP then Viceroy of India but when carrying out his duties in the Andaman Islands he was assassinated.
The popularity of our local MP is indicated not only in this event in 1875 but by people risking their lives to stand on shop signs and climb on the roof to see the commemoration.
Note the ladies who will not risk their fair complexion being tanned by the sun, so they shield their fair skin from the tanning effect of the sun with umbrellas – it is not raining. But the social status and norms of umbrella etiquette are indicated by some umbrellas being fancy and others seeming to be necessary even though the ladies are indoors, peering out of upstairs windows!
The men seem to indicate their social status with hats, some top hats taller than others, and others rounded or even boaters, but no flat caps.
The statue of Mayo now dominates the central reservation of Main Street and is the fine marble statue of Richard Southwell Bourke, sixth earl of Mayo, M.P. for Cockermouth 1857-68. The statue was erected after Mayo was assassinated in 1872, whilst visiting the Andaman Islands as Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
Note on the extreme right are the three balls of the pawnbroker at 62 Main Street. The sign on the wall to the right of Mayo states “Cockton” where today’s renovation of Cocktons Yard can be publicly accessed through a doorway from Main Street.
On the extreme left is a shop with an awning, 84 is now Elliot & Black and to the left of it is the building that was later demolished for the Carnegie Library.
To the right of 84 is a gap that is the entrance to today’s United Reformed Church, in those days Congregational Church, you can see the spires above the roof line.
There are cast iron posts with cross piece that looks as if they could be lamp posts, but there seems no glass protection if there is a flame to come from it.
On the right edge is the shop with three ball sign for a pawnbroker. To the right of the statue of Mayo is a sign on the wall that when magnified is Cockton behind which is an important place to visit in Cockermouth, Cocktons Yard, accessed from the public doorway between Bryson and PFK, a masterpiece of urban sensitive preservation and regeneration.
Note the spire and tower of the Congregational Church, now the United Reformed Church URC.
Photo taken August 1875
Main Street August 1875 when the statue to commemorate Lord Mayo was erected.
Crowds gather for unveiling the statue of Mayo who had been their MP then Viceroy of India but when carrying out his duties in the Andaman Islands he was assassinated.
The popularity of our local MP is indicated not only in this event in 1875 but by people risking their lives to stand on shop signs and climb on the roof to see the commemoration.
Note the ladies who will not risk their fair complexion being tanned by the sun, so they shield their fair skin from the tanning effect of the sun with umbrellas – it is not raining. But the social status and norms of umbrella etiquette are indicated by some umbrellas being fancy and others seeming to be necessary even though the ladies are indoors, peering out of upstairs windows!
The men seem to indicate their social status with hats, some top hats taller than others, and others rounded or even boaters, but no flat caps.
The statue of Mayo now dominates the central reservation of Main Street and is the fine marble statue of Richard Southwell Bourke, sixth earl of Mayo, M.P. for Cockermouth 1857-68. The statue was erected after Mayo was assassinated in 1872, whilst visiting the Andaman Islands as Viceroy and Governor-General of India.
Note on the extreme right are the three balls of the pawnbroker at 62 Main Street. The sign on the wall to the right of Mayo states “Cockton” where today’s renovation of Cocktons Yard can be publicly accessed through a doorway from Main Street.
On the extreme left is a shop with an awning, 84 is now Elliot & Black and to the left of it is the building that was later demolished for the Carnegie Library.
To the right of 84 is a gap that is the entrance to today’s United Reformed Church, in those days Congregational Church, you can see the spires above the roof line.
There are cast iron posts with cross piece that looks as if they could be lamp posts, but there seems no glass protection if there is a flame to come from it.
On the right edge is the shop with three ball sign for a pawnbroker. To the right of the statue of Mayo is a sign on the wall that when magnified is Cockton behind which is an important place to visit in Cockermouth, Cocktons Yard, accessed from the public doorway between Bryson and PFK, a masterpiece of urban sensitive preservation and regeneration.
Note the spire and tower of the Congregational Church, now the United Reformed Church URC.
Photo taken August 1875
Main Street 64 horse and cart Croasdel chemis is now Turkish restaurant pre 1899
Main Street steam tractor hauls tree trunks along Main Street past Main Street 72 shop of Wilson Mounsey, whose family donated many of these photos, the shop is now the Toy Shop.
Note behind the cab are the wooden entrance doors to the yard that used to have the Turkish restaurant, now on Main Street.
Note the windows above the tractor still have the shaped moulding between the windows, another sensitive preservation by town planners.
Observe that the wheels are solid iron, and the road is likely to be crushed stone, not the smooth(ish) tarmac of today.
Thomas Armstrong had a woodyard where Lowther Went is, and horse drawn wagons hauling tree trunks would bring them from Cockermouth old station goods yard, where Lakes Home Centre is now, and clop up Main Street turning right under the archway into what is now Lowther Went, but was at that time Thomas Armstrong woodyard.
It is unlikely that this giant machine would fit under the arch! c 1890
Main Street 78 Lindsay butcher game dealer, the men are relatives of the current Lindsay family. Bell Plumber gas fitter down alley towards Waterloo Street at the side c 18909
Main Street 82 Congregational Church behind parade Queen Victoria Jubilee glass slide 1887
Main Street 82 children in uniform ladies in fine clothes.
The 3 storey building is now Harrison the Butcher and to its left is the gap where todays United Reformed Church is, you can see its spires above the roof line.
To the left of the church is a fine building, now Elliot and Black. To its left is the intriguing story of 92 Main Street which is now the Carnegie library built in 1903. At the time of this photo it was a dilapidated building, see other photos in this collection.
We estimate that this is likely to be a church parade for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee when many other significant developments occured in Cockermouth. c 1887
Main Street 82 now Harrison butcher 84 Elliot Black no library of 1903 Wesleyan parade brass band playing c 1899
Main Street 92 Walker Monumental Works & Building Material Stores with family. Main Street 92 Walkers Monumental Works demolished and in 1904 Carnegie Library built.
The alley on the right remained so Walkers could have access to their building yard behind. c 1890
Main Street 92 Walkers Monumental Works and building material was down the lane through the archway.
The building to the left was demolished but the archway had to remain and in 1904 the Carnegie Library was built.
The alley on the right remained so Walkers could have access to their building yard behind and retained rights to access their yard by the alley. The Carnegie Library building remains, and the commemorative plaque is on the wall.
The archway entrance to the alley and yard remain after Walkers builders moved away. To the left is now Heals the optician. Behind the building the spires of the Congregational Church (now United Reformed Church) can be seen. c 1890
Main Street 92 old with house later demolished for library URC church behind c 1890
