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Market Place looking towards St Helens Street. Boys marching beside boy bugler This parade results from the newspaper column written by “Cousin Charley” who was the editor of the West Cumberland Times. This was known as Cousin Charley’s day and was the predecessor to the Cockermouth Carnival. Other photos show a hot air balloon ascending from Sandair (the cricket ground) which was part of Cousin Charley’s carnival. c 1890
Market Place 26 advertises Wine Spirits 24 Johnston 14 Ship Hotel now the Castle Bar.
Cousin Charley Carnival Queen with spectacular flower decked throne with maids on a cart pulled by a horse. Note the march of the Pierrot clowns behind the person on the horse. Note the flowers in the hats of the children and ladies. Note behind the gas lamp is Johnston grocer and tobacconist in the building that was Cockermouth’s first bank. Note also the roof of the building next to the Ship Hotel has a balustrade on the roof that has now been removed. Note two of the 170 gas lamps in 1888 in Cockermouth, though there was a short, failed, trial of electric but gas remained until the 1970s though in 1927 they started to erect some electric lighting. [Bradbury p97] c 1890
Market Place taken from Banks shop festival horse drawn float girls in white dresses and lovely hats. This parade results from the newspaper column written by “Cousin Charley” who was the editor of the West Cumberland Times. This was known as Cousin Charley’s day and was the predecessor to the Cockermouth Carnival. Other photos show a hot air balloon ascending from Sandair (the cricket ground) which was part of Cousin Charley’s carnival. c 1890
Market Place 24 on the left was Cockermouth’s first bank. Here a carnival procession coming down from St Helens Street. Late 1890s because 100 trees were planted in Market Place, Main Street and Station Street for the 1887 Queen Victoria Jubilee. Note the horses and carts, but some carts without horses because they would likely need resting and refuelling eg in the Sun Inn (now Seth’s Bar) on the corner of Kirkgate and Market Place there was stable facilities. (another stable location was at the back of the Globe Hotel in Main Street – this was also the staging post for the stage coaches…. and the Huntsman). Note the ladies with parasols on a day with no rain, but with the sun that might make them tanned and only manual outdoor workers got tanned. c 1890
Market Place 24 was Cockermouth’s first bank but amalgamated so the building was reused by many. Next to it 22 is Hewitson, business unknown. In the foreground is 20 with other photos showing the front of the building painted with Prior & Sons known as Red House because it was painted red.
Note the hand cart and horse carts. This very old photo would need a long exposure, likely on a glass plate, so the stationary people and horses are sharp but the moving children are blurred. Hewitson is now Allerdale Court Restaurant Hotel.
Main Street gas lamps in the street with horse and cart
Market Place looking to St Helens Street, gentlemen in top hat and boaters and Boys Brigade behind gas lamp where Moot Hall used to be c 1900
Market Place 24 was Cockermouth’s first bank, here Johnston Feed and Corn Merchant. 22 Bell 20 Prior and Sons Red House 18 with the roof balustrade. 14 Ship Hotel now the Castle Bar. Note two lamp posts in middle of the street and early lime trees planted 1887 for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee c 1899
Market Place with gas lamppostss in the road Johnston store Prior and son Red House Ship Hotel c 1890
