The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-06-09
AN ANCIENT CITY.
Nottingham, with Its Laces and History
"A Thousand Years Before Christ

Iot1iHShdln Was tOWH u bnOuSduu years
before Christ. The old city was known by
the rough British name "Tiggocobawc."
The son of Alfred the Great has been
credited with founding Nottingham, but
antiquarians now say that he
founded half of it, uniting the
ancient city of the unpronounceable
name by bridge with the new city he had
formed. He founded what some have called
an opposition city, partly military, partly
commercial, to awe and to stimulate. This
he did at Nottingham. He settled as many
Danes as Saxons. Enemies" says DR..
Doran, then became friends; we cannot
doubt that the old people en-
tered into partnership, and the
young people followed the example of their
parents The shy Olga learned to raise her
soft blue eyes in trusting love upon the
straight-limbed Saxon Edwy; and on the
broad chest of the Danish Sciold lay the fair
head of his young wife Etheaeda, like
Hebe in Hercules's armsP" Of such an
cestry with a cross of wholesome pagan
bloOd) comes the present Nottinghamshire
race.
Unlike the cities which formed the topics
of my last letters Coventry and Worcester)
Nottingham was never stormed and taken by
an invading army. 1t came nearest to it
when the thrifty Y orkshire royalists, not
caring about making those Clothing towns
the seat of war, persuaded Charles l to go to
Nottingham and hoist the royal standard.
But it was stormy day and the wind blew the
standard down, and when, after a few days, it
was finally set up again, no one paid much
attention to it. To use the words of Claren-
don; There appeared no conflux of men
in obedience to the proclamation; the arms
and ammunition were not yet come from
York; a general sadness covered the
whole town, and the King himself
appeared more melanchoiio than he used to
be-" But Charles soon left it, l have no
doubt to the great joy of the inhabitants,
and the Parliament kept possession of the
town and the castle till the close of the war.
The castle long before the days of the
Stuarts, had acquired a gloomy pre-
eminence on account of the procession of
royal murderers, who in some way or
other, were connected with it. 1t was
originally built by an illegitimate son OF
William the Conqueror. Poor Edward ii
held great feast within its gray walls, drank
wine and laughed at the jests of his subse-
quent murdeIers. His wife, the light Lady
Isabella, with Mortimer, fed into this
stronghold, and for time defied Edward Ill.
The Queen, it is said, ridiculed their efforts,
and slept soundly with the keys of the castle
under her pillow. The young King for time
was obliged to bite his lips and kick his
heels in the market-place below, while his
mother looked down from the high parapets
of the castle with scorn upon her enemies.
But through treachery admission was OBJ
tanned, and while Mortimer was hurried off
to London to adorn gibbet, the Queen was
taken to prison, where she ended her days.
Again, have no doubt, Nottingham rejoiced,
for royalty rarely visited the town but to
perpetrate or plot some crime.
In Nottingham Castle Richard II planned
the murder of his uncle, the Duke of Glou-
cester, and for this deed Kent, Rutland,
Huntingdon and Somerset won their steps
to the peerage while Thomas Mowbray, for
,to,. -
rank of Duke of Norfolk. Many distin-
guished prisoners have been reduced to skel-
etons in the dark, damp cells of Nottingham
Castle, and this reminds me that when the
grandfather of this Richard II, Edward III,
was old "a year or TWO only before his death
when Alice Ferrer was as saucy and imper-
ious as even the Du Barry was with Louis
XIV and his people, there was carried through
a prisoner at whom the citizens
stared in respectful wonder; but
they felt much indignation at the
woman who was the cause of his captivity.
For stern word uttered to this Alice
Petrus de la Marc, Speaker of the House of
Commons, or holding an office equivalent to
that called SO now, was thrown into the keep
at Nottingham Castle, where he fingered a
couple of years"
But had almost forgotten a memorable
event in the history of Nottingham, which
took place in 1885, when. no doubt, the
magnificent market place (the largest in the
kingdom) was 'alive, trembling or rejoicing"
at the mastering hosts Richard Ill had called
there just before the fatal battle of Bos-
worth Field The Silver Boar, it is said,
sparkled on the banners. The gazers, at his
passage through the streets, flung up their
caps, or held their voices mute, according as
prompted them. l have no doubt as when
Charles l left the town. the good people of
ancient "Tiggocobawc" breathed freer and
in their secret hearts rejoiced.
The Nottingham folk have always been
noted for their capacity to enjoy good beer,
and centuries ago the town was noted for its
ale. In olden times the jolly laborers latter
the hall three times and return as often to
drink as much as they could
carry under their girdles" And
then, in joyous procession, they
were allowed to carry away bucket con-
tanning eight flagons of beer. The Noting
ham municipal corporation, noted for its
hospitality to guests never Toasted itself,
and in this was exactly opposite to the
neighboring city of Worcester, After the
ceremonies inaugurating the new mayor
came frugal banquet, in which
bread and cheese satisfied the appetite,
and pipes and tobacco were added as
Injuries, Nothing is said about fine old ale.
nottingham to-day has more than thou
sand public houses and beer shops, and at
night they are crowded. A recent city Off
cial said to me: nottingham has the repu-
tation of being the most drunken city in the
Kingdom While l think this rather strong
statement, must admit that tremendous
amount of heavy beer drinking is going
on, not only among the men but the women
and even girls. There were about 800 con-
vctions last year for drunkenness, against
264 convictions in Bradford, a larger town,
but contained less than half the number of
drinking shops.
Nottingham, to-day, is gay, the spacious
market-place at night is thronged, the bril-
liantly-ill animated gin palaces glare without
forth from half a hundred concert-places
chorused with peals of laughter; money is
heinn earned and snenL Let us hone