New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-31
INDUSTRIAL ENGLAND.
BY ROBERT p. PORTER, MEMBER OF THE LATE
TARIFF COMMISSION.
XVIII
NOTTINGHAM AND IFS LACE-MAKERS.
IRON SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE /

| speculation on the subject. later writer very
apty suggests that if there be truth the Legend
| one would like 20 know something of the manners
and customs of the old and young people how they
| lived, how they made love, how they did not Dress
| how they cooked their hips and haws and what
| good liquor they swallowed with that primitive
diet. The old city was known by the rough British
name "Tiggocobawcn 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 lie
settled as many Danes as SaXons :" Enemies
says DIR. Doran, " then became friends; we cannot
doubt that the old people entered 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 straightforward Saxon
Edwy; and on the broad chest of the Danish Sciold
lay the fair head of his young wife Ethefeda, like
Hebe in Hercules's arms y" OF such ancestry with
a of wholesome pagan blood comes the present
NOttinghamshire race.
Unlike the cities which formed the topics of my
last letters Coventry and Worcester), Nottingham
never stormed and taken by an invading army.
1t came nearest to it when the thrifty Yorkshire
ing towns the seat of war; persuaded Charles |. to
go to Nottingham and hoist the royal standard.
But it was stormy day and the wind blew the
standard down, and when after few days II
IL was finally set up again, no
one paid much attention to it. To the words of
ClatendOn: "There appeared no conflux of men III
obedience to the proclamation; the arms and
ammunition were not yet come from York. gen.
eral sadness covered the whole town, and the King
himself appeared more meancholc than he used TO
be- But Charles soon left it, 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 S;uarts had acquired gloomy pre-emrnence
on account of the procession of royal murderers
who in some way other, were connected with It,
1t was originally built by an illegitmate of
William the Conqueror. Poor Edward ii. held
great feast within its gray walls, drank wine
and laughed at the ests Of his subsequent murder
ers. His wife, the light Lady Isabel with Mortimer.
fled into this stronghold, and for time defed Ed
ward III. 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-pace below, while bis
festive mother looked down from the
high parapets of the castle with scOm upon her
enemies But through treachery admission was OBJ
tained and while Mortimer was hurried off to Lon
don to adorn a gbbet, 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 perpctrate or plot some
crime.
In Nottingham Castle Richard III. planned the
murder of his uncle the Duke OF Gloucester, and for
this deed Kent, Rutland. Huntingdon and Somerset
won their steps TO the peerage, while Thom9s Now
bray, for experimenting the affair, was
raised to the rank OF Duke of Norfolk.
Many distinguished prisoners have been reduced to
skeletons In the dark. damp cells of Nottingham
Castle and this reminds that when the grand
father of this Richard H., Edward Ill, was old,
." a year or two only before his death, when Alice
Fcrrers was as saucy and imperious as ever the Du
Barry was with Louis XIV. and his people, there
was carried through Nottingham, mp IL the Castle,
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 10 this Alice Petrus dc la Mare
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 memorable event in
the history OF Nottingham, which took place in
1850 when, doubt, the magnificent market
place the largest in The kingdoml was "alive,
trembling or rejoicing" at the mastering hosts
Richard III. had called there just before the fatal
battle of Bosworth Field. The Silver Boar ii is
said sparkled on the banners. The gazers at his
passage through the streets, flung up their caps.
held their voices mute, according as their judg
ments. caprices or impulses prompted them.
| have no doubt, when Charles l. LETT
the town, the good people of ancient
"Tiggo cobans" breathed freer and in their secret
hearts relOiced.
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 oden times the
Jolly laborers after dinner sat and drank, with
liberty TO leave the hall three times and return
often to drink rs much they could carry under
their girdles" And then, in Joyous procession they
were allowed to carry away bucket containing
eight hagons Of beer. The Nottingham municipal
corporations noted for its hospitality to guests never
feasted itself, and in this exactly opposite
to the neighbonug 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
luxurics Nothing is said about fine old ale.
Nottingham to-day has more than a thousand
public houses and beer shops, and at night they
crowded recent city Official said to me
nottingham has the reputation of being the most
drunken city in the Kingdom" While think this
rather n strong statement, 1 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 1900 convictions
last year for drunkenness, against 26I convictions
in Bradford a larger town, but containing less than
half the number of drinking shops
For six centuries Nottingham has been manu-
featuring town. Like Dundee Scotland it has tried
many things, and at last it has made grand sue
cess The industrial procession of the past would
be headed by woolen cloth 1.-THE manufacture of
Lincoln green cloths in King Johns time), followed
by mailing, hardware, tanning bone lace-working,