The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-25
CHURCH UMBRELLAS.
The Early Use of Rain Protectors at
Funerals.
From the Fireside.

1t is a fact not generally known that be-
fore the umbrella came into general use in
this country 1t was employed by the clergy
at funerals as a means of protection
against rain in wet weather Lieut.. Col.
Wolfe, afterward Cen Wolfe, in 1852 wrote
a letter from Paris in which he said:
THE people here use umbrellas in hot
weather to defend them from the sun, and
something of the same kind to save them
from the snow and rain I wonder that
a practice so useful Is not introduced into
England" About the period the future
conqueror of Quebec wrote this letter the
umbrella had been brought to London.
Jonas Hanway a celebrated traveller and
philanthropst, returned in 1850 to Eng
land from Persia. In 1887, in work en-
titled Remarkable Occurrences in the
Life of Jonas Hanway" by John Pugh, it
was stated that Hanway was the first
man who ventured to walk the streets of
London with an umbrella over his head.
After carrying one for nearly thirty years,
he saw them come into general use" 1t
appears, from illusions in old books. that
women long before men used umbrellas in
England. We may infer from the follow
ing announcement, copied from "The Fe-
male Taller" of Dec. Il, 1903, that this use
full article at this period was regarded as
too effeminate for the use of a man: 1.-THE
young gentleman borrowing the
umbrella belonging to wills cot
fee house, Cornhill, of the mis-
tres, is hereby advertised, that to
be dry from head 10 foot on the like oc-
casion he shall be welcome to the maids
patterns" About this time It was custom
airy to keep an umbrella in the halls of
larger houses for use in rainy weather for
shelter in proceeding from the house to a
covered conveyance, and doubtless the one
alluded to in the advertisement above quo
ted was for that purpose.
The earliest entries relating to an UNI
brella for the use of a clergyman we have
found in any church wardens accounts oc-
cur in those of st. Nicholas Church, New
castle-on-Tyne, and are as follows:
I'M Paid for an umbrella for the
churches use ............u IS Cd
Ill., Paid Theodore Melburne for
charges about we umbrella 20 Is Cd
In the Life and Correspondence of Sam
uel HILBERT Ware, NJ D." Manchester.
1882 We find particulars of the prices Of
umbrellas for private use, and it Is in
teresting to compare these with the
amounts paid for those used by the clergy
Of the period. 1t is recorded in 1779, that
James Watson was paid for an umbrella
fl los Cd, and later IS for silk cover, and
Tor making two umbrellas f.
One Of The earliest umbrellas seen at
Taunton was the private property of the
clergyman, and when he carried il TO
church on a Sunday he left ii in the porch
for the ediflcation and delight of his par
ishoners. 1t is recordedAthat the first wo-
man to carry an umbrella in public in
Wakefield walked along the back streets
when carrying Il 10 avoid the gaze and re-
marks of curio IS persons, and to get out
Of the way of children, who were not
little excited to see such a novelty The
Introduction Of the umbrella in some places
has been regarded of sufficient importance
to be included in the local annals. About
1880 a red Leghorn umbrella was introduce
ed into Bristol, and it created quite A
sensation in the city 1t was about the
same period that an umbrella was first
carried in the streets of Stamford, Lin
colnshre. II was Of Chinese manufacture
and was brought TO Stamford from GIas-
gov Mrs. Stockdale, in 1916, is recorded
to have brought from the Island Of Gra
NADIA, in the West Indies, the first UNI
brella seen in Cartmel, Lancashire. In
l779 DR.. Spens. popular physician, car
RED an umbrella in the streets of Edin.
burgh, and he is credited with introduc-
Ing Ii into the Scottish capital John
Jameson. Glasgow surgeon, visited Paris
about 1884, or 1882, and brought back win,
him an umbrella which was the first
seen in Glasgow, where IL attracted..un-
usual attention. William Symington was
the first person to carry an umbrella II,
Paisley. II is related by Horace Walpole
in his account of the punishment of DR.
shebberere for libel. Dec. s. 1888. that
when he was in the pilory footman held
over him an umbrella to keep off the
rain. This has been described as an aris-
tocratic style Of bearing punishment The
under sheriff got into trouble for permit
ting the Indulgence