The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-09-23


1t is fact not generally known that
before the umbrella came into general
[ use In this country IL was employed by
| the clergy at funerals as q means OF
protection against rain and wet wealth
er. Lieut.. Col. Wolfe. afterward Gen.
Wolfe. i'm 1852 wrote letter frcm Paris.
in which he said: THE people here pse
umbrellas in hot Weather TO. defend
them from the sun, and something OF
the same kind TO save them from the
snow and rain. wonder that prac-
tice SO useful Is not introduced into
England" About the period the future
conqueror wrote this letter the umbrel-
la had been brought To London. Jonas
Hanway, a celebrated traveller and
philanthropist, returned in 1850 TO Eng
land from Persia.
In 1887. in a work entitled Remark
able Occurrences in the Life OF Jonas
Hanway," by John Pugh. ii was stated
that Hanway was the first man who
ventured TO walk the streets OF Lon
don with an umbrella over his head.
After carrying one for nearly 80 years.
he saw them come into. general use"
1t appears. from illusions in old books.
that women long before men used um-
brellas in England. We may infey from
the following announcement. copied
from the Female Tattler," of Decern-
ber IL. 1909. that this useful article at
this period was regarded as too effem-
mate for the use OF man.. The
young gentleman borrowing the UNI
brella belonging 10 Wilss Coffee House
Cornhiil, OF the mistress. is hereby ad-i
vertised, that to be dry from head to-
foot on the like oceasion he shall. be
welcome to the maids patterns ABOUT
this time II was customary TO keep
-.ll. xlx.. n H..f la ar
houses for use in rainys,wcather Tor
shelter in proceeding from the house To
a covered conveyance, and, doubtless;
the one alluded TO in the advertisement
above quoted was for that purpose
The earliest entries relating 10 an UNI
brella for the use OF a clergyman we
have found in any church warden's ac-
counts occur in those OF st. Nicholas's
church. Newcastle-on Tyne. says
"Fireside." and are as follows:
1117. Paid for an umbrella for
the church's use........ G1 5s Oh
Iii. Paid Theodore Melburne
for charges about ye um-
brella .................. 20 rs Od
In the Life and Correspondence of
Samuel HILBERT Ware, M D. MAN
chester, 1882. we find particulars of
the prices OF umbrellas for private use,
ana IL is interesting 10 compare these
with the amounts paid for those used
by the clergy OF the period. II is re-
corded, i'm 1719. that James Watson was
paid for an umbrella Gl los Cd, and
later 5s for a silk cover and for making
two umbrellas e1.
One of the earliest umbrellas seen at
Taunton was the private property OF
the clergyman, and when he carried AZ
! to church on a Sunday he left 1t I'm the
porch for the edification and delight OF
| his parisnoncrs. 1t is recorded that the
| first woman to carry an umbrella In
| public in Wakefield walked along the
pack streets when carrying II to avoid
| the gaze and remarks OF curious peo-
| pie. and to get out of the way OF chill
| drrn, who were not little excited IN
| see such a novelty. The introduction Of
| the umbrella in some places has been
! regarded as of sufficient importance ~
| be included In the local annals. About
| 1880 a red leShorn umbrella wao intro
| duced into Bristol. and II creatci quito
sensation in this city. 1t was about
| the same period that an umbrella was
first carried i'm the streets OF STAN
| ford. Lincolnshire. 1t was OF tninese
| manufacture, and was brought 10
| Stamford from Glasgow.
| Mrs. Stockdale. in l7'6. is recorded TO
! have brought from the island of Gran
| ada, in the est Indies. the first umbrel-
| la seen in Carmel, lancashire. In
| 1TT9 DIR. Spens, a popular physician.
| carried an umbrella in the streets of
| Edinburgh. and he is credited with in
| PRODUCING Ii into the Scottish capitol.
John Jameson, a Glasgow surgeon, Wis
| tied Paris, about 17Sl or 1as2 and
| b, ought back with him an umbrella,
| which was the first seen i'm Glasgow,
where ii attracted unusual attention.
| William Symington was the first per-
| son to carry an umbrella I'm Paisley.
| 1t is related by Horace Walpole In his
account Of the punishment of DR.. Sheb-
! bcrcre for libel December 5, 1855, .that
| a-hen he was in the pillory a footman
| field over him an Umbrella to keep on
| the rain. This has been described as
an aristocratic style of bearing punish
ment. The under sheriff got into
| trouble for permitting the Indulgence.