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Page 132:-
very considerable, but the inhabitants are very industrious;
the woman spin wool, the men (and some women) weave linseys,
kerseys, and other coarse cloths. There is a tan-yard of
pretty considerable account, managed lately by Mr William
Holm, (now by his son,) who with honesty and industry
accumulated a handsome fortune, and his family at present is
the most flourishing one in Ambleside. What adds greatly to
Mr Holm's merit is, that what he died worth was all gained
by himself with a fair and honest character; for as he was a
natural child, he could not be heir to any person; and I
have heard him say, that after he married, for want of work
in his own way, he, for bread, carded wool, and his wife
spun it, till he could raise the price of four calf skins:
with this stock, being in all about eight shillings, he
begun his business, and died last year worth upwards of 8000
pounds, leaving a widow and two sons. Let me add, that Mr
Holm never gave the least room to a suspicion of avarice; he
constantly increased his family expence in the same
proportion that his fortune increased, and before his death,
kept a single-horse chaise for the use of his family; yet he
was an equal enemy to profusion, and perhaps never was known
in his life to do either an act of meanness or prodigality.
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Ambleside, charities
school, Ambleside
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There are at Ambleside several donations to the poor,
of money, bread, &c. that ease the estates from that
burden The school-house was built and endowed by a Mr
Kelsick of Ambleside, is free for the inhabitants of
the town, and the yearly salary is about forty pounds,
arising out of the lands left by the donee. The Reverence
Isaac Knipe, M.A. is the schoolmaster and curate of the
chapel: The chapel is a low mean building, and stands in the
parish of Grassmere; the inhabitants, (who are land
owners,) as well those in the parish of Winandermere
as those in the parish of Grassmere, have the right
of nominating and presenting the curate. The rector of
Grassmere, usually nominated the Curate, but the inhabitants
of this and many other perpetual curacies in the North,
have, by custom, gotten it from the rectors or vicars: the
reason is this; before the death of Queen Anne, many of the
chapelries were not worth above three pounds a year, and the
donees could not get person properly qualified to serve
them; so they left them to the inhabitants, who raised
voluntary contributions for them in addition to their
salary, with cloathes * yearly and whittle-gate
†.
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coin hoard
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There was formerly a family of the name of Brathwaites here,
of considerable note; for I find, in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, that Gawan Brathwaite of Ambleside,
Thomas Brathwaite, &c. were inquisitors several
times upon a post mortem. The last Thomas Brathwaite
of Ambleside had a large collection of Roman coins, which he
and his ancestors had got from the old fort (or castle,) and
another place called the Borrans, a square fort, more
remains of which may be seen than of the other. There were,
says Mr Machel, who had seen those coins, "6 of gold, 66 of
silver, and 250 others." He left them by his will to the
University of Oxford; but his will being made void for want
of form, (at the instigation of Brathwaite Otway) they
continued in the family, and came into the possession of the
Countess of Litchfield ‡. The Brathwaites once were
owners
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of
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* Cloathes yearly, viz. one new suit of
cloathes, two pair of shoes, and one pair of cloggs. Shirts,
stockings, &c. (as they could bargain.)
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† Whittle gate, is to have two or three weeks
victuals at each house, according to the ability of the
inhabitant which was settled amongst them, so as that he
should go his course as regular as the sun, and compleat it
annually. Few houses having more knives than one or two, the
pastor was often obliged to buy his own; (sometimes it was
bought for him by the chapel-wardens,) and march from house
to house with his whittle seeking fresh pasturage: as
master of the herd, he demanded the elbow-chair at
the table-head, which was often made of part of an hollow
ash tree, such as may in these parts be seen at this day. A
person was thought a proud fellow in those days that was not
content without a fork to his knife; he was reproved for it,
and told that fingers were made before forks.
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‡ The Countess Dowager of Litchfield now lives at the
Duke of Argyle's seat at Whilton, near Hounsley, and had
lately the said antiquities.
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gazetteer links
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-- "Ambleside" -- Ambleside
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-- "Amboglana" -- Galava
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-- (school, Ambleside)
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-- St Anne's Church
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-- (tanyard, Ambleside)
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