January 1907

Thirteen applications were received for the post of Lady Librarian at the Rushden Free Library – Miss D.Corbett was appointed at a salary of 12/- per week.  Miss Corbett undertook in the event of being unable to attend at the Library at any time through illness or otherwise to provide a substitute free of cost to the Committee.

It was reported that in a little over 12 months 21,821 books had been taken out from the library and there were 1,250 borrowers on the list.

The Northamptonshire Agriculture Society decided to hold their annual show and exhibition of 1907 at Rushden during Whit-week.

The Rushden branch of the British Women’s Temperance Association acquired the Old Temperance Hall at a sum of £475 for the benefit of their 280 members.  The branch had been inaugurated in 1892 with about a dozen members, and by 1900 the number had steadily increased to 164 who were using a small iron structure erected on a site abutting on the Coffee Tavern Lane.

On 29th January, between 4 and 5pm, the sudden darkening of the air by the snow was most remarkable.  It was said to have been the most sudden darkness in living memory.

February 1907

The people of Rushden, Higham Ferrers, and the district had the opportunity on the night of 9th February of witnessing a remarkably fine display of the aurora borealis.  The display gradually worked round to the north, and the sky continued to be illuminated behind the clouds until the early hours of the following morning.

The Fire Brigade Sub‑Committee resolved to obtain estimates for the purchase of a steam fire engine, similar to the one at Wellingborough which had cost £300 with certain accessories.

Mrs Marcia Knight had charge of a petition, issued from London, to which she sought the signatures of women over 18 years of age who did not desire the franchise for themselves – “… believing it would destroy, rather than add to, their real influence in their own sphere of work in the world,” relating to education and care of the poor.

March 1907

A Committee of the Northamptonshire Agricultural Society visited Rushden to inspect the proposed site for the County Show.  The site of 14 acres on Wymington Road, which was used when the show was held in Rushden in 1898, was approved.

Of the estimated cost of £4,720 required to build the new St.Peter’s Church, only £242 remained to be raised.

The two horses drawing the L&NW bus were frightened whilst in High Street, Rushden, standing opposite the Northants Union Bank, and set off towards the church.  The bus collided with a trap outside the chemist shop of Mr C.Smith, the two vehicles becoming locked together, and the shafts and harness of the trap were broken.  The horses continued along High Street, dragging both bus and trap, until they reached the Wheatsheaf Inn, their usual stopping place where they came to a standstill.

The Fire Brigade Sub-Committee recommended the Council to apply for a loan of £320 for the purpose of purchasing a steam fire engine, with 1,425 feet of hose, from Messrs Shand Mason & Co.

April 1907

The Midland Railway reported that on Easter Monday, in addition to the ordinary bookings, 188 booked to London, 40 to Leicester, 16 to Nottingham, 67 to Northampton, and 177 to Bedford.

Lady Dorothy Howard, of Castle Howard, opened the new B.W.T.A. Hall at the corner of Park Road, on the Newton Road.  Erected originally as a Temperance Hall, it formed the local centre of temperance work until about 1882, when the Coffee Tavern and Public Hall were built.  It had then become in turn a school, Salvation Army barracks, a leather warehouse, and a carpenter’s shop.

At the Waggon and Horses Inn, Mr John S.Mason let by tender the catering for the County Agricultural Show.  Bidding for Lot.1, the second-class refreshment booth, started at £25, and was secured by Mr A.Marriott, of Wellingborough, at £115, a sum considerably above the average.  Lot.2, the tea booth, was bought in by Mr A.E.Lovell, the secretary of the society.  Lot.3, the fruit and ice-cream stall, was secured by Mr Smeathers of Wellingborough and Rushden, for £6.6s.  Lot.4, the storage of cycles, was knocked down to Mr G.Bettles, of Rushden, for £4.4s.

May 1907

A comparison of the boot and shoe industry in Rushden, Higham Ferrers, and district reported that in 1867 there were only three or four small factories, or rather workshops, wherein wholesale manufacturing was carried on, and the combined output probably did not exceed 400 or 500 pairs a week.  In 1907 there were forty-three factories turning out 60,000 pairs a week.  In the same time the population had increased from 1,600 to 14,000, and the rateable value of the property had gone up from £4,300 to £36,500.

The Northamptonshire Agricultural Society Show took place in Rushden on 22nd and 23rd May, on the same 14 acres on the Wymington Road as used in 1898.  The entries totalled 928, being an advance of 74 on those at Kettering in 1906, and of 279 on those when the society last visited Rushden.  The M.R. station was extremely busy and requisitioned about 25 extra men to deal with the additional traffic – especially the unloading of the large number of animals, the sidings being filled up with over 80 horse and cattle trucks.  At the show ground the gate receipts on the first day amounted to £85.10s.0d, being 377 visitors at half-a crown and 767 at 1 shilling.  Heavy rain spoilt the second day, but 6,300 visitors had been admitted by 4.30pm when the entrance charge was reduced to 6d, and a further 3,400 paid after 4.30pm.  Houses and business premises from the railway station to the show field were decorated with banners, flags, bunting, flowers and streamers, and several festooned arches spanned the road.  Owning to the weather, the fireworks and torchlight procession was delayed until the end of the week.

Another of the group of “Rushden Veterans” passed away.  Mr George Perkins, of North Cottage, North Street, was in his 88th year.  For some years he had been director of the Rushden Gas Company, and also assisted in founding the Rushden Co-operative Society.  For 27 years he was the parish constable at Rushden.

June 1907

The Local Government Board sanctioned the loan of £320 to the RUDC for the provision of a steam fire engine.  An order was placed with Messrs Shand Mason & Co.

Mr J.Seckington retired as senior postman at Rushden after 34 years’ service.

July 1907

General Booth, leader of the Salvation Army, visited Rushden and Higham Ferrers on his way from Bedford to Wellingborough.  The General and his party travelled in five passenger motor cars, with a further car for luggage.  He was greeted at Rushden by the Chairman of the RUDC, Mr F.Ballard, and addressed an immense crowd in front of the Green before continuing to Higham Ferrers where he was greeted by the Mayor and Corporation on a specially constructed stage on the square between the Cross and the Town Hall, and presented with an illuminated address.

Mr A.E.Leaton, of Midland Road, Rushden, had a remarkable show of lilies.  Three stalks sprang from the same cluster of bulbs, each bearing about 120 flowers.

Alfred Hales, foreman to Mr C.E.Knight, butcher, was engaged in cutting grass in a field on the Wymington Road.  While cleaning the knives of the mowing machine, the horses started off, with the result that Hales got his feet entangled in the blades.  Both feet were cut, one of them seriously.

August 1907

Rushden UDC negotiated a loan of £320 for the purchase of a steam fire engine.

Mr G.Hustwaite, of Higham Ferrers, gathered a monster lettuce in his allotment.  It weighed 5lbs 7ozs.

At Higham Parish Church a peal of Superlative Surprise Major was rung in 3 hours and 11 minutes by members of the Central Northamptonshire Association of Bell Ringers.

Mr Andrew Carnegie pledged to donate half the cost of an organ for the new St.Peter’s Church, Rushden.

Higham Ferrers Feast was celebrated in the field at the back of the Green Dragon Hotel.  Attractions included Thurston’s Royal Show, Thurston’s motor cars, galloping horses and ostriches, shooting galleries, and a boxing booth.

The Higham Productive Co‑operative Society was amongst the exhibitors at the annual Co‑operative Festival at the Crystal Palace.  Mr Arthur Pack, president of the society, was in charge of the exhibits.

September 1907

The new rule of the Boot and Shoe Operatives’ Union entitling members out of work to receive 10 shillings a week while unemployed, came into force.  Six members of the Rushden and Higham Branch were declared on the funds.

Mrs Arthur Batchelar, of Higham Road, Rushden, sustained a nasty accident whilst crossing Higham Market Square, when she was knocked down by a cyclist, and had to be removed home in a bath-chair.

The final loan of £2,500 in connection with the Higham Ferrers and Rushden Water Board was sealed, repayable in 28 years.

Mr Arthur Sargent, of Rushden, was engaged on the Cunard liner, Lusitania, on her maiden voyage to New York, in charge of the Marconi apparatus.

The Rushden “Myrtle” Lodge of the National United Order of Free Gardeners celebrated its 21st anniversary with a demonstration including a meat tea and soirée in the Public Hall.

October 1907

The Rushden Temperance Band performed at the eighth annual National Band Festival at the Crystal Palace and gained fourth place in the contest for the Thousand Guineas Cup.

The King granted the Imperial Service Medal to Mr Jonathan Seckington of Rushden, for so many years a postman in the town. The Imperial Service Medal was instituted by his Majesty for the recognition of long and meritorious service.

A donation of £25 was received from Mr A.Hugh Sartoris JP, and his mother (Mrs Herbert Sartoris), towards St.Peter’s organ fund, bringing the total to £102.

The opening took place of the Unicorn Inn, Grove Street [Road], and was marked in the evening by a supper, given by Messrs Campbell Praed and Co., to the employees who had been engaged in the erection of the building and to a number of friends.

The first annual dinner of the Thursday Cycling Club was held at the Waverley Hotel, Rushden, 40 members and friends sitting down to an excellent repast.

Under the terms of Pressland’s Charity, 35 widows at Higham Ferrers each received £1 and 5 cwt of coals.

A horse belonging to the M.R.Co., attached to a dray, was standing outside the W.M.C. in Griffith Street, Rushden, whilst the driver attended to some empty boxes.  Being startled by some boys waving flags nearby, the animal galloped off at a terrific pace down Griffith Street and, being unable to turn the corner into High Street South, the horse dashed with great force into the window of Mr Brown, grocer.  The horse’s head and shoulders went clean through the window, scattering goods in all directions.  Dr H.S.Baker, who was motoring past at the time, managed to avert a collision by the narrowest possible margin.

November 1907

Alderman T.Patenall completed his third year as Mayor of Higham Ferrers, the new Mayor being Councillor Owen Parker JP, who had already been elected Mayor of three separate occasions.

A meeting was held at the Rushden Institute to form a branch of the National Amalgamated Union of Shop Workers.  Mr Woolston was elected chairman.

The “Rushden Echo” warned that the “Free Portrait” swindler, Tanguerey, was circularising Rushden, and earnestly begged its readers to have nothing to do with him.  At least one of his testimonials was a forgery - perhaps most of them were.

Owing to pressure of orders, Cox & Co., Britannia Machine Works, Higham Road, Rushden, advised they were very sorry to be unable to show the Britannia Slugger at the Leather Fair.

The clickers of Messrs Chas. Parker, Higham Ferrers, had a “banquet” at the White Horse Inn. The proceedings took the form of the “initiation ceremony” of 10 workers in the clicking department.

The Rushden Urban Council purchased two small cottages at the junction of Little Street and High Street with the intention of pulling them down.  Together with land at the rear the Council proposed covering over the brook, widening the road, and making a good footpath.  Sufficient open space would remain for shrubs to be planted at a future date.

The affairs in the bankruptcy of Mr George Denton, of Eastfields, Rushden, were announced.  His main businesses had been at B.Denton & Son, boot manufacturers, High Street, Rushden, with a factory at Irchester; F. Noble, boot and shoe manufacturer, Moor Road, Rushden, with a workshop at Yardley Hastings; The Rushden Machinery Joinery Works, Sartoris Road, Rushden; The Lightstrung Cycle Co., Church Street, Rushden; and a farm at Rushden.  He had also been a director of Wilkins and Denton Ltd, and an interest in a grocery business in Rushden.

The Mayor of Higham Ferrers entertained to supper at the White Horse Inn, the lamplighters, postmen, the roadmen, police, and bell‑ringers.

The King’s Birthday Honours included a Knighthood for Alderman George White MP, the chairman of the Standard Rotary Co., of Rushden.

At a meeting of the Higham Ferrers Town Council, Councillor Johnson suggested that a course of lectures on gardening would be very beneficial to the younger holders of allotments.

It was announced that there was sufficient water in the Sywell reservoir to last the towns of Rushden and Higham Ferrers for over 2½ years even if not a drop of rain fell in that period.

Sir Robert Fossett and Son’s grand circus and hippodrome visited Rushden.  Among the attractions were some remarkably fine gymnasts, acrobats, and athletes; eight clowns; Dick Turpin’s ride to York produced on the bioscope; and the wonderful fire horse “Cezar”, seen on a pedestal of fire, flames, and thunder.

A choir and also a Sick Benefit Club were formed for the employees of Messrs John Cave and Sons.

Vaccination exemption certificates were granted to 15 applicants at Rushden monthly Police Court.

At St.Mary’s Church, Higham Ferrers, a peal of Grandsire Triples, 5040 changes was rung in 3 hours and 7 minutes by the members of the Northamptonshire Central Association.

December 1907

The annual meeting of the Live and Let Live Sick Benefit Club was held at the Griffin Inn, Higham Ferrers.

The new church dedicated to St.Peter at Rushden, was consecrated by the Bishop of Peterborough.

A horse attached to a greengrocer’s cart, whilst standing in Park Road, Rushden, fell asleep and fell right across the path.

The family of the late Canon Barker presented a carved oak lectern, in the form of an angel, to Rushden Parish Church, in memory of John Thomas Barker, Rector of Rushden, 1868-1890, and of Helena, his wife.