158 OBSERVATIONS ON BAKEWELL. 



master of the Free English School, endowed by Mrs. Mary 

 Hague, as by Will dated November 20th, 1715. Having a many 

 friends in this town everything was so pleasant. On Sundays all 

 went to Church, no dissenting voice in the Town, all prayed to 

 one God and Lord Jesus Ciirist, and drank in social parties success 

 to the Church and King. Mr. Watson was an overseer of the poor in 

 partnership with Jno. Redfearn. They had nine assessments, each 

 amounting to p{, 1 8 OS. 8Ad.,with a grumbling from the Inhabitants. 

 (N.B. — In 1677 the yearly expense of the Poor of Bakewell was 

 ;,^2 2 13s., the greatest allowance was 2s. per week.) In 1774, 

 Jn°. Twigge, Esq'., occupied Holme Hall, Jn". Barker, Esq'., 

 was agent to his grace the Duke of Rutland, when, if any of the 

 principal inhabitants wanted a dish of fish for a particular occasion 

 by applying to Wm. Smith, the overlooker of the river, they never 

 were denied paying 6d. per pound. The Post Office was kept 

 by Mr. and Mrs. Pidcock, and G^"^. Stainforth rode Post, who 

 went to Chesterfield three times a week, when the London letters 

 came in, at 4d. each. Hannah Hancock delivered the letters out 

 at a halfpenny each. (It appears this custom of giving a half- 

 penny for the delivery of each letter originated in a poor person 

 whom, out of delicacy, they could not relieve by assessment, but 

 modestly gave him this subsistence.) There was a respectable 

 Card Club for the principal inhabitants, who paid 6d. each for 

 Liquor, and for Welsh Rabbits 3d. They met joyously, smoking 

 their pipes, conversing freely, loving (?) a card-table for those that 

 choose. But there must be no interruption of conversation by the 

 card party. Any member might introduce a stranger. The 

 Revd. Peter Walthall was chairman and president on the breaking 

 up of the club, when they had a good supper and dinner, plenty 

 of fish from the river. The last entered member was the treasurer 

 for the ensuing year. The club commenced on the first Thursday in 

 September, and ended the first Thursday in May. I think there 

 was sometimes a club in the summer also. There were three 

 Oister Clubs during the season, which were paid for as the cards, 

 by the forfeitures for non-attendance on the club night, Thursday. 

 I recollect something of a Batchelors' Club, where Mr. Samuel 



