2 2 NOTES ON OLD HELPER AND OLD HELPER BOOKS. 



delivered by Mr. George Henry Strutt, on the " Poetry of the 

 Day," in Belper, on December 21st, 1854. The selections are 

 stated to have been delivered with great feeling. The lecturer 

 frequently elicited warm applause by his critical and humorous 

 remarks. 



In the number for July, 1855, a reference is made to some 

 postal irregularity in Belper, and the curious and interesting 

 information is given that in 1855 letters could be posted up to 

 ten o'clock at night, an hour later than can be done at the 

 present time. 



The Newspaper Stamp Act coming into operation, the 

 " Belper Journal " was converted into a weekly paper, and 

 started again with No. i on Saturday, July 7th, 1855 The size 

 was increased and the local matter doubled, the front page being 

 devoted to news and the last page to advertisements. The first 

 number contains a woodcut illustration of the Arboretum anni- 

 versary festival at Derby. The inside matter still continued 

 being printed in London, so that the obtaining of this block 

 would be a special feature. 



From No. 2 of this series, the following conundrum is extracted 

 from amongst others, the work of a Belper wag of that day : — 

 " Why are the two yew trees in the old chapel yard like jolly old 

 topers ? " " Because they are always at the Butts." 



No. 23 records the death of Mr. John Brownson, aged 100, at 

 Belper. 



Just at this time the paper was evidently in a bad way, for a 

 fresh attempt to secure popular favour was made with No. 28, 

 which appeared in an enlarged form under the simple heading, 

 " The Belper Journal," and bore date January 5th, 1856. The 

 following week's number, by a singular error, bears also the same 

 number — 28, and also a curious error in the date. The front 

 page was only printed locally. 



The name of the present occupier of Samuel Mason's shop 

 has been mentioned earlier. In Mr. Pegg that pioneer of printing 

 in Belper had a successor worthy of himself. 



1 



I 



