Characters of Scarborough - colourful eccentrics and notorious drunks

Scarborough has always had its fair share of characters. They maybe were tramps or drunks but could be so easily have been businessmen. They were sometimes feared and sometimes loved. The Old Town has always had its fair share of eccentrics and colourful characters. Some were sane and some less so. But they all stood out from the crowd and were never forgotten. This article seeks to record Scarborough's rich heritage of colourful characters who go back through the centuries.

There were the street sellers. These often acquired the title of character as they sell their goods. Think of Isaac Bland who used to shout "fine fresh cockles" in a sweet and melodious fashion. Then old Jarvis the Quaker, who lived in the White cottage just past the Spa. He used to daily come to the town selling flowers with the cry of "Who'll buy my beauties". Then of course there is Bridget Rowley who was to be heard in the early mornings selling "fine fresh whitings". Bridget Rowley was also infamous in the late 1800's as a drunkard. She was arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct over one hundred times. Nowadays she would be treated as an alcoholic but then she received the harshest punishments – especially as she had a habit of breaking the Magistrates windows (She detested Rowntree).

Others people simply become part of the local scenery. Take Sailor Cammish who sat regularly on the Castle Dykes reading the braille version of the bible.

There was a William Allanson who reached the grand old age of 102. He died in 1775 but retained his faculties right until the end. He did not live a temperate life either.

There was another William Allanson who gained the nickname of Bacca Lad who did not live up to his ancestors achievements. He gained the name by smoking bacca that he frequently had scrounged. He strutted around the Old Town with an exaggerated sense of his own importance. The town nearly lost him when he got a job with a travelling exhibition but he missed the boat due to a drinking session. He never quite learned the importance of hard work. He became an actor in a living museum. He wore a uniform and played his part with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Then there was Nanny Salmons who proudly traced her ancestry back to Adam and Eve! She explained her lowly status because the family fortune had followed the sons rather than daughter. Born in 1705 she kept a shop for years selling miscellaneous fancy articles and curiosities. Always vivacious, entertaining, always in good humour, she lived a long and happy life eating her fish and potatoes to the grand old age of 82.

Jimmy Liddle was a poor inoffensive half witted character who used to run errands for the old workhouse. Nothing used to please him better than when someone told him it was a fine day or a wet day. He would respond saying "You have your share of it" then turn round laughingly saying "There! Had You! ...a half penny please".

There was William Sutton, of St Sepulchre Street. He daily walked round the shops of the Old Town and collected little bits of news. Each time he would add a little to the story picking up bits of extra information along the way. He was a mine of information. One time someone doubted what he said in a local bookshop and he picked up a copy of 'Mavors spelling' and swore on it as if it was a bible. Before the age of daily newspapers people like him were highly useful in spreading all the local news. Some would call him an idle gossiper but to him it was research as he was a chronicler of his times.

There was sand Hannah who had a remarkably masculine appearance. She was tall, stout with a strong manly voice. She generally had two fine donkies laden with long narrow bags of sand. She would sell these for a half pence each.

Then there was the Customs Officer Phillip Salmon. His fellow Revenue men distrusted him and searched his vessel. He did not take well to being put under suspicion. He confessed to not paying duty on a piece of wood. He even showed them where the piece of wood was - he lifted his wooden leg up and declared he had replaced it whilst overseas! They never doubted him again!

Indeed the golden age of smuggling proved a breeding ground for characters. There was a Mr Law. He was accused of smuggling but managed to get found not guilty. The man who had given evidence against him, William Meade, was then charged with perjury! Smuggling trials were notorious as the local population was sympathetic to it - even the Justices could not be trusted. Law then turned up to William Meades home with some his drinking companions and started mocking him. Meade lost his temper and shot Law who died. The truth of the story will never be known as there are several versions of this notorious murder. But Law was a wool merchant and wool was one of the main items to be smuggled. Meade certainly was a smuggler in the past - he had for some reason turned kings evidence. Meade was found guilty of manslaughter but served just three years. He was later transported to Australia for theft. The most notorious criminals were all smugglers as their crimes were supported and encouraged by the majority of the population. With smugglers the worst excesses of criminality were encouraged. Robin Hood's Bay had one of the highest per capita incomes in the eighteenth century. It was all due to smuggling. Smugglers were like Robin Hood in that they gave their money to the poor. But the merry smugglers of Robin Hood's Bay didn't just give their money to the poor - they gave it to the rich and also in many cases the Customs Officers as well! When smugglers were found not guilty huge bonfires were lit in Newborough in celebration.

Then there was Skipper Dawson. In 1893 he started the Fishermen's and Firemen's Charity when he organised a football match with some other Scarborough skippers after the "Evelyn and Maud" sank. He wore a grotesque costume and started the tradition of comic outfits in the boxing day football match on the beach. Its still played to this day watched by hundreds of spectators.

In the past there was Copper Jack who had the strength of two men. Born in Hackness he moved to Filey and became a fisherman with the Cappleman family. He later became a seaman and was always paid more than the other sailors on account of his huge strength. He was a simple man who was as gentle as he was strong. He would not be provoked and never got into fights. He died at sea in 1833 in a hurricane and his headless corpse was washed up and buried at Hornsea.

In the nineteenth century there was a woman feared by all the Scarborough fishermen. Ann Nicholson was unwanted from the day she was born. Her mother, a Southcotean , she believed her child was to be a Princely Messiah and nearly died of shock when the child turned out to be a girl! Ann was always regarded with suspicion and fishermen used to refuse to go to see if they saw her - believing unwanted bad luck would follow her around.

Then there was the Wise Man of Scarborough. A notice was pinned up by the Bellman at Staithes which read "Stolen yesterday afternoon, a large fishermen's net belonging to jack. If it is not brought back before to-morrow at one o'clock he'll apply to the wise man at Scarborough". His reputation clearly had spread far! Not everyone believed in his supernatural powers though and the magistrate was going to jail him as a rogue for taking money off a dying woman. His cure had had no effect and it was only his promise to repay the money which kept him out of jail.

Some characters of the borough were born here yet others just visited. Take Margaret Wharton born way back in 1688. A woman of great wealth she never married and was famed for her eccentric behaviour. She visited Scarborough in the summers and one time a companion was shocked to see an adder slithering out of her pocket. It proved to be an eel that she had bought which was still alive. Fish as fresh as it gets!

Some of Scarborough's characters have verged on genious. Take Sir George Cayley (born in Scarborough reputably in Paradise House) - he was an important figure in aeronautics. He built a glider which flew across Brompton.Cayley was a genious but perhaps a little ahead of his time. He was certainly misunderstood by his footman who was volunteered for the first test flight. The servant shortly after left for pastures new.

The modern era has provided its fair share of characters such as Peter Jaconelli - a successful businessman who was active in the Fishermen's and Fireman's charity. No one would describe him as an average man. He was average in height but in no other way - particularly in his width. This huge Italian Ice cream maker and seller acquired his huge size by eating huge amounts of oysters and even made an attempt at the world record for eating them. He also played judo and was particularly good at it in his younger days often in contests on the beach. Later in life he was an important member of the town council. But he was always seen in his ice cream parlour greeting the many tourists in his own distinctive way.

Jimmy Saville cannot be left off the list of lovable eccentrics and characters of the borough. This former Radio One DJ was arguably the first ever true DJ. He was the first DJ to use two decks so he could keep the music going. He has lived in Scarborough for many years and will often be seen walking in his track suits,gold chains and huge cigars. At the height of his fame he hosted "Jim'll Fix It" on prime time TV. He used to make dreams come true for youngsters.

Perhaps the greatest Scarborough eccentric was the first. He was the shoe shiner who became the Governor of Scarborough Spa(the first). Poor Dicky! All his limbs were the same as normal men yet they were arranged in such a way as to invite humourous comments from the Gentlemen visitors of Scarborough. Yet the man was a genius. Any comment was repelled in a ruthless fashion. The poor deformed man! The brilliant wit! Two hundred years before Tv the first national hero and personality.

Thus Scarborough has a huge variety of eccentrics, geniouses, notorious drunks , street sellers, etc. They are all so different but all share one thing in common - once seen never forgotten!

Sources
- Mercury 27-11-1958 Page 3
- Witches in Old North Yorkshire by Mary Williams.
- North Yorkshire Strange but true by Robert woodhouse.
- Meadleys Memorials
- The Rowley family archives.
- Bakers "History of Scarborough" 1882.


OTHER ARTICLES
• The history of Filey Lifeboats
• Smuggling of contraband along the Scarborough coast
• The Allen and Truman Scarborough fishing families
• Characters of the Filey fishing industry
• Scarboroughs Old Town and its connection to the sea
• Losses amongst Filey fishing cobles
• The character of a fisherman
• Scarboroughs Fishermen versus Firemen Football match on Boxing Day
• Ranter Chapel revival in Filey
• Filey and the gales of 1860,1867,1869 AND 1880
• Theakston's guide to the Scarborough fisheries 1866
• Filey fishermen in 1862 - yawls and cobles
• Thomas Crimlisk - First of the Crimlisks
• The Harwood and Bullamore fishing family history in Scarborough
• Article by the granddaughter of James Ruffen Bayes
• Fishermen tell the politicians what they think in 1883
• Loss of the Scarborough Lifeboat November 2nd, 1861
• The German bombardment of scarborough in the First World War in 1914
• Watching for ships by the harbour walls in Scarborough