“The first person who possessed an umbrella in Spalding was the grandfather of Henry Hawkes Esq. and the first lady who carried a parasol was Mrs. Foster of Spalding, Widow of Mr. Thomas Foster, Solicitor”[1]
Henry Hawke’s grandfather would be alive around 1760. By 1795 umbrellas were common enough for a travelling umbrella repair man to make a living in the area. However, they were expensive items and one rogue travelling from town to town in the area was not returning them once taken in for repair. Indeed, they were such a luxury item that there was proposed a tax to be raised upon them of at least 1s. 6d. per umbrella.
By the nineteenth century Spalding had a resident umbrella repair man, Mr. S. A. Smith a “grinder and umbrella maker” who advertised himself as repairing and recovering umbrellas, sharpened knives and razors, set saws, and re-sharpened sausage machines as well as riveted glass!
By 1971 there was an “Umbrella gang” scaring the elderly in Spalding and neighbouring Pinchbeck. One witness state, “There are two gangs. One comes from Pinchbeck and I think the others are outsiders. Some of them have started carrying umbrellas around.”
I wonder if they called themselves the Droogs and pranced around to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony as in Clockwork Orange?
[1] Notices of Remarkable Events and Curious Facts with Various Interesting Scraps – Robin Harmstone 1846
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