The Gamekeeper and the soldier , A market cross Tale The Market cross has stood at the top of the Bank in Barnard castle and has stood sentinel to many a different mode of transport since its erection by Thomas Breaks in 1747 a local man who lived in the town . The Market cross has served as many things from town hall ,Court house and even a jail for a while . In the 1800s local Magistrates courts were held here made up of local church men or land owners as well as acting as a jail for the fighting on Whit Monday when traditionally the farm folk and laborers would descend on Barnard castle for drinking and games which usually ended with the weavers and factory workers in street brawl with the farm lads /hands from Upper Teesdale. The weavers and factory workers of Barnard castle usually came of worse as they were generally not that well fed and living in Victorian Barnard castle was no picnic all cramped together disease was rampant. and the farm hands and workers of upper Teesdale generally had a better diet than there Barny rivals . So the Farm hands usually won the day .(gang warfare nothing new) On one occasion two farm laborers from Romaldkirk were locked in the Butter market jail . Upon hearing of his arrest by the local parish constable ,There comrades in arms from upper Teesdale began to descend on Barnard Castle en mass . The parish constable faced with that many angry people and fearing the destruction of the Butter market was forced to release the prisoners for fear the mob would break them out and then wreck the Town! At the top of the Butter Market cupola bell is a weather vane .If you look closely there are two bullet holes in the weather vane these were made in shooting competition between a local gamekeeper and a soldier from the local militia stationed in the town (todays Dunhelm court).The Gamekeeper a local man . The tale goes that Gruddas the gamekeeper professed to being the best shot in the whole of Teesdale. and the volunteer soldier called Taylor came to Argue this point in the Turks Head public house . They took up their rifles and each betting the other that whoever could hit the weather vane at the top of the Market cross would be the better shot . each took aim and both fired and to this very day there are two bullet holes in that weather vane testifying to the fact that both Taylor and Gruddas were crack shots . So next time you sit in the Market cross as we know it locally spare a thought for that old building she has seen and been many things and has more tales to tell than I can remember . pics Weather vane from Market cross with bullet holes , Taken in 1999 during renovations to Cupola on Market cross. Market cross print Oldest known picture of Market cross
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 20:08:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015