Berwick's Battle Against Drink 1830-1900

By Wendy Bell Scott

The backlash against the drink culture in nineteenth-century Berwick-upon- Tweed which has parallels with stories in the media today. How the Victorians dealt with the problem. The rise of the Temperance Movement and the influence of Scotland on this English town.
Print version published 2010.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blue Button Publications
• Release date: Apr 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476006055

Wendy Bell Scott

Wendy Bell Scott was born in Ripon, Yorkshire and moved to North-Northumberland with her family while in her teens. At various times she has been a private music teacher, run her own craft business and taught history and creative writing to adults. She has been writing since the late 1970s, ranging through songs, non-fiction articles, a film script, plays, sketches, short stories, and two part-written novels. Wendy has been researching local and family history for many years and gained an Open University degree in Humanities with History in 2003. She has one son and also brought up her niece and nephew, all of whom are now adults.

Book preview

Berwick’s Battle

Against Drink

1830 - 1900

by

Wendy Bell Scott

A Blue Button Publication

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Wendy Bell Scott and Blue Button Publications.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Extra photography by Wendy Bell Scott

Cover design by Bluebell.

Editing and Layout by Bluebell.

Publishing History

Print version first published in Great Britain in 2010

by Blue Button Publications,

Berwick upon Tweed TD15 2RH.

Print version ISBN: 978-1-907131-21-9

Contents

List of illustrations

Introduction

Background

Beginnings—1830s

Developments—1840-59

Pause for Thought? 1860s

Revival 1870-83

The Mid-1880s

The National Picture

Pressure on Berwick

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendix: Churches in Berwick-upon-Tweed1827-1887

About the Author

More Blue Button Publications

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Figure 1 The Children's Plea (Victorian Temperance Poster)

Illustrations

The Children’s Plea (Victorian Temperance IIllustration)

After the Service (Victorian drawing)

Father’s Advice (Victorian drawing)

Rev. Kirkwood’s Baptist Chapel, Walkergate, Berwick

Plaque commemorating the Primitive Methodist Chapel

Remains of the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Berwick

A Quiet Evening (Victorian drawing)

Memorial to Rev. John Cairns

Wood’s Temperance Hotel, Berwick High Street

Plaque commemorating the Good Templar Hall

Remains of the Good Templar Hall, Berwick.

Memorial to Dr Philip Whitesides Maclagan

The Wesleyan Methodist Church, Walkergate, Berwick

Come Home Dick with the Children and Me (Victorian Temperance Illustration)

The founding of Berwick Rangers, 1884

Cycling Pals (Victorian drawing)

Twixt Drink and Duty (Victorian Temperance Illustration)

Berwick High Street and Guildhall

Figure 2 After the service.

Introduction

The main aim of this investigation was to see what could be uncovered about the temperance situation in nineteenth-century Berwick-upon-Tweed. An early check of the catalogue of documents held in Berwick Record Office had shown that this would not be easy as no documents from temperance societies in the area apparently survive. Despite this, it was decided to continue and see what could be pieced together from the evidence which does survive.

The questions were:

when was the first temperance society formed in Berwick;

how does this compare with elsewhere;

who started it;

who were the driving forces;

which (if any) of the churches were most involved;

also, because of Berwick’s situation on the border of England and Scotland, whether one side or the other had a stronger temperance influence.

Evidence of class influence was also to be considered and how the movement developed, how successful it was in Berwick.

Because this was a developing situation the logical way to deal with it is in essentially chronological order except where some background on personalities is relevant.

Figure 3 Father's Advice

Return to Contents

Background

Harrison claims (1971) the temperance reformation grew from the free trade movement