The Fernhurst Society
Tales from the Archives - 61
A truly dirty story - from the lay reader of Henley!
This story is from an 1892 entry in Charles Willcock's diary, but the event took place around 1840.
A local man, known for being a wife-beater, was being treated to 'rough music' one dark night, ie a cacophony of bells, whistles, shouts, saucepans being banged etc outside his house one dark night. Unbeknownst to the revellers he mingled with them and decided to get his own back. He banged his tin kettle enthusiastically, which contained nightsoil, with a drumstick, then surreptitiously dipped the drumstick into the kettle and wiped it on the clothes of his tormentors.
When his little game was discovered by the noses of the recipients, he beat a hasty retreat up the rising ground behind his cottage. From that vantage point he treated the bandsmen on the lower ground to a bucketful of the like material that was in a rather more fluid state than that which was contained in his kettle. Mr John Smithers said that this occurred in his boyhood. He was a member of the band but luckily missed the odiferous shower by a yard!
If you would like to know more about this story, or research other local topics, the Archive is open on Tuesdays, 2.30-5pm in the Village Hall. Other times by arrangement.
Christine Maynard
Fernhurst ArchiveOne of a series of short articles bringing you some of the incidents from our rich village history. Collated by Christine Maynard, based on documents preserved at the Fernhurst Archives, these originally were published in the monthly Fernhurst News.
The Fernhurst Archives
Fernhurst History
