Victorian Bournemouth (205) examines how Joseph Cutler used a public dinner given in his favour as a platform for furthering his political career. A divisive civic figure, Cutler had his eye on the first borough elections, his dream the mayor’s regalia. The dinner eschewed politics for bolstering his public image. The resort’s power brokers declined their invitations. A splendid occasion failed in its apparent purpose, for, at next year’s elections, voters did not favour Joseph Cutler .
The family of bride and heiress, Lena Lance, could have formed the basis of a novel written by Trollope, Hardy or others. Humble origins to substantial wealth in a generation. A rich old man living in a coterie of single women kin to his wife. A sensational court case about forged wills, an uncertain solicitor, and much money. A society wedding sparkling with bling. Marrying into money only a generation older, she escaped Bournemouth’s nouveau riche nervous society for Midland respectability.
The Oddfellows in Victorian Bournemouth evolved from a small lodge in the 1850s to a significant mutual aid society by the 1880s, supporting working people with sick-pay, health-care, and funerals. Their financial model centered on investing membership fees into mortgages, demonstrating their growing social respectability and communal identity amidst changing attitudes towards laborers.
Victorian Bournemouth (199) explores how the resort’s fine arts culture flourished and broadened during the 1880s.
Victorian Bournemouth (196) uses auctioneers’ advertisements for house contents to learn about the taste exhibited by the resort’s residents.
Victorian Bournemouth (195) provides a summary of the recent subjects and themes covered in the last quarter’s articles.
Victorian Bournemouth (194) analyses the town’s property market (1884) from both economic and social perspectives.
Victorian Bournemouth (193) examines the significant rise in bookkeepers in Bournemouth from 1881-1891, correlating their presence with business success. Mostly young, unmarried women pursued bookkeeping as an alternative to traditional roles. Key sectors employing bookkeepers included hotels and butchers, illustrating women’s increasing role in professional office settings and contributing to business prosperity.
Victorian Bournemouth (191) finds some extreme business methods practised by money-lenders during the 1880s.
Victorian Bournemouth (184) finds artisans in increasing number practising a widening array of trades and crafts during the 1880s.