Dead man walking was a Cumbrian genius
Last updated 19:35, Thursday, 20 March 2008
Some confusion has arisen over the date of death of certain Cumberland land surveyors. Take for instance, James Clarke, who produced in 1787 his Survey of the Lakes, dedicated to the Duke of Cumberland and other masonic Grand Masters.
This was a collection of beautifully engraved plates showing most of the Lake District, with plans of towns and accompanying text, not thought to have been his authorship.
As well as working as a surveyor in the Penrith area in the 1760s and 1770s, he acquired the Griffin and White Swan inns there in 1783.
The Cumberland Pacquet stated that on July 4 1790 “James Clarke of Penrith, author of the survey, went into a public house called the Blue Ball, about three miles from Sutton Coldfield and five from Litchfield, and called for a pint of ale and a pipe.”
But, said the newspaper, “having lighted the pipe he was seized with a fit of coughing, fell down on his face and expired immediately”.
A coroner’s jury returned a verdict at the inquest of “death by the visitation of God”.
He must have been buried there because Clarke was not brought back to Penrith.
There was no explanation of why he was so far from home, but this was not the last mention of him in the Pacquet.
In March 1809 an advert appeared: “to be sold on very reasonable terms the entire property and copyright of that well-known publication, Clarke’s Descriptive Survey of the Lakes in Cumberland and Westmorland, with the remaining books consisting of 10 copies only.”
Also on offer were the copper plates used for printing the work and application was to be made “to Mr J Clarke, to the care of Mrs Bell, printer, Penrith”.
Did this then mean he was still alive? Probably not because for the second edition of the survey in 1789, Clarke was still alive, but in the third edition of 1793 was the inscription “sold for his widow”.
Similarly, there is confusion over another surveyor, John Housman, who Peter Bicknell in The Picturesque Scenery of the Lake District, gives the dates of 1764-1802.
While the birth date is not in dispute, it was not until August 1819 that his obituary appeared in the Carlisle Journal: “Last week at Sheffield, John Housman, Esq, aged 55, principal agent of the Duke of Norfolk, for Sheffield manor and his Grace’s Yorkshire estates.”
He was born at Cumwhitton “of parents, who, though respectable, knew little beyond the art of tilling the soil”, went the report. His education was poor, but by sheer determination and “uncommon industry, to his literary attainments were added eminent skill as a land surveyor and a practical agriculturist”.
The Journal continued: “Early in life, Housman was employed by the editor of the History of Cumberland (published in 1794) to make a statistical survey of the different parishes in the county which he did with much accuracy and truth.”
Further employment was given by Sir Frederic Eden “to make statistical observations”, in both England and the south of Scotland.
To do this Housman made his journeys entirely on foot and published extracts of his tours in the Monthly Magazine.
“His next literary undertaking,” said the Journal, “was a Descriptive Tour of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, which sold in many editions and it still continues to supply the tourist with a useful and intelligent guide.”
This was published by Francis Jollie of Carlisle in 1800 when Housman was still living at Cumwhitton.
Praising him as an aspiring mind, the newspaper said: “The improved state of Cumbrian agriculture owes much of its excellence to the suggestions of Mr Housman, whose genius led him to those practical studies which chiefly tend to the benefit of mankind.”
In later life, said the newspaper, “he became an inhabitant of Corby, where his merits attracted the attention of Henry Howard of Corby Castle by whom he was recommended to the late Duke of Norfolk as land-steward and he continued to serve the deceased and present duke in that capacity till his demise”.
The Journal concluded: “Few men have enjoyed a more equable and happy life and few have left behind a purer memory.”
But two weeks later the newspaper stated: “We are exceedingly happy to learn, by letter from Sheffield, that the report of Mr Housman’s death is not true.”
They admitted: “We know not the origin of the rumour”, but it had been “sent to us by a friend of Mr Housman who believed it to be true.”
The letter said: “He was walking about his grounds; he had indeed been very poorly... but is now a good deal better and in a fair way to recovery.”
Henry twice died in ‘1802’ and ‘1819,’ the exact date of Housman’s death has not been ascertained.
