Now! Then! 2024! - Yorkshire On This Day

Excerpt

A faint flavour of comedy was associated with the transport of the illuminated scroll, on which was inscribed the city’s formal resolution. The scroll was enclosed in a handsome solid silver-gilt frame made by Messrs Sweeny’s of Bradford. Whilst on his way to Grez, the Lord Mayor had to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace and he was not anxious to burden himself with this bit of luggage. He was determined, therefore, to send it on ahead by post, and a letter was dispatched to my brother asking him to receive and retain the parcel until the Lord Mayor’s arrival. This letter was answered by a telegram, “Do not dispatch parcel. Await letter.” Two days later a letter from Mrs Delius arrived: “My husband wishes me to explain to you that parcels, large and small, take weeks to arrive in France from foreign countries. The formalities of the customs are most involved and require the sending of affidavits and declarations without end. Your parcel could not possibly arrive here in time, and I may assure you from a life-long experience that the only way to get it safely across is to bring it with you as personal luggage. In that way you may also avoid the heavy duty on silver articles. The parcel should be so arranged that it can be easily opened at the French customs, where you had best explain in English that it is a present you are bringing to a celebrated Englishman residing in France. In the French ports they all understand English.” My sister-in-law’s fears with regard to the attitude of the French customs were more than justified. Under the spur of economic nationalism, the republican authorities demanded an amount in duty on the silver gilt frame which represented some sixty per cent of its value. The frame, which was surmounted with the Bradford coat of arms, cost ten guineas. The scroll, which was the work of M.E.H. Pratt of Chapel Allerton, Leeds, cost sixteen pounds, fifteen shillings. The customs’ charges amounted to six pounds, five shillings and sixpence.

Comment

Comment

She continues:

On July 22nd the Lord Mayor was joined in London by Mr. N.L. Fleming, the town clerk, and Mr. H. Cope, the mace bearer, and the whole party proceeded to France. On July 23rd, following the minute instructions sent them by Fred, they motored to Grez-sur-Loing, arriving there shortly before 12 noon.

The mayor was George Walker.

Something to say? Get in touch

Original

A faint flavour of comedy was associated with the transport of the illuminated scroll, on which was inscribed the City’s formal resolution. The scroll was enclosed in a handsome solid silver-gilt frame, eighteen inches by twelve, made by Messrs. Sweeny’s of Bradford. Whilst on his way to Grez, the Lord Mayor had to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace and he was not anxious to burden himself with this bit of luggage, presumably on the very justifiable ground that it might be mislaid. He was determined, therefore, to send it on ahead by post, and a letter was dispatched to my brother asking him to receive and retain the parcel until the Lord Mayor’s arrival. This letter was answered by a telegram, “Do not dispatch parcel. Await letter.” Two days later a letter from Mrs. Delius arrived.

Dear Sir:

On receipt of your letter of July the 15th, I have wired to you: “Do not dispatch parcel. Await letter. Delius.” My husband wishes me to explain to you that parcels, large and small, take weeks to arrive in France from foreign countries. The formalities of the customs are most involved and require the sending of affidavits and declarations without end. Your parcel could not possibly arrive here in time, and I may assure you from a life-long experience that the only way to get it safely across is to bring it with you as personal luggage. In that way you may also avoid the heavy duty on silver articles. The parcel should be so arranged that it can be easily opened at the French customs, where you had best explain in English that it is a present you are bringing to a celebrated Englishman residing in France. In the French ports they all understand English. With kind regards from Mr. Delius, believe me,

Yours sincerely,

Jelka Delius.

My sister-in-law’s fears with regard to the attitude of the French customs was more than justified. Under the spur of economic nationalism, the republican authorities demanded an amount in duty on the silver gilt frame, which represented some sixty per cent, of its value. Actually, the frame, which was surmounted with the Bradford coat of arms, cost ten guineas. The scroll, which was the work of M.E.H. Pratt of Chapel Allerton, Leeds, cost sixteen pounds, fifteen shillings. The customs’ charges amounted to six pounds, five shillings and sixpence!

415 words.

Tags

Tags are assigned inclusively on the basis of an entry’s original text and any comment. You may find this confusing if you only read an entry excerpt.

• 📌Bradford (72) ·
• Buckingham Palace (1) ·
• Cartel des Gauches (1) ·
• Chapel Allerton (3), inner suburb of north-east Leeds ·
• Customs declaration (1) ·
• Delius, Frederick (1862-1934) (2), composer born in Bradford to a prosperous mercantile family, resident in France for most of his life ·
• France (31) ·
• Freedom of the City (1) ·
• George V (3) ·
• Grez-sur-Loing (1) ·
• Jelka Rosen (1) ·
• 📌Leeds (235) ·
• London (74) ·
• Protectionism (6) ·
• Seine-et-Marne (1) ·
• Tariff (2) ·

All tags.

Similar

• 1 July 1788: Leeds textile workers celebrate the banning of exports of live sheep
• 14 January 1472: Shipments of wallpaper(?) from Schiedam (Holland) pass through Hull customs
• 30 January 1934: The wife of the Vicar of Weston, near Otley, has a nocturnal premonition of the death of the composer Frederick Delius
• 3 November 1694: Leeds’s borough treasurer is mandated to pay goldsmith Arthur Monjoy £61 for making the ceremonial mace
• 2 May 1844: The Bradford Observer reports a 10% increase in two years in the borough’s population
• 5 November 1754: A French fencing master turns highwayman on Rothwell Haigh (Leeds)
• 30 October 1744: Landowners form a partnership to pipe water from Little Horton to Bradford, facilitating urban growth
• 22 November 1839: Bradford rejects its new vicar William Scoresby’s proposal for a church rate by a huge majority, inspiring a curious letter
• 12 April 1706: The first four-day stage coaches from York to London and vice versa depart from the Black Swan in each city
• 25 October 1417: Without prejudice to Crispin and Crispinian, England celebrates a miracle at the tomb of St John of Beverley during the Battle of Agincourt two years ago