R.M.Beaumont "In his own Words" - part 3

FROM SCHOOLDAYS TO WORKDAYS (1927 -1932)

Of my friends at Repton, the only one I really kept up with was John Stanley Hare, who came from North Ferriby outside Hull. He was better than me at most things, especially Maths at which he excelled. We exchanged visits, and I can remember getting out [of the train] at Ferriby having enjoyed going along the Humber bank. In fact, Ferriby was very interesting from a railway point of view. I can see now the four shiny sets of rails. It was then a very busy line what with the Docks traffic, suburban traffic, and various long distance fast trains with locomotives of the kind once made by the different companies which shared the line. Mr Hare dealt in Russian mats and bags, and he supplied the fish bags used by Burtons of Nottingham. These were made of coarse fibres and called Basses.

From Ferriby I went into Hull, and saw enough of it to want to go again. I was very familar with the place by 1942, by which time a lot of the docks and old town had vanished. The green and concrete telephone boxes were also interesting. Hull had its own telephone

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system, extending five or ten miles in all directions. It was independent from the GPO because when the Post Office took over the phones elsewhere everything in Hull was already automatic, with customers who paid their quarterly rental enjoying free calls on the Hull system. So it all had to be excluded from the national system.

I suppose I must have passed the appropriate examination prior to acceptance for university but I cannot remember anything about it since exams never worried me at all. I was entered for Clare College, Cambridge, because my Grandfather had been there. I visited Clare, passed their (pretty simple) exam, and was assessed by Mr Thirkell, the Tutor. He told me that I would be accepted, but not for another year, as there was still a steady stream of ex-service entrants. Also, he thought that at seventeen I was too young.

This was a slight blow to me and to my father, but a bigger one to Grandfather, who had set his heart on me following him to his old College.

(Note, 1998:- In ’A Long Glance Back at the Diocese, ” Richard wrote that his grandfather would have liked him to offer himself for ordination and that it was to that end that he wanted Richard to go to Clare. However'/ did not want to wait but soon started to work in the office of the Clerk of the County Council..... [nevertheless]... from school days onward I followed with interest the work which my grandfather did for the Church and through him met many of the clergy and lay people involved in the Diocese).

(Note, 2017:- On the basis of his age Richard might have gone to Cambridge in about 1928. I really don't know why he didn't. His younger brother Tom (my father) did go to Clare, in the mid-1930s).

In those days there were no easy options for young men who wanted to fill up a year between school and university as there are now. The Bishop's son Michael [Mosley], who was a friend, managed to get on a fishing trawler. He survived the cold and the rough sea, but I could never have stood it.

I think it must have been that year that I had what seemed to me at the time to be an epic journey round the southern shores of Galloway on my bicycle. I put the bike, loaded with my luggage, onto the midnight Scotch Express from Nottingham, and got out at Dumfries where I had breakfast at the station. I knew Dumfries well, because Arrol-Johnston cars were made there in a modern factory north of the town, which we had all visited en route to the Ballantines in order to get something fixed on the car, and whilst that was being done the factory manager had lent us a car and driver to take us around.

(Note, 2017: he means the X-frame bike which by that time had been handed down to him).

So I very easily found my way to the lovely bridge over the Salmon river, the Nith, and on westwards, an easy ride for some miles, passing the ruins of Dulce Cor [Sweetheart] Abbey, till I reached Newton Stewart, where I found a place to stay.

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Leaving the bike, I walked next day up the ridge of the hills which stretch north for many miles, the Rhinns of Kells. The views were fine across the Solway and in all directions, but suddenly from nowhere a thunderstorm appeared, and retreating as fast as I could I was still caught and drenched in a torrent of rain. The best I could do was to curl up under a rock normally used for the same purpose by the sheep.

I found myself looking at the steeple of Minnigaff church. As I looked at it there was a tremendous flash, and an almost intantaneous bang, and I saw that the steeple had been struck and damaged.

After that the storm stopped and I squelched my way down the slope to the road and so to my lodging.

From Dumfries to Newton Stewart was 68 miles, and my next day's cycle ride to Whithorn would only have been 24 miles if I had gone by the direct way. But I did not. I went on byroads and along the beach itself to the Isle of Whithorn, where I became entranced by memories of Saint Ninian, who landed hereabouts in about AD 400 and converted the Picts, when much of Britain was still within the Roman Empire. After his missionary journeys Ninian retired to a cell on the shore. I found an ancient stone structure which might be the place.

Having sat about a bit and pondered these things I rode inland for the few miles to Whithorn itself. There is a church there embodying the remains of a medieval priory, and a museum of ancient relics and memorials, including one stone from Roman times written in Latin. Later, I wrote all this up and Malvern Priory published it in its Parish Magazine.

When I got home to Southwell, I was not altogether surprised to find that two or three spokes were broken on the rear wheel of my bicycle, though the wheel itself had stood the strain of the weight of luggage and the bumps of the shore ride.

Planning my future career was now essential. I had no strong views, so my father arranged for me to become an Articled Clerk to Mr. Kenneth Tweedale Meaby, the Clerk of the Nottinghamshire County Council. Mr Tweedale Meaby, who was also Clerk of the Peace (an ancient office) was our neighbour, since he had appartments at Burgage Manor, then a rather grand boarding house run by the the Misses Brown. Its other residents were the Marshall family, Miss Turner, and Miss Hill, the last of whom wore a wig but was never seen without a hat on her head.

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I wrote out my own Articles of Clerkship under the direction of Mr Speechly. He was an elderly Clerk, who had been in the Clerk of the Peace's office since before County Councils had been established in 1888. When the draft had been corrected and approved, my Articles had to be engrossed on parchment and executed by my father, myself, and Mr Meaby (hereinafter referred to as KTM!). Then the document had to stamped and registered with the Law Society, and my five years servitude began.

(Note, 1998: Richard's Clerkship deed, which he kept with the other papers relating to his legal qualification, is dated 16 September 1927).

After about two years I took the Law Society's Intermediate Exam, but first I had to study five volumes of "Stephens' Commentaries on the Laws of England". I also had to pass a minimum standard of Latin, which was not a great problem, though I took it seriously, and had a little help brushing up my Latin from Mr Matthews, the Headmaster of the Southwell Grammar School.

KTM's office, of course, was at County House, the one time Judge's Lodging opposite the Shire Hall in High Pavement, Nottingham. I had a small room in the top floor. From time to time I was given a little legal problem to try and solve, from a perusal of Halsbury's Laws of England, the volumes of which were kept in the large bookcase in KTM's study. Also on the top floor with me were Mr Browne, who dealt with Parliamentary matters, Mr Speechly, Mr Kirkby a conveyancing clerk, and Mr Tinsley who knew all about Land Drainage, Water Authorities and the like. Somewhere lurked Mr North, who was KTM's unqualified Deputy and looked after various Committees and supervised the Register of Electors with a clerk called Dale in a separate section of the office below. I found Mr North to be untrustworthy.

The general office was on the first floor occupying what had I think been the Dining Room. Half a dozen or so people worked here, typing, and making up letters. I cannot remember all their names but there were Edge, Stainworth, and Anson [?], the last an excellent clerk who did the filing, looked after the Strong Room, and did Official Searches in the Local Land Charges Register - which was much less important then than it became, since there was little to be registered except Building Lines.

KTM's typist was Miss Joynes, and there were other typists too including Tinsley's daughter.

The building on the other side of the County Tavern and the office of Gifford Fox & Co became the the office issuing Driving Licences and

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Motor Registrations, both which were then done by County and County Borough Authorities. I had to spend a fortnight there and can remember issuing driving licences bearing KTM's signature in an attractive green booklet bearing the County Council's informal arms. I also sat in Quarter Sessions, a business to which I shall return.

Working in the office was a young man called E.P. Smith, who had been Articled to the Clerk of the Justices at the Shire Hall and having now recently qualified had a temporary job as a kind of jack of all trades. He was immensely able and hard working, a policeman's son, who eventually left and went on to become Clerk of the Isle of Ely County Council.

The only person in the office who could, and when necessary did stand up to KTM was Robert H. Adcock, who occupied the only office on the ground floor and was in every way outstanding as the Assistant Solicitor. I learned a lot from him, and regretted when he left to become Town Clerk of Manchester. Later he became Clerk of the Lancashire County Council and ultimately "Sir" Robert. Adcock's successor was Mr Coggan. He worked hard enough, and helped me, but KTM belittled him. Mr Coggan took me along when he had to go to court.

I suppose I must have gained a lot of experience from working at the Shire Hall, but the main thing KTM taught me was how not to treat staff.

(Note, 1998, revised 2017: I had a tangible introduction to KTM in that a family friend in Derbyshire owned what had been his car, a Lanchester, then (1998) still in roadworthy condition. I can remember Richard saying that KTM's car had Registration No. RR1. The letters RR were an indication of Nottinghamshire origin until fairly recently. However when I saw it the car had a different number, not surprisingly).

In those days articled clerks had to attend lectures at an approved law school, so I duly attended at Nottingham University College, where the main lecturer was a barrister, H.R.D. May. May covered everything except property law, which was dealt with by Curzon Cursham. Curzon was familiar with every legal decision under the sun, as well as knowing all the new 1925 legislation - three big Acts of Parliament which had transformed and modernised property law - off by heart. But brilliant as he was, he was not a good lecturer, since he was apt to get himself side tracked on interesting points of detail for too long. I made several friends at these lectures but I was not a good mixer and did not sparkle at the local law debates which, in winter, took place monthly in the Law Library in St. Peter's Cut.

KTM had promised my father that he would arrange for me to have a seat in our London Agent's Office for six months prior to my taking my Law Final. So I did get my six months in London. I was placed in the care of Mr W.S. Sharpe and given a seat in the conveyancing department. But I was not expected to be there all the time because I

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had to attend Revision Classes most days. These were run nearby by a private firm called Gibson and Weldon.

I had a bed-sitting room in a large private house, 5 Onslow Gardens, belonging to a Mr & Mrs Green. Here, I got my breakfast and evening meal, with lunch at the weekends if I was in. Mrs Green, Irish, young and vivacious, was a good cook. There were two other 'boys', and we ate in the basement kitchen. Mr Green was an agent for electrical equipment and they had a daughter aged five whom we all took turns to have on our knee. My room was in the attic. It had a splendid view for miles to the south, as far as the Crystal Palace, and here I used to do my reading work in the early morning, from 5 am onwards.

It paid. The exams were no problem to me except for Trust Accounts and Book Keeping. Even these I somehow scraped through.

I managed to have a little social life whilst I was in London. Mr & Mrs Spencer, who lived at Harrow-on-the-Hill, often asked me to Sunday dinner. I enjoyed the G.C.R. trains to Harrow and the walk up the hill. There was also Uncle Alfred and family less than a mile away from Onslow Gardens, and best of all there was Pete Gauld, who was just qualified as a doctor at the Middlesex Hospital. We walked all over the western side of London playing a game of trying to lose one another. We would go out to 'Metroland' by train and explore the beechy country of Buckinghamshire between Amersham and Beaconsfield and High Wycombe. Once or twice we called at the Aclands, who were living at Coleshill then. Joan Hacking came with us.

After I passed the Law Final Sharpe Pritchard asked me to go back and get further experience in their office until my Articles expired, which was in about another six months. I had one side of a large table, and other other side sat "young Underwood" (as he was known) the son of old Underwood who was the Clerk of the Staffordshire County Council and a friend of KTM. Young Underwood was about my age and we became friends. He knew his law better than me but he was less eager to work. In fact he would do no work until he had done the Times Crossword Puzzle each morning. The Chief Clerk would bring our work but Underwood laid his aside. If I finished he would smile and say "Richard, you might give me a hand with this... etc. etc... You are so quick at drafting", and I would fall for it while he finished the Times puzzle!

About eleven we would go to a pub round the comer and play draughts or dominoes. The men from the office would remember their chess positions from yesterday's game, put the pieces back, and continue playing. Sometimes I had to go with a Senior Clerk to a

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conference with Counsel. This was good experience. But all this time I did not earn a penny!

One Friday after work Uncle Alfred took me out in his new Morris Isis. It had a free-wheeling device in the gearbox, something Mr Morris wanted testing, so I think he had lent the car to Uncle Alfred. The car's body was very ugly but the car itself was fast and quiet - a dream. We thought the free-wheeling gadget was O.K. but it was not taken up. Uncle Alfred took me to quite a nice modern house he had near Selsey Bill, in Sussex. Across the road from there, was a hard tennis court in a wired enclosure. Joan and Alan were there and a family called MacKenzie from next door, who were fun. I went to Selsey many times later, often at Easter, driving from Malvern.

When I was in London I also visited my Uncle Walter, who then lived at Teddington. He had been the Second Master at Cheam School. He had taught Maths but was also a skilled botanist. A quiet and self- effacing man, and we thought very much under the thumb of his wife.

I returned to Nottingham. The Articles of Clerkship were discharged. I filled in forms, and was admitted a solicitor in October 1932. KTM had promised me a job as Junior Solicitor at £200 a year (I think), so I remained at Shire Hall until 1 could get a job elsewhere.

(end of the first notebook)