Ernest Parke (26 February 1860–21 June 1944) was a political writer, editor, newspaper proprietor and local politician. In 1890, as the editor of The North London Press , he was imprisoned for libel for his reporting of the Cleveland Street scandal .
81-746: He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1860, the youngest of four sons of Anne née Hall (1824–1902) and Fenning Plowman Parke (1826–1902), an Excise Officer. On leaving King Edward VI School he worked in a bank in Stratford-upon-Avon until 1882. Having started to contribute pieces on local topics to the local newspapers, he took up a position as a journalist on the Birmingham Gazette , followed soon after by The Midland Echo in Birmingham , later becoming an assistant sub-editor on that paper. He
162-736: A Town Council . Stratford-upon-Avon is within the Stratford-on-Avon parliamentary constituency which has been represented by Manuela Perteghella of the Liberal Democrats since 2024. Stratford was within the West Midlands Region constituency of the European Parliament which was represented by seven Members of the European Parliament (MEPs). Stratford is governed by three tiers of local government : Stratford
243-528: A guild known as the Guild of the Holy Cross for their business and religious requirements. The guild developed into the town's main institution of local government, and included the most important townsmen, who elected officials to oversee local affairs. They built a Guild Chapel in the 13th century, and a Guildhall and almshouses on Church Street in around 1417. The guild established an educational institution in
324-404: A ticket tout had passed him a card on which was written " Poses plastiques . C. Hammond, 19 Cleveland Street". Euston stated that he went to that address in the belief that Poses plastiques was actually a tableau of nude female. He paid an admission charge of a sovereign but upon entering he said he was appalled to discover the "improper" nature of the place and promptly left. The witnesses for
405-471: A few miles of modern-day Stratford. The settlement which later became known as Stratford was first inhabited by Anglo-Saxons following their 7th-century invasion of what would become known as Warwickshire, but was then part of the Kingdom of Mercia . It is likely that an Anglo-Saxon monastery existed at the site of what is now Holy Trinity Church , which was founded after the land was acquired by Egwin ,
486-476: A five-minute drive from the town centre. The Rosebird Centre is a much smaller shopping centre located on Shipston Road, consisting of Waitrose , a pet shop, a drive-thru Costa Coffee and a pharmacy/GP surgery. Bell Court Shopping Centre is in the centre of the town with entrances from Wood St, Ely St, High St & Rother Street. it has several restaurants and shopping offers. The first real theatre in Stratford
567-483: A large canal side brewery in Stratford in 1831. The Flower & Sons Brewery, on Clopton Road survived until 1967, when the company was taken over by Whitbread . Several lime kilns were opened locally, and the manufacture of tarpaulin and oilcloth flourished. The advent of rail transport in the middle of the century caused a major decline in river and canal transport, and the River Avon navigation through Stratford
648-469: A large retail sector. Major employers in the town include the NFU Mutual Insurance Company (and Avon Insurance), Amec Foster Wheeler , Sitel , Tesco , Morrisons , Marks & Spencer , B&Q and Pashley Cycles . There are three theatres run by the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company , which attract large audiences and income for the town. The regular large influx of tourists
729-521: A manner described as "brazen effrontery", Saul admitted to earning his living by leading an "immoral life" and "practising criminality", and detailed his alleged sexual encounters with Euston at the house. On 16 January 1890, the jury found Parke guilty of 'Maliciously publishing a false and defamatory libel' and the judge sentenced him to twelve months without hard labour in Millbank Prison . Following representations by other journalists on his behalf to
810-495: A member of the agricultural small holdings and the land cultivation committees of Warwickshire County Council. Until his 83rd year he was physically robust and mentally alert, but during his last year his health began to fail and he gradually faded from the public life of Warwickshire. He died on 21 June 1944 at Warneford Hospital in Leamington Spa as the result of a fall at his home. He was cremated and his ashes were buried in
891-479: A musical typewriter. There are five houses relating to William Shakespeare's life which are owned and cared for by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust . These include Hall's Croft , the one-time home of Shakespeare's daughter, Susanna , and her husband Dr. John Hall and Nash's House , which stands alongside the site of New Place which was owned by Shakespeare himself, wherein he died. In Shottery
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#1732858861295972-485: A re-branded official tourism website for the Stratford area called Discover Stratford after opening a new tourist information centre on Henley Street in May 2010, which has since moved back to the original location on Bridgefoot. Apart from the town centre, Maybird Shopping Park, usually referred to locally as "The Maybird Centre" or simply "The Maybird", is a large shopping centre situated on Birmingham Road, approximately
1053-535: A tourist destination. Before the dominance of road and rail, Stratford was an important gateway to the network of British canals . The River Avon was made navigable through Stratford in 1639, by the construction of locks and weirs , providing Stratford with a navigable link to the River Severn to the south-west and to near Warwick to the north-east, this allowed, in the words of Daniel Defoe "a very great Trade for Sugar, Oil, Wine, Tobacco, Iron, Lead and in
1134-430: A village before the lord of the manor , John of Coutances , set out plans to develop it into a town in 1196. In that same year, Stratford was granted a charter from King Richard I to hold a weekly market in the town, giving it its status as a market town . As a result, Stratford experienced an increase in trade and commerce as well as urban expansion. Stratford is a popular tourist destination, owing to its status as
1215-667: A warrant for Parke's arrest on November 23, 1889 after Bow Street Magistrates' Court successfully proved the report against Euston to be libellous. Parke promptly turned himself into police custody. He had known for a week that he was likely be arrested and argued in his defence that he intentionally stayed in the country to accept the possibility of being charged with libel. Parke spent the entire weekend in jail and awaited trial for Monday morning. He meanwhile formed his defense team, consisting of Frank Lockwood , QC, and H. H. Asquith , who would later become Prime Minister during World War I . The hearing at Bow Street Magistrates' Court began on
1296-621: A warrant for the arrest of journalist Ernest Parke for his libel of Lord Euston during the notorious Cleveland Street scandal . In 1890 his caricature by Leslie Ward ('Spy') was published in the Men of the Day series in Vanity Fair . His death took place at his residence, 121, Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park in 1906. Sir James, who was in his 93rd year and had been in poor health for some little time, died in his sleep, death being due to heart failure. He
1377-583: A word, all heavy goods which are carried by water almost as far as Warwick; and in return the corn, and especially the cheese, is brought back from Gloucestershire and Warwickshire to Bristol ". Between 1793 and 1816 the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal was built, linking the Avon at Stratford with Birmingham . By the early 19th century, Stratford was a flourishing inland port , and an important centre of trade, with many canal and river wharves along what
1458-533: Is Anne Hathaway's Cottage , the home of Shakespeare's wife 's family prior to her marriage. Mary Arden 's House ( Palmer's Farm ), the family home of his mother, is in Wilmcote . James Vaughan (magistrate) Sir James Vaughan (1814–20 May 1906) was a long-serving stipendiary magistrate at Bow Street Magistrates' Court in London from 1864 to 1899. In 1897 he was knighted by Queen Victoria for services to
1539-512: Is 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham . It is close to the northern edge of the Cotswolds , with Chipping Campden 10 miles (16 km) to the south. Stratford is around 6 miles (9.7 km) to the north-east of the borders with both Worcestershire and Gloucestershire . Other than those already mentioned, significant towns and villages nearby include Alcester , Wellesbourne , Evesham , Redditch and Henley-in-Arden . Stratford
1620-467: Is a major employer, especially in the hotel, hospitality industry and catering sectors. Other industries in the town include boat building and maintenance, bicycles , mechanical and electrical engineering, food manufacture, Information Technology , call centre and service sector activities, a large motor sales sector, industrial plant hire, building suppliers, market gardening , farming, storage and transport logistics, finance and insurance , and
1701-515: Is a museum which explores the time when Shakespeare lived. It is based in a Grade II* listed town centre Tudor building and is the only museum in the country dedicated to Tudor times. Every week there is a walk around the town with Shakespeare. The Mechanical Art and Design museum, but better known as MAD museum, is a museum in Henley Street of "brilliant-but-bonkers machines" made by Kinetic artists . Items on show include mechanised flipbooks and
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#17328588612951782-490: Is divided by the River Avon , with the majority of the town being on the west side of the river, its riverside location means it is susceptible to flooding, including flash floods. Stratford has several suburbs : The town's urban area encompasses the contiguous sub-villages of Alveston , Shottery and Tiddington , which were formerly independent, but now form part of the civil parish of Stratford, other distinct suburbs of
1863-457: Is home to Orchestra of the Swan , a professional chamber orchestra staging up to 10 orchestral concerts with international soloists per year. Kempe Studio of The Rudolf Kempe Society, whose patron is Dame Judi Dench , is based in a house at 58 Waterside called The Muses and hosts musical events and masterclass lessons. No. 1 Shakespeare Street holds regular evenings of live music. Tudor World
1944-556: Is now Bancroft Gardens. The first railway in Warwickshire; the Stratford and Moreton Tramway was opened to Stratford in 1826: this was a horse-drawn wagonway , 16 miles (26 km) long, which was intended to carry goods between the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal , the rural districts of south Warwickshire and Moreton-in-Marsh . The tramway fell into disuse by the early 1900s, and the tracks were lifted in 1918. A surviving remnant of this
2025-473: Is situated on the River Avon , 91 miles (146 km) north-west of London , 22 miles (35 km) south-east of Birmingham and 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Warwick . The town is the southernmost point of the Arden area at the northern extremity of the Cotswolds . In the 2021 census Stratford had a population of 30,495. Stratford was inhabited originally by Britons before Anglo-Saxons and remained
2106-560: Is the Celtic word for river. The 'street' was a Roman road which connected Icknield Street in Alcester to the Fosse Way . The ford, which has been used as a crossing since Roman times, later became the location of Clopton Bridge . A survey of 1251–52 uses the name Stratford for the first time to identify Old Stratford and the newer manors . The name was used after that time to describe
2187-665: Is the Tramway Bridge over the River Avon, a brick arch bridge which now carries pedestrians. The first steam railway to reach Stratford was a branch of the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway from Honeybourne to the south, which opened in July 1859. This was followed by the Stratford on Avon Railway 's branch from Hatton from the north, which opened in October 1860. Both branches initially had separate termini, but they soon agreed to join
2268-502: Is the major source of the town's prosperity, receiving between 2.5 million and 3 million visitors annually. Stratford is a major English tourist town due to it being the birthplace of William Shakespeare , who many consider the greatest playwright of all time. In 2010 the District Council spent £298,000 on tourism promotion and supports an official open-top tour bus service. In 2010 Stratford-on-Avon District Council launched
2349-942: The 2011 census and 22,338 in the 2001 census . The town's population has undergone expansion in recent years following government approval to build 800 new homes in Shottery , which included plans for a new relief road. Up to 500 new homes are planned in the Bishopton area of the town, and 270 homes on the Loxley Road. In terms of ethnicity in 2021, 92.7% of Stratford residents were White , 3.3% were Asian , 0.6% were Black , 2.4% were Mixed , 0.2% were Arab and 0.8% were from another ethnic group. In terms of religion, 58.4% of Stratford residents identified as Christian , 38.2% said they had no religion , 1.0% were Muslim , 0.8% were Hindu , 0.5% were Sikh , 0.5% were Buddhists , 0.2% were Jewish , and 0.5% were from another religion. Tourism
2430-498: The Holy Trinity Church . During Stratford's early expansion into a town, the only access across the River Avon into and out of the town was over a wooden bridge, which was first mentioned in 1235. The bridge could not be crossed at times due to the river rising and was described by antiquarian John Leland as "a poor bridge of timber and no causeway to it, whereby many poor folks and other refused to come to Stratford when
2511-477: The Home Secretary Henry Matthews Parke was released from prison on 7 July 1890, having served half his sentence. He returned to The Star ; he was editor from 1891 to 1918, when he resigned. Having retired from his editorial roles Parke increased his numerous business commitments. He sat on the boards of national and local newspaper companies, including The Daily News and The Star ,
Ernest Parke - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-494: The King Edward VI School The Cotswolds , located close to Stratford, was a major sheep-producing area up until the latter part of the 19th century, with Stratford one of its main centres for the processing, marketing, and distribution of sheep and wool. Consequently, Stratford became a centre for tanning during the 15th–17th centuries. Glove making was an important industry, which was at its zenith in
2673-678: The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST), the Swan Theatre closed in 2007 for refurbishment and reopened in November 2010. The Other Place, a Black box theatre , was extended to become the temporary RSC Courtyard Theatre , opening in July 2006 and was the home of the RSC while the RST was being refurbished – its interior is similar to the interior of the refurbished RST. The Courtyard Theatre closed in 2015 and
2754-601: The South African War . This last gained him the greatest radical recognition of having his newspaper burned on the London Stock Exchange . Despite his radical views, Parke was a foremost trusted adviser to the Liberal Party in its dealings with the press. In 1889 Parke was involved in the notorious Cleveland Street scandal when a homosexual male brothel and house of assignation on Cleveland Street, London ,
2835-537: The Tudor period : The Guild of the Holy Cross was abolished in 1547 under King Edward VI 's suppression of religious guilds , and the inhabitants of Stratford petitioned the Crown for a charter of incorporation as a borough , which they received in 1553. This allowed the formation a new Town Council which inherited the property and responsibilities of the abolished guild. The Charter of Incorporation refounded Stratford's school as
2916-459: The 'newspaper men, among whom he seems to enjoy warm popularity and substantial esteem'. At the preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey Parke pleaded not guilty to the charge of libel. Asquith argued that 'the alleged libel was true in substance and in fact, and that its publication was for the public benefit'. Lionel Hart, for the prosecution, did not counter, but 'applied for the postponement of
2997-406: The 13th century and the end of the 16th century, with a survey of the town showing 217 houses belonged to the lord of the manor in 1590. Growth continued to be slow throughout the 17th century, with hearth tax returns showing that at most there were approximately 429 houses in the town by 1670. However, more substantial expansion began following several enclosure acts in the late 18th century, with
3078-568: The 15th and 16th centuries. As was malting , the processing of grain to turn it into malt . John Shakespeare , originally a farmer, had moved to Stratford in 1551, from the nearby village of Snitterfield and became a successful glover (glove maker) and businessman, and an official on the Town Council. He met and married Mary Arden a member of the local gentry in around 1557. Together they had eight children, including Stratford's most famous son William Shakespeare in 1564, believed to be at
3159-429: The 1981–2010 observation period. Stratford's warmest month is July, with an average maximum temperature of 22.8 °C (73 °F). January is the coldest month, with an average high of 7.4 °C (45 °F). The average summer maximum temperature is 22.7 °C (73 °F). The winter average high is 7.5 °C (45 °F). In the 2021 census Stratford had a population of 30,495, an increase from 27,894 in
3240-524: The Avon was up, or coming thither stood in jeopardy of life." In 1484, a new masonry arch bridge was built to replace it called Clopton Bridge , named after Hugh Clopton who paid for its construction, a wealthy local man who later became the Lord Mayor of London . The new bridge made it easier for people to trade within Stratford and for passing travellers to stay in the town. The medieval structures of local governance underwent significant changes during
3321-720: The British Liberal politician Jacob Bright and the Radical and Liberal statesman John Bright . She died in childbirth in 1850, and her infant daughter Esther Bright Vaughan was in the care of her grandmother Sarah Vaughan, but the child died on May 5 1851 and was buried with her mother in the Bright family plot in Kensal Green Cemetery . Secondly, in 1854 he married Joanna Russell Smethurst (1824-1886), daughter of Mr. B. Smethurst, of Chorley . She died in 1886. In 1889 he issued
Ernest Parke - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-642: The Clore Learning Centre, the Royal Shakespeare Company's education and events venue. In 1988, Stratford-upon-Avon was the venue for the disastrous provincial try-out of the ill-fated musical Carrie , based on the Stephen King novel . The town is the setting of the 2018 BBC detective show Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators . Stratford ArtsHouse, previously the Civic Hall,
3483-687: The Law. Sir James Vaughan was born in Wells in Somerset in 1814, the eldest son of Sarah and Richard Vaughan, a colliery inspector of Cardiff and Gelligaer , Glamorgan . After receiving his early education privately he proceeded to Worcester College, Oxford , where he took a third class in Lit. Hum. in 1834. Three years later he was called to the Bar at the Middle Temple . He
3564-725: The Northern Newspaper Company, and the Sheffield Independent Press. In 1904 he was a founding member of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association . Parke was a Justice of the Peace (JP), an Alderman and for six years Vice-Chairman of Warwickshire County Council , which he first joined as a County Councillor in 1917. He successfully worked his farm Moorlands at Kineton in Warwickshire , which led to his becoming
3645-559: The Ripper , who had just murdered Mary Ann Nichols , was a single killer. He was editor from 1891 to 1918. At the same time edited The Morning Leader , running both newspapers at the same time and working 'harder than any editor had done before or has done since'. Parke was one of the first editors to use stop press news, when he had racing results printed with a rubber stamp. He gained a reputation for supporting 'anti' movements: anti- vaccination , anti- vivisection , anti-protection, and anti
3726-587: The area specifically surrounding the Holy Trinity Church and the street of the Old Town. The Stratford area was settled during the Roman period as the area was crossed by a Roman road: archaeological remains of a small Roman town have been found, about 1 mile (1.6 km) northeast of Stratford town centre at Tiddington , now part of Stratford, which was occupied from the 1st to the 5th century AD. The remains of two further probable Roman settlements have been found within
3807-525: The authorities to conceal the involvement of a more highly placed personage; although this person was not named some believe that it was Prince Albert Victor , son of the Prince of Wales and grandson of Queen Victoria . Euston had not fled to Peru but was actually still in England when the article was brought to his attention and at once he filed a case against Parke for libel . Magistrate Sir James Vaughan issued
3888-641: The award-winning Tread The Boards Theatre Company. The venue is located next door to Cox's Yard and hosts an intimate 90-seat auditorium in the Grade 2 listed Attic space. The Waterside Theatre , which is not part of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre complex, re-opened in December 2004, then closed in September 2008. During this span, the theatre housed the Shakespearience visitor attraction. This has now been turned into
3969-497: The birthplace and burial place of playwright and poet William Shakespeare . It receives approximately 2.7 million visitors a year. The Royal Shakespeare Company resides in Stratford's Royal Shakespeare Theatre . The name is a combination of the Old English strǣt (from Latin stratum ), meaning 'street', ford , indicating a shallow part of a river or stream, allowing it to be crossed by walking or driving, and avon which
4050-471: The building of a temporary wooden theatre, known as the Tercentenary Theatre, which was built in a part of the brewer's large gardens on what is today the site of the new, and temporary, Courtyard Theatre . After three months the Tercentenary Theatre was dismantled, with the timber used for housebuilding purposes. In the early 1870s, Flower gave several acres of riverside land to the local council on
4131-563: The defence contradicted one another, and they could not accurately describe Euston. The last witness for the defence was John Saul , a male prostitute who previously had been involved in another homosexual scandal, this time at Dublin Castle . He also featured in a clandestinely published erotic novel The Sins of the Cities of the Plain , which claimed to be his autobiography . Delivering his testimony in
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#17328588612954212-421: The first and largest development by John Payton who developed land on the north side of the old town, creating several streets including John Street and Payton Street. In 1769, the actor David Garrick staged a major Shakespeare Jubilee over three days which saw the construction of a large rotunda and the influx of many visitors. This contributed to the growing phenomenon of Bardolatry which made Stratford
4293-483: The foundations of Stratford's transformation from a village to a town, make the town of Stratford over 800 years old, the town celebrated its 800th anniversary in 1996. John of Coutances' plans to develop Stratford into a town meant Stratford became a place of work for tradesmen and merchants. By 1252 the town had approximately 240 burgages (town rental properties owned by a king or lord ), as well as shops, stalls and other buildings. Stratford's tradesmen established
4374-517: The grave of his wife at the parish church of St Peter and St Paul in Butlers Marston . He left an estate valued at £34625 8s. 1d. Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( /- ˈ eɪ v ən / ), commonly known as just Stratford , is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district , in the county of Warwickshire , in the West Midlands region of England. It
4455-505: The guilty and extremely kind and considerate to those who applied to him for assistance. His decisions were almost universally approved of, and were hardly ever upset. He was sure that all those who knew the late magistrate would deeply sympathise with his bereaved family. Mr. Harry Wilson, one of the solicitors practising at the Court, also spoke in terms of high praise of Sir James Vaughan as a magistrate, and referred especially to his generosity to
4536-586: The house now known as Shakespeare's Birthplace . Stratford was the centre of considerable activity and some fighting during the English Civil War . Being located at the junction of several main roads, it was strategically important for both the Royalist and Parliamentarian armies. Due to its close proximity to the Parliamentarian stronghold of Warwick , Stratford remained under Parliamentarian control for
4617-589: The late 13th century. Many of the town's earliest and most important buildings are located along what is known as Stratford's Historic Spine , which was once the main route from the town centre to the parish church. The route of the Historic Spine begins at Shakespeare's Birthplace in Henley Street. It continues through Henley Street to the top end of Bridge Street and into the High Street where many Elizabethan buildings are located, including Harvard House . The route carries on through Chapel Street where Nash's House and New Place are sited. Opposite New Place
4698-438: The local cinema . An architectural competition was arranged to elicit designs for a new theatre, with the winner, English architect Elisabeth Scott , creating the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The new theatre, adjoining what was left of the old theatre, was opened by the then Prince of Wales , later Edward VIII , in 1932. The new theatre had many illustrious artistic directors, including the actor Anthony Quayle . Sir Peter Hall
4779-439: The majority of the conflict, although it was only directly occupied by troops for sporadic intervals. In February 1643, Stratford was occupied by Royalist forces under Colonel Wagstaffe . It was recaptured by Parliamentarians under Lord Brooke on 25 February after an engagement on the nearby road to Warwick. Having secured the town, Brooke returned to Warwick. In one notable incident in February 1643, Stratford's Market Hall, at
4860-618: The male prostitutes involved had received light sentences with regard to their offence. His journalistic curiosity aroused, Parke discovered that the young male prostitutes had named leading members of the aristocracy as their patrons. Parke ran the story on 28 September 1889 hinting at their involvement but refrained from naming names. On 16 November 1889 he published a further piece which named Henry James FitzRoy, Earl of Euston , in "an indescribably loathsome scandal in Cleveland Street". Parke also alleged that Euston may have fled to Peru to avoid prosecution and that he had been permitted to escape by
4941-443: The morning of 25 November 1889. Vaughan set the bail at two securities of £50 each, which Parke posted. Parke was widely regarded by his fellow journalists as the hero of the hour, victimised for telling the truth. With his 'pale, earnest, and intellectual face', The Illustrated Police News described him as looking 'more like a hard-working student than the defendant in a newspaper libel case', whilst also noting his popularity with
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#17328588612955022-431: The recommendation of John Richard Robinson , editor manager of The Daily News , he accepted from T. P. O'Connor the position of sub-editor of the newly formed The Star . He soon impressed O'Connor with his 'keenness, tremendous flair for news, and the capacity to work twenty four hours a day if necessary'. Later in 1888 he was appointed deputy editor of The Star . In the 31 August 1888 edition he suggested that Jack
5103-467: The river crossing, which was better positioned for trade. Stratford, then referred to as strete ford , remained a village until the late 12th century when it was developed into a town by lord of the manor , Bishop John of Coutances . Coutances laid out a new town plan in 1196 around 1 ⁄ 2 mile (0.80 km) north of the original settlement, based on a grid system to expand Stratford and allow people to rent property in order to trade within
5184-431: The site of the current Town Hall , was destroyed after three barrels of gunpowder which were being stored there blew up. From March 1644, until part of the following year, Stratford appears to have been continuously occupied by Parliamentarian troops. There was one further Royalist raid in April 1645. A number of famous people passed through Stratford during the conflict: In April 1643, Prince Rupert passed through, he
5265-404: The third Bishop of Worcester (693–714). The monastery was likely destroyed by Viking invaders in 1015. The land remained in the ownership of the Bishops of Worcester until the 16th century. The area around Holy Trinity Church is still known as Old Town as it was the original area of settlement around the monastery. The focus of the settlement at Stratford was later moved north, closer to
5346-479: The town include Bishopton, Bridge Town, Clopton and Old Town. Stratford has a temperate maritime climate , as is usual for the British Isles , meaning extremes of heat and cold are rare. Sunshine hours are low to moderate, with an average of 1,512.3 hours of sunshine annually. Rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year. There is an annual average of 614.8 mm (24 in), with over 1 millimetre (0.039 inches) falling on 114.1 rain days per year, according to
5427-410: The town. Coutances granted his new tenants the right to rent property and transmit it at death. This was called burgage tenure. Each development plot or "burgage" consisted of around 0.25 acres (0.10 hectares). A charter was granted to Stratford by King Richard I in 1196 which allowed a weekly market to be held in the town, giving it its status as a market town . These two charters, which formed
5508-464: The trial', because Parke's plea had only just been submitted. The judge in the case agreed, despite Parke being 'ready and anxious to meet the charge', and the case was set to 'stand over until the next sessions'. Parke was released on bail. At the subsequent trial before judge Sir Henry Hawkins , for which Parke was remanded in custody despite having offered four sureties of £500 each, In court Euston admitted that as he had been passing along Piccadilly
5589-478: The two branches and open the current Stratford-upon-Avon railway station, which was opened in July 1861. Both branches later came under the control of the Great Western Railway . The connection of Stratford to the growing national railway network, helped enable the development of the modern tourism industry. Stratford did not become a major centre of industry during the Industrial Revolution , but some industries did grow up locally: Edward Fordham Flower opened
5670-405: The understanding that a permanent theatre be built in honour of Shakespeare's memory, and by 1879 the first Shakespeare Memorial Theatre had been completed. It proved to be a huge success, and by the early 20th century it was effectively being run by the actor/manager Frank Benson . The theatre burned down in 1926, with the then artistic director, William Bridges-Adams , moving all productions to
5751-439: Was The Falcon Hotel (now Hotel Indigo), at the corner of Scholars Lane. It is a timber-framed house with nearly 100-ft frontage to the street and dating perhaps from the end of the 15th century. The Historic Spine continues along Church Street where the Guild buildings are located dating back to the 15th century, as well as 18th- and 19th-century properties. The route then finishes in the Old Town, which includes Hall's Croft and
5832-454: Was a temporary wooden affair built in 1769 by the actor David Garrick for his Shakespeare Jubilee celebrations of that year to mark William Shakespeare's birthday. The theatre, built not far from the site of the present Royal Shakespeare Theatre , was almost washed away in two days of torrential rain that resulted in terrible flooding. To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth in 1864, brewer Charles Edward Flower instigated
5913-476: Was abandoned in 1875. It was restored as a navigation by volunteers almost a century later in 1974. Victorian Stratford's growth as a tourist destination was further enhanced by Edward Fordham Flower and his son Charles Edward Flower , owners of a local brewery business, and important figures in local affairs: Through their campaigning and fundraising efforts, the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre
5994-627: Was appointed artistic director (designate) in 1959, and formed the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1961. The Royal Shakespeare Company also runs two smaller theatres, the Swan Theatre , which was created in the 1980s out of the shell of the remains of the original Memorial Theatre and is modelled on an Elizabethan theatre , quickly becoming one of the finest acting spaces in the United Kingdom, and The Other Place theatre. Along with
6075-563: Was at Stratford again in July, where he met the Queen Henrietta Maria , who was travelling through the Midlands , and she was the guest of honour of Susanna Hall , William Shakespeare's daughter, at New Place . Oliver Cromwell was at Stratford in December 1646, and again in 1651, before the Battle of Worcester . Despite Stratford's increase in trade, it barely grew between the middle of
6156-543: Was buried in his family plot in St Mary’s churchyard in Willesden . He was survived by his son Richard Smethurst Bertram James Vaughan (1855-1906) and his daughter Rosalie Blanche Vaughan (1859-1940). At Bow Street Magistrates' Court, Robert Marsham , the presiding magistrate, referred to Sir James Vaughan's death. Speaking with considerable emotion, he said that Sir James was a most painstaking and careful magistrate in punishing
6237-604: Was chief of the Commission of Inquiry into Corrupt Practices at Gloucester in 1859 and at Berwick-upon-Tweed in the following year, and in 1864 he was appointed magistrate of the Police Court at Bow Street. He received the honour of knighthood in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria 's Diamond Jubilee, and retired from his work at Bow Street in 1899. Vaughan was twice married. In 1849 to Esther (1820-1850), one of eleven children of Martha Wood and Jacob Bright. Her brothers included
6318-536: Was editor of the financial newspaper Stock Exchange on Fleet Street , but not liking the work in 1884 he joined the staff of the Fleet Street evening paper The Echo . In the same year he married Sarah Elizabeth Blain (1863-1937). Herself a journalist, she after wrote under the pen name 'Mrs. Ernest Parke'. On the marriage certificate his occupation was recorded as 'Journalist'. Their sons were: Fenning Matthew Parke (1885-1928) and Hall Parke (1905-1985). In 1888, on
6399-470: Was opened on the banks of the Avon in 1879. The original theatre was destroyed by fire in 1926. Its replacement was opened in 1932, designed by Elisabeth Scott , making it the first important building by a woman architect erected in Britain. In 1974, the old borough of Stratford was abolished and merged into the much larger Stratford-on-Avon District , The area of the borough became a successor parish with
6480-664: Was replaced by The Other Place in March 2016, which returned as a 200-seat studio theatre within the steel extension in which the Courtyard Theatre was located. Stratford is home to The Bear Pit Theatre which was founded in 2008 as a voluntary organisation. It has 100 seats and is part of the Little Theatre Guild . The Attic Theatre is Stratford-upon-Avon's premiere fringe theatre . Established by husband-and-wife team John-Robert and Catherine Partridge and in 2009, who also run
6561-489: Was uncovered by the police. At first the newspapers showed little interest in the story, which would have been quickly forgotten if not for Parke. As editor of the politically radical weekly The North London Press , Parke was first informed of police involvement in Cleveland Street when a reporter informed him of the conviction of the 18 year-old Post Office clerk and male prostitute, Henry Newlove. Parke began to ask why
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