Elephant
 

What do you all make of this old print ? Did this happen?

http://www.old-print.com/mas_assets/...1661889236.jpg

Re: Elephant
 

Had a quick look, can't read the print.
:o

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just click on the pic and it will zoom in

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Nope, can't read it, maybe that's why I mentioned it.

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The text says :-
"There is a burglarious elephant about just now which will put any of Mr Barnum's elephants to blush.
Monday he broke into some stores in Accrington, and stole some jam and onions, which he found highly delectable. Not content with this feat he broke out again yesterday in Chorley another lancashire town selecting groceries for his prey. He devoured a whole cheese, two boxes of biscuits and other goods. When the show reaches St. Helens, which is in the Lacashire circuit the elephant will, no doubt drop into Mr. Beecham's establishment and help himself to a few hundred boxes of pills to counteract the effects of his Chorley and Accrington feasts, which were rather a rich mixture"-- Pall Mall Gazette, October 18, 1889.

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Obviously an advert of some sort, but Mr Beecham's pills, as far as I can remember weren't for stomach problems, or I could be wrong

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I don't think it's an Ad Jaysay it's just a humorous plate in the Illustrated London news following a story in the Gazette. :)

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Not just a laxative...

McGonagall Online – Beecham’s Pills

Re: Elephant
 

My first thought too was that it was an advert. Beecham's Piulls were very big on publcity. I seem to recall a bukl in a shop in Acc, but not an elephant. There is noi memntuion of it in the Accrington Chronology book which is extracts from the Observer.If it is not mentioned in the Blackburn Standard when searching the 19th century newspapers via the county library facility - it's an ad.

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How interesting susie, can remember my mum giving me beechams flu powders when I was young, in fact I can still remember the bitter taste, she used to mix it with milk or water, to take the tang off.

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Ahh Beechams powders I just emptied the packet onto my tongue loved the taste ahh memories

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I can do an impression of a white eared Elephant ! :D does this help ? :s_aim1:

It's great at parties. ;)

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Egotist:D

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No Jay, Elephant ! :D

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sure its not donkey:D:D:D

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One doesn't like to blow one's own trumpet. ;) :D

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You and your good lady will have to visit when your next over, I'll ask her:D:D:D

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Being the charitable folk we are we may pay you a visit, we like to do nice things for the underprivileged. ;) :D

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Don't forget to bring a food parcel:D:D:D

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Ah yes, some of the local culinary delights, a sooggy sossy roll from Greggs, a bag of crisps & let's push the boat out shall we & have a sugary fizzy drink to boot, Tizer do you ? :D

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Probably not a good idea to take Beechams pills when you needed the powders and vice versa!

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Right as this is Heritage & history I'll apologise to Lancs Stan for wandering off topic (with the help of that there Jaysay):o Anyways, your original question was did it happen ? Of course not, it's simply a humorous little anecdote concocted to sell whatever pills & potions were being offered up.

If & it's a big if, a Nelly escaped from a travelling circus (which is plausible) it certainly wouldn't beeline for specifics as stated in the "adds" commentary :-

When the show reaches St. Helens, which is in the Lacashire circuit the elephant will, no doubt drop into Mr. Beecham's establishment and help himself to a few hundred boxes of pills to counteract the effects of his Chorley and Accrington feasts,

Direct targeting, blatant touting of Mr.Beecham's wares, so no marvellous happenings, simply a ripping yarn to sell something. ;) :)

Re: Elephant
 

I vaguely recall reading here that there was some local incident involving an elephant from a travelling circus many years ago, that resulted in the naming of Elephant Street.

I have used 'search' but can't find it.
Does anyone else remember reading it?

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Posts 3 and 5 on this thread, Margaret.

http://www.accringtonweb.com/forum/f...that-5590.html

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Thank you for finding it.
Now I am assured that I have a reasonably good memory and am not suffering early dementia :D

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Pleased to have been of service Margaret. I can't rest till I have tracked something down that I recollect so I know how you feel!

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A six pack of Old Peculiar would be better:D

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Where's Elephant Street Margaret, can't say I've ever heard of that:confused:

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Elephant St was off Plantation St, its now long gone under the houses on the right as you enter Plantation St, from the Traffic light at the start of East Gate.
Legend has it that a circus elephant dropped dead in that area in the early 1800's. Never found any proof though. A lot of the original housing dated from the mid 1840's, Birtwistle St was then known as Plantation St, Pitt St, now East Gate, was John St.
Retlaw.

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John, Elephant street has been mentioned in several threads in the past, if you do a search. When I first joined I had to ask where it was and turned out I had walked past it every day on my way to and from primary school!

As for the dead elephant "legend", I copied this from a post by katex on an old thread:

Found an interesting one in a book 'An Accrington Miscellany' Frank Davy tells of:-

'It was a death that gave Elephant Street its name. In 1845 and elephant called "Chimney", purchased by Wombwell for his circus and standing 11ft 4ins. high and weighing more than 5 tons, died in Accrington. This tragedy, caused so much local interest that a street under construction was named Elephant Street to commemorate the event'

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Do a search, I'm a bloke susie, we just ask:D

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And someone's just started a thread about lazy women... :p

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Well I though it was well known about us blokes:rolleyes::D

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Didn't want to know about your age & state Jay, just making sure you're allowed fizzy drinks. :D

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Oh come on Dave everybody knows that's Retlaw Old Peculiar:D:D

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This could possibly be the poor elephant who over indulged himself, and then died in Accrington, and whom Elephant Street was named after :-)

Interesting little article though.

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Bogg Off Farrer:p:tongueout:tongueout

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Not if he went and did the same again in Chorley...

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but Accrington was part of the "circuit", so he would have been back again!

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Elephant st was opposite Lee st(where I grew up)there was a sweet shop half way up but for the life of me I cannot recall the name.Anyone help?

Elephant
 

Here you are, from one of my old postings

Elephant Street in the mid 1960's - photo kindly supplied by Owd Bert

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fantastic thats how I remember it though I had left by the 60s the sweet shop was about where the car is.

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The 1951 directory shows Mr G Gibson, a grocer at 8-10 near to Plantation St, on the side opposite the Welcome Inn

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I'm hurt and amazed Walter:D

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Thanks Bob could well have been a grocers I only remember going in for sweets, we got groceries from Eddlestons on Plantation st till Sauls opened down Black Abbey.

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Did you not go in Hilda's, opposite Mother Gumms, in Plantation St.

Owd Saul took over that shop in Black Abbey St, from his Uncle Bob Holt.
Saul was the first in Accrington, to stack them high, and sell cheaper than others, he used to travel every day from Blackpool.
Retlaw.

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Went in Hilda,s nearly every day the old scales were just inside for weighing spuds if my memory serves me right she died of tetinus.All our health products came from Mother Gumms....Kaolin to make poultices camphor blocks which my mum would pin in my liberty bodice.Eeh the good old days they don,t know what their missing these days!!!!lol

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Well they won't be missing liberty bodices or camphor blocks hassy rvr:D

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Lol they have,nt lived!!

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Not to mention Nitty Nora:D

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The bug explorer

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Ha ha if they still had a nitty Nora today it probably would,nt be as big a problem in schools as it is,cut backs!!

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There hasn't been a nitty nora in schools since the 60s