Paddy's Market
Paddy’s Market, the island in Caldewgate, between Church Street, Bridge Street and John Street, it’s name gives a clue to its past, but its provenance is a little sketchy.
“There can be little doubt that the present site is not the original “Paddy’s” Market because I do remember reading somewhere that in the days of antiquity, when Carlisle was a walled City, a Market was held outside the Irishgate and it thus seems obvious as to how it came to have this name.” Wrote Charles Hetherington, Market and Tolls Superintendent in a report to the Chairman and Members of the Market Committee in July 1953.
“There can be little doubt that the present site is not the original “Paddy’s” Market because I do remember reading somewhere that in the days of antiquity, when Carlisle was a walled City, a Market was held outside the Irishgate and it thus seems obvious as to how it came to have this name.” Wrote Charles Hetherington, Market and Tolls Superintendent in a report to the Chairman and Members of the Market Committee in July 1953.
A few months earlier in November 1952 the Market had reopened after a twenty year period. Prime movers in the reopening were brothers , J.H and E.M Robson who had been trying for 12 months to get the market going, succeeding in getting five stalls on the site on the opening Friday. As reported in The Cumberland News, “Stalls were re-established by Ancient Rite. The ground on which the stalls are standing is a public market by ancient rite, but it gradually went out of use after the first world war.... It seems odd to think that the last stall to operate there was one selling tripe, and the owner of that gave up in the early thirties.” |
The decision to reopen the market however was not met with universal approval and Hetherington’s report was in answer to complaints the City Council had received. He reported:
“On the 3rd December the Town Clerk received a complaint from a Member of the Council, which he communicated to me, protesting against the Market being held as it was not on the site of the original Paddy’s Market and that, if this was so, steps should be taken to prohibit transactions on the site.”
“I pointed out that so far as I was aware the site upon which commodities were now being sold was “Paddy’s” Market and that enquiries I had been able to make from other sources and from my Toll Collectors confirmed this, tolls having been collected up to about 1930. Potato Carts have also used the site right up to the present time. It is quite apparent, therefore, that whether or not this was the original site it had been used by custom over a long period and it was upon this information that I advised the Committee.”
This was not the end of the matter however:
“On the 9th February, 1953 the Town Clerk received a letter from Messrs Yelloly & Burnett on behalf of their client, Mr. John Little, objecting to the Market, and in particular to a fruit stall, and pointing out that if it was contended that this constituted the ancient market known as “Paddy’s” Market this was incorrect, as Mr. Little, who remembered it well, stated that this was the site of a number of buildings which had been demolished.
“On the 3rd December the Town Clerk received a complaint from a Member of the Council, which he communicated to me, protesting against the Market being held as it was not on the site of the original Paddy’s Market and that, if this was so, steps should be taken to prohibit transactions on the site.”
“I pointed out that so far as I was aware the site upon which commodities were now being sold was “Paddy’s” Market and that enquiries I had been able to make from other sources and from my Toll Collectors confirmed this, tolls having been collected up to about 1930. Potato Carts have also used the site right up to the present time. It is quite apparent, therefore, that whether or not this was the original site it had been used by custom over a long period and it was upon this information that I advised the Committee.”
This was not the end of the matter however:
“On the 9th February, 1953 the Town Clerk received a letter from Messrs Yelloly & Burnett on behalf of their client, Mr. John Little, objecting to the Market, and in particular to a fruit stall, and pointing out that if it was contended that this constituted the ancient market known as “Paddy’s” Market this was incorrect, as Mr. Little, who remembered it well, stated that this was the site of a number of buildings which had been demolished.
Indeed the market now stood on land that was previously full of housing and other buildings that were originally earmaked for improvements in an1897 plan. Properties were partly demolished in 1902, with the island fully cleared of buildings by the early 1940's.
A further letter from Messrs Yelloly & Burnett enclosed a copy of a letter dated 9th February 1932 from the previous Town Clerk, Mr. Webster, to Mr. J. Little which read as follows:
“I have your letter of the 8th instant, and in reply, instructions have already been given to the Police to remove from the land known as “Paddy’s” Market, any persons who attempt to trade there, other than persons selling potatoes. You will of course appreciate that it is quite impossible, with the limited number of constables available, for a member of the Police Force to be standing there continuously on this duty, but as far as their many duties permit, these instructions will be strictly carried out.”
A further letter from Messrs Yelloly & Burnett enclosed a copy of a letter dated 9th February 1932 from the previous Town Clerk, Mr. Webster, to Mr. J. Little which read as follows:
“I have your letter of the 8th instant, and in reply, instructions have already been given to the Police to remove from the land known as “Paddy’s” Market, any persons who attempt to trade there, other than persons selling potatoes. You will of course appreciate that it is quite impossible, with the limited number of constables available, for a member of the Police Force to be standing there continuously on this duty, but as far as their many duties permit, these instructions will be strictly carried out.”
And it wasn’t just Mr Little and the Council member who had objections. A further letter dated 21st April, 1953 from the Carlisle and District Chamber of Trade read: “At a meeting of the Chamber of Trade Executive Committee held last night the question of unfair trading at “Paddy’s” Market, Caldewgate was discussed and I was asked to write to you to enquire what steps should be taken to endeavour to stop this method of trading. The Committee feel that these traders, coming from outside the City, are paying nothing towards the rates and are selling goods at very much reduced prices in opposition to the legitimate traders of the City.” |
This Objection from the Chamber was met with a rebuke from the National Market Traders Federation.
“In the first place may I say that this is not a new market but is a revival of a market which has a very long existence and which in fact has never really been closed down…. I suppose that the Chamber of Trade are raising the usual objection that the market stallholders pay no rates and take money out of the town. It is of course a fallacy that market traders pay no rates, their rent includes the rates which are paid by the Department as a whole in the same way that a householder compounds with his landlord for payment of rates…”
The Market Superintendent Charles Hetherington clearly had a difficult job on his hands, but after extensive research of Council minutes and survey documents offered the following conclusions:
Paddy’s Market reopened in November 1952 with traders coming from as far a-field as Leeds, Preston and Newcastle joining others from Cumbria. It continued for the next few years to the chagrin of other city traders before finally closing down for the last time. Locally the waste ground of Paddy’s Market became known as a place where “Sunday straighteners” or fisticuffs took place.
Today Paddy’s Market is a pay and display car park and site of the celebratory sculpture to the women workers of Carr's Biscuit Works across the road (now McVities), the Cracker Packers.
“In the first place may I say that this is not a new market but is a revival of a market which has a very long existence and which in fact has never really been closed down…. I suppose that the Chamber of Trade are raising the usual objection that the market stallholders pay no rates and take money out of the town. It is of course a fallacy that market traders pay no rates, their rent includes the rates which are paid by the Department as a whole in the same way that a householder compounds with his landlord for payment of rates…”
The Market Superintendent Charles Hetherington clearly had a difficult job on his hands, but after extensive research of Council minutes and survey documents offered the following conclusions:
- It is probable that the present site is not the original site of the Market, but over a considerable period of years the Market has been in existence and has at all times been recognised by the name of "Paddy’s” Market.
- The Caldewgate or Paddy’s Market has never been officially discontinued.
Paddy’s Market reopened in November 1952 with traders coming from as far a-field as Leeds, Preston and Newcastle joining others from Cumbria. It continued for the next few years to the chagrin of other city traders before finally closing down for the last time. Locally the waste ground of Paddy’s Market became known as a place where “Sunday straighteners” or fisticuffs took place.
Today Paddy’s Market is a pay and display car park and site of the celebratory sculpture to the women workers of Carr's Biscuit Works across the road (now McVities), the Cracker Packers.