How to seal a place in history
Published Date:
21 August 2008
In Peter Clarke's quest for information from his little reference book regarding events that have taken place on August 15 (Southern, August 14), may I add a little more useless notes as food for thought to the ones he already gleaned in respect to the first secret ballot held on that date in 1872 in my former home town of Pontefract?
It is recorded that when the voting had ended and the newfangled ballot boxes required to be sealed, the mayor's office had already been locked up for the night and therefore neither borough nor mayoral seals were available for this process.
However, local liquorice works owner Frank Dunhill – his Christian name is not an intended pun – hastened to his factory and grabbed a Pontefract cake hand-stamping tool which was then officially used to seal both ballot boxes.
Therefore, it appears, the very first example of governmental democracy in modern worldwide society was sealed by a Pontefract cake.
Now there is something for him to chew over!
Ken Fox
Springwood Village
Kelso
The full article contains 180 words and appears in Southern Reporter newspaper.
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Last Updated:
28 August 2008 7:44 AM
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Source:
Southern Reporter
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Location:
Borders
