 Robert Leason |
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Driffield Times, August 23, 1884 ROBERT LEASON, DRIFFIELD By J. Browne, Bridlington Quay Between forty and fifty years ago, Robert Leason was a well known individual in Driffield, and was considered one of its notabilities. Several of the old inhabitants will remember him. The many things for which he was remarkable, deserve to be recorded and will, no doubt, be read with interest by the present generation. He was a native of Driffield, and was born on the 3rd December 1751, in an old thatched farmhouse near Cranwell springs, and in which his ancestors had resided for several generations. This old house was taken down by the late, Honourable Marmaduke Langley the owner and a number of houses called "Laura Cottages" were built upon its site. This was in 1842, which was singularly the year in which Robert Leason died, so that he and his ancient birthplace terminated their existence together. His friends were engaged in farming pursuits and he was employed in the same occupation until disabled by age. This remarkable old man could, perhaps, say more of himself than most people have been able to do, with respect to his simple and abstemious habits, his original manners, and primitive style of dress. He used to say that he never slept a week together away from his native town during the whole of his prolonged life. He never missed attending church but once for forty years. He was never intoxicated but on one occasion, and never tasted spirituous liquors but once, and never ate any vegetables except potatoes. When asked his reason for not eating vegetables, he would say such things were not eaten in former times, and were only suitable for swine. Butchers' meat he had not tasted for a great number of years previous to his death, and for thirty years, he had principally subsisted on food of "steepy," as he termed it, being a mixture of moistened bread, water and treacle, which Robert preferred to the most epicurean dish, and would never change even when he used to go to York to vote for the election of Knights of the Shire. At these times his original manners and simple meals used to cause much pleasant amusement amongst the gentry assembled at the same table. Robert might be termed a true Conservative in his own way. He detested innovations in domestic matters, and could not be persuaded to adopt what he termed as newfangled notions. He affected to be greatly offended if proffered the shelter of an umbrella; and if his good old dame offered to lead him by the arm to church on a Sunday, Robert would gruffly say he did not want leading - he was no blind yet. He would often tell of the time when there were but eleven tiled houses in Driffield, and but one lady that went to church in a silk dress. The roads in the immediate neighbourhood were so bad in his younger days, that they had to be bedded with thorns and bundles of whins to make them anything like passable. This was especially the case with respect to the road between Great and Little Driffield; and in the town the course of the beck was used for loaded horses because it had a hard and gravely bottom in preference to the bad state of the streets. In those days farmers delivered all their corn on horseback. Robert used to tell how they used to go with a string of horses to Bridlington Quay, with corn on their backs, and after being relieved of their load they were turned loose and used to gallop away home across the then unenclosed lands between Bridlington and Driffield, and they always managed to arrive before their drivers. Most of his clothing had during the greater part of his life been home spun, and he never had but two cloth coats. The only medicine he ever took was a hearty drink from the once beautiful clear spring in Driffield called "Cranwell," which he strongly recommended as a radical cure for all diseases. It was his unerring custom whenever he felt himself out of order, to apply to his never failing nostrum. Robert prided himself upon a cure effected by this water, on his recommendation, after the patient's case had been pronounced incurable by a host of learned doctors. He recollected the times when the first Methodist preacher made his appearance in Driffield. He stayed at the house of John Sneeston, a tailor, residing in Chapel lane. He stood upon a stone near Ratten row, in Eastgate, to preach, but the populace were then so infuriated against John Wesley and his followers, that this disciple of Wesley was soon under the feet of this unruly mob, who rolled him in the channel. Robert was married when he was thirty years of age, and lived in the married state more than sixty years. His aged widow survived him, and was as great an individual as himself. The intellectual faculties of this wonderful old man were remarkably clear and strong to the last. His memory was surprising; and he could tell with great accuracy every change of ownership of property in the lordship of Driffield and the different occupiers of it ever since he was a boy. Consequently he often proved highly serviceable to gentlemen of the legal profession and others in identifying property which through lapse of time and the absence of legal documents had become difficult to trace, as well as to furnish some record of events which it was necessary to establish. He was always cheerful and communicative and so affable that people much younger than himself always felt at home when talking with him in his familiar manner. The writer of this sketch had no greater pleasure than having a familiar chat with old Robert about things of the past in connection with the previous state of Driffield, and its former inhabitants, about which Robert was an excellent authority. He lived to the great age of 91 years and died on the 6th October, 1842. He left behind him a progeny of children and great grandchildren, and many of his descendants are now well known and respectable inhabitants of the town, at the head of whom, is Mr James Leason, retired builder, his grandson. During his latter days he had become much attached to the company of saddlers, at whose shops he was particularly fond of "holding on;" and it was his particular request that when he died he should be borne to his grave by eight of these worthies dressed and decked with white cockades; but for some reason his last wish was not complied with. Robert was a dapper and lively little man for his great age, and no doubt he had been very active and wiry in his younger days; and it was owing to his temperate habits that his health was so good and his mind so clear to the last, and that he lived to be so great an advanced period of life. His church going habiliments were of a primitive cut - the style of those worn in his youthful days. For his ordinary attire he wore a grey hat, white smock frock, corded breeches, blue worsted stockings and buckled shoes. His wife's dress was equally antique, and she continued to wear the long waisted gowns with the skirt open in the front displaying a tasty petticoat in the style of which was the fashion with ladies of a century previous.
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