George Pemberton, seller of silk, 1709

Classified Ad found in the ancient newspapers here: http://www.gale.cengage.com

FOR SALE BY THE CANDLE

On Thursday the 27th Instant, will be Sold at Bat-son's Coffee-house in Cornhill, at 3 a clock in the Afternoon, Sundry sorts of Raw and Thrown silk. Catalogues to be had at the Place of Sale. By Geo. Pemberton.

Daily Courant, London, England, Monday, January 24, 1709, Issue 2261.

So here is a George Pemberton dealing in exotic commodities that reminds me of green olives.

For sale by candle, or more often, sale by inch of candle, refers to an auction practice begun in the late 15th century wherein the last bid placed before a candle went out (normally by burning to completion) was the winning bid.

Diary of Samuel Pepys and Green Olives

Reviewing old emails about the Pemberton's gatepost sign, I saw a reference to Samuel Pepys [say peeps] a Londoner of renown who kept an extensive diary from 1660 to 1669. Today, Wikipedia says, "Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration, to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under both King Charles II and subsequently King James II." The diary is being published a bit at a time. A search today found a reference to a Pemberton that should have been spelled Pembleton - a dance instructor.

John Pemberton merchant, shipping to Virginia Pembertons

From the book Rev. Daniel Brown of Culpeper Co., VA, and Related Families, written by Woolsey Finnell published in late 1890's in a Chapter on Pembertons says: "During 1707 John Pemberton, a merchant of Liverpool, England, shipped several large consignments of Goods to the Pembertons of King Williams Parish." This is from an email from Dixie of today's date.

Where is the Pemberton's Huff sign?

Tony Bostock, perhaps the best local history authority in Cheshire, says this:

"A possible answer is that during the 18th century parts of the wastelands around the city of Chester were divided into lots and fenced off for the benefit citizens of the City. An area of the waste was known as 'the Hough' and the Pemberton family had land here near Windmill Hill. Despite the chronology, in all probability this is what is being referred too as it is likely that such allocations were established during the 17th century and then later formalised."

This infers to me, that this was a gratuitous act of some secular authority. If this was "ordered" by the King, or under the recommendation of the King, it is easy to see the origin of a family story about the King's involvement and the "circumstance that took place between the king and himself" was simply that George was a citizen and the King was a king. This story, after all, is one that once told, will never be forgotten by any Pemberton.

Jane Houghton, in her email says this about the sounds of "huff" and "hough": "Hough as in a hill and also the surname of that ilk is pronounced Huff in Chesire and Lancashire as in 'he went off in a huff'."

We must not ignore the possibility that whoever "penned" the couplet may have used "huff" on a sign beside Pemberton's Hough so as to make a pun.

Place Named "Hough Hill" is in Chester, Cheshire 1688

In Roger Whitley's Diary on the date of 16 April 1688, Roger records:

"Monday, I went to Chester; dined at Jackson's with the Sheriffe, Brandon, Bellot & many other gentlemen (& one Ensigne Gaywood) then I went with 2 Lees to Dr Angells; then we went in my coach to meete the Judge at Hough hill; soe to the Castle; I & Swetnam went to see Mrs Shakerly, she was abroad; saw her husband, 2 Mrs Hurlestons &c; ..."

An interesting insight into old England in general and the word "Comoditye" in particular

In a "Transcript of the contents of a Bound Volume of Documents Dated 1 Jac. 1603", "Compiled and Edited by J. C. Dewhurst, F.R.I.B.A., (Ret.) 1943" now in the Cheshire Archives, I found this entertaining and enlightening discourse, to wit:

... "And being accompanyed with the L. Strange, the L. Mountegle and Sir John Savage, attended with Sir Richard Sherborne and some fewe others, men of speciall choyce and place in his secret counsailes, hee came again to the Cittye. And sitting in person in the Exchequer hee sent for the Maior and Sherifes to come unto him, who hereupon appeared in Courte; unto whome the Earle then spake as followeth:--

THE ORATION OF YE EARLE

"FORASMUCH as yt hath pleased the Queene's most excellent majestie to appointe mee Officer in this Charge and form w'ch hath gouvernmente not only of the county palatine of Chester, But also of the countie of the Citye of Chester, being parcell and w'thin the same countye palatine, as a Chancelor or Head Officer in Equitye, to mainteyne the Just and to reforme the wronge. Wherein, nevertheless, bee divers and sundrie officers and ministers to execute the Lawes committed to their Charge and authoritye as you Mr. Maior, the Sherifes, Coroners, Constables and others, verie necessarie in every yor offices and Degrees. The well doinge whereof tendeth to your Comoditye [advantage] and mainteineth the estate of the Citye, by the Queene's Majestye's noble progenitors, Earles of Chester, founded and made. And contrariwyse the abuse and evill doinge of any yor officers procureth yor owne Discomoditye and Hindrance and provoketh the overthrowe and Distruction of yor Estate and authoritye, which I rather wishe to bee mainteyned then otherwise decayed. And hearing of some disobedience or disorder practized by you the Officers of the Citye now in my tyme of being Officer, otherwise then before hath bene used or donne and otherwise then Duetye requireth to dooe. ..."

Note that "[advantage]" appears in the text of the publication I have in my hand. I presume that Mr. Dewhurst was the inserter, but prior publications are listed inside the back cover so I cannot be certain.

One Peter Middleton is listed later in the document as an "Attorneye" in the "offices of the Exchequer of the Countie Palatyne of Chester".

Pemberton Huff Notes from Wigan Archaeological Society

The George M Pemberton Scrapbook contains this fascinating couplet:

"While olives are green and commodities rough
Here is the place for Pemberton's huff."
If we could just locate the place of this unique object, we would have pin pointed the location of our George Pemberton, born in Cheshire about 1660.

This is an extract from an email forwarded to me by Dixie originally written Oct 2006
Hello Dixie Ann,
 
As we are an archaeological society, family histories are not are speciality. However Christine Watts or Alan Davies at the Wigan Heritage Services may be able to help at heritage@wlct.org. Also there is a Family History Society in Wigan, their web address is www.ffhs.org.uk/members/wigan.htm . 
 
What we can tell you is that the township of Pemberton lies just a few miles southwest of Wigan and was incorporated in to Wigan Borough in the early 1900's. Both Pemberton and Wigan have always been in the county of Lancashire, at least until the boundary changes of the 1970's (now we are all in Greater Manchester). I suspect Pemberton Hough is probably in Cheshire which traditionally lay south of the River Mersey. However Wigan Parish originally came under the diocese of Chester, as did most of Lancashire (up until 1880 when the diocese of Liverpool was created). I haven't heard of the name Pemberton Hough but I will certainly make enquires through our society.
 
Bill Aldridge
(secretary)
Wigan Archaeological Society 

Neither one [Christine Watts or Alan Davies] was able to help. But Aldridge was not the only one to point out that "Hough" rhyming with rough, pronounced huff, referred to husbandry, farming.  Later, hough refered to hamstrings or livestock and the pronounciation changed.
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This Blog's Author's notes: So the couplet might have used "hough" and meant a farm rather than a fit of frustration. This presupposes that the couplet was passed down verbally at some point, or someone doing transcription thought to update the spelling. All possibilities.
Also so:
The village Pemberton and Wigan have always been in Lancashire and the archaeologist prefers to believe that if there was a Pemberton Hough it would have been in Cheshire. There are several villages in Cheshire with "Hough" in their names.

Suggested Pemberton's Huff to BBC "Trackers"

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Sent email probes to Family History Society of Cheshire

I sent emails to the chairmen of the Nantwich and Chester areas telling them about "Pemberton's Huff" and asking for any assistance. I will update this post as replies return.
Nantwich: Sue Church - reply of Jan 29 - no hits there
Chester: David Guyton