Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 121

Transcript

“SKILLICORN’S Corner” in the “fifties” – opposite Hereford.

Miss Skillicorn, a very early comer, here kept a millinery shop. It afterwards passed to “Axup, Steward & Bell” three young draper men. The middle one being the Mayor, later Speaker of the House of Assembly. [here sketch of building and caricature of] Mr W.J. Steward, sixties.

Below is the original SHADES opened by Joseph Bennett of Burnell, Bennett and Sprot, who had Auction offices opposite. It did a roaring trade for a time, being carried on on novel lines. It afterwards passed into the hands of H.G. Brown & Co. brewers, with W. Savage as manager. Since it of course, has been rebuilt and has been in many hands, but has never had the prestige it had in those days.

Behind in a cottage lived Josiah Hadley, an eccentric blacksmith, a sort of genius in his way, who yet could be fool enough to dry wet gunpowder by the side of his forge fire. He blew the front out of it. He began sinking pipes wells, and later used the carrot shape, perforated point, since patented as the Abyssinian well. He was the first Artesian well sinker in Canterbury: who ever may claim it, Hadley was the originator.

SHADES 1^st Freemason’s Hall about site Colonial Bank

W. Savage sixties