THIS ADVERTISING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 89, 17 November 1939, Page 7

THIS ADVERTISING

DROLL SIGNBOARDS CORNISH HUMOUR Yfandering in the west of England during a welcome leave (writes "H.D.'' in ail English contemporary) I came across another old curiosity shop (Burton's) in a narrow street in Falmouth, where a number of old signs, taken from various Cornish villages, were exhibited lor the entertainment of customers, Anyone unacquainted with the peculiar char acter of the Cornish people would be inclined to scoff at the authenticity of some of the boards, but those who have lived in Cornish communities such as exist in the mining districts of Bendigo and Moonta (South Australia) know that the Covnislvman is a well of conscious and unconscious humour, from which one can draw unceasing entertainment. Most of the signs in Burton's Old Curiosity Shop date back to the late 18th and l!)th centuries. Even in those hard drinking days there were apparently enough teetotallers to maintain a "Tempurcnce Hottel," beneath which signs the hostess poetically states :

"Ellen Tone sells here Lemonade and ginger beer. Cow hels and tripe every Friday, Sekond hand does to make ee tidey, Croks and kittles, pans and all, And Godley Imkes to save yer sole. Man-traps, gins and patterns likewise And on Sunday night hot mutton

pies."

"Crox" or crocks, are big threelegged iron pois, which are still used in Cornwall for boiling the clothes on washing day; Avhile a .'gin" is the common term for a rabbit, or mouse trap. This Mail "Kuts Korns" The gem of the collection is that of Roger Giles, who describes himself as "Surgin, Parish Clark, Skulemaster, Groser and Hundertaker." His A 7 arious accomplishments as displayed on the sign which previously adorned his residence are as follows: "Roger Giles respectably informs ladys and gentlemen that he drors teef without wateing a minit, applies laches evryy hour, blisters on the lowest terms," and vizicks for 'penny a peace. He sells Godfather's kordales, kuts korns, bunyons, docter's bosses,, clips dunkies wance a munth and undertakes to look arter every bodies nayls by the ear. .Joesharps. oenny wissels, brass kanelsticks, fryin pans at gratelv redooced figers. Young ladys and gentlemen larnes their grammur and langidgc in the purtiest manner, also grate care taken off their morrels and spellin.

Also zarm zinging, taychin the base vial and all sorts of fancy work such as squadrils, pokers, weazels. Perfoomery and snuff in all its branches. As times is crool bad, T begs to tell ee that I has just beginned to sell all sorts of stashonev ware, cox, hens, vouls. pigs, and all other kinds of poultry, blackin brishes, herrins, coles, scrubbin brishes, traykel and godlev bukes and bibles, mi so traps, whisker seeds, morrel pokkerankerchr rs. and all zorts of swatemaits. A dale of fruit, hats, zongs. hair ovle, nett'S, bukkits. grind in stones. T has laid in a large assortment of trvpe, dog's mate. T ol?nops, ginner beer, anzetrar. AH r:• gs bort and sold here and nowhere "Ise, and r>ev.dnyed eggs by me. Rog--er f<i!es. P.S, —T Tayches gographv, rithmetic, cowlicks. jimnaslicks, and other chynees tricks.

Some Alliteration

Another trader carried on business under the following si tin :

'"Bibles, Bellows and Boots, Godley Bukes, and Grinding Stones, Trousers, Testaments and Kittles. Everything bought and sol'd here except Treacle. Best price given for Whalebone Staze."

Meet Mr O'Donivan. A lodging-house notice board contains the following rules :

Rules of This Lodging House

Fourpence a night for bed Sixpence with supper.

Xo more than five to sleep in one bed No beer allowed in the kitchen* Xo smoking when in bed. Xo clothes to be washed on Sunday. XV) boots to be worn in bed. No Dogs allowed upstairs. No gambling or fighting here. No extra charge for luggage. No razor grinders taken in. Organ Grinders to sleep in the attic. Izikiah O'Donivan, proprietor. Donkey chaises, handcarts, and Gurries let on Hire. Mangling done here.

Why distinctions should be drawn between razor-grinders and organgrinders and other wayfarers is not clear. But "Mr Izikiah O'Donivan" no doubt had very good reason for

doing so. A "gurrie" is a type of convenience "which resembles a wheel barrow minus the legs and wheel. It has handles back and front so as to be carried by two men, and is usually used in carrying corn in the barns. The signboards quoted above show that the Cornish were among the pioneer advertisers, and their appeals for custom, however imperfect orthographical ly, were certainly not lacking in originality.