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THE saying "as bold as brass" has its origins in Stockton, or the previous ceremonial mace was a weapon presented to the Borough by the Duke of Wellington after the Napoleonic Wars? These and many other interesting facts will be on display at Stockton Town Hall where people can learn the fascinating history of the building and Borough on Wednesday, October 15. The free public tours take place from 10am to 12 noon as part of Local Democracy Week. They will also cover other interesting facts such as why the Town Hall was originally built on stilts, when it was used as a court and the town's links to the cotton plantations of America. The saying "as bold as brass" comes from a Stockton man called Brass Crosby who became Lord Mayor of London which involved him acting as a Magistrate or Judge in the Courts. At the time, reporting of Parliament was unclear with MPs using fictitious names such as fairytale characters. A newspaper decided to print exactly who said what, causing uproar and the arrest of the newspaper editor. Having listened to the accusations, Brass Crosby in his role as a judge refused to imprison him because he did not believe the man had done anything wrong. As a result Brass Crosby himself was arrested and locked up in the Tower of London. Since then, all activities in Parliament are written in the Hansard Report, a reporting style copied across the world. After his victory over Napoleon and the French at Waterloo the Duke of Wellington presented a halberd as a gift to the Borough. This recognised the people of Stockton contributed more manpower to his campaign in the Napoleonic Wars than any other part of England. The halberd became the ceremonial Borough Mace until 1954 when the Borough received the mace used today. The tours will end with a reception with refreshments where visitors can meet the Mayor and local Councillors and discover how they can take part in local democracy. Councillor Terry Laing, Stockton Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Corporate Management and Finance, said: "There is a wealth of exciting history tied up with the Borough of Stockton. These tours will give people the chance to see how this history has helped to shape democracy in Stockton to what it is today." For more information about the tours or how you can take part in local democracy, call the Democratic Services Team on (01642) 526190 or email democraticservices@stockton.gov.uk http://www.stockton.gov.uk/ |
