Thursday 2 March 2017

Richard Carass, butcher & farmer of Boroughbridge

John Carass has very kindly provided me with this photograph and transcriptions of newspaper articles about Richard Carass.  A lovely glimpse of the past in Boroughbridge.

From l. to r., Richard, William & George Denis Carass
The Carass butcher's shop on St James Square
Richard Carass is on the left, his son William is centre, and William's son George Denis is on the right.  Photograph taken about 1918.


BOROUGHBRIDGE'S OLDEST MAN 
Daily Walks at 90 
MEMORIES OF MR R. CARASS

A wonderfully active nonagenarian is Boroughbridge's oldest inhabitant, Mr Richard Carass, who, although he will be 91 in June, still likes to take a stroll of three or four miles every day, and is a familiar figure about the old township. The Carass family have been butchers in Boroughbridge for many generations, and the shop in St. James Square, where Mr. Carass was born, has been a butcher's shop since 1770. It is the only one in Boroughbridge that has remained in the same name for such a great number of years. Mr. Carass retired from active participation in the business about 16 years ago, and it is now carried on by his son. Mr. William Carass.

 "More Townlike"

He recalls that in his grandfather's time, St James Square used to be the butchers' shambles, and said he could just remember the days when Boroughbridge was an important coaching centre, and the post-horses were changed amid great bustle at the 'Crown'. Before the coming of the railway, which was first extended as a branch line from Pilmoor, he could remember barges coming up from York with coal and other supplies. Mr. Carass is the oldest member of Boroughbridge Methodist Chapel, with which he has been associated all his life.

[Copied from a newspaper cutting dated around May 1934. John Carass. Jan 1995,] 


 FUNERAL OF MR R. CARASS 
OLDEST INHABITANT OF BOROUGHBRIDGE 
Long Service for Methodism 
WELL-KNOWN BUTCHER

The funeral of Mr. Richard Carass of Holme Lea, Boroughbridge, who died at the age of 91, took place on Tuesday. Mr. Carass was the town's oldest inhabitant, and up to 17 years ago carried on business as family butcher, cattle dealer, and farmer, and was a familiar figure in the Leeds and local cattle markets. The shop in St. James' Square has been in the Carass family since the business was established in 1770, and in now carried on by the son, Mr. Wm. Carass. 

All his life he has been associated with Methodism, and was at one time a Sunday school teacher and member of the choir in the Wesleyan Church. He remembered the present church being built, and was Chapel Steward when the fiftieth anniversary was celebrated. Up to the last, he attended the Sunday evening service. 

He is survived by four sons and a daughter. 

The funeral service in the Methodist Church was conducted by the Rev. W. H. Pritchard, and the hymns "Jesu, Lover of my Soul" and "Rock of Ages" were sung. Miss A. E. Jebson officiated at the organ, and played "Be thou Faithful unto Death" (Mendelssohn) before the service, and "I know that my Redeemer Iiveth" (Handel) as the cortege left the church. The interment followed at Boroughbridge cemetery. 

The chief mourners were :-  Miss Carass (daughter), Mr. Wm. Carass (son), Mr. H. Carass (Leeds, son), Mr. and Mrs. R. Carass (son and daughter-in-law), Mr. A. Carass (Leeds, son), Mr. D. Carass (grandson), Misses M. and V. Carass (grand-daughters), Mr H. Carass (Leeds, grandson), Mr. and Mrs.Walker (Green Hammerton) Mrs Hodgson (Leeds,Niece) Miss Webster (Leeds, niece), Mrs F.Fawell (Sand Hutton, niece)  

Others present were Mr Wm Bacon and Miss Bacon, Mr. H. Hawking, Mr J.J. Webster, Mr. D. Green, Mr. J. Smith (Scriven), Mr. and Mrs. E. Kitching (Knaresborough), Dr. H. I. Daggett, Mr. and Mrs. S. G. Pagett, Mr. and Mrs. W. Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Jebson and Miss Jebson, Mrs. J. Stevenson, Mr. R. and Miss Hawking, Mr. Webster; Mr. C. Clarke, Miss Lockwood, Mr. B. Johnson, Mr. D. 
Johnson, Mr. Westerman (Leeds), Miss Harrison, Mr. A. Pickering (Scriven), Mr. J. Wilkinson, Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Pickering (Kirby Hill), Mr. J.K. Pickering, Mr. Willis (Cundall) Mr and Mrs. Gill, Miss Parlour, Mr. and Mrs. Winpenny, Mr. and Mrs, R. Dearlove Dishforth, Mr. T. Reed., Mr. Curry, 
Mr. B. Dickenson, Mr. H. Crayke (Tanfield), Miss M. Knowles, Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Knowles (Broom Close), Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, Mr. and Mrs Topham, Mr. A. Ramsdale, Mr. Crispin, Mr. and Mrs. W. Steele, Mr. T. Walker (Knaresborough), Mr. H. Mawtus, Mr. E. Mawtus, Mr. Ellis, Mrs. Summers, 
Mrs. Darnton, Mrs. E. Umpleby, Mr. Rust, Mrs. Pritchard, Mr. Morris, Mr. Nicholson (Minskip), Mr. Clayton, Mr. Buckle, Mr. and Mrs. F. Buck, Mr. S Smith, Mr. W. Mudd, Mr. Monkman, Mr. Nicholsnn. (Aldborough), Mr. R. Bentley (Roecliffe), Mr. Wynne, Mr. G. Sadler, Mr G. Dean, Mr. W. Roe, Mr. Waid, Mr. W. Dickenson, Mr: Clayton. Mr H. Reed Mr. W Robinson, Mr. Kershaw, Mr. H. Sixty, Mrs. Waterhouse, Mrs. Lofthouse, Mr. Lumley, Mr. J. Pickering, Mr. Skaife, Miss. Robinson. , 

There was a beautiful floral wreath from "The Family," and a cross from Dennis, May and Vera. Other tributes were from Alfred and Annie; Mrs Fawell; Jennie and Annie; Fannie; Emest; Mr and Mrs Jebson and daughters; Mr and Mrs Westerman; Mr and Miss Bacon; Mrs Stephenson; Mrs C.H. Knowles; Mary and Carrie; Mr and Mrs J . Wilkinson; Mr and Mrs J . Palmer; Mr and Mrs S.G. Pagett; Mr and Mrs Topham and Family; Mrs Brewer; Mr and Mrs Cambell; Mr and MrsE.B.Morten; Mr and Mrs W. Steele; Mr and Mrs G.W.Mudd: Kelly Brothers; Mr and Mrs G.H.Sixty; Mrs Beedham; Methodist 

[Copied from a newspaper of November 1934.  John Carass (Great grandson)]


Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelligencer, 12 November 1934
CARASS. - November 11, at Holme Lea, Langthorpe, Boroughbridge, aged 91 years, RICHARD CARASS.  Interment at Boroughbridge Cemetery to-morrow (Tuesday), November 13.  Service at Methodist Church at 2.30pm.  Friends please accept this (the only) intimation 

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