Johnnie Barr
– Still in Residence
by and with thanks to Reg Wilkinson
for allowing us to use this article.
When I paid a visit to the <placew:ston><placenamew:ston>Vale & Downland <placetypew:ston>Museum recently I was pleased to see that one of Wantage's better-known antiquities was still in residence. I refer, of course, to the fire-fighting appliance which used to stand near the entrance of the museum when it was located in the Civic Hall.
Although its exact age is not known, it was certainly in use at the start of Queen <statew:ston><placew:ston>Victoria's reign. In fact it could be the appliance which a gentleman named Lovegrove transported to Wantage from <cityw:ston><placew:ston>London at his own expense in 1783. It joined two others in the care of the town's churchwardens at that time.
This "fire-engine" is really a wooden trough, attached to which is a crude pump which can be operated by rapidly raising and lowering an iron bar with handles at each end. There is provision for the attachment a hose to the pump outlet and the whole lot is mounted on wooden wheels to enable it to be hauled along by hand.
By tradition this appliance is known as “Johnnie Barr". This might be because of the bar which operates the pump, but Kathleen Philip, in her book Victorian Wantage, suggests that it was so called for another reason, and that it might have been named after John Barr, a well-known Wantage character of the 19th century. According to Miss Philip, John Barr was made a lamplighter in the town in 1828 when he was paid nine shillings a week plus the fines inflicted on convicted lamp breakers. He later had the job of town crier until 1868.
The parish records for 1844 show that John and Joyoral Green were in charge of fire engine No.1, and that Daniel and William Trinder were in charge of engine No.2. The third appliance was the responsibility of all four. Twelve auxiliary helpers were allotted to each engine, and John Barr was one of the helpers on No. 2.
The churchwardens were responsible for the engines and the machines were kept in the parish church until 1847, when they were moved to the Town Hall. If the engines were called to a fire the owner of the property involved had to pay for the use of the engine and also for the firemen's beer. After, he could claim expenses and compensation from the fire insurance company.
In those days insurance company plaques were displayed an buildings by those who were insured. If no plaque could be seen the firemen did not attempt to put out the blaze because they knew there was not much chance of being paid.
After many years of faithful service “Johnnie Barr” was officially taken out of use sometime in the early 1860s and replaced by a bigger appliance, which was also hand-operated, but had the advantage of being horse-drawn. The old engine was purchased by Sam Harris, an enterprising gentleman who set up in opposition to the official fire-fighting service.
There was great competition between the two for a time, and on a number of occasions Sam and his engine beat the horse-drawn vehicle to the scene of the fire. Thus he was able to c1aim payment for putting out the blaze from the fire insurance company. Sam was able to get to fires first because the parish firemen had to round up their horses and get them between the shafts before they could start. He had a number of men at his disposal who sped off to the blaze with “Johnnie Barr” in tow as soon as they heard of a fire.
In those days a small payment was made to the person who informed the fire fighters of a fire. Presumably if Sam Harris was willing to pay more than the parish he stood a good chance of getting the news of a fire first.
Eventually the parish fire fighters became more efficient at rounding up their horses, or perhaps Sam lost interest, but “Johnnie Barr” was pensioned off at last and soon became an object of curiosity. Now the little fire-engine is well preserved - a brightly painted reminder of battles with fires that were won or lost a hundred years ago.
Wantage –‘Johnny Barr’ fire engine - small hand-pumped trolley
Wantage - 1936 Carnival - fancy dress parade at Recreation Ground - man in bath chair being pushed by policeman, 3 men pulling/pushing 'Johnny Barr' fire engine
<streetw:ston>Wantage Market Place - 'Johnny Barr' fire engine and the new 1910 Merryweather steam fire engine outside the Fire Brigade Station in the Victoria Cross Gallery.
The Fire Engine ~ Johnnie Barr
Why is it called Johnnie Barr? John Barr, who lived in Grove, was Wantage’s lamplighter from 1828 and later, the Town crier. He was a well-known and familiar figure around the Town on his two jobs, both of which must have caused him to be held in some awe by local children. As he received the fines from the convicted lampbreakers as a supplement to his 9s a week salary, he had an interest in catching the culprits! John Barr was also an auxiliary helper with one of the Town’s three fire engines, perhaps the very one which now bears his name.
Fire engine is a simple, rather than accurate term to call the appliance; it is really a pump mounted on a water trough, which could be easily pulled by hand to a fire by the attached leather strap. The pump was operated by pumping the bars up and down on opposite sides of the trough, which in turn was kept filled by volunteers bringing water in leather buckets. A hose was attached to the outlet, through which the water reached the fire. Twelve men were allocated to each fire engine for pumping, carrying of water and directing the hose.
The engine had to be towed from where it was kept – until 1847 this was in the Church. The earliest mention of a fire engine in the parish accounts is in 1704. By 1783, when Mr Lovegrove brought one down from <placew:ston><cityw:ston>London, at his own expense, there were three parish engines. The Churchwardens, who ran many aspects of Town life, were responsible for plans for restoring the church and filling it with worshippers and had the fire engines transferred to the Town Hall in the Market Place. Johnnie Barr was replaced by a larger, horse drawn, engine in the 1860’s and was bought by Sam Harris, who operated it as a private fire service in competition with the parish! He had the advantage of not having to call in the horses from the fields to harness them to the engine and it was said he might have paid rather more generously than the parish for news of the whereabouts of fires!
The Fire Brigade account book gives several examples of typical expenses at a call-out for fire;
- At Red House Farm in 1881, account was rendered to the Royal Farmers Insurance Company:
Use of Engine £2 . 2s 0d
Engineer 10 hours £0 . 14s 0d
8 Firemen £2 . 11s 6d
Pumpers and helpers £2 . 15s 6d
First Informant £0 . 2s 6d
Horse Hire £1 . 12s 6d
Refreshment £1 . 0s 6d
___________
£10 . 18s 6d
Insurance companies paid for the attendance of fire engines at a fire; Only those householders displaying the fire insurance plaque, with the policy number stamped on it, given by the company on payment of a premium, could expect the engines to turn up at the fire, unless on-the-spot payment was quickly negotiated.
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