Michael Keat, from Bude, is from the family line of the once very popular and much-loved Keat’s shop in the town, which sold pieces of china, hardwares and gifts from the Victorian age until 13 years ago, when the store finally shut up shop.
Michael got in touch with the Post after coming across a section from an old Florida newspaper, News-Press, dated December 25, 1977.
In the paper is a Christmas story of times past, written by the Rev William Petherick, who originally came from Bude.
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Entitled ‘Reflecting on a Christmas past: Twelve cents bought more than one boy could imagine’, Rev Petherick had submitted his story to the paper as part of News-Press’ Christmas contest, winning $25 as a prize. Rev Petherick was a visiting minister at the First United Methodist Church in Fort Myers at the time, and lived in Estero Woods village.
The story is a heartwarming tale of Rev Petherick’s time as a child in Bude at Christmas, who, with his friends, came up with an idea to raise money to buy their mothers a Christmas present.
It follows him as a young boy with four of his friends in Bude during the late Victorian period. With just three weeks until Christmas, the friends suddenly realise that they are yet to buy their mothers a Christmas present.
The boys, with no money, decide to ‘go Christmas singing’ to raise the funds for their mothers’ Christmas presents. After some time, being shooed off by various people who could not bear to listen to their attempt at carol singing, the boys finally had a breakthrough at the Falcon Hotel, with a gentleman handing them 16 cents for their singing.
With a boost of positivity, the five friends moved on across Bude, into Stratton and then to Poughill. By the end of their carol singing, the boys had raised 60 cents, which, split between them, left a young William with 12 cents to buy his mother a gift — but whatever would he spend it on?
Walking through Bude, William came across Keat’s shop on Princes Street, owned by a kind lady named Mrs Keat, who sold a vast array of china.
After deciphering whether he should spend his money on his mother or himself, William finally decided that, after all she had done for him, he would resist the temptation to buy himself a batch of marbles, a spinning top or a mouth organ — which were very much needed — and instead entered Mrs Keat’s shop.
Mrs Keat first showed William to her newly formed toy section in the shop, which she set up after numerous children had asked her if she had any toys they could buy. William saw a wonderful spinning top, which would be just perfect for him, but, again, he resisted and asked Mrs Keat for help in finding his mother a gift.
His attention was immediately drawn to a china egg cup stand, which he thought was beautiful and knew that his mother would adore. After asking how much the item would cost, he was delighted that it cost exactly 12 cents, and it was gift wrapped for him to take home to his mother.
When receiving her china egg cup stand, she told him: “My son, I will never part with this. One day it will be yours. But not, I hope, for a long, long time. It may have only cost 12 cents, but to me it is priceless.”
By the time he turned 21, Rev Petherick emigrated to Australia, and when returning to England 12 years later, he found that his mother had kept the egg cup stand. A year after, he emigrated to America, and his mother died at the age of 91 in 1951. Sure enough, he was sent the egg cup stand with an accompanying note, the egg cups all smashed but the stand remaining as beautiful as ever. Rev Petherick passed the item onto his granddaughter, and it has become somewhat of a family heirloom.
Years later, Michael came across the story when someone gave him a dilapidated newspaper cutting 35 years ago, and he decided he wanted a ‘proper copy’. He visited newspapers.com and found the copy of the pages he needed to put the story together.
Michael said the Mrs Keat referred to in the story was his grandmother, whom he seems to remember being called Emma. Her name was Emma Moore Jermyn and she married N T Keat in 1892.
Keat’s shop was situated on Princes Street in Bude, and was set up in 1896 by Michael’s grandfather, selling hardwares, china and gifts until the shop’s closure in 2004. The Keats also made their own furniture. Michael worked in the store right up until his retirement.
Although he knows little about Rev Petherick, Michael is keen to find out more. He seems to think he came from King Street in Bude, and was the son of a Caroline and Walter.
Michael said: “I’ve tried to find things about him, but I haven’t found anything yet, so would really like to learn more.”
Do you have any information about Rev Petherick and his story? Email [email protected]