Matchless

Spare a thought for poor John Standing, the matchman of Brighton. Here was a chap, born in the dying years of the 18th century, who was happily working away as a brickie when suddenly, at the age of 30, he fell from a scaffold.

His injuries were extensive, putting paid to any thoughts of continuing building walls. Of course, there was no worker’s compensation or insurance so poor John was left to cope however he could. Most people would probably have given up hope but not John Standing.

Bent over from his injuries, prematurely aged with a thumb that pointed the wrong way and lacking an eye, he took to the villages, selling matches. And as he roamed, he sang a little ditty.

There was an old woman
In Rosemary Lane,
She cuts ’em and dips ’em,
And I do the same.

Come, buy my fine matches,
Come buy ’em from me,
They are the best matches,
‘Most ever you see.

For lighting your candle
Or kindling your fire,
They are the best matches
As you can desire.

Naturally, John’s clientèle was rather limited, going from village to village, so he decided to move to the big smoke of Brighton. He soon had quite a few regular customers and, I assume, he managed to get by.

At some stage he married Margaret and she would stay at home making the matches for John to sell. All was well for a while for them but one extremely cold winter, Margaret was outside match making (for one wouldn’t really want to be making inflammables inside) when she contracted frostbite which saw the amputation of one leg and all but one of her toes. In a later accident, she also lost an eye.

They managed to muddle on for many years and, at the age of 77, John was drawn by a number of people. He was seen as quite a character around Brighton.

John Standing sings and sells his matches

In February 1833, John Standing collapsed in the street and died soon afterwards. A few days later, Margaret, obviously missing him terribly, died as well.

Now, some people may say this is a sad story but I think it’s quite happy. After all, John managed to find something that would keep him alive over 45 years longer than one would expect and he found a woman to share his life with who lived just as long. But the happiest thing is that neither of them has been forgotten.

Margaret (barely) Standing aged 67