Sonley’s were a family of confectioners in the nearby town of Kirkbymoorside during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. According to their advertisements, Sonley’s made ‘homemade bread, tea cakes, wedding, plum, rice, see and all other cakes to order. Fancy biscuits, veal and ham and pork pies.’
The Museum is lucky enough to have acquired the Sonley’s bread cart, which was used for local deliveries. Many local people will remember the Adela Shaw Orthopaedic Hospital in the town, and it was one of the stops on the delivery route.
Rumour has it that Richardson Sonley, who was nicknamed ‘Youma’, once made an enormous loaf of bread that just fitted into the cart! ‘Youma’ is sometimes used to describe a malty fruit loaf, so perhaps this was Richardson’s speciality bake.
This cart really is a lovely and characterful piece of local history.
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