A History of Horncastle Part 16

The Public.

The procession marched from the Bull Ring to the Railway Station, where the elders of the party on the platform, and the children, with their banners, ranged on the opposite side, awaited the arrival of the train bringing the G.N.R. Directors, and as it drew up the bands played "See the Conquering Hero comes."

The procession, augmented by the directors, then re-formed, and marched through the town; in the Bull Ring the National Anthem was sung. A large marquee was erected in the grounds of Mr. R. C Armstrong (now Mrs.

Howland's garden), adjoining South Street, in which the contractors, Messrs. Smith & Knight, provided for the directors and shareholders, and other guests, in all over 200, a splendid dinner, served in excellent style, by Messrs. Wilson and Serpell, of the Bull Hotel. The Honble. Sir H. Dymoke presided, as Chairman of the Horncastle and Kirkstead Railway Co.; being supported on his right by Mr. Hussey Packe and Mr. C. Chaplin, Directors of the G.N.R., Major Amcotts and Sir M. J. Cholmeley, and on his left by J. Banks Stanhope, Esq., M.P., Director of the Horncastle Railway, and Rev. W. H. Milner, Vicar. Congratulatory speeches were made, and the day closed with a fine display of fireworks.

Opened under such favourable auspices, and supplying a felt need, the railway has continued to be a success; improvements have been made, from time to time, in the stations at Horncastle and Woodhall Spa. The line continues to be a single one, but it is sufficient for the local requirements, and the shares, as before mentioned, at the present time (1907) find a ready sale at an advance of about 50 per cent. on their original price. We might add that if the railway could be continued to Spilsby, and then connected with the different lines running to the Skegness, Mablethorpe and other health resorts on the coast, its utility, and doubtless its paying value, would be largely increased, as it would shorten the distance by many miles.

CHAPTER X.

WORKHOUSE OR UNION.

We now notice the chief of those public inst.i.tutions, and the buildings connected therewith, which have been established in the town, within more recent times, for its welfare, or its adornment; in order to bring its corporate efficiency into more complete accord with the advanced requirements of what may be called modern munic.i.p.al life. Among these the foremost place, from its general importance, is naturally due to the Union, or Workhouse; and here it is necessary to make some preliminary remarks.

The workhouse, or union, for a large district is a comparatively recent creation. "The poor" we have had "always with" us, but they have not always been dealt with as they now are. By statute 23 Edward III.

(1349), it was enacted that "none should give alms to a beggar who was able to work." By common law the really deserving poor were to be a.s.sisted "by parsons and paris.h.i.+oners, so that none should die for default of sustenance." By Act, 15 Richard II. (1392), impropriators (_i.e._ laymen holding church property) were bound to contribute a certain yearly sum to the poor of the parish, but no compulsory law was pa.s.sed till 27 Henry VIII. (1536). The present poor law system dates from 43 Eliz. (1601); successive amendment acts being pa.s.sed from 1836 to 1847, and again in 1861; and a further relief act in 1862.

At first parishes regulated their own methods and amounts of relief. For a long period, indeed, the labouring cla.s.s were subject to strict legal rules, both as to service, and in their individual movements. It was quite an innovation when, in 23 Henry VI. (1445), a servant was permitted to change masters after giving due notice; and when moving, or, as it is locally called, "flitting," from one parish to another, for employment, he had to produce a certificate of settlement from his last abode. In such matters the overseers were paramount, until their powers were transferred to the newly const.i.tuted guardians of the poor, by Act of Parliament, in 1839. {133}

The "workhouse" preceded the "union," which latter term was adopted when parishes, throughout a large district, were _united_ for the purposes of poor relief. {134a} In some cases a country parish had its own workhouse. For instance, old parish books of Thimbleby, {134b} show that in 1819 20 was spent upon the village workhouse, which was insured for 200.

Among some old churchwardens' records, in the possession of Mr. John Overton, of Horncastle (members of whose family have frequently held that office), it is mentioned that early in the 18th century a "public oven"

was erected in the town to enable the poor to cook their meals, or to bake the "black bread," then in common use, {134c} more conveniently than they could at home. {134d} At a later date (1780) a spinning school was established by public rate, to help the poor to earn a livelihood by a home industry. {134e}

An important advance was made in poor relief, in 1735, when, as the same records state, "on April 17 a committee was appointed, {134f} in Horncastle, to build a workhouse," and on May 7th in the following year a brief note gives the cost of the building as being 175 13s. 4d. This was situated on the east side of St. Mary's Square, separated by a few yards from the Grammar School, the site being now (1908) occupied by a common lodging house. It continued to be the public workhouse for over 100 years; and that the poor, who needed relief, were generally expected to enter as inmates, is shewn by another brief note, in the same records, to the following effect: "May 2nd, 1781. Out payments discontinued, except in sickness."

It was not till 1838 that the present workhouse, in Foundry Street, was built, from the designs of Mr.-afterwards Sir-Gilbert Scott, being one of his earliest undertakings {134g} It is a commodious structure, capable of accommodating 260 inmates; and, with grounds attached, covers an area of between four and five acres. It is now known as "The Union," and the union district embraces 69 parishes, represented by 76 guardians, to whom, as already stated, the former duties of the overseers were transferred in 1839.

The Rev. Canon A. E. Moore is the present Chaplain.

THE COURT HOUSE.

The majesty of the law has not always been so worthily domiciled in Horncastle as during the last forty years. In Stukeley's map of the town, dated 1722, the Sessions House is placed at the south-east corner of the "Mercat Place," where there now (1908) stands a small refreshment house. The cells for prisoners probably formed the bas.e.m.e.nt of this building, as there is no known record of their being confined elsewhere, until the year 1821, when what was called the "Round House" was built, at the north-east corner of the Market Place, opposite the present Lord Nelson Inn. This was a small circular building, having two cells, with a colonnade running round it, which formed a shelter for market women selling b.u.t.ter, eggs, &c. The foundations of this structure were so shallow that it is on record that a prisoner, in the course of one night, scratched a pa.s.sage under the wall and effected his escape. {135} This prison was demolished in 1853, when the present police station was built, facing the Wong, at a cost of 500, having four cells, for 12 prisoners, and a residence for a superintendent and constable.

[Picture: The Court House]

Some years later fresh premises were rented for the magistrates, on the south side of the High Street, adjoining the George Hotel, now extinct, though then a leading establishment. That site is now occupied by the Lincoln and Lindsey Bank.

In 1843 the magistrates' office was transferred to what is now 19, Bull Ring, part of the shop of Messrs. Robinson, Drapers. All these premises proving inadequate for their purpose, the present Court House was built in 1865, on the site of the former parish stocks, the site, a slight rising ground, being called "Stocks' Hill," at a cost of 3,000. The architect was Mr. C. Reeves, of London, the builder Mr. Huddleston, of Lincoln. The furniture was supplied by Messrs. Pike & Wright, of Horncastle; gas fittings by Mr. Murrell, of Chelsea.

In this handsome building, of white brick, there is accommodation for many branches of public, local and county business. As a possession the Court House is the property of the Board of Works, in London, the county authorities paying to them a rent of 10, for the use of it by the magistrates.

THE STANHOPE MEMORIAL.

This handsome structure was erected under the following circ.u.mstances.

The Right Honble. Edward Stanhope, who had represented the Horncastle Division in Parliament, with much distinction, from the year 1874, died rather suddenly, as the result of hard work, in his official capacity, on Dec. 22, 1893, to the great grief of the entire const.i.tuency; when it was universally felt that his services merited some public recognition.

Various meetings were held, and at length, on Jan. 22nd, 1897, at a gathering in the Masonic Hall, a committee was appointed to carry out the scheme. The design of the Memorial was intrusted to the architect, Mr.

E. H. Lingen Barker, of Hereford, Messrs. Walter & Hensman, of Horncastle, being the contractors for the work.

The ceremony of inauguration was performed by J. Banks Stanhope, Esq., formerly M.P. for the Division, on Feb. 2nd, 1899, in the presence of the Earl and Countess Stanhope, and other distinguished persons on the platform, and a vast crowd from the neighbourhood filling the entire Market Place. This was followed by a public luncheon in the Corn Exchange.

The site chosen was the centre of the Market Place, as that, along with the market dues, had been made over to the town as a free gift, by the Right Honble. gentleman, as Lord of the Manor. The following is the official description of the monument, as published at the time of its erection. The structure is 31-ft. 6-in. in height. It stands on a ma.s.sive foundation of concrete; with three tiers of Yorks.h.i.+re stone steps, each 15-in. wide, running round the base leading up to the monument proper, their shape being octagonal. With the exception of two strings of Dumfries' red stone, the lower part is of Monk's Park stone.

Above this is a moulded string course, and on each face are shafts of Aberdeen red granite, with moulded caps and bases. The panels are filled with diaper work; and in each alternate panel are arms of the Stanhope family, and the arms of the town, with an inscription to the memory of the Right Honble. E. Stanhope, and a medallion, with bust, in relief, of the same. These panels are surmounted by moulded and carved cinquefoil panels, surmounted by carved finials. Above these, again, are eight columns of polished granite, supporting the superstructure, and these also have eight trefoil dormers, simpler than those below, each finished with a finial of gun metal. Above these are eight gun metal columns, having trefoiled heads, with foliated finials and moulded cornice; and on these rests the spirette, constructed of oak and covered with lead, with eight other dormers, which complete the whole. The total cost was 552 12s. 3d., raised by subscriptions, a small balance being handed over to the public Dispensary.

THE CLERICAL CLUB.

The Clerical Club was founded in 1822; a room was rented on the premises of Mr. James Babington, Bookseller, in the High Street (now occupied by Mr. J. S. Balding, Butcher), where the members met for discussion, and gradually established a good library.

[Picture: The Stanhope Memorial]

The first members enrolled were the Rev. the Hon. the King's Champion, John Dymoke, Rector of Scrivelsby; the Revs. J. B. Smith, Head Master of the Grammar School; C. N. L'Oste, Rector of Claxby; Francis Rockliffe, Rector of Fulletby; Robert Spranger, D.D., Rector of Low Toynton (and of Grosvenor Street, Grosvenor Square, London); John Mounsey, Rector of Gautby; Thomas Roe, Rector of Kirkby-on-Bain; E. Brackenbury, Rector of Aswardby; W. Dodson, Rector of Well; F. Swan, Rector of Sausthorpe; and others holding benefices scattered over a wide area, but several of them living in Horncastle.

The Club was formally opened in the following year, when several more members were added; the Honble. John Dymoke being elected President, Dr.

Clement Madeley, Vicar of Horncastle, Vice-President, with Dr. J. B.

Smith as Secretary, in which capacity he did valuable service, in increasing the members.h.i.+p and adding to the efficiency of the inst.i.tution, which flourished for many years.

In later times, especially on the lamented death of Dr. Smith, and the creation of circulating libraries, such as that of Messrs. Mudie, in London, the numbers of subscribers fell off considerably. The books were transferred to various quarters; at first to the house of the late Mr.

John Osborne, parish clerk, himself no mean scholar and student, afterwards to the residence of the head master of the Grammar School, where they remained for some years, under successive masters, still available for members of the club.

On June 8th, 1892, Canon Quarrington, Vicar of Horncastle, Revs. J. C.

Hudson, Vicar of Thornton, and J. Conway Walter, Rector of Langton, were appointed a sub-committee, with instructions to find a permanent club room, or to give the books to the Lincoln Diocesan Library. In September of that year Dr. Madge, Head Master, offered to keep the books, to act as Librarian, and admit members to them two or three days a week in his house.

In January, 1893, the present writer was commissioned with Dr. Madge, to examine the books, when there was found to be 799 in good condition, 69 missing. The Secretary of the Lincoln Diocesan Library was communicated with, and at a meeting of the committee of that library, held on Feb. 24, 1893, the offer of the books was accepted, and they were in due course transferred to that inst.i.tution.

On May 17th, 1894, the Rev. J. Conway Walter, with three others, was commissioned to obtain a supply of books from a circulating library at Lincoln. Eventually Mudie's library was established at the shop of Mr.

H. Willson, Bookseller, Horncastle; Mr. W. K. Morton opened a subscription library, and Messrs. W. H. Smith opened a book stall at the station. These three still continue: the original Clerical Club books being still available, with others, at the library in the Chapter House of Lincoln Cathedral.

There was at one time a _Literary Society_ in Horncastle, which used to meet at the Bull Hotel, in a small room, now the bar, beneath the large ball room, on a level with the street. Among the most active members of this was John Brown, the late, so-called, Horncastle "Poet Laureate,"

whose poems were published in 1890, by the Rev. J. Conway Walter, in a volume ent.i.tled _Literae Laureatae_, dedicated to Lord Tennyson. Another prominent member was the late Mr. Thomas Baker, who was an amateur actor and clever ventriloquist, as well as a great cricketer. In his early years he was engaged by the father of Sir Evelyn Wood to teach the village boys cricket in Ess.e.x. His bowling was of the old roundhand style; in which he bowled to Fuller Pilch, the greatest batsman of his day; and also to Dr. W. G. Grace, now of the Crystal Palace; and, many years ago, in a match against a crack 11, including three University players and one professional, he bowled them all out for 11 runs. He also bowled out the captain of the All England Eleven with his first ball. He died Feb. 12th, 1903, aged 88.

THE MECHANICS' INSt.i.tUTE.

Mechanics' Inst.i.tutes were first established in the earlier half of the 19th century. The first known was that founded in London by the famous Dr. Birkbeck in 1823; another being opened in the same year in Glasgow; after which they became general. As Horncastle was in advance of other towns in the county in its valuable Dispensary (see p. 119), so it would seem to have preceded other towns, with the exception of Lincoln, in catering for the growing taste for literature. The Mechanics' Inst.i.tute was founded in the year 1834. It was first located in Union Street, now called Queen Street, and soon received the support of all cla.s.ses. The building, which consisted of one large room, was situated on the west side of the street, on the site where now stands the private residence, No. 18.