Part 16 (2/2)

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.

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