BoAr: Doc: Bourne Red Hall

 http://boar.org.uk/abiwxo3Bournedoc003.htm               Latest edit 26 Mar 2008.   

Interactive version ©2008 R.J.PENHEY

The Bourne Archive

 Petition Against a Threatened Demolition of the Red Hall1: ca. 1894.

Names mentioned.

People.                                                Places.

S. W. Andrews                                                 Bourn

William C. H. Anton                                         Leicester

Edward Baker                                                  Saxby

John Barker                                                     Stamford

T. M. Baxter 2

F. Ba**by

Cecil W. Bell 3

J. E. Belton

W. Belton

Arthur Bott

Robert Brown M.B.    

Robert Chapman

H. J. Clarke

J. H. Coggins    

G. Coules

Jos. Jno. Crane

Joseph J. Davies 4

James Dounes 

E. S. Duncomb ?

Joseph Ellicock

John Evans

Joseph G. Fillingham 

W. Finlay

James Gill

M. B. Glendenning

Thos. M. Glendenning

Harry A. Goodyer

W. Hall 

Thomas Hardwick

Alexr. Harr

Thos. Harrison

Wm. Harrison 

Edward Hill

Webber E. Hill 

Hugh Hobson

Edgar H. Judge 5

William R. Leary

Hugh Mc Neile Mansfield 6

William Mansfield

Tho. T. Mawby

George Mays   

Geo. Hy. Mays

Jas. Measures  7

Thos. Measures

Robt. M. Mills 8

W. J. Mitchell  

Jno T. Morris 9

W. C. Morris Jnr.

W. North

Henry William Palmer

T. T. Peach

E. Pearse

Jno T. Pearse  

Thomas Pearse

David Pick

J. P****right-Pooles  

J. Reeves

Jno. B. Roberts

Thos E. Sewell 

R. J. Shilcock

T. S. Shippey   

C. H. Small

Chas A. Smith 

John Smith 10

John & Thomas Spencer

R. Stevenson   

A. Stubley 11

T. R. Thomson

T. Todd 12

John Chas. Traylen 13

Fredk. Vinter  

R. L. Wherry 14

John Williamson

John Wolstencroft

Joseph Wyles 15

H. R. ****ham 

J. *i***

the document is a manuscript in ink on paper, consisting of a sheet, folded into four pages, each 336 x 210 mm. The first page is printed with an etching of the house and a simple marginal decoration. The memorial is written in copperplate script on the first and most of the second page. The remainder of the second page and the third and fourth pages consists of signatures of Bourne people, though most do seem to have been written in the same hand as that of the text. Some of the names appear to be in their owners’ hands. Of these, those which are not decipherable with reasonable confidence, are indicated by asterisks.

Loading the etching from the document.

 

A Memorial from the Inhabitants of Bourne and Neighbourhood to the Directors of the Great Northern and Midland Railway Companies.

We the undersigned beg respectfully to approach you on the subject of the Old Hall at Bourne now used as the Railway Station, in danger of being pulled down to make way for the extension of the Railway from Saxby.

The Old Hall is a red-brick Elizabethan Mansion with gabled roof and stone mullioned windows, once the residence of the Digby family, standing in Parklike grounds and forms one of the many interesting historical features of Bourne. The walls are thick and strong and the Roof weathertight.

It has formed the subject of Academy pictures and is still admired, measured and sketched by students, the fine oak stair-case inside and the venerable yew tree 300 years old being objects of peculiar interest.

It has attracted the attention of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings who write with us in asking you to allow it to remain untouched that it may serve as useful purpose to your Company and still exercise its quiet influence as an antidote to the restless spirit of its surroundings.

We can ill afford to lose such picturesque and historical relics of the past and your Memorialists therefore pray that it may still be preserved to them.

Signed

Hugh Mc Neile Mansfield 6                  Vicar

Tho. T. Mawby                                       Churchwarden

R. J. Shilcock                                         Churchwarden

Jas. Measures                                        C. C.

Thos. Measures 7                                   Draper

Robt. M. Mills 8                                     Manufacturer

T. M. Baxter 2                                        Chemist &c.

H. J. Clarke                                            Ironmonger

Webber E. Hill                                       Coal Merchant

John Wolstencroft                                Bourne

James Gill                                              Do.

S. W. Andrews                                       Do.

John Smith 10                                        Grocer

Chas A. Smith                                       Do.

E. Pearse                                                Bourne

Thomas Pearse                                      Bourne

T. R. Thomson                                       Jeweller &c.

W. Belton                                               Bourne

J. E. Belton                                            Bourne

James Dounes                                       General Dealer

F. Ba**by

Thos E. Sewell                                       Monumental Mason

Jno. B. Roberts                                      Retired Chemist

Robert Brown M.B.                               Surgeon

Hugh Hobson                                        Accountant

Wm. Harrison                                       House Decorator

T. T. Peach                                             Confectioner

David Pick                                             Corn & Flour Dealer

Edgar H. Judge 5                                   Chemist

W. North                                                Shoe Maker

T. S. Shippey                                         Saddler

R. Stevenson                                          Butcher

E. S. Duncomb ?                                    Bourne

John Williamson                                   Bourne

Jno T. Pearse                                         Postmaster

Arthur Bott                                            Brewer

W. J. Mitchell                                        Bank Cashier

C. H. Small                                             Bourne

J. P****right-Pooles                              Bourne

W. C. Morris Jnr.                                  Bourne

Thos. Harrison                                      Bourne

M. B. Glendenning                                Bourne

Edward Hill                                           Corn Merchant

Thos. M. Glendenning                          Bourne G. N. R.

J. H. Coggins                                         Bourne

William Mansfield                                Butcher

Henry William Palmer                         Bourne

William R. Leary                                   Do.

Joseph Ellicock                                      Jeweller, Bourne

Harry A. Goodyer                                  Bourne

Jno T. Morris 9                                      Bookseller & Stationer

Alexr. Harr                                            Bourne

Cecil W. Bell 3                                        Do.

John Evans                                            Do.

John Barker                                           Do.

W. Finlay                                               Do.

J. *i***

Thomas Hardwick                                Do.

Geo. Hy. Mays                                       Do.

H. R. ****ham                                       Head Master Grammar School

Jos. Jno. Crane                                      Bourne

Joseph J. Davies 4                                 Head Master, Bourne Board Schools

George Mays                                          Butcher

Joseph G. Fillingham                            Grocer, Bourne

Fredk. Vinter                                         Bourne

R. L. Wherry 14                                      Draper &c. &c.

W. Hall                                                   Cabinet Maker, Bourne

G. Coules                                                Butcher

J. Reeves                                                Bourne

T. Todd 12                                              Do.

A. Stubley 11                                           Art Decorator

Joseph Wyles 15                                     Brewer

William C. H. Anton                             Do.

John & Thomas Spencer                      Editors & Publishers of Leicestershire Notes & Queries Leicester.

John Chas. Traylen 13                                     Architect. Stamford

Commentary.

With thanks to Mrs. P. M. Edmunds, who kindly allowed me to photocopy an original copy in her possession.

The document is not intrinsically dated but it relates to the rebuilding of Bourne station when the line linking to the Midland system at Saxby in Leicestershire was being constructed. This opened in 1894 so the memorandum will have been written a little before. The Red Hall was not demolished at this stage but the line passed very close to its south-east corner. The hall again, came close to demolition around 1970, when it was rescued by the Bourne United Charities.

1.       The Red Hall is a double pile, gentleman’s house, of local red brick with limestone details. Combined with the style of its decorative details, its design around a stair well indicates that it was built about 1620, probably by Gilbert Fisher, who was its owner when he died in 1633. His father, Richard, had died in 1597, too early for his having been the builder of a house of this design.

2.       Business partner and son-in-law of  R. M. Mills.

3.       Major Bell of the Volunteers.

4.       Writer of one of the books of Bourne history.

5.       Pharmacist of North Street.

6.       Vicar of Bourne from 1881 to 1911. He, R. M. Mills and J. C. Traylen were prominent in organizing a major restoration of the nave of the Abbey, which drew to a completion in 1892.

7.       Department store owner; corner of West Street and Market Place.

8.       Pharmacist and water-based beverage bottler of the south side of the Market Place (West Street): partner of T. M. Baxter.

9.       John T. Morris, printer, bookbinder and seller of musical instruments and many other articles; of the south side of West Street. His business was later bought by Lorenzo Warner and developed into Warner’s (Midlands), the magazine printer. See medical items from his advertising booklet.

10.     Grocer of North Street. There were John Smiths in the same shop for about 150 years. Mr. and Mrs. John Smith are now district councillors.

11.     See an advertisement for his work.

12.     Tailor, of the west side of the Market Place. The shop had formerly been Sang’s printing works, where the young boy, Charles Worth was set to his first job. The draper’s business which was then next door, seems to have given him the idea of becoming a milliner.

13.     A Stamford architect who did much work on Bourne Abbey and other buildings in Bourne.

14.     The Wherry family is prominent as seed merchants and was formerly so as grocers. Its premises were next door to Judge’s on the east side of North Street on the site of the modern Burghley Centre.

15.     Brewer and father of Lilian Wyles.

Compare the list of signatories with the list of traders in White’s Directory, 1882.

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