A History of Horncastle, from the earliest period to the present time

by J. Conway Walter

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.

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 membership and adding to the efficiency of the institution, 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 institution.

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 entitled Literæ Laureatæ, 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 Essex. 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’ INSTITUTE.

Mechanics’ Institutes 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’ Institute was founded in the year 1834. It was first located in Union Street, now called Queen Street, and soon received the support of all classes. 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.

Soon after the erection of the Corn Exchange, in 1856, the Mechanics’ Institute was transferred to that building; two upper rooms being occupied, as library and reading room; the former premises in Queen Street being sold to the late Mr. Joseph Parish, who used them for sales, public meetings, dances, and so forth, until in 1866 he erected on the site a private residence for himself.

After some years the introduction of the above named branch of the popular London Library of Messrs. Mudie & Co., at the shop of Mr. Hugh Willson, Bookseller, in the Bull Ring, followed by the subscription library of Mr. W. K. Morton, in the High Street, and that of Messrs. W. H. Smith & Sons, at the Railway Station, reduced the numbers of the subscribers to “The Mechanics,” and it was removed to smaller premises in Bank Street; and eventually this same cause led to the Institute being closed. On January 14th, 1886, a meeting was held in the library to determine its future, the result being that the Secretary, Mr. W. Betts, and the members of the committee resigned, Jan. 21st, and the books, &c., were removed to a small chamber at the Gas House, in Foundry Street, another small room there being used as a temporary reading room. These were closed about the year 1894, the books remaining stowed away. About the year 1899 an effort was made by the late W. Brown, of the Capital and Counties’ Bank, to get the books transferred to the Technical School in Queen Street, of the committee of which he was chairman; with the object that they might be once more rendered available for public use; but this project fell through.

In 1905 the library was finally broken up by the late Mr. Joseph Willson, the last survivor of the Managing Committee, who sold the less valuable among the books by auction in Lincoln, the rest being divided between the permanent subscription library of Mr. W. K. Morton, Bookseller, High Street, and that of the Grammar School.

It is much to be regretted that a valuable collection of books thus ceased to be public property. A catalogue of the library, published by Mr. W. Johnson, Bookseller, High Street, in 1865, shows that the number of volumes was at that date 1,468, with annual additions; while in 1879 a bequest was made by the late Henry James Fielding, Esq., of Handel House, South Street, of about 230 volumes of standard works, bringing the total up to about 1,750 volumes. (Classified List, published by W. K. Morton, 1879.)

The first librarian was Mrs. Wood, assisted by her daughter (afterwards Mrs. Panton). She was succeeded by Miss South, who was followed by Miss Stephenson, and she was succeeded by Mrs. W. Johnson.

The late Mr. Henry Nicholson acted as secretary, and for several years took a great interest in all that concerned the Institute, until his prolonged serious illness, which ended fatally in June, 1900. Mr. C. Hensman was treasurer while the library was at the Corn Exchange, resigning when it was removed to Banks Street. During the same period the late Mr. Berridge, Master of the Union, acted as Secretary, and was succeeded by Mr. W. Betts, of the Dispensary, who only held that post two years, before the Institute was closed.

There were in the library, besides the books, a quantity of weapons of war from the South Sea Islands, some cases of objects of natural history; valuable sepia paintings by the late Rev. C. P. Terrot, of Wispington, an almost unrivalled artist in his own line; and several fine Roman vases exhumed in the town; all these were disposed of by Mr. Joseph Willson, only surviving trustee, now deceased.