Loughborough and the Temperance Movement

Loughborough and the Temperance Movement

Yet again, I find myself being influenced by something I recently read on Facebook! This time the topic was temperance, and the original Facebook post was enquiring about the temperance hotel in Nanpantan. I did a bit of research and discovered a few things, but more of that next time!

The topic of this post is the Temperance movement in Loughborough town centre. From previous research I’ve done, I was aware of the Temperance café in Loughborough town centre, and sometimes include it in one of my walks, so this seems like a good time to share some of my findings with you. As usual, this is a piece of uncompleted research – I’ve got so far, but run out of time!

The Temperance movement was a social movement, which, at the very least, strongly urged people to drink alcohol in moderation. At its most vehement, the movement was extremely critical of  excessive alcohol consumption, and even promoted complete abstinence. It also used its political influence to pressure the government to enact new alcohol laws to regulate the availability of alcohol or even to completely prohibit it. Loughborough was part of that Temperance movement and had had a Temperance Society since at least 1841 and meetings were reported in the local newspapers as being attended by numerous, respectable people. Outdoor meetings were also held.

It may not therefore surprise you to learn that on Wednesday 24^th May 1893 there was a Temperance demonstration in Island House Park grounds. Island House was in Granby Street, where the 1960s extension to the public library is, and in 1893, Queen’s Park did not exist, only being created in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, so what is now Queen’s Park was the gardens of Island House. The newspaper report in the “Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury” of Saturday May 27, 1893, (page 3, issue 4294), which paints a wonderful picture of the whole event, is worth quoting here in full:

“On Wednesday a great temperance demonstration was held in the Island House Park, Loughborough. Soon after one o-clock the members of the various Bands of Hope in connection with the Free Churches of the worn assembled at their respective Sunday schools, from whence they proceeded in marching order to the Market Place, carrying aloft their banners and bannerettes, on which were various mottoes and devices. The spectacle in the Market Place was certainly a very imposing one, and was witnessed by crowds of people. Selections of music, sacred and secular, were played by the Nottingham Sax-tuba Band, conducted by Mr Hindley, after which the Bands of Hope processioned through the main thoroughfare of the town. The procession, which was headed by the Sax-tuba Band, was of great length, and was followed by multitudes of holiday-keepers, many of whom had come from Leicester, Nottingham, Coalville and other surrounding towns, to the Island House grounds. Twp large tents were erected on the grounds, in which the visitors were provided with refreshments. There were the usual outdoor games, and at six o’clock a gymnastic display was given by Sergt. Allen of Leicester. At seven o’clock a public meeting was held in the park. Mr H. Clemerson presided, and amongst his supporters on the platform and around the stand were Councillor Vorley (Leicester), Mr J. T. Nowell (U.K.A.), Rev. J. C. Nesbitt (Leicester), Mrs Phillips, Revs. W. S. Spender, C. Taylor, R. Brewin, R. J. Clifton, A.C. Haycock, T. Anderson, H.F. Francis, F. Co, Mrs Walker, Mrs Edmunds, Mrs Simpson, Mrs Cross, Miss Clarke, Miss Young, Councillor W. Morris, Messrs. J. Peer, J. Adcock, J. Walker, Belton, W.T. Tucker, J. J. Yates, J. Main, R. Viccars, G. Barker, C. Argyle, H. Beeby, T. Levers, W. Topping, S. Caldwell, A. Richards, H.F. Young, Cross, Lacey and others.

The proceedings opened with the singing of temperance hymn, after which The Chairman, in the course of a brief address, congratulated the meeting on the splendid gathering they had seen that day. He felt that the progress of the temperance cause was due to the Bands of Hope, and if they were spared to hold a similar demonstration next year he hoped they would come together in even larger numbers.

Mr J. T. Nowell, the agent of the United Kingdom alliance moved: That this meeting records its warmest thanks to her Majesty’s Government for their patriotic action in introducing into the House of Commons the Liquor Traffic Local Control Bill, a measure deeply affecting the well-being of the country, and calculated, if it passed into law, to secure a great diminution of the evils resulting from intemperance; and this meeting urges the Government to put forth its full power to ensure the passing of this measure into law. That the chairman sign a petition in its favour, to be forwarded for presentation to the House of Commons.

Mrs Phillips seconded the motion in and able address.

Rev. C.J. Nesbitt supported, and said there was the greatest possible reason why the temperance party should now bestir themselves. When the publicans were getting up so large a fund to oppose the Bill it showed that they were staggering [Applause]. Speaking of the drinking habits of the people, the rev. gentleman said they were simply the result of following the fashion. He urged his hearers to be leaders instead of followers of fashion. They could help the temperance cause by all abstaining themselves.

Councillor Vorley supported the resolution, and contended that the people had a perfect right to say whether they would have public houses amongst them or not, The Government Bill simply gave the voters power by a two-thirds majority to veto the renewal of licences, and was therefore a very moderate and reasonable measure. [Applause]. He called upon the people of Loughborough to help the temperance party to strike a blow at the liquor traffic from which it would never recover. [Applause].

The resolution was carried unanimously.

Rev. H. F. Walker moved, and Rev. W. T. Spencer seconded, a vote of thanks to the speakers and the chairman, which having been adopted, the proceedings terminated. Dancing afterwards took place, and was kept up until dusk.” 

 

The Temperance movement became so important in Loughborough that a dedicated building was proposed, and a company was formed in 1895 for the purpose of creating the meeting place. Fund-raising activities took place and eventually, in 1899, the Mayor of Sheffield laid the foundation stone of the new Temperance Hall. But that’s a story for another day …

 

Lost houses ... found!

Carnegie Library

Where else but … in the library!

Read on to find out  more ...!

 

Just one of the display cabinets in the library

If you’ve been reading my blog recently, you’ve probably gathered that I’m quite keen on houses, and had long been planning a blog post on Loughborough’s grand houses that had been demolished, but the display by those wonderful volunteers in the local studies library in town have beaten me to it! However, I think I can still provide some information here on the blog, since I would imagine that not all of you will be able to get to the exhibition in the library. If you do live close enough to visit, I would highly recommend this exhibition which has been put together by the wonderful folk who volunteer in the local studies section of Loughborough public library. I believe the exhibition is on throughout September and October 2013, and possibly through November, so you've still got time to go along.

Books in one of the display cabinets

I’d better warn you that as I neither took any photographs of these houses when they existed, nor do I own the copyright to any old photographs of these old properties, this blog post is a little light on pictures. I did, however, with permission from the library staff, take some photographs of some of the display panels to give you an idea of what’s on offer.

Display panels in the library

I would personally like to thank all the volunteers in the local studies library - Brian Williams and Brian Bentley, to name but two -  for putting up this particular display and for all the other displays for which they have been responsible. Without all their hard work in mounting these displays, being there to staff the local studies library and to help people with their enquiries on the local area, this facility would probably cease to exist.

Some of the houses that are covered in the display in the library include the following (underlining indicates a hyperlink to a photograph on the web):

Houses A-J

·        Atherstone House - Ward’s End (built 1780. The Atherstone family were in the dyeing industry and owned Bleach Yard and some land that is now part of Queen’s Park. Dr Bagnall ran a boarding school there, in the late 19^th century, and Dr Briggs bought the house in about 1880. It was demolished in January 1938 and was replaced by Atherstone House, which was the Income Tax Offices, next to the Moon and Bell, now the Wetherspoon’s pub.

·        Bell Foundry House - in Freehold Street, was built around 1895 for John William Taylor and his wife Annie Mary. It was designed by Joseph Aloysius Hansom, of Hansom cab fame and designer of the former public lending library in Leicester.

·        Burleigh Fields House - if you’ve been reading this blog regularly, you’ll know that this was the home of Dr Eddowes. Located off Radmoor Road, the house was built about 1890 and it’s a classic 18^th century house. Later in its life, Burleigh Feilds House became a hostel for Loughborough College students, and after being left empty for a while was demolished in the early 1980s.

·        Burleigh (Burley) Hall –  In the Civil War, Henry Hastings used it as a Royalist military outpost. By 1711, Henry Tate, High Sheriff of the Country, had made many improvements. The Tate family lived here for 150 years and gave generous sums of money to the building of Emmanuel Church. The last residents were the Coltman family before the Hall was acquired by the university. The garden arbour bearing the arms of the Tate family, once surmounted by two urns and the Tate crest, still survives on the university campus but the main house was demolished in 1961 and the estate now forms part of Loughborough University. Amongst other things, important 18^th century delft “ship” tiles were lost during the demolition. The 18^th century dovecote with 144 nesting boxes was later used as a small mill, and was demolished at the same time as the hall itself. However, the medieval estate cottage survives and can be found near the site of the former hall.

·        Cotes Park House – only fragments of this house remain. This was a grand Tudor mansion on banks of river Soar at Cotes, the construction of which was probably begun under Sir William Skipworth, who inherited the lordship of Prestwold, Cotes, Hoton and Burton after 1588. His son, Henry, was the County High Sheriff in 1636. On May 28^th, 1645, he entertained King Charles I, at Cotes on his way to besiege Leicester (the Royalist army was billeted in Loughborough). Parliament fined him £1,1114. On losing his estates after the Civil War, Sir Christopher Packe, Lord Mayor of London, acquired them [perhaps this explains the naming of the Packe Arms at Hoton]. In about 1770, the great mansion was almost totally demolished by fire, and the family steward was suspected of some involvement. He absconded with the estates rent money. Later tradition spoke of haunted cellars, which the “vulgar” believed still contained immense quantities of the old strong beer.  The ancient tithe barn was also demolished.

·        Forest Road Cottage - this was the home of Thomas Clarke, of Clarkes Dye Works but is now the site of student flats [not sure if this might be Forest Court].

·        Garendon Hall - was built on the site of Garendon Abbey, an Abbey which was founded in 1134, and fragments of it were embodied in Garendon Hall. The building of the Hall began just after 1684 when the estate was bought by Sir Ambrose Phillipps. After 1737 his grandson, also Ambrose Phillipps, made further designs on it and as a gentleman architect is noted for his classical studies and other buildings in the park. The final remodelling was done by E. W. Pugin (1864-1866, son of Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, architect of Mount Saint Bernard Abbey) for Ambrose Lisle March Phillipps de Lisle. Military occupation during WW2 led to the neglect and eventual demolition of the Hall in 1964, and its building material was used for hardcore for the M1.

·        Head Gardener’s cottage - was situated in Garendon Park. The statues outside were originally in the hall before it was remodelled and given a new Mansard roof in about 1864. The cottage was demolished just after WW2, having been neglected during the military occupation of the estate.

·        Georgian town house - this was opposite the Ramada Hotel (previously known as the King’s Head), on High Street. In the late 19^th century it was home to William Grimes Palmer, surgeon, and later to J.W. Storey, dental surgeon. It was demolished in the 1950s.

 

·        Glebe Farm - Meadow Lane. The last inhabitants were Joe Smith and his family. He was the last “Meadow Reeve” for the town’s great meadows, overseeing its usage and branding cattle on it. This was the last farm in the town centre and dated back to the Middle Ages. It was demolished around 1950.

·        Island House – built about 1804 for William Palmer a provisions merchant from Sileby. Alan Moss, one time Mayor of Loughborough, bought it in 1939 for £1,400 and presented it to the town corporation. It was used in WW2 to house refugees and later for library storage. It was demolished in 1965 to make way for an extension to the library.
 

Houses K-Z
 

·        Knightthorpe Hall and barn – this was an important medieval site whose lordship once belonged to Hugh le Despenser (founder of Loughborough market in 1221), Henry, Lord Beaumont and many others. The hall itself was only a fragment of a much larger building whose foundations were often found in the adjoining orchard. It was said to contain 60 bedrooms! The last inhabitant was Miss M.J. Moseley and despite her wish that it be preserved, the hall was demolished between 1968 and 1970.

·        Knightthorpe Lodge - or Quaker farm, was off the Old Ashby Road. It was demolished in 20^th century and replaced in the late 20^th century by the de Lisle retirement home and housing estate.

·        Medieval Merchants House – this was on the corner of Church Gate and Lemyngton Street. Reputedly lived in by Thomas Burton, around 1456, and in 19^th century converted into the headmaster and caretaker’s house of the once adjacent Church Gate  School. The house was demolished 1964.

·        Minister’s House - on Sparrow Hill/Wood Gate and lived in by the Minister of the United Methodist Free Church. It was built in 1817 originally for the Particular Baptists, and demolished 1962. The site is now retirement bungalows.

·        Moat House - was a medieval hunting lodge on Loughborough Parks.

·        No. 12 Forest Road - was the home of John Trafford Bailey, butcher, of 2 Church Gate – on the site of toady’s Trinity Methodist Church.

 

·        Regent House - was on the corner of Derby Road and Regent Street. In 1880-1907 it was the home of George Hodson, who was, amongst other things, a surveyor to board of health, and responsible for the damning of the Blackbrook reservoir. The house was demolished shortly after the end of WW2. One of the stone lions (National Exhibition Lions) was transferred to no.60 Leicester Road, which was the home of the two Misses Cayless sisters (which was also demolished and now right hand part of Arnolds Motorcycles and ID Signs & Printing stands on the site, Maison Green, the hairdressers being an original building that was next to no.60). The sisters were big RSPCA supporters and were descended from the 19^th century cricket bat and sports manufacturers established in the town in 1810.

·        Shelthorpe House - was built around 1850. In 1889 John William Taylor bought the property for £4000 and at one time Mrs Hole lived there. It was demolished in 1959.

·        Southfields (House or Hall) - built by William Paget in 1835. It was a family residence, but was considerably altered and enlarged when under the municipal control of Charnwood Borough Council.

·        Entrance lodge to Southfields – corner of Leicester Road and Southfields Road, Demolished late 20^th century after the estate and the house were purchased by the Town Corporation in 1947.

 

·        Thorpe Cottage - which was off Derby Road, between Alan Moss Road and Knightthorpe Road, dates back to the 18^th century. It was last occupied by the Palmer family and demolished in the 1920s.



Loughborough Carnegie Library

     Watch this space over the next week as there may be an unscheduled posting before next Sunday!

      If you have any topics that you'd like me to cover, please comment below! Thanks.

      Bye for now!