THE FINANCING OF THE NEW TOWN HALL

THAT WAS BUILT FOR BOURNE

IN 1821

 

The subscription board

 The original inscribed notice containing the list of subscribers towards the building of a new town hall in Bourne in the early part of the 19th century can be seen on the wall of the magistrates’ court. The list details a total of 122 individual subscriptions above £1, the highest being £105 from the Countess Willoughby D’Eresby, while there were a number of donations amounting to just a few pence from Hacconby that were totalled together. The subscriptions amounted to £1,363 6s 6d and this sum was complemented by a further contribution from the county rate towards the final cost. The notice says:

Bourne Town Hall

List of Voluntary Subscriptions towards the erection of this building 1820

 

The Most Noble Brownlow Marquis of Exeter with the members

besides the new site and the materials of the old Town Hall

   £

105

George Pochin Esq, Lord of the Manor of Bourne Abbotts 

 100
Baroness Willoughby D’Eresby, Grimsthorpe Castle 105
Earl Brownlow, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Lincoln 100
William Augustus Johnson Esq, Chairman of the Magistrates for Kesteven 100
Major General Birch Reynardson, Magistrate                               50
Rev Samuel Edmund Hopkinson BD, Magistrate                                20
Rev John Myers Senr., Magistrate    10
Rev Brownlow Villiers Layard MA, Magistrate   10
Benjamin Cheales Esq, Clerk of the Peace   30
Mr William Hopkinson, Clerk to the Magistrates, besides the Royal Arms   10
Mr John Dove, Chief Constable of Aveland   10
Mr George Parker, Chief Constable of Beltisloe   10
Mr George Norton, Chief Constable of Ness     2
Mr William Sharpe, Chief Constable of Ness     2

From Bourn

Sir Gilbert Heathcote, baronet, MP

100

Mr W Halford

5-5-0

Mrs Pochin, Bourne Abbey, 

besides the clock

50

 Mr William Worth 5-5-0
Mrs Digby, Red Hall, Bourn 50 Mr W Simpson 5
Mrs Pauncefoot, Great Brickhill, Bucks 50 Mr W Hardwick, Dyke 5
Mr Thomas Rawnsley 15 Mr John Osbourn 5
Mr John Thorp 10 Mr Hugh Bell 5
Mr William Thorp 10 Mr Henry Bott 5
Mr John Mawby 5-5-0 Mr John Andrew 5
Mr Robert Bellingham 5-5-0 Mr Theophilus Williams 5
Mr George Bailey 5 Mr Edward Wherry 5
Mr John Manby 5 Mr William Bemrose 1
Captain Bailey, Caythorpe 2-2-0 Mr Edward Clarke 1
Mr John Presgrave 2 Mr John Watmoff 1
Mr Hugh Holland 2 Mr William Layton 1
Mr William Munton 2 Mr William Hardwick 1
Mr James Row 2 Mr John Walker 1
Mr John Chamberlain 2 Mr John Redshaw 1
Mr Robert Nicholls, Toft 2 Mr John Banks 1
Mr John Phillips 1 Mr Thomas Shipley 1
Mr George Bettinson 1 Mr Joseph Fish 1

Mr W Munton

 5-5-0

 Mr William Bedford 1

From Morton

Mr Edward Arden 5 Mr John Freeman 1-1-0
Mr Thompson 2 Mr Richard Hewitt 1-1-0
Mr Edward Baker 2 Mr John Faulkner 1
Mr Richard Casswell 2 Mr Joseph Eayrs 1
Mr Edward Franks 2 Mr Joseph Lambert 1
Mr John Lambert 2 Mr Charles Rogers 1
Mr John Warren 2 Mr Edward Freeman 1
Mr Robert Tow 1-1-0 Mr James Holmes 1
Miss Sills 1-1-0 Mr James Read 1

From Hacconby

Mr William Lawrance 2 Mr John Eldred 1
Messrs R Chapman Senr & Junr 2

Smaller subscriptions 

amounting to

 7-11-6

From Market Deeping

Rev Joseph Monkhouse, Rector 5-5-0 John Crowson 5
Thomas Sharpe 10 Valentine Stapleton 2-2-0
John Dixon 5 John Clifton 2-2-0
Joseph Mawby 5 William Laxton 2
Samuel Sharpe 5 John Laxton 1-1-0
William Goodale 5 John Twigg 1-1-0
John Thorpe 5 William Holland 1-1-0

From West Deeping

John Molecey 10 M A Figg 5
Thomas Dove 10 John Green 5
Mr Myhill Addy and Son 5 Thomas Luck 1
John Wilford 5 John Bedford 1
F E Figg 5 Thomas Boyard 1

Miscellaneous

Rogers Parker Esq, Little Munden, Herts 50
Dr Willis, Greatford 20
Rev John Hopkinson, Market Overton, Rutland 10-10-0
Henry Hopkinson Esq, Castle Bytham 10
George Richards Denshire Esq, Thetford 10
Rev Thomas Foster, Rector of Careby 10
Mr John Ullett, Wisthorpe 10
James Talkington Esq, Stamford 5-5-0
William Forbes Esq, New Sleaford 5-5-0
Samuel Edwards Esq, Spalding 5-5-0
Samuel Greaves Esq, Deeping Saint-James 5-5-0
Rev Kingsman Foster, Rector of Dowsby 5
Rev John Mossop, Vicar of Boston 5
John Newton Esq, Irnham 5
Mr John Paulett, Deeping Saint-James 3
Mr Henry Hand, Scottlethorpe 2-2-0
Mr John Woolley, Witham-on-the-Hill 2
Mr John Coverley, Castle Bytham 2
Mr James Derry, Castle Bytham 1

Mr Robert Porter, Toft

1

 

NOTES

 *The hyphenated figures in the list of contributions refer to guineas that were common usage at the time and were frequently the old way of making a donation but had started to decline before the introduction of decimal currency in 1971. One guinea equalled one pound, one shilling and nought pence, written £1 1s. 0d., hence, five guineas would be written £5 5s. 0d or in short, 5-5-0. 

**Two Chief Constables of Ness are noted and it is assumed that one succeeded the other in office during the period of this fund raising.

***The numbering of houses and naming of streets was not introduced in England until 1805 when they could be widely read as a result of the improvement in the standard of education and the new regulations were enforced by the police. The numbering was often taken from the principal or most popular tavern or inn in that street, a system of location that had already been in use in previous centuries, hence the address of Mr William Hopkinson, Clerk to the Magistrates, as being "besides the Royal Arms".

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