PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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In the year 1820, when the higher classes were afraid of the influence of education and the people ignorant of its value, Mr Henry Brougham, afterwards Lord Brougham, was devoting his energies to the promotion of a scheme for the education of the poor in England and Wales, from which the plan for the formation of mechanics’ institutions emanated. At about the same time, two professors at the University of Glasgow, John Anderson and George Birkbeck, were giving free lectures to the working people of Glasgow. In 1822 George Birkbeck set up the first Mechanics’ Institute in that City. This met with much opposition, as there were those who thought it ‘unwise to give to persons who were destined for the common walks of life the advantages of instruction suitable to those of a higher grade’. However, the Glasgow venture met with such success that in December 1823, Dr Birkbeck, in conjunction with Lord Brougham, succeeded in establishing an institute in London. PLYMOUTH MECHANICS' INSTITUTE The Plymouth Mechanics' Institute was formed on May 30th 1825 ‘for the voluntary association of mechanics and others, and the payment of a small weekly sum; donations of money, books, specimens, implements, models, and apparatus; a library of reference, a circulating library, and a reading room; a museum of machines, models, minerals, and natural history; lectures on natural and experimental philosophy, practical mechanics, astronomy, chemistry, literature, and the arts; an experimental workshop and laboratory originating with the members’. There were several classes of membership: life, periodical, honorary and corresponding. Eligibility for life membership was upon payment of £10 in cash or the donation of £20’s worth of books or apparatus. Honorary members could not stand for office. The members first met in the Guildhall, thanks to the assistance of the Mayor, Mr Edmund Lockyer, and they used one of the rooms for their library. The inaugural address was delivered on November 7th 1825 by Dr J C Cookworthy. Attendance grew so rapidly that after only two sessions it was realised that the Institute needed its own building. As a result, Mr Edmund Lockyer, as President of the Institute, was invited to lay the foundation stone of the new building in Princess Square on Monday February 5th 1827. The cost of construction was paid for entirely by the 290 or so members, assisted by a generous donation from Mr Charles Greaves.
The building to the left of the
centre of this picture Lectures were apparently carried on with vigour and were well attended for the first three years but after 1830 membership dwindled to an alarming extent. This sorry situation must have continued for a while because it was not until 1848 that the managing committee decided to widen the sphere of operations and to admit ladies. It worked and by 1850 there were 750 members and once again the accommodation was proving to be inadequate. Ands so the existing g building was demolished and the
foundation stone laid on July 11th 1850 for the new, larger building. During the
construction activities were continued in the Freemason’s Hall in Cornwall
Street. The new premises were formally opened on Wednesday September 10th 1851, when
the inaugural address was given by the Reverend W J Odgers, a Unitarian Minister.
Other speeches were contributed by Sir Roundell Palmer, Bart., and Lord Ebrington, the
Members of Parliament for the Borough. It is interesting to note that membership increased during the winter months by as many as 400 on top of the summer membership. In 1890 Mr John Frederick Winnicott (of Messrs Winnicott Brothers) was the honorary secretary and Mr Joseph Foster was the curator. The Institute was open from 3 to 5 and 7 to 10pm, except when there were lectures taking place. The news room was open from 9am to 10pm. On July 1st 1898 the members voted to wind-up the Plymouth Mechanics' Institute. DEVONPORT MECHANICS' INSTITUTE The Devonport Mechanics’ Institute is said to have had its origins in a Literary and Philosophical Institution that had been formed at what was then Plymouth Dock in 1808. It closed in 1821 and its premises in Fore Street passed to Mr Heydon, following which it was converted into the Devonport Public Hall. Devonport's Institute was formed in 1825 and, like its neighbour in Plymouth, also was very popular at the start but suffered when the novelty wore off. Mr Richard Burnet seems to have been the leading light in its formation. Meetings were held in various places around the Town; first in Fore Street, next in a room in the Town Hall in Ker Street and finally at the rear of George Street. Attendance grew sufficiently to require their own premises and a start was made in 1843-44 with the erection of the first part of the building in Duke Street. A larger lecture hall was then erected to the design of Mr Alfred Norman, of Devonport. This was completed in 1849, the total cost being around £4,000. The number of members rose from 95 in 1841 to some 800 in 1849. During the cholera visitation of August 1849 the Institute was used as a temporary hospital, at the suggestion of Miss Sellon. The army promised to supply twelve iron bedsteads and a team of surgeons was appointed to be in attendance day and night. On the evening of Monday January 14th 1850 the building was opened by the President of the Institute, Mr John Williams, of Stoke. About 600 members and their friends attended. After taking tea, the assembly were entertained by the band of the 82nd Regiment with soloists, Mr Perry on the flute and Mr Purton on the cornopean. The building had a large and magnificent hall measuring 61 feet by 46 feet broad and 30 feet 3 inches in height. Its most noteworthy features were a gallery that ran around the lecture hall and its richly decorated ceiling, adorned by a splendid chandelier. There were also class and committee rooms, a chess room, and a large news room. On the ground floor were four spacious rooms, amounting to some 86 feet in length and divided by broad archways, that were to be used as the museum and library. Membership soon increased to upwards of 1,100 but then started to decline rapidly until in 1863 it was announced that were only 461 on the books. This caused such alarm that at once the committee resolved to do something about it and after a lot of hard work, they managed to increase the figure up to around 700 within two years. One possible reason for their success may well have been the fact that in 1865 the Civil and Military Library situated in the Egyptian building in Ker Street was closed and passed its collection of nearly 5,000 books over to the Institute, bringing its total collection to over 11,000 volumes. This greatly contributed to its rise in importance. Among those who were credited with its revival were Mr Clarke, the librarian, and Messrs Chapple, Miller and Mogg. In the meantime a School of Art had been established in 1860 next door to the Institute and many of its members were very successful in competitions held by the Society of Arts. However, on Saturday June 4th 1881 the Devonport Mechanics' Institute closed and its building and the collection of books were purchased by Devonport Corporation to form the basis of the new Devonport Free Library. A NOTABLE VISITOR TO BOTH INSTITUTES On the evening of Monday April 11th 1859 Mr P T Barnum, of New York, had the honour of addressing the Plymouth Mechanics' Institute on "The Science of Money Making" 'in the course of which he will introduce an original definition of HUMBUG, supporting his theory by pictorial illustrations and original anecdotes, examples and experiences'. He repeated this at the St George's Hall, Stonehouse, on the Tuesday evening and at the Devonport Mechanics' Institute on the Wednesday. Reserved seats cost 2 shillings, 1/6d or one shilling but 'if after Friday April 8th seats remain unsold, the price will be raised'. The advance announcement further stated that: 'During the entertainment, Professor Kratky Bashix, a Slovonian Hungarian Artiste, who has appeared before Her Majesty and all the Crowned Heads of Europe, will play a Grand Fantasia upon an instrument smaller than the Tebia of Picco and producing much more peculiar and startling orchestral effects.'
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