1900 - Population of Bristol rises to an estimated 330.000.
Archibald Alexander Leach Born
1904 - Hollywood actor Cary Grant is born at 15 Hughenden Road, Horfield on January 18. He was christened Archibald Alexander Leach.
1904 - In January John Latimer died; until a few days before his death he had been editing his edition of Bristol’s charters. He was born in Newcastle-on-Tyne in 1824 and moved to Bristol in 1858. He edited the Bristol Mercury for 25 years and had been interested in local history from an early age. Of him it was said that ‘nature appears to have given him a strong bent for jotting down events which, even when trivial, have their value in picturing the life of the age.’
In February Sir W.F. Butler commanding the Western District unveiled a South African War memorial at Bristol Grammar School and visited the Crimean and Indian Mutiny Veterans Association. In the same month there was an assembly of temperance workers addressed by Lord Peel at which there was an emphatic demand for licensing reform.
During the year there were a number of sittings of the magistrates’ court at which orders were made to distrain upon the goods of persons refusing to pay the education rate. There were also a number of public sales of the seized goods. At each court appearance and sale there were public statements made by those who refused to pay setting out their reasons for the refusal. George Cooke, a solicitor, often represented members of the Citizens League, an organisation of the protesters.
Bristol City FC move to Ashton Gate
In March Bristol City Football Club left their ground at St. John’s Lane and moved to Ashton Gate. the ground on which Bedminster FC formerly played.
In the following month a memorial was erected by the Clifton Improvement Committee at 2, Bellevue, Clifton Hill. It recorded the fact that between 1819 and 1824 the house had been the residence of Lord Lawrence of the Punjab and his brother Sir Henry Lawrence, defender of Lucknow.
The new art gallery and museum extension opened in May; the development was due to the generosity of Sir William Henry Wills who had provided the full costs of construction amounting to upwards of £40,000. The building was designed by Frank Wills and the builder was William Cowlin & Son. In June the Corporation debated whether to open the art gallery on Sundays. They had received objections from a number of organisations but, despite this, decided to open on 26 Sunday afternoons during the year.
In the same month there was an exhibition of animated photographs at the Colston Hall that was seen by a large number of visitors. The scenes depicted included actual fighting in Manchuria and the Niagara Falls; there were also some humorous pictures.
Notwithstanding the objections from Westbury-on-Trym Parish Council, the Bill to increase Bristol’s boundaries to include the whole of Shirehampton and Westbury, part of Henbury and the upper part of Hot-field was passed by the committee of the House of Lords at the end of May and received the Royal Assent on 15 August. The new boundaries resulted in an increase of 13,443 in the city’s population. Another result of the change was that the Barton Regis Union ceased to exist.
In June the South African war memorial at Clifton College was unveiled by Lord Methuen. 43 old Cliftonians were killed during the conflict.
Fire Dean Lane colliery
Later in the same month there was a fire in the engine house at Dean Lane colliery. Most of the men were absent for their annual outing but there were two men underground. They were eventually brought to the surface by other means.
The new wing at the Diocesan Training College at Fishponds was dedicated in June by the Bishop of Bristol. The work included the installation of several frescoes on the walls of the chapel. The architect was W.V. Gough and the builder C.A. Hayes.
The Annual General Council of the Federation of Trade Unions was held in the city in July. 80 delegates met under the presidency of Pete Curran of the Gas Workers and General Labourers Union. The conference thanked those Members of Parliament who had supported the Trades Disputes Bill and condemned the importation of cheap Chinese labour into South Africa.
In July HRH Princess Henry of Battenberg, the King’s youngest sister, visited the city. She was formally welcomed at Temple Meads station and after lunch with the Lord Mayor she took the train from Clifton Down Station to Portishead where she laid the foundation stone of the new nautical school built to replace the old training ship Formidable. She was presented with a silver trowel by the architect Edward Gabriel.
Also in July the foundation stone of All Saints church, Fishponds was laid. The church had been built on land at Grove Road given by Miss Casfie; it was designed by Lingen Barber & Son and built by Clark & Son.
In August the Bristol Guardians resolved to provide quarters for eight married couples at the Stapleton workhouse.
E.S. & A. Robinson’s Redcliffe Street
September marked the completion of the reconstruction of E.S. & A. Robinson’s premises at the junction of Redcliffe Street and Victoria Street; the exterior appearance differed very little from that of the premises that were destroyed. The architects were Oatley & Lawrence and the builder William Cowlin & Son.
At the end of September the church of St. Aidan at Crews Hole was dedicated by the Bishop. The new parish comprised parts of the parishes of St. George and St. Michael, Two Mile Hill, and had a communicants’ roll of 140. The church had a Sunday school with 300 pupils and a men’s bible class of 50. The architect of the new building was Mr. Bodey.
In October there was an ingenious attempt to defraud the fledgling University College. A benefactor who wished to remain anonymous sent a bank note for £1,000 and the treasurer acknowledged its receipt in the press. A few days later he received a letter purporting to be from a Mr. Hartford claiming that he was the donor and had mistakenly sent the bank note for £1,000 whereas he should have sent one for £100 and requesting the return of the balance of £900. A detective was despatched to the address in London from which the letter had come and he arrested the sender Joseph Fitch who appeared before the Quarter Sessions at the end of the month and was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.
In October the Miners’ Federation Conference was held at the Grand Hotel. There were 88 delegates who agreed that daily working hours (bank to bank) should be eight hours; they supported a motion that the Coal Mining (Employment) Bill should take precedence over all others and resolved that no child should be employed in a mine for more that eight hours in any 24. The delegates supported a resolution advocating the nationalisation of land, minerals, mines and railways.
Later in the same month the freedom of the city was presented to Sir W.H. Wills in recognition of his contribution to the city’s commercial interests and his munificence. The presentation took place at a special meeting of the City Council and the freedom was housed in a casket of silver gilt made by the Bristol Goldsmiths’ Alliance.
At the end of the month local miners expressed their dissatisfaction with the revised wages proposed by the employers. The offer was for a 2½advance during the winter months (October to April) up to 31 December 1906.
The miners decided to continue negotiations with the mine owners.
The result of the municipal elections held in November was the end of the Conservatives’ predominance, which had lasted since 1836. Labour and Liberal councillors and aldermen numbered 42 and Conservatives 35.
The Cottage Homes at Downend, constructed for the Bristol Guardians, were opened in November by the Rt. Hon Walter Long, MP, President of the Local Government Board. 20 acres of land had been purchased from Sir Charles D. Cave in 1901 at the cost of £5,000. The premises comprised 14 semi-detached homes in a crescent, a porters’ lodge, a convalescent home and a hail for general use. The cost of the building work (including fees) was £20,000 and the architects were La Trobe & Weston; the builder George Downs & Son.
As winter set in measures to combat unemployment were called for. The Council resolved to put in hand some additional works during the winter months. They decided to level some ground at Greenbank Cemetery and to repair sewers in Barton Hill, Pennywell Road, Denmark Street, Tankard’s Close and Welsh Back. The measures prompted a public meeting that was held in the Horsefair presided over by E.H. Jarvis, the chairman of the Trades’ Council, supported by W. Whitefield, the miners’ agent. John Gregory, Frank Sheppard and J. CurIe, the secretary of the Trades’ Council. The meeting emphatically condemned the dilatory manner in which the committee of the Corporation had set in motion the works for the relief of the unemployed.
Bristol Tramways Company
Samuel White of Bristol Tramways Company also offered assistance to unemployed painters. He had identified work that could be carried out during the colder months; there were posts that needed to be painted and, when the weather was not suitable for working outdoors, there was decorating to be done indoors. He stated that he could offer work to 100 unemployed guaranteed for the months of December, January and February; the pay would be £1 for a 40-hour week. The trade unions deprecated his proposal pointing out that the normal pay for a painter was 8½d per hour. Despite this condemnation some 800 men requested application forms within a few hours of the announcement being made.
Dense Fog
On more than one occasion at the end of the year all parts of Bristol were enveloped in a dense fog. Traffic was virtually impossible; pedestrians had great difficulty in finding their way and most trains were late. Sport was affected; at the rugby match between Bath and Bristol at the County Ground the second half was played without the spectators (including the press) knowing what was going on.
William Perrin appeared before the Lawford’ s Gate magistrates charged with driving a locomotive at a greater speed than that allowed under the Locomotives Act. On 16 December he was driving up Warmley Hill with a load of bricks at a speed of 4 mph whereas the permitted speed was 2 mph. When stopped he said, ‘If I can’t go more than 2 mph I might as well stay at home.’ However, when he appeared before the justices, he undertook not to do it again and the magistrates let him off on payment of costs.
1905 - In January a memorial tablet to John Latimer was unveiled in the north transept of the Cathedral.
Solicitors pleaded guilty to crimes of dishonesty
Confidence in the probity of the local legal profession was dented at the winter assizes when two solicitors, in unconnected cases, pleaded guilty to crimes of dishonesty. John Frederick Murly (who was arrested in Australia) was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude and William Frederick Langworthy to three years’ penal servitude.
A mass meeting of postal workers chaired by H.W. Twiggs JP took place at Stuckey’s restaurant at the beginning of February. The purpose was to protest at the failure of the Postmaster General to implement the pay rises recommended by the Bradford Commission.
On 15 February there was a ceremonial opening of the Art Gallery which had been completed for some time. Before the ceremony there was an interesting address on art matters by Professor Herkomer.
Gloucestershire Regiment
The memorial to the members of the Gloucestershire Regiment who were killed in action or died of disease during the South African War was unveiled by Lord Roberts in March. He was met by a Field Marshall’s salute given by the band of the 2nd Gloucesters. The memorial stands outside the Victoria Rooms.
William Sturge died on 26 March in his 86th year. He was a surveyor and came from a well-known Quaker family. In his early years he had been involved in surveys of parishes under the Tithe Commutation Act 1836 and had also dealt with enclosure awards. Mr. Sturge was an expert in the purchase of land for railways and waterworks, was Land Steward to the Corporation and played a leading part in the formation of the Surveyors’ Institution in 1868. He appeared many times before Parliamentary Committees on the promotion of public works.
In May the annual conference of the Dock, Wharf, Riverside and General Workers’ Union took place at the Shepherds’ Hall in Old Market Street. Mr. W. Gorman the local organiser reported that in Bristol the Dockers’ Union had fostered an amicable spirit with the employers and that it was the local practice that all disputes should be submitted to arbitration. Ben Tillett, who attended, suggested that unemployment was the result of the existence of monopoly and the burdens which the non-producing sections of the community imposed on the industrial classes. The meeting resolved that a corollary of universal compulsory education was that the state should maintain children.
Another conference took place in the following month when the city was invaded by postmen whose confederation held its 14th annual meeting at the YMCA hall Mr. W.H. Rogers of Bristol presided. The meeting expressed concern at the conditions of rural postmen who were not allowed a weekly half-holiday. Following the refusal to implement the recommendations of the Bradford Commission the meeting called for a select committee of the House of Commons to enquire into their grievances. The view was expressed that the low educational test for postmen entering the service was a cause of their failure to achieve an increase in wages.
At the end of May a memorial to William Wooldridge Fosbrooke, the distinguished comedian, was unveiled by James Macready Chute in Westbury churchyard.
Betting News not allowed in city libraries
In June the Library Committee considered a suggestion that betting news in newspapers in the reading room should be obliterated by a stamp covering the offending text with a black patch. Enquiries had been made of 153 libraries in other towns and it was found that of these 17 covered betting news in this manner. The committee rejected the suggestion by six votes to two.
In the same month the foundation stone was laid at Western College opposite Highbury Chapel. The college, which prepared young men for the Congregational ministry, was at the time in temporary accommodation having removed from Plymouth. The new building comprised lecture rooms, a library, dining hall, common room and an assembly hall. The architect was H. Dare Bryan and the builder Long & Sons.
The Bristol Carnival at Clifton Zoo was opened at the beginning of July by the Lord Mayor; the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort were present on the opening day. The carnival which lasted for six days was in aid of the Infirmary. In addition to the usual funfair attractions, visitors could see ‘the Bristol Baron’, a St. Bemards collecting dog lent by the Dogs’ Home, and listen to music provided by Herr Kundt’ s performers and the Royal Artillery band from Portsmouth. Motor cars placed at the disposal of the Carnival Committee by their owners were available to take passengers on a programme of tours ranging from a circuit of the Downs to a country spin of considerable length. Two pavilions had been provided by the Coliseum and the Hippodrome, each seating about 1,000 and providing continuous entertainment of a high order from 3 until 11.30 p.m. At the close of the six days it was announced that the infirmary had been freed of its debt of £15,000 and that over 100,000 people had attended.
Bristol cricket week
The attendance at Bristol cricket week, during which the county played the visiting Australian test team, had been affected by the popularity of the Bristol Carnival. The visitors batted first and scored 527; play was affected by rain but the county in their first innings only managed a total of 116. Forced to follow on, the county had reached 145 for one wicket at close of play on the last day.
A new school in Wick Road, Brislington was opened in July. The cost of the site was £2,593 and of its construction £12,377. The architects were Holbrow & Oaten.
In July the Wesleyan conference was held in Bristol and the delegates were welcomed by the Bishop of Bristol, the first occasion on which an Anglican bishop had done so. In was reported that the total membership of Bands of Hope had reached over 450,000 and that there were over 10,000 members of temperance societies. The conference deplored the employment of barmaids in public houses and the prevalence of betting and gambling and discussed the cause of Methodist union. It commented on the evils arising out of unemployment and supported efforts by the government to deal with this question. As a result of the Education Act 1902 some Wesleyan schools were having financial difficulties but the conference resolved to continue to maintain them. Pupils from Kingswood School, the sons of ministers, were welcomed at the conference.
Fire at Lilley & Skinner, boot manufactures
In October a serious fire destroyed the premises of Lilley & Skinner, boot manufactures in King Square; the adjoining warehouse of Dickie Parsons & Co wholesale clothiers was also demolished. As a result of the conflagration some 500 people lost their employment. The fire also affected a number of cottages at the back of King Square and two elderly residents, one of whom was bedridden, in Charles Street had to be rescued by PC75 and a fireman. A local committee was set up to assist with the loss of furniture and effects by poor and homeless citizens.
Fire at Pickford & Co Colston Avenue
At the beginning of the following month there was another serious fire at a warehouse in Colston Avenue occupied by Pickford & Co. which destroyed a quantity of goods stored there. The fire also affected the adjoining printing works belonging to Wright & Co. whose valuable machinery and stock were totally destroyed.
The Liberal Unionist Council meeting held in November at the Colston Hall was welcomed by John Wesley Hall, the President of the Liberal Unionist Association. He said that tariff reform was very much to the front in Bristol and that local Unionists regarded it as a great compliment that the city had been chosen as the first meeting place of the Council. The meeting was addressed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who supported the view that ‘we should have the powers of retaliation against those who treat us badly and the power of preference to those who treat us well.’ Joseph Chamberlain was unable to be present at the conference but came to Bristol and addressed an evening meeting, the theme of his speech being ‘I wish no ill to foreign countries but I wish good to my own.
In November Princess Henry of Battenberg accompanied by her daughter Princess Ena (who later became the Queen of Spain) visited the exhibition mounted by the Irish Industries Association at the Victoria Rooms; the expense of the exhibition was borne by Lady White, wife of Sir George White. The Princess then went on the veterans’ headquarters in Orchard Street.
New Labour Exchange
The new Labour Exchange and Employment Registiy in Silver Street was opened at the end of November. On its opening 500 to 600 men were waiting outside to register. After three days some 1,500 had registered.
At the end of the year Sir W.H. Wills was elevated to the peerage and selected the title of Lord Winterstoke of Blagdon.
1906 - The parliamentary election held in January resulted nationally in sweeping Liberal victories, In Bristol the results were: Bristol North (held by the Liberals) A. Birrell (L) 6953 J.A. Foote (U) 4011 2942
Bristol South (gained by the Liberals; it was twenty-two years since the constituency had been represented by a Liberal. Walter Long had the unenviable task of defending the importation of Chinese labourers into the Transvaal; his majority in 1900 was 611)
Howell Davies (L) 7964 Walter Long (C) 5272 2692
Bristol East (held by the Liberals with a record majority)
C.E. Hobhouse (L) 7935 T.B. Johnston (C) 3129 4306
Bristol West (held by Conservatives; in 1900 Sir Michael Hick-Beach had been returned unopposed)
G.A. Gibbs (C) 4267 T.J. Lennard (L) 3902 365
In March the West of England Transport Co. inaugurated a new bus service to Tockington; the service left Colston Avenue at 2.42 p.m. The vehicle used was petrol driven, carried 34 passengers and had a maximum speed of 12 mph. Despite this limitation it reached Horfield Barracks in 20 minutes. After waiting for 15 minutes at Almondsbury the bus was at Tockington by 3.45 and at Olveston by 4 o’clock. The proprietors hoped that the service would be able to carry milk and other produce to Bristol.
Direct Service between New Zealand and Avonmouth
In the same month the Bristol Provision Trade Association was instrumental in establishing a new direct service between New Zealand and Avonmouth; the first voyage was undertaken by SS Devon. It was envisaged that the average passage time would be 40 days.
Chief Constable, Henry Allbut charged
The city’s Chief Constable, Henry Allbutt, suffered the embarrassment of appearing before the magistrates’ court charged with allowing the chimney at his private residence to catch fire. He pleaded guilty and was fined half a crown. Later in the year the Watch Committee declined to accept his resignation and dismissed him from the service. His troubles were not over and in October there was a meeting of his creditors.
Aged inmates should be allowed to play cards
In March the Bristol Guardians considered a proposal that their aged inmates should be allowed to play cards. The proposal was lost by 15 votes to 34.
Fire J. & S. Derham boot factory in Barton Street, St. James
At the end of that month there was a serious fire at the boot and shoe factory belonging to J. & S. Derham in Barton Street, St. James. The premises were totally destroyed and some 450 employees temporarily made unemployed; the employer and a distress committee did their best to temper the hardship. Many occupiers of neighbouring houses were made homeless and Fireman Arthur Wade was killed by a collapsing wall. The company had originated in Wrington and moved to the city in 1854.
In April Cyril Norwood MA (Oxon) was appointed as headmaster of Bristol Grammar School in succession to R.L. Leighton.
In the following month the freedom of the city was conferred upon Lord St. Aldwyn. As Sir Michael Hicks-Beach he had been MP for East Gloucestershire for twenty-one years and for Bristol West for twenty years and had served as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Chief Secretary of Ireland, President of the Board of Trade and Secretary for the Colonies.
New Central Library in Deanery Road
The new central library in Deanery Road was opened in June by Lord Winterstoke; its construction had been made possible by a bequest of £50,000 from the estate of Vincent Stuckey Lean. The architect, chosen after a competition, was Charles Henry Holden of the firm of Perry Adams. The opening ceremony took place in the reference library and Mr. G.R. Chapman’s orchestra played an operatic selection during the assembly and after the speech making.
In July the 23rd annual congress of the Royal Sanitary Institute was held in Bristol. There were delegates representing local authorities, government departments and professional and scientific bodies. They discussed the problem of dust created by macadamised roads, consumption and the health of factory workers, the employment problem with reference to the Bristol Distress Committee and milk supply.
Gruesome discovery in a house in Dragon Road, Winterbourne
On 30 July there was a gruesome discovery in a house in Dragon Road, Winterbourne. The Rev. Henry Alban Brown, a Congregational minister, employing an open razor, had killed his wife Maria Catherine and her sister Mary Elliott and had then committed suicide. The Misses Elliott had previously kept a school for young ladies in Clifton.
'Some of you fellows are a perfect nuisance and a pest to society and don’t care what you knock down and who you run over'
William Fraser of Peckham appeared before the justices at the beginning of August charged with driving a motor car at St. Augustine’s Parade at a speed dangerous to the public; the constable estimated his speed at 15 mph. Fining him £5 and costs, the magistrate, Colonel Coates observed ‘Some of you fellows are a perfect nuisance and a pest to society and don’t care what you knock down and who you run over.’ Mr. Fraser said that he only had £2 on him and asked for time to pay; the magistrate responded ‘You will have to pay the fine or go to pnson. People who keep these infernal things can afford to pay fines.’
Ashton Vale Colliery closed
The Ashton Vale Colliery closed in August and as a result 184 men were out of work. Helped by their union about 100 left the district to work in collieries and a few found work in pits in the Bristol area. About 60 to 70 remained unemployed and received financial assistance from the union.
The annual conference of the Band of Hope Union was held in the city in September and the delegates attended a festival at the Colston Hall to hear a choir of 600 voices conducted by George Cooke. The secretary reported that the juvenile movement comprised some 11,000 societies with about 90,000 members and that the whole juvenile temperance movement had over 29,000 societies and 3,500,000 members. He also observed that the new parliament contained 200 MPs who were total abstainers.
Also in September the Bristol Distress Committee considered reports from some of the people they helped to emigrate to Canada. The emigrants said that they had not experienced any difficulty in finding work and were glad that they had gone.
In October the Watch Committee recommended that the Deputy Chief Constable James Cann should be appointed as the new Chief Constable at an annual salary of £650 with an allowance of £100 for a horse.
New Ashton Swing Bridge
On 4 October the Lady Mayoress, Mrs. A.J. Smith, opened the new Ashton swing bridge. The bridge had to provide facilities for pedestrians, vehicles and trains to cross between the Cumberland Basin and Ashton. It also had to have the ability to swing open quickly to allow masted vessels to pass up or down stream. The original estimated cost was £36,500 and the Great Western Railway agreed to pay a half share which was fixed at £18,250. When finally completed the actual cost was over £70,000 and the railway company had to be asked to increase its contribution; it agreed to pay £22,000 leaving the city to fund the balance of nearly £50,000.
On 9 October the Merchant Venturers’ Technical College in Unity Street was totally destroyed by fire. The Red Maids’ School in Denmark Street was separated from the fire by Harvey’s premises and the girls had to be roused from their beds ready to evacuate their school. By 4 a.m. the college was a pile of smouldering ruins.
Disturbances All Saints Church in Pembroke Road
The Wycliffite Crusaders were causing disturbances again in November when they entered All Saints Church in Pembroke Road and interrupted the holding of confessions which they considered to be an unlawful activity. They were ejected by the police and appeared before the magistrates charged with disorderly conduct. The justices bound them over to keep the peace but the protesters refused to enter into recognizances and were sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment. They appealed, unsuccessfully, to the High Court. Their supporters subsequently held a protest meeting in the Colston Hall presided over by Alderman James Inskip who, in his address, complained that the clerk to the justices had put impertinent questions to the protesters and that there was no need to ask them if their occupation was a paying one.
1907 - At the beginning of the year four suffragettes were released from Holloway Prison; they had been sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment on 21 December for disorderly conduct in Parliament. They were welcomed by Christobel Pankhurst and entertained to breakfast at Anderton’ s Hotel. The youngest of the prisoners was Miss Ivy Heppel from Bristol and she was presented with flowers in the shape of an anchor bearing a message from Dr. C.F. Aked which read ‘With sympathy, affection and admiration.’
Central Association for Stopping the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors
On 5 February the annual demonstration of the Central Association for Stopping the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors was held in the larger Colston Hall. As well as the movement’s supporters there were many members of the licensing trade and their supporters in the hall. The secretary reported that some 300 Members of Parliament supported the Sunday closing of licensed premises but the other speakers, including J.S. Fry, the Dean of Hereford and a Salvation Army brigadier, were unable to make themselves heard above the shouts of the audience. A few days later a temperance demonstration was held in the same hall but the police were better prepared and only ticket holders were allowed in. The audience was entertained by an organ recital by Mr. Riseley and the meeting was chaired by the Bishop. A resolution was proposed by Sir Thomas Whittaker MP and seconded by Henry Vivian MV to the effect that wider powers should be given to localities to work out their own deliverance from intemperance; it was carried by a large majority.
On 21 March, without ceremony the extension of the tram line from the Centre to Filton was opened.
At the March meeting of the Distress Committee it was reported that an application had been made to the Local Government Board for a further payment of the parliamentary grant. The number of unemployed men registered was 416 skilled and 1,321 labourers. A number had been helped to find employment mostly with the local authority. The emigration sub-committee stated that they had selected 12 families (comprising 64 persons) for assisted emigration to Canada.
The May meeting of the Health Committee considered the municipal lodging house. Some members spoke strongly against municipal trading, noting that the house was losing upwards of £1,100 a year and commenting that the undertaking was an abuse of public funds. One member suggested that, whilst they were not permitted to sell the premises, they should investigate the possibility of letting it to a lodging house keeper or an organisation like the Salvation Army. The committee were subsequently advised that the Local Government Board had considered that they had no power to let the house.
In May the Colonial Prime Ministers assembled in London to meet Lord Elgin, the Colonial Secretary, and the Chamber of Commerce invited them to visit Bristol. Four of them accepted and the freedom of the city was granted to Sir Wilfrid Laurier of Canada, Sir Robert Bond of Newfoundland, Sir Joseph Ward of New Zealand and the Hon. F.R. Moore of Natal. The premiers and representatives of other colonies visited Avonmouth to see the new dock in course of construction and were enthusiastically welcomed by 500 school children.
Cossham Memorial Hospital at Lodge Hill, Kingswood opened
Cossham Memorial Hospital at Lodge Hill, Kingswood, was opened in June by Augustine Birrell MP. The construction had been made possible by a bequest of £120,000 from Handel Cossham; his trustees spent £30,000 on building and equipping the hospital, which had 50 beds, and invested the balance in an endowment fund to maintain it. 700 guests attended the opening ceremony and tea and were entertained by Kingswood Evangel Silver Band and a large number of people went over the building in the evening. The committee had over 100 applications for the post of matron and appointed Miss Mann, the assistant matron at Gloucestershire County Hospital. The architect of the building was F. Bligh Bond FRIBA and the builders were A.J. Beavan and William Cowlin & Sons. Probably the hospital’s first fatality was Oliver Bryant aged 20 who was killed in an accident at Hanham Colliery; the coroner held an inquest at the hospital on 20 June.
Also in June the Libraiy Committee recorded that they had purchased John Latimer’s copy of his Annals which was interleaved and contained manuscript notes by the compiler with a view, apparently, to a revised edition.
The death of Richard Reynolds in 1816 was recorded in Latimer’ s Annals. On 12 July the Lord Mayor unveiled a tablet to his memory at 7, St. James Square. The memorial was in bronze measuring 26’ by 15”; the top portion was occupied by a head of the deceased and the inscription read: ‘In memory of Richard Reynolds, distinguished philanthropist and benefactor of the poor. Born in Bristol November 1735: died September 1816. Interred in the Friends’ Burial Ground at the Friars, Bristol. He resided in this house from 1804-1816.’
Petty Sessional Court House was opened at Henbury
In August a new Petty Sessional Court House was opened at Henbury at the corner of the road leading to Hallen. It was envisaged that the court would sit once a month and would settle minor cases without the necessity of the parties travelling to Lawford’s Gate.
Eight Strokes of the Birch
In the same month Frederick Parker aged 13 pleaded guilty in Bristol Magistrates’ Court to the theft of two razors from his former employer. It was said that he was penitent and the court read testimonials from the headmaster of Redcliffe Boys’ School where he had been a pupil and from the superintendent of a Sunday School that he had attended. The magistrates said that they did not want to inflict something which would be a lasting stain on the boy’s character but at the same time his offence was a deliberate one and they were going to punish him in a way he would remember. Before he left the court he would receive eight strokes of the birch, the father to be present at the time.
William Proctor Baker died on 17 August. His father founded a firm of corn merchants and Mr. Baker was connected with it until 1889 when it amalgamated with Messrs. Spillers. He was closely identified with civic life for nearly 40 years during which time he was an alderman. He was leader of the Conservative party and served as Mayor in 1871-2; he retired from the Council in 1901. He had a great interest in port improvement and was chairman of the Docks Committee for some years. Mr. Baker was a keen amateur musician and played the cello at the first Handel Festival at Crystal Palace. He was chairman of the first Musical Festival in 1873.
On 1 September there was a Trade Union demonstration to direct public attention to the Old Age Pensions movement and to the Unemployed Workmen’s Bill then before Parliament. The demonstrators processed through the city’s principal streets to the Ropewalk where there was a public meeting.
In September there was a dock strike at Antwerp and it was proposed to issue posters inviting men to apply for work there. After representations against strike breaking from the Dockers’ Union the proposal was withdrawn.
On 10 September the first meetihg of the Kingswood Arbitration Board was held. It comprised representatives from employers and workers and its purpose was to discuss wages in the boot and shoe trade in the district.
At the end of the month the President of the Chamber of Commerce invited nearly 3,000 visitors to inspect the progress of the construction of the new dock at Avonmouth; it was rapidly reaching the stage when it would be filled with water. There were visitors from the Midlands, Gloucester, South Wales, the western counties and London; eleven towns were represented by their mayor. Members of other chambers of commerce and journalists from some 50 newspapers were present. Avonmouth was en fete for the occasion, tea was served to the visitors and they were encouraged to wander around the docks.
Future of the Dutch House
In October the Council discussed the future of the Dutch House at the corner of Wine Street and High Street in connection with proposals for highway improvement. There had previously been an approved scheme to retain the architectural features while setting back the lower part of the premises to increase footpath width. One member proposed that the previous decision should be rescinded and that the New Streets Committee should be instructed to sell by auction such parts of the property as were not required for street improvement; he opined that the building was ‘a monstrosity and should be removed.’ His proposal was defeated.
On 30 October G.K. Chesterton gave an amusing and thoughtful address to the Bristol Centre of the Parents’ National Educational Union, a body that aimed at interesting parents in educational subjects to encourage them to realise that they had responsibilities as well as teachers.
At the November municipal elections the Liberals lost four seats to the Conservatives. An Independent councillor who sat on the Conservative side lost his seat to the Labour candidate.
In the King’s November Birthday Honours there was a baronetcy for Sir Herbert Ashman.
On Colston Day in November the societies held their usual celebrations. The Anchor Society held their dinner in the lesser Colston Hall and were addressed by the Prime Minister Sir Campbell Bannerman.
Serious Fire at King’s Orchard, Queen Street
On 22 December there was a serious fire at King’s Orchard, Queen Street when the provender mill of Messrs Bodey Jerrim was extensively damaged.
1908 - Edward VII opens the Royal Edward Dock in Avonmouth.
At the end of January the Social Democratic Federation held a meeting in the Haymarket to consider the unemployment situation Prior to the meeting some 500 bags of food and cups of coffee were handed to the men who were addressed by Ernest Bevin of the Bristol Socialist Society. The meeting passed a resolution condemning the inaction of the government.
General Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, visited the city in February. He was given a civic reception and addressed a meeting at the Victoria Rooms.
Renewal of the Licence of Rogers Brewery
In February the licensing justices heard an objection to the renewal of the licence of Rogers Brewery. The reason given was that the company employed canvassers who visited the homes of artisans and labourers during the daytime and sought orders from women whilst their husbands were at work. Mr. Wansbrough, who appeared for the objectors, told the bench that during the past year 328 women had been convicted of drunkenness and of those only two were on licensed premises. The magistrates decided that the evidence was not sufficient to justify a refusal to renew the licence.
In March there was a packed meeting at the Colston Hall in support of the Licensing Bill which aimed at putting restrictions upon the licensing trade and was then before Parliament. The Bill was subsequently rejected by the House of Lords.
Francis Gilmore Bamett died
Francis Gilmore Bamett died on 18 March whilst playing a round of golf at Failand. A solicitor by profession, he was one of the earliest pupils at Clifton College and was no doubt influenced by John Percival. He championed many working class causes and gave valuable help to the dockers and the cotton factory operatives during the strikes and demonstrations in 1889. He gave evidence to Royal Commission of Housing the Working Class and sat as an independent city councillor for some 20 years.
The City Council and the Chamber of Commerce were promoting the new dock at Avonmouth and in March the Hon. Thomas Price, Premier of South Australia, -.‘as invited to inspect the work in progress. He expressed himself satisfied with the arrangements for handling cargoes and with the cold storage facilities.
At the end of March the Education Committee resolved to provide school meals for some 1,000 necessitous pupils. When asked if teachers would eat with children, Alderman Elkins, the chairman, said that they would and observed that this would show that the dinners were such that no one need be afraid of having one.
G.B. Britton & Sons went on strike
At the beginning of April 31 clickers employed by G.B. Britton & Sons went on strike because they objected to the presence of five non-union men. The dispute was referred to the Kingswood Arbitration Board who unanimously decided that they should return to work.
On 14 April the Rev. J.S. Simon, President of the Wesleyan Conference, unveiled a tablet at 4, Charles Street, St. James’s commemorating the Rev. Charles Wesley’s residence there.
In May it was announced that the King and Queen would be visiting the city in July to open the new dock at Avonmouth. A committee was formed to organise the event comprising Members of Parliament, representatives from the Council, the churches, the military, the Society of Merchant Venturers, the guardians, the municipal charities, education, the chamber of commerce, local offices of government departments, the police, the press, the trades council and other citizens. A fund was set up to decorate the route, to entertain the military on duty and to provide some form of enjoyment for school children.
In June two new freemen were installed. They were the Earl of Dudley, who had recently been appointed Governor General of Australia, and Lord Strathcona who represented Canada in the United Kingdom. No doubt it was hoped that the appointments would help to generate trade to the new dock.
Paper rooms of house with postage stamps?
In the summer of 1908 Mr. Freeman, a retired schoolmaster of Chipping Sodbury, completed an interesting self-imposed task. He had collected stamps and over the years had accumulated a surplus of several thousands of them. Some 18 months previously he had started to paper one of the rooms in his house with them; when completed there were said to be some 56,000.stamps on the walls.
The June Birthday Honours list included a knighthood for Alderman William Howell Davies. He was a leather merchant and had been President of the Chamber of Commerce in 1884. He was a Liberal councillor, chairman of the Docks Committee and Mayor in 1892. He became Member of Parliament for Bristol South in 1906.
Headmaster of Temple Colston School charged with assaulting a pupil
In the same month Frederick George Cooke, the headmaster of Temple Colston School appeared before the magistrates charged with assaulting a pupil; the boy had been caned for talking in church the previous Sunday. The bench decided that the punishment was not proper and reasonable and fined him ten shillings and costs.
The royal visit took place on 9 July. The King and Queen, with Princess Victoria, had arrived by train the previous day and spent the night on the royal yacht Victoria and Albert which had been brought to Avonmouth. On the following day they travelled by train to Temple Meads and drove through the city. The party stopped at the Council House where the Lord Mayor (Alderman E.B. James) was knighted and went on through decorated streets to the Art Gallery for lunch.
On Durdham Down the royal party stopped to hear 10,000 school children sing the National Anthem before travelling from Clifton Down to Avonmouth by train. Once there they boarded the royal yacht which then steamed into the new dock breaking a ribbon. Some 3,000 people then witnessed the King declare the dock open. The ‘Skinner chair’ was on the dais for the King’s use; the chair was said to have belonged to Robert Skinner, Bishop of Bristol in 1636 and had been used by Prince Albert at the launch of the Great Britain in 1843. Between £7,000 and £8,000 had been raised by the committee, a large portion of which was used to provide treats for the aged poor and children.
The Suspension Bridge was illuminated but unfortunately rain caused a cancellation of the fireworks displays in Eastville and St. Andrew’s Parks; they had to be postponed until the following week. The municipal lodging house reported a very large increase in occupancy during the period of the royal visit.
Several meetings to advance the cause of women’s suffrage were held. 50 to 60 new recruits had been signed up and the organisation decided to retain its office in Queens Road. At the final rally on Durdham Down on 19 September the organisers had arranged seven platforms on lorries for the various speakers one of them being Christobel Pankhurst. There was a substantial police presence but, apart from some mild attempts to hamper the speakers, the event went off without incident.
At the end of the month the Sanitary and Improvement Committee of the Council decided to carry out works on Durdham Down and some street works together with the construction of Eastville Park lake to provide work for the unemployed.
On 5 October Sir Robert Symes died. He was a provision merchant and had been six times Mayor of the city. Sir Robert was for many years a churchwarden of Temple Church and one of the results of his connection with that parish was that, with the co-operation of the vicar, Rev. W. Hazledine, he persuaded the vestry not to renew the leases of five public houses in the parish so that the premises were converted into ordinary business premises. The police superintendent at the time commented that this act was equivalent to saving the work of 12 constables.
Later in the month the Bristol Right to Work Committee organised a public meeting in St.George’ s Park. The chairman Mr. A. Senington, supported by Emest Bevin, announced that the Lord Mayor had agreed to receive a deputation from them.
Charles Townsend died on 4 November. He was a partner in the firm of Ferris & Co, chemists and druggists. He was a Liberal and a city councillor from 1872 until 1892 and an alderman from 1897. He was a Member of Parliament for Bristol North from 1892 until 1895 when he was defeated by Lewis Fry. Mr. Townsend was a Baptist and regularly attended Broadmead Chapel and latterly Tyndale Chapel, Whiteladies Road.
At the beginning of December the Distress Committee discussed the work in hand. The work at Eastville Park engaged 300 men for 17 weeks in two shifts of 150 men working for four days a week; the wages bill was estimated at £4,000. One of the committee members, Miss Wait, said that over and over again she had been told that the work on Durdham Down was being done in a shilly-shallying half hearted way. The chairman, Alderman George Pearson, responded that as a rule he found that critics knew very little of what it was to dig for eight hours a day and that, if a few of them would try it for an hour, they would soon learn what it was like.
In December Lord Roberts visited the Art Gallery to unveil a scale model of Lucknow as it was at the time of the siege in 1857. The model had been presented by Mr. Heber Mardon.
On 8 December the provision of school dinners was inaugurated. Between 1,200 and 1,300 children were served from a central kitchen in the Ropewalk. The preparation was supervised by Mr. Rameskill from Manchester assisted by a staff of three who had been recruited locally. The meals were distributed in vehicles provided by tradespeople who took them to various local feeding depots. Orders for produce were placed locally.
In December the Lord Mayor opened the new Merrywood Secondary School. The school, which catered for 500 scholars of both sexes, was built by A.J. Colbome and the architect was H. Dare Bryan.
1909 - The year started with a severe snowstorm that caused traffic problems in many areas but provided good tobogganing in Bridge Valley Road and Rownham Hill. It also provided work for 250 unemployed men who were engaged to clear the snow.
Old Age Pensions rush to the Post Office
Old Age Pensions became payable at the beginning of the year and there was a rush at the post offices on the morning of the first day. Some 4,000 people in Bristol qualified as being over seventy years of age and in receipt of an annual income of less than £31.1.0s per annum.
At the January meeting of the Distress Committee Dr. Devis raised the question of unemployed women. It was reported that four charwomen had registered and the committee agreed that they should be recommended for employment by the Education Committee.
In January Agnes Venimore Godwim became a member of Mangotsfield Parish Council; this was the first appearance of a lady as a member of any of the councils adjacent to the city. Miss Godwin lived at Downend and was secretary of the Bristol Women’s Total Abstinence Union.
New School at Parson Street, Bedminster
In the same month the new school at Parson Street, Bedminster was opened by Dr. E.H. Cook, the chairman of the Education Committee. The school had two departments, a senior with provision for 500 pupils and a junior for 530. The cost of the building was in the region of £20,000, the architect was Henry Williams and the builder E. Walters & Son.
Gilbert Jessop was named as the new secretary of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in January. This occasioned some surprise in the city as he was captain of the club, and an association of the two offices was practically unknown in county cricket circles.
Latimer records how in 1864 Sir Greville Smyth intended to sell a large portion of land in Leigh Woods for building purposes and that a number of public-spirited citizens formed the Leigh Woods Land Company to purchase the land. In January 1909 it was announced that George A. Wills intended to buy the land (which included Nightingale Valley) from the company and to transfer it to trustees for the enjoyment of the public. Mr. Wills later gave the sum of £4,000 for the maintenance of the woods.
Sir Frederick Wills died at Cannes on 18 February; he was a director of the Imperial Tobacco Company. A Liberal, he succeeded Lewis Fry as Member of Parliament for Bristol North from 1900 until 1906. Sir Frederick was a generous donor to Bristol University.
St. Albans church at Westbury Park opened at the end of March. It was designed by Rodway & Dening and built by R. Wilkins & Sons.
At the beginning of April Sir Hubert Llewellyn Smith opened the Fenwick Richards wing at Bristol Grammar School. The plans had been prepared by Frank Wills and the builder was S. Martin & Son.
Serious Fire William Brice & Co, cabinet makers. Redcross Street
On 7 April there was a serious fire that destroyed a sawmills at Redcross Street belonging to William Brice & Co, cabinet makers. During the fire brigade’s efforts to extinguish the blaze Fireman Albert Smith was killed by a falling roof.
On 14 April a remarkable contraption attracted the interest of a number of spectators at Broad Quay. It had wheels but some said it looked like an airship and others like a caravan. In fact it belonged to George M. Schillings, a champion long distance walker, who was said to be walking 20,000 miles for a wager, pulling the apparatus which he used as a shelter in which to rest. Mr. Schillings was over six feet in height and had one arm.
At the end of the same month the Education Committee agreed to employ some young people as pupil teachers provided they were residents of the city. The pay was £25 per annum for young men and £20 for young women.
The Bristol Band of Hope Union held its May Festival at the Colston Hall. A choir of 700 voices conducted by Mr. G.T. Cooke sang a number of choruses including ‘Hark the Temperance Call’.
In May it was announced that William Cowlin & Son had secured the contract to construct the first cold storage warehouse on the island of Jamaica. It was sited at Kingston.
Empire Day was celebrated on 24 May. Flags were flown on many churches and public buildings and at each school there was an address on the rights and duties of citizenship. Four pupils and a teacher from each of 65 schools attended a ceremony at the Corn Exchange to receive a Union Jack from the Lady Mayoress.
H. Dare Bryan, the architect died on 25 May aged 41 years.
The Royal Charter was received by the University on 27 May.
Dutch House
In June the works of improvement affecting the Dutch House were completed; they were supervised by W.S. Skinner It was desired to widen the footpath and a number of councillors took the view that the whole building should be demolished. However the views of the preservationists prevailed and the work, carried out by William Cowlin & Son, involved the preservation of the architectural features whilst setting back the ground floor frontage. An electric lift to all floors was installed.
On 24 June the rebuilt Merchant Venturers Technical College in Unity Street was dedicated by the Bishop of Bristol and formally opened by the Rt. Hon. Lord Reay.
In July 29 men who had escaped from Brentry Inebriates Home appeared before the Henbury Petty Sessional Court. There had been some dissatisfaction at the home because they had been expecting a reduction in their sentences following an amendment to the Inebriates Act; there were also complaints about the quality of the bread. As a consequence they refused to work and walked out of the premises. The magistrates sentenced each of them to one month’s hard labour.
For a number of years there had been complaints about the lack of drainage provision in the Kingswood district, particularly with reference to the pollution of Siston and Warmley Brooks. Eventually the work was put in hand and completed in September 1909.
Two Bristol suffragettes were released from prison in September. Mrs. Arnold Willcox and Miss May Allen had been convicted of breaking windows at the Treasury when Mr. Asquith refused to receive Mrs. Pankhurst. They were sentenced to one month’s imprisonment and whilst in prison they refused to wear prison uniform, kicked a wardress in self-defence and broke the cell windows; as a consequence they had to serve eight days’ close confinement in the punishment cells and went on hunger strike for three days. On their return to Bristol there was a reception presided over by Miss Annie Kenny, the secretary of the Bristol branch of Women’s Political and Social Union.
At the Bakers’ and Confectioners’ Exhibition held at the Agricultural Hall in London in September E. Luton of North Street, Ashton Gate, gained five first prizes out of a possible seven for white bread.
The baker had received a total of 120 cups. medals and diplomas and been five times champion of the United Kingdom.
Mad Bull broken loose in Wade Street
In the evening of 22 September there was mild panic in Redland when an infuriated bull that had broken loose from a slaughter house in Wade Street appeared upon the scene. The beast knocked over a lady cyclist in Blackboy Hill but was eventually captured by Inspector Warburton and three constables.
Serious Fire Bristol Distillery Company in Redcliffe Street
In the same week there was a serious fire at the premises of the Bristol Distillery Company in Redcliffe Street where grain, malt and maize were stored. The premises were almost totally destroyed and adjoining buildings threatened. The fire was attended by the brigade using a fire float.
In October the sheriff, Mr. Stanley Badock, unveiled a tablet in the Cathedral recording the Rev. Sydney Smith’s connection with the city; he was a canon from 1828 until 1831.
On 28 October there was a special meeting of the Council to confer honorary freedoms on Joseph Storrs Fry and Henry Overton Wills. The latter was unable to attend owing to ill health.
Chief Constables wife heavily in debt, and drinking to to excess
At the beginning of November the wife of Henry Allbutt, the former Chief Constable, was granted a decree of divorce. She told the court that he was heavily in debt at the time of their marriage and that she and her family gave him financial assistance on a number of occasions. She also complained that he drunk to excess and that in 1905 she had to nurse him whilst he was suffering from delirium tremers.
Winston Churchill came to the city in November to address the Anchor Society at the Colston Hall. On arrival at Temple Meads Theresa Garnett, a suffragette, struck him twice with a dog whip. She appeared before the justices together with Vera Wentworth, who broke a window at Bristol Liberal Club, Jessie Lawes who threw a stone from a tramcar to the Colston Hall and Mary Allen who broke a window at the office of the Board of Trade in Baldwin Street. They were all sentenced to one month’s imprisonment without hard labour. Ellen Wines Pitman received two months’ imprisonment for breaking a window at the Post Office in Small Street. During the following week Miss Christobel Pankhurst addressed a large meeting in the Colston Hall.
At the beginning of December Sir Ernest Shackleton visited the city and received a rousing reception when he spoke about the South Pole expedition of 1907-9. He was supported by Raymond Priestley, a Bristolian, who was a geologist and a member of the expedition.
In the same month John Edward King, the headmaster of Bedford Grammar School, was appointed as the new head of Clifton College in succession to the Rev. A.A. David who had been appointed as headmaster of Rugby School.
