We look back at the story behind one of the most prestigious addresses in Bristol. - Not many people build a house, or to be precise, a mansion, and then give it away. But that is just what Alderman Thomas Proctor did.After buying a plot of land in one of Clifton's most prestigious areas, The Promenade, in 1865 he commissioned local architects George and Henry Godwin to build the mansion for him.
Two years and £2,500 later, Elmdale House, a 22-room gentleman's residence, was ready for occupation. It had been built complete with a spacious drawing room, galleries on the different floors, a lift from the kitchen to the dining area and a billiards room.
Elmdale House was built of Bath stone which had been quarried on the spot. It was Alderman Proctor's home for about seven years until, in 1874, he announced his intention to give it to the city on May 1 - his wedding anniversary. His fellow city fathers were surprised by such generosity and further taken aback when they discovered that Mr Proctor's gift came complete with fixtures, fittings and furnishings as well as a cheque for £500 for repairs and decorations.
It was estimated that the net value of his gift was some £15,000. Proctor had become a wealthy man through his chemical, manure and fertiliser business. He also dabbled in property development. Although Proctor was born in Birmingham, he immersed himself in Bristol's civic affairs, becoming an alderman and later serving as High Sheriff. Unfortunately, ill health prevented him from taking up the office of Mayor.
When Alderman Proctor died in 1876, aged 64, flags were flown at half-mast on many public buildings. After he gave Elmdale House to Bristol Corporation - the forerunner of Bristol City Council - it became known as the Mansion House.
Ever since, this has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress during their term of office. The city flag flies from the roof when the civic couple are in residence. An outstanding collection of civic treasures, including precious insignia, gold and silver plates, charters and paintings which have been acquired or presented to the city over many centuries, is kept at the Mansion House.
One of the most interesting pieces of silverware is a platter dating back to 1595 which was stolen from a previous Mansion House in Queen Square during the Reform Riots of 1831. The thief cut the platter up into 167 pieces. He tried to sell them to a local silversmith whose suspicions were aroused. The thief was eventually arrested and sentenced to 14 years' transportation.
Meanwhile, the silversmith skilfully riveted the pieces together, copying and replacing two missing bits. Also kept at the Mansion House are the court sword and gauntlets of Sir Herbert Ashman, the last mayor of Bristol in 1898 and the First Lord Mayor in the following year when he was knighted.
Such ceremonies are normally held at Buckingham Palace, but on this occasion Queen Victoria travelled to Bristol and knighted Mr Ashman on the steps of the Old Council House in Corn Street. A huge crowd of well-wishers watched the ceremony. It was a touch of civic serendipity when in 1979 Alfred Telling, former chairman of the HAT Group, attended a dinner at the Mansion House.
He decided that the cutlery and glassware was not grand enough for the building, so he recruited a group of like-minded businessmen to raise the funds to replace them. This led to the formation of a group of 50 businessmen and women, each from a different firm in Bristol, to look after the Mansion House.
The guardians also vigorously campaigned against any plans to abolish the office of Lord Mayor or sell the Mansion House. In 1987, they lobbied hard while Labour councillors were debating the plans. The secretary of the Guild of Guardians is a council employee David Clarke, the Lord Mayor's secretary and the City Swordbearer.
Over the years, various Lord Mayors have entertained members of the Royal Family, including the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the Princess Royal and the Duchess of Kent at the Mansion House, when they have visited Bristol.
Many civic functions are held here, and the Mansion House now has a licence that allows it to be hired by organisations wishing to hold receptions at surely what must be the most prestigious address in Bristol.
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