It isn't particularly easy to get an idea of what Southampton was like before the Second World War, but a walk through the parks can transport you back in time without you even knowing it. Many trees look particularly lovely in Autumn, so last week we set off to walk the Southampton parks, and here are some of the plaques, statues and monuments that we actually looked at instead of walking straight past.
Sir Frederick Perkins presented an avenue of trees to the town in 1862, and very nice they are too. Sir Fred was mayor of Southampton five times in the 1850s and 60s, and was one of the MPs for the town in the 1870s. He formed part of the party that received the remains of Dr Livingstone on April 15th 1874. There was a very long procession of all the notables of the town, and a very large crowd of extremely well behaved onlookers -
"Unlike a London mob these good Hampshire folk contented themselves with standing still as the procession passed" (London Illustrated News)
So there we have it, even then we were better than London. Yes, anything London can do we can do as well. Did you know that we have our own Dick Whittington? Here he is:
"Unlike a London mob these good Hampshire folk contented themselves with standing still as the procession passed" (London Illustrated News)
So there we have it, even then we were better than London. Yes, anything London can do we can do as well. Did you know that we have our own Dick Whittington? Here he is:
Richard Andrews was definitely a self made man. As the son of a wheelwright he had very little education, but as an apprentice coachbuilder he worked his socks off. He walked miles and miles to find work, and eventually founded his own very successful business in Southampton. Because he didn't speak very well some people laughed at him, but he had the last laugh being very rich, and mayor of Southampton five times. There was a big row over his memorial - as usual it was about how to raise the money and who was going to be the architect. The memorial was considerably grander then than it is now:
Richard Andrews was very well loved - over 4000 people attended the unveiling of his memorial. I can't imagine that many people attending an event for Royston Smith or maybe that's just my limited imagination.
The statue of Isaac Watts dominates West Park (or Watts Park if you prefer).
The statue of Isaac Watts dominates West Park (or Watts Park if you prefer).
Isaac Watts was a very worthy person indeed. Scenes from his life are depicted in white marble panels around the base of the statue - a young poet, a teacher and a philosopher. He wrote a number of famous hymns as well as a large number of not so famous ones. Nowadays we would probably find the life of his sculptor much more entertaining. That person was Richard Cockle Lucas who English people would describe as eccentric and the rest of the world would describe as a complete nutter. Greg Walters would call him bonkers. RC Lucas believed in fairies and drove around Southampton in a chariot dressed as a Roman. Here is a picture of him being a Roman
It is hard to envisage strait-laced Victorians giving Lucas the commission to sculpt Isaac Watts' statue. I can't think that it had anything to do with him being a friend of Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston and Prime Minister of England.
Talking of Palmerston, we have a statue of him in, well, Palmerston Park.
Talking of Palmerston, we have a statue of him in, well, Palmerston Park.
My hero Sir James Lemon, Borough Surveyor, was responsible for putting in the foundation and fencing for this statue. He also recorded the stupendously huge row there was over paying the sculptor. Apparently Southampton Borough Committee had agreed to pay £800, but only coughed up £500. At that time this kind of thing was paid for by public subscription and that was all the money they had been able to raise. So there was a big court case in which the sculptor Thomas Sharp sued the mayor, our friend Sir Fred Perkins, although he was only an alderman at the time. Mr Sharp did not get the extra money as the jury were unable to reach a verdict! So the inhabitants of Southampton got a statue for a knockdown price. Sir James said that he always felt ashamed about that. Oh well.
My information came from these websites:
City of Southampton Society (COSS.org.uk)
Southampton.gov.uk
and the following books:
Monuments and Memorials in Southampton by Robert Douch
Southampton's Historic Buildings by RJ Coles
Southampton People by John Edgar Mann
A History of Southampton 1836 - 1867 by A Temple Patterson
Reminiscences of Public Life from 1866 to 1900 by Sir James Lemon
All of these books are in the local history section of Southampton Central Library, except Sir James's, which is on the settee with me.
We'll have a look at some more monuments next time; meanwhile there are always the trees and squirrels to enjoy
My information came from these websites:
City of Southampton Society (COSS.org.uk)
Southampton.gov.uk
and the following books:
Monuments and Memorials in Southampton by Robert Douch
Southampton's Historic Buildings by RJ Coles
Southampton People by John Edgar Mann
A History of Southampton 1836 - 1867 by A Temple Patterson
Reminiscences of Public Life from 1866 to 1900 by Sir James Lemon
All of these books are in the local history section of Southampton Central Library, except Sir James's, which is on the settee with me.
We'll have a look at some more monuments next time; meanwhile there are always the trees and squirrels to enjoy