Town & Manor of Hungerford

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the Town & Manor
of Hungerford
by Hugh Pihlens

Town and Manor of Hungerford
and Liberty of Sanden Fee


	You are in [Town Hall & Corn Exchange] [History of Town Halls]

The following notes on the history of the Hungerford’s Town Halls have been provided by Robert James:

The Town Hall and Corn Exchange is of particular note as an example of a great piece Victorian architecture and because it is one of a few, if not the only Town Hall in the country not maintained by a local authority and charged to the public through the rating system.

How this came about is in itself an interesting story is recorded in the history of the Town & Manor of Hungerford under many different accounts. It is enough to say that the building is vested in the Constable and Trustees of the Town & Manor of Hungerford Charity and the conditions of the scheme dated 1908 then revised in 1990 by the Charity Commissioners. It orders the maintenance and administration of the building is to be the first charge upon the Charity’s funds after annual expenses have been met.
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The First Town Hall: The Town Hall is a relic of bygone years when Hungerford was acknowledged as a Borough, if not by Charter then certainly by prescription. The first Town Hall was probably built for use in 1267, the reputed date of the original Chartered Market and the Assize of Bread and Ale.

There is no mention of the building until 1543 which stood in the middle of the Market Place facing north in front of 27 and 28 High Street. At that time there had been a survey of the Manor of Hungerford and the old building was described as “utterly dekeyed and ruinus”. By that time it was 276 years old and it was not until 1607 that the building was finally replaced. There is reference to the Town Hall Clock in 1573 and 1598 when essential repairs were paid for “a meanly repair” but no further record of the problems or plans for the old building.

The Second Town Hall: In 1607 the Hocktide Jury presented “The Townsmen of Hungerford have at their own cost and charges built and erected one house called the Town Hall wherein the Queen’s Majesty Courts and Law Days for the said Manor are usually kept with a shop under the said Hall and two prisons thereunto for the punishment of malefactors”.

This is what is quoted and recorded but it interesting also to note that the Queen had died in 1603 and this was now James 1 on the throne! It is interesting to note that the presentments were recorded in Latin and it was not until 1733 that it became wholly in English.

During these centuries there was associated with the Town Hall an adjacent buildings referred to as the Market House and Butter Market. The records show that the Butter Market passed into private ownership on a 99 year lease to Richard Hawkins. He died in 1687 and it was then bought from his executors for a consideration of £12.10.0 and placed in Trust for the Town. It lasted only until 1746 when it was demolished and carted away at a cost of £3.12.0.
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The Third Town Hall: In 1786 the second Town Hall was pulled down and a new one built a few yards south of the old site. Prison cells were again a feature and this time a shed was provided for the Town Fire Engine. There was again court facilities for the Petty Sessions, Hocktide Court, the Courts Leet of Hungerford and Sanden Fee.

It was reported in 1860 that the old Town Hall was in need of repair and there was need of a new Corn Exchange. The following year Mr Hall offered to pay half the cost of a new Town Hall instead of repairing the old building but his offer was rejected.

The new clock: Five years later Mr Hall offered to buy a new clock for the Town Hall and this time it was accepted. John Wooldridge was paid £107.5.0 on account to build a suitable addition to the roof to house the clock and he was paid £177.17.4¾d for the completed job.

In 1868 there remained much interest in a new Town Hall and Corn Exchange to accommodated the growing needs of the Town and local business to trade farm produce.
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The Church Wardens owned a site in the High Street and the tenant was offered to surrender the lease and the Feoffees agreed to the purchase the site for £100 and 5 acres of land on the Common Port Down which was permitted under the order of the Enclosures Commissioners.

The Fourth Town Hall - with Corn Exchange: In May 1870 Mr Walter Money Architect from Newbury was asked to submit plans which were approved by the Feoffees with an estimate of £2700 subsequently the Corn Exchange was added. Building work commenced on 7th September 1870 with the laying of the Foundation Stone by Mr John Cherry a Lawyer who lived at Upper Denford Manor Estate whose portrait still hangs in the Town Hall.

By the following June the building work was sufficiently advanced for work to commence in moving the Town Clock from the old Town Hall. Mr Hall who had given the clock was approached about the addition of two more faces to the clock. This he agreed to we assume as the clock was installed with four faces.

The Corn Exchange was opened for business on 11 October 1871 and the first meeting of the Feoffees in the Town Hall was later 26th the same month just under 14 months to build and commission this remarkable building. Unhappily Mr Thomas Hutchins the Constable who had presided over the whole business of planning, raising the money and the building work died suddenly on 9th October and was not there for the opening of the New Town Hall and Corn Exchange. Mr George Earle a past holder of the office was again appointed Constable and an Opening night Dinner was postponed as a mark of respect for the work of Mr Hutchins.
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		Hungerford’s Second Town Hall



		Hungerford’s Third Town Hall, c1862



		Hungerford’s Third Town Hall, c1863



		Hungerford’s Fourth Town Hall, c1903

In 1872 Mr Hoskins the builder of the Town Hall and Corn Exchange was instructed by the Feoffees to now remove the “old Town Hall” this was of course the third one and the highway was made good.

The total cost from start to finish for the entire building was £4000 all paid for by private subscription. In 1874 the Feoffees advised the hand holders interest rate be reduced from 4% to 3.125%. The last of these notes were paid off early at the turn of the century.

Since the splendid new and fourth Town Hall and Corn Exchange has been the meeting place of the old Feoffees, the Parish Council now known as the Town Council,

Petty Sessional Courts Polling Station, a Masonic Temple, lecture hall for public meetings and dinners and in recent times the home of the Hocktide Lunches which are the highlight of the Constable’s year in office.

Repairs and renewals required: As with all the other three Town Halls history repeated itself and repairs were needed at the time of the centenary year and once again there was no money in the bank to meet the expected bills. Again like “chicken and egg” bookings were lost as the accommodation was shabby and good lettings were required to obtain money to pay for the decoration and repairs. It was a severe struggle and there was no recourse to the rate payers to meet the expense which was anticipated to be big.

To resolve the problem two Townsmen Clive Norman, a serving Trustee and Dick Wallis landlord of the John of Gaunt took action and launched the Hocktide Ball as the first effort to raise funds for repair of the Town Hall and Corn Exchange. This became an annual feature and social event which raised good money.

It became clear to Mr John Newton when he became Constable in 1972 fund raising had to be stepped up considerably and he launched first of seven “Hungerford Steam Rallies” to find enough money to do the essential work on the building. Eight years later and raising nearly £20,000 was an amazing accomplishment to complete all the necessary work.

Then in 1987 a Civil Servant from the District Council doing his rounds as safety officer of public buildings threatened to close the building as being unsafe with dry and wet rot and reported the matter to the Constable Col Donald Macey. The Trustees were horrified at the threat and made rapid plans to over come the worst possible case for repair and renovation at what ever cost. Specialist Architects of Victorian Buildings were engaged to survey the building and recommend necessary work and builders to carry out the work.

Peter Scott Associates Architects from Newbury and Moss Building Contractors were appointed to carry out the work and the original cost was considered to be in the order of £200,000 soon this escalated to £500,000 and finally the bill for the completed work totalled £525,000. The whole building was opened for Tuttiday three years later 1990 resplendent Victorian Craftsmanship and vibrant colours in the decoration.

The Constable and the Trustees had finished the work raised the funding from their own resources neither claiming from the public purse in anyway nor by public subscription. Since there has been much further expense to both improve and restore the building and installing modern facilities demanded by those who use the building.

Since 1987 nearly £1 million has been spent on the only privately funded Town Hall and Corn Exchange in England.

Robert W James
Trustee of the Town & Manor of Hungerford
June 2009