File:Vanishing England (1911) (14584829880).jpg

Identifier: vanishingengland00ditc (find matches)
Title: Vanishing England
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson), 1854-1930
Subjects: England -- Description and travel England -- Antiquities
Publisher: London : Methuen
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ing town. The Newbury town hall, a Georgian structure, hasjust been demolished. It was erected in 1740-1742, takingthe place of an ancient and interesting guild hall built in1611 in the centre of the market-place. The councillorswere startled one day by the collapse of the ceiling of thehall, and when we last saw the chamber tons of heavyplaster were lying on the floor. The roof was unsound ;the adjoining street too narrow for the hundred motorsthat raced past the dangerous corners in twenty minuteson the day of the Newbury races ; so there was no helpfor the old building; its fate was sealed, and it was boundto come down. But the town possesses a very charmingCloth Hall, which tells of the palmy days of the Newburycloth-makers, or clothiers, as they were called ; of Jack ofNewbury, the famous John Winchcombe, or Smallwoode,whose story is told in Deloneys humorous old black-letter pamphlet, entitled The Most Pleasant and DelectableHistorie of John Winchcombe, otherwise called Jacke of
Text Appearing After Image:
*—» lx * 276 VANISHING ENGLAND Newberie, published in 1596. He is said to have fur-nished one hundred men fully equipped for the Kingsservice at Flodden Field, and mightily pleased QueenCatherine, who gave him a riche chain of gold, andwished that God would give the King many such clothiers.You can see part of the house of this worthy, who died in1519. Fuller stated in the seventeenth century that thisbrick and timber residence had been converted into six-teen clothiers houses. It is now partly occupied by theJack of Newbury Inn. A fifteenth-century gable withan oriel window and carved barge-board still remains,and you can see a massive stone chimney-piece in one ofthe original chambers where Jack used to sit and receivehis friends. Some carvings also have been discovered inan old house showing what is thought to be a carved por-trait of the clothier. It bears the initials J. W., andanother panel has a raised shield suspended by strap andbuckle with a monogram I. S., presumably Joh

Note About Images