15 Friday Apr 2011
Posted in Events, Getting involved, Newsletter
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Newcastle History Day
21st May 2011
The Society will be manning a display at the Borough Museum
on Newcastle History Day.
Civic Day
25th June 2011
We will have a market stall in Newcastle on 25th June.
Come along and find out what we do and perhaps take part in a guided walk.
There will be a competition for children to enjoy.
15 Friday Apr 2011
Posted in Newsletter, Plaques
By Diana Bevan
The veterinary practice in Queen Street, Newcastle, was established there in 1813 by Thomas Mayer (1764-1835) and his son, also Thomas, born 1791.
The sons of the younger Thomas also became vets. They were Thomas Walton Mayer and John Smith Mayer.
In 1835, when Thomas Mayer senior died, his grandson Thomas Walton Mayer, newly qualified, joined the family veterinary practice. So continued “Thomas Mayer and Son” of Queen Street.
The Royal Veterinary College in London had been founded in 1791 but there were no regulated standards or independent governing body for veterinary matters. There was disagreement nationally about this and Thomas Mayer and his son became involved.
They personally contacted every vet in the country urging support for a petition to the Privvy Council for a Royal Charter.
A committee was formed and the campaign started. After many setbacks they achieved their objective. In 1844, a “Charter” was granted to the “Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons”, a governing body at last.
Thomas Mayer and Son of Newcastle-under-Lyme had made their mark in the veterinary world.
The elder Thomas Mayer died in 1848 and his two sons then ran the practice in Queen Street, not always amicably it seems.
Both were active in civic life in the Borough of Newcastle, and in particular Thomas Mayer.
He had been elected to serve as a Newcastle Burgess and was a town councillor and magistrate.
He was a founder and committee member of Newcastle Literary and Scientific Institute.
From 1849-50 he was Mayor of Newcastle.
His book “Canine Pathology” was published.
Meanwhile the personal life of Thomas Walton Mayer was very complicated.
His first wife Mary Walters had died in 1841 leaving him with a young daughter. He remarried in 1844, Alice Mayer and they had two sons, one of whom died in 1850.
The 1851 Census indicates that Thomas and his wife were not living in the same household.
Alice Mayer was living in Wolverhampton. Thomas W. Mayer was living in Newcastle with his son and two servants. Sarah Millward, Nursery Governess, had lived with the family for over ten years and in 1848 had borne his child. She had a second son in 1852.
Shortly afterwards, Thomas made the decision to leave Newcastle and the family veterinary practice. He and Sarah Millward set up home together. Early in 1854 he joined the army and became a vet in the Royal Engineers and went immediately to the Crimean War.
In the summer of 1856, he returned to England. Alice, his second wife had been working as a governess in Suffolk and she died there in the August of 1856.
Two months later Thomas married Sarah Millward in London. They were living in Gillingham in Kent in 1861 where the census recorded him as Walter Mayer. A daughter was born at Aldershot in September 1861.
He was promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1867 before retiring from the army in 1871. He then became a college lecturer in veterinary science and also returned to practice for a while.
In later years he went through a difficult time financially. He died in Aldershot in 1887 and was buried in the military cemetery there.
John Smith Mayer had pursued other business interests as well as his veterinary work. He died in 1863.
So ended the veterinary connection of the Mayer family to Newcastle-under-Lyme, except that their houses, stable block and old veterinary surgery are still there in Queen Street.
Recently Newcastle-under-Lyme Civic Society placed one of their blue plaques on the old surgery. It is a reminder of the achievement of ‘Thomas Mayer and Son’ who led the successful campaign leading to the foundation of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1844.
15 Friday Apr 2011
Posted in Conservation, Newsletter
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Contributed by Mr Denis Duffy
Facing – The finishing applied to the outer surface of a building.
Façade (Fr) – Exterior face of a building.
Fan light – (i) A modern window, often semi-circular, over a door, in Georgian and Regency buildings, with radiating glazing bars suggesting a fan,
(ii) Also, less commonly, the upper part of a window hinged to open separately.
Fascia or Facia – (Latin Facias = a face) – A broad fillet band or face, used in classical architecture, sometimes by itself but usually in combination with mouldings. Architraves are frequently divided into two or three fasciae, each of which projects slightly beyond that which is below it.
Fenestration – The arrangement of windows in a building
Folly – A costly but useless structure built to satisfy the whim of some eccentric and thought to show his folly; usually a tower or a sham Gothic or classical ruin in a landscaped park intended to enhance the view or picturesque effect.
Footing of a wall – Projecting courses of stones at base for giving stability.
Foyer – The vestibule or entrance hall of a theatre.
Framed building – A structure whose weight is carried by the framework instead of by load-bearing walls. The term includes modern steel and REINFORCED CONCRETE structures, as well as TIMBER FRAMED. (half- timbered).
In the former the frame is usually encased within a facing (or cladding) of light material; in the latter the in filling may be of WATTLE AND DAUB or of brick.
Frieze – The decorated band along the upper part of an internal wall, immediately below the cornice.
Functionalism – The dictum “form follows function” uttered by the American architect Louis Sullivan at the end of the 19th century has guided many architects since.
The creed of the architect or designer who holds that it is his primary duty to see that a building or an object designed by him functions well. Whatever he wishes to convey aesthetically and emotionally must not interfere with the fitness of the building or object to fulfil its purpose.
15 Friday Apr 2011
Posted in Newsletter
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Contributed by J.T. Worgan
According to the historical records and the directory of Newcastle-under-Lyme (2nd edition 1881) in order to ascertain the origin of Newcastle-under-Lyme it is necessary first to refer to Chesterton, a village about 2 miles to the North. It appears beyond doubt that the name given to the former was derived from a new castle erected in the 12th C in lieu of the then decayed old castle or fortress at the latter place. This has never been proved despite numerous Roman coins being found on a farm close to Chesterton which strengthens evidence that there was formerly a Roman station at that place.
It is interesting therefore that Newcastle-under-Lyme never featured in the Doomsday Book, commissioned by William the Conqueror. The work was carried out quickly because it was brought to the king before the end of 1086 but in an unfinished state. Work on the Doomsday Book came to an end shortly after the death of William in 1087 and was never completely finished.
In an article entitled Medieval Newcastle-under-Lyme – A Hidden Doomsday Borough (Staffordshire Studies Vol. III (1990-1991) pages 1-21 Robin Studd states that In 1086 the territory occupied from the middle of the 12th C by the town of Newcastle-under-Lyme lay within the manor of Trentham approximately 3 miles to the north of the vill. It is therefore to the Trentham entry in the Staffordshire Doomsday account that we should look for possible evidence of the settlement’s earliest days.
I append the following Trentham entry :-
THE LAND OF THE KING In Seisdon Hundred
The King holds Trentham //There is 1 hide.
There is land for three ploughs. In demesne is 1(plough): and 5 villains with a border and a reeve have 3 ½ ploughs.
There is a priest and 1 freeman have 2 ploughs and (there are) 3 villains and 6 borders with 1 plough. There is a woodland 1 league long and a half broad. TRE it was worth 100sh: now 115sh.
In the above mentioned article, Mr Studd argues that the entry for Trentham is most unusual and in fact comprises a double entry – that is for 2 locations, one of which because of the feudal geography of the area is almost certainly Newcastle, not as a town but as a vill (the other relates to Trentham clearly) It would be easy to dismiss this as a clerical error or further evidence of the haste with which the Doomsday was compiled, but neither explanation seems to be the case. However tantalisingly brief, the details given are deliberately provided and as such constitute a very unusual entry indeed. There is no comparable entry in the Staffordshire Survey.
Finally Mr. Studd states that the Newcastle entry predates other references to Newcastle by about 50 years but explains why in the 12thC, when records of Newcastle first appeared (and Newcastle is recorded in the very first Pipe Roll) it appears as a going urban settlement. This then could explain why the old township was renamed Newcastle-under-Lyme with the building of the castle.
[The Author wishes to thank Mr. Robin Studd for his permission to quote from the above named article. Any other comments are those of the author.]
15 Friday Apr 2011
Posted in Getting involved, Newsletter, Uncategorized
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Who are we ?
Newcastle-under-Lyme Civic Society is a well established and active group who aim to conserve the character and prosperity of our unique and historic town and Borough whilst accommodating the needs of our 21st century community.
Newcastle-under-Lyme Civic Society was formed in 1968 and currently has approximately fifty members. We are a diverse group of local people from all sorts of backgrounds brought together by our desire to protect, conserve and improve the character of our historic town.
The aims of the Newcastle-under-Lyme Civic Society are to promote and encourage the following:
a) public interest in and concern and respect for the Borough’s beauty, history and character;
b) the development, preservation, conservation, and improvement of features of historic and community interest;
c) high standards of planning, architecture and landscaping.
We meet on the second Friday of each month (excluding August) at 2.00pm in the Orme Centre, Pooldam.
New members are very welcome.
15 Friday Apr 2011
Posted in Getting involved, Newsletter, Planning
Contributed by John Sutton
We are due to make further Civic Awards again this year. The object of the scheme is to encourage high quality of design and workmanship throughout the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme. The scheme is operated in conjunction with the Borough Council and is probably the project which identifies most closely with the objects of the Society as laid down at its inauguration in 1968.
These Awards, which are to be made every two years, were revived in 2009 after a lapse of many years and are designed to enhance the appearance of the area in which we live. Although instigated by the Civic Society, the Awards are run in equal partnership with the Borough Council with whom we enjoyed, and I use the word advisedly, excellent co-operation during the 2009 scheme. It sometimes seems that we are opposing them on planning matters and it was a real pleasure to be working with them to a common end and for the benefit of Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Awards will be considered for the following categories:-
A) New Buildings – (i) Residential (ii) Commercial and other.
B) Conservation/Refurbishment of existing buildings – (i) Residential (ii) Commercial and other.
C) Landscaping and Development of land
Awards will be made for category A and B work completed between 1st January 2009 and 31st December 2010 and for landscaping and development of land work completed between 1st January 2007 to 31st December 2010.
Anyone may nominate a project for consideration for an Award, but all nominations must be submitted not later than 1st August 2011 and must be on the official Forms.
Nomination Forms and Guidance Notes may be downloaded from the Civic Society website http://www.newcastleunderlymecivicsociety.wordpress.com , the Borough Council website http://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk or may be obtained from 10 Kingsway East, Newcastle ST5 3PZ.
Look around you and see if you can find some project worthy of nomination.
