The Grand Bazaar and Art Exhibition of 1888

One of the biggest social and artistic occasions in Bourne during the late 19th century was a two-day Grand Bazaar and Art Exhibition that was held at the Corn Exchange on Monday and Tuesday 28th and 29th May 1888.

The event was designed to take advantage of the Victorian preoccupation with self-improving pastimes such as needlework, home crafts and particularly painting in watercolours and oils.

Dozens of stalls were erected in the hall and laden with items made by ladies of the neighbourhood and donated for sale in aid of the building of a new rural school for children living at Dunsby Fen, West Pinchbeck and the surrounding district.

Bazaars had been held regularly in the past but on this occasion, it was combined with an art exhibition, the initiative in this being taken by Mrs Lawrance, wife of Mr John Compton Lawrance of Dunsby Hall who was also the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Stamford Division, which included Bourne. Her efforts were ably supported by an energetic committee of ladies and Mr Frederick Casswell, a farmer from Dunsby Fen, who proved to be an indefatigable honorary secretary.

The event was a great success and the Stamford Mercury reported the following Friday:

The interior of the hall presented a pleasing appearance. The roof was festooned with banners and the walls were adorned with ornamental devices. Mr Alfred Stubley [a painter and decorator, of West Street, who also provided the stage scenery for many local productions] undertook the decorations. The stalls were visions of beauty. The excellence of the wares displayed speedily attracted numerous buyers, and a very brisk trade was transacted. Within an hour of opening, upwards of £60 worth of goods had been sold. The general effect was rendered extremely pleasing by the artistic disposition of rare and beautiful plants and ferns, lent by Lady Willoughby de Eresby [of Grimsthorpe Castle]. Various entertainments were provided and Mr William Redshaw’s string band was in attendance. At 2.30 pm on Monday Mr Lawrance formally opened the bazaar.

Among those present at the opening ceremony were: Mrs Lawrance, Miss Lawrance, the Rev Hugh Mansfield [Vicar of Bourne], the Rev William Hooson (Vicar of Pinchbeck West) and Mrs Hooson, the Rev Percival Hartley [Vicar of Dunsby) with Mrs and the Misses Hartley, the Rev William Wright Layng and Mrs Layng (Rippingale), Miss Caves, the Misses Parker (Hanthorpe House), Miss Bell (Morton), Mr and Mrs T Pick (Baston), Mr and Mrs Atkinson (Dunsby), Mrs E Dean, Mr and Mrs H Dean (Dowsby Hall), Mr J Robinson (Pinchbeck West), Miss Scales, Miss Saul, Mrs Bott, the Misses Smart, Mrs and Miss Andrews, Miss Gilbert, Mrs Baxter, Mr Robert Mason Mills.

Mr Lawrance, in opening the bazaar, explained the necessity for the building of a new school, which would be more convenient for the children in Dunsby and the neighbourhood. “At the risk of apparent contradiction”, he said, “although I appealed to you in this same hall on Friday evening to remain Conservative, I now appeal to you to be liberal, as liberal as you possibly can for the cause this bazaar is intended to promote.” (Laughter). After cordially wishing the bazaar all success, the Rev Perceval Harley, of Dunsby, and the Rev William Hooson, spoke in favour of the movement and heartily praised the Misses Hartley and Mr Casswell, the honorary secretary, for their indefatigably exertions in its behalf. (Cheers).

Considerable interest naturally centred in the art exhibition. This appears to be the first effort made to encourage local artistic talent. So worthy an object deserves to succeed, and we hope it will receive an annual tribute of the sincerest flattery – imitation. If only enterprises similar to the present received the popular support that is their due, the reproach of England being a nation utterly inartistic would be removed. On the continent, towns of the size of Bourne have old established and flourishing art schools. There is no reason, beyond a general indifference, why a similar system should not be firmly established among ourselves. The exhibition, as a whole, was quite up to the average of amateur work, and though in a few instances crudities were observable, yet there was much work of undoubted promise, and some that was absolutely good.

Among the exhibitors were the following:

Mr R A Gardner, Bourne, “The Heronry, Milton Park, Peterborough” (prize) and “A wood scene”; Miss Lonsdale, “Interior of Malvern Abbey” and “Farmhouse, Aix-le-Bains”; Miss Rogers, “From the Terrace, Richmond” (prize); Miss Mellor, “On the Wye, Radnorshire “ (prize); Miss Parker, “On the Wye, Rhayader”; “Miss Keightley, “Still life”, “Study in black and white of a boy’s head” (highly commended); Miss F Parsons, “Poppies and Daisies”; Miss Dora Smart, “Chrysanthemums” (highly recommended); Miss Peacock, “Cottage” and “Water Mill”; Miss Nicholls, “A Summers’ Afternoon”; the Rev Todd, “A Cottage near Threekingham” and “Lovers of sport”; Mr Etherington Smith, “Lincoln Morning – Evening”; Miss Edwards, “The Valley of the Foyle”; the Hon Lady Tryon, “View in Normanton Park, the seat of Lord Aveland”, “Trawn Falls, Austria” and “Sketch from the Drawing-room Window of Grimsthorpe Castle; “Miss E F Muchley, “Cherries”; Mr Cecil Marrable, “On a Cornish Coast”; Miss Stubley, “Lancaster, February 1878”; Captain Isaacson, “An Empty Sky – a world of heather”; Miss A Muchley, “Waterfall”; Miss Stables, “The Shore”; Mr J Todd, “Scarborough Cliff”; Mr Cuthbert Bede, “A collection of copper etchings” and “Grimsthorpe Castle”; Mr Gilmore, “Pen and ink military sketches” (prize); Miss Lawrance, “Study of a Negro’s Head” (prize); Lady Worsley, “Lake of Brienz”; Miss Heathfield, “A Little Brook in the leafy month of June”. Great praise is due to all who contributed towards rendering the bazaar a success.

Although the event attracted large crowds, raising £60 towards the new school for Dunsby Fen and West Pinchbeck, I have been unable to ascertain whether it was actually built. Dunsby village already had a school at that time, erected in 1855 with room for fifty boys and girls, with an average attendance of around forty. It was supported partly by an endowment of £20 a year, paid by the governors of Charter House, London, owners of the church land and tithes since 1752, and by a voluntary rate.

There was also a school at West Pinchbeck, built in 1849 with room for 184 children (average attendance 178) and another at nearby Pode Hole, built in 1871 with room for 74 children (average attendance 74).

It would appear from these statistics that there was sufficient space for more children at most of them and I have been unable to establish why yet another school was deemed necessary although I have found a reference in Kelly's Directory for Lincolnshire for 1905 that the West Pinchbeck school, which was built in 1849, had been "since enlarged" and so the proceeds from the bazaar were probably used to finance extensions here rather than build an entirely new school as was originally intended.