Hutton Rudby Mechanics' Institute, founded 6 November 1850

So little is known of the Hutton Rudby Mechanics' Institute, that I quote this piece in full.  It gives such a flavour of the event and the times and the hunger for learning and self-improvement among working men.  An impressive 400 people packed the large room of the Flax Spinning Mill by the River Leven to celebrate the Institute's first anniversary:-

York Herald, 15 November 1851

SOIREE OF THE HUTTON RUDBY MECHANICS INSTITUTE 

On Thursday, November 6th, the first anniversary of the Hutton Rudby Institute was celebrated in the large room of the Spinning Mill, the use of which was kindly allowed for the occasion.  The room was tastefully decorated with evergreens, and though the day was very unfavourable nearly 400 persons sat down to tea, which was provided gratuitously by the ladies of the village, who presided at the tables.  Mrs Burnett, the well-known vocalist, assisted by Mr S J Taylor, who presided at the pianoforte, sung several popular songs, during the evening, and added greatly to the enjoyment of the assembly.  As soon as tea was over, and the room had been cleared of tables, &c., the Rev J S Barlow [actually the Rev R J Barlow] was called to the chair. 

The CHAIRMAN opened the proceedings by assuring the meeting that he felt duly sensible of the honour they had conferred upon him.  As he had not been accustomed to take part in public meetings, he consented to take the chair very reluctantly, fearing he should damage the cause they were met to advocate.  He said few things could be more cheering to a person in his position, than to see efforts made to elevate the tastes and habits of his parishioners, especially the tastes and habits of the labouring classes, and he sincerely trusted they would avail themselves of every means of improvement which was offered by the Institute. 

The SECRETARY read the report, from which it appeared the Institute had been established one year; that it numbers upwards of sixty members; that a reading-room well supplied with newspapers and periodicals; and a library well supplied with books had been opened; that the committee had expended about forty pounds during the year, and that they had a creditable balance in hand. 

Mr JOSEPH TAYLOR, of Middlesbro', addressed the meeting, at considerable length, on the advantages of mechanics' institutes.  He said the object of those institutions was to give young men facilities for mental culture, and to assist them to acquire such a knowledge of business as should enable them to compete with men who had been favoured with a superior education in their boyhood, or had enjoyed the advantages of living in larger towns.  He made a powerful appeal to the young men present, who had not joined the institute, to come forward and do so.  He said it was impossible to say to what a man would attain who resolutely "willed" to be "onward." 

HENRY PEASE, Esq., of Darlington, on presenting himself, was warmly applauded.  He said they were not to expect a great speech from him, he did not take himself the credit of being an eloquent speaker.  He had long been connected with mechanics' institutes; he had some knowledge of what they had done for the people, and if he could say anything that evening calculated to promote the interests of the Hutton Rudby institute, it would afford him much pleasure.  He said there was nothing Englishmen respected more than manliness of character; and to possess true manliness of character, a man must be educated; ignorance was slavery.  He would advise every young man to apply himself studiously to one branch of education until he had mastered it.  He would urge upon every young man the necessity of depending upon himself; to trust in no man, and in no body of men; to trust in nothing but his own efforts, and God's blessing upon those efforts.  Determine to do credit to yourselves, and credit to the institute of which you form a part.  He was very anxious they should attend well to the classes.  He would advise them to adopt a good system of reading.  It was astonishing how little some people appeared to know, though they read a great deal; they read without any system, and they could not command either true ideas, or proper expressions, when they wanted them.  He urged upon all the importance of doing their best to improve their position.  He said there were [illegible] encouraging examples of men who had attained the highest positions, with everything apparently unfavorable at their start.  He had seen much of Mechanics' Institutes, and he knew their tendency was for good; let those institutes be well conducted, and have the support of which they were worthy, and he was certain they would see, in every town, a different and a better state of things. 

Mr JOHN TAYLOR, made some useful remarks on the claims of Mechanics' Institutes.  He said he had several times visited Hutton Rudby to advocate Temperance, and it gave him much pleasure to be with them on that occasion.  He was certain the formation of the Mechanics' Institute would constitute an important era in the history of Hutton Rudby, and he trusted it would meet with that support, from the inhabitants generally, as should make it a real blessing to the village and neighbourhood. 

The meeting was also addressed by Mr John Jordison, of Middlesbro', G O Wray, Esq., R R Burgess, Esq., and Mr Joseph Hutton, of Stokesley. 

A vote of thanks was given to the chairman, and, about half-past ten o'clock, the largest and most enthusiastic meeting, ever held in Hutton Rudby, was brought to a close.

We know that by the end of the century the Institute was housed at the top of North End, and perhaps in 1851 it was already installed there.  The photograph below is thought to have been taken in the 1880s.

North End, Hutton Rudby

The building was later used as a Reading Room and Library, then a Snooker Hall, and in the 1960s it became a shop.  Originally it was a long, low building but it was altered in about 1900 when a mock-Tudor black-and-white frontage was added.

Postcard of North End, Hutton Rudby

This second photograph shows the new frontage.

For more on the vicar, Robert Barlow, see my book, Remarkable but still True, the story of the Revd R J Barlow and Hutton Rudby in the time of the cholera.  It's on this blog and Chapter 1 can be found here

Henry Pease (1807-81) was a member of the Darlington Quaker family.  He was a director of the Darlington & Stockton Railway, creator of the seaside resort of Saltburn, a peace activist who went to see the Tsar of Russia in an attempt to stop the Crimean War.  A short account of his life can be found here and there is more on his part in the opening of the railway line that ran across Stainmore here.  (I know I travelled on the line across to Penrith with my father, but was too young to have any memory of it now.  What a shame it's gone).

You will perhaps have noticed that though the village ladies supplied the refreshments, the young village women were not to have any share in the opportunities provided by the Institute ...


Thanks to Malcolm McPhie and the Facebook page of the Hutton Rudby and District Local History Society for the photos.  Many more photographs of North End can be found there.