Kellys_1917_0022.jpg

H E A D IN G D IB B C T O E V — 1 91 7.

,T

T h e H e b re w S y n ag og u e w as opened in N o v e m b er, 1900, b y the late
L ord S w a y th lin g j and con secrated b y th e late V e r y R e v . D r. H erm ann
A d le r L L .D . C h ie f R a b b i, and D r. H erm an n G ollan cz M .A ., D .L it.
T h e b u ild in g , o f w h ich th e p rin cip a l en tran ce is in G old sm id road,
R ussell stre e t, is o f b r ic k and sto n e , in the M oresqu e sty le, and has
a dom ed flèche on th e roof. T h e in te rio r has a 'b e a u tifu l effect,
heigh ten ed b y stained glass w in d o w s ; the seats are o f p olish ed oak,
w h ile the d esig n o f T h e A r k is in w h ite, on th e east side o f w h ich
are th e w ardens’ p e w s ; it has sin ce been registered as a p lace o f w orsh ip
and licensed to solem nize m arriages.
R ea d in g C em etery, situated a t th e ju n ction o f th e L on d on and W o k in g ham roads, establish ed in 1842, un der the p rov ision s o f the A c t 5 and 6
V ie t. c. C I X . o ccu pies 12 acres o f land, 8 o f w h ich are con secrated, and
the rem ainder ap p ro p ria te d to dissenters ; it has t w o m ortu a ry chapels
and a residence fo r th e curator.
T h e m unicipal b u ildin gs, w h ich include th e T o w n H a ll, Council
C ham ber an d o th er m unicipal offices, P u b lic L ib r a r y , M useum s and A r t
G alleries, a re situated in F ria r street, B lag rav e street and V a lp y street,
and fo rm a p ile o f bla ck and red b rick , w ith a c lo ck to w e r, in the G oth ic
s ty le , th e m unicipal bu ild in gs p ro p e r h a vin g been erected in 1875,
from d e sig n s b y A lfr e d W a te rh o u se esq. R .A . an d th e rem aining
p ortion (begun in 1879) com p leted and op en ed M a y 31, 1882, from the
d esigns o f T hom as X a in so n esq. o f B rig h to n . T h e n ich e in th e g able
o v e r th e lib ra ry is filled w ith a m arble statue o f H er M a je s ty
Queen V ic to r ia , p resented b y th e late W illia m Isaac P a lm er esq. o f
G razeley C ourt.
T h e p rin cip a l entrance in B la g ra v e street leads to
the m ain c o rr id o r o r v e stib u le , 1 5 ft. w id e b y 7 9 ft. lo n g at the
n orth end o f w h ich is a m em orial ston e, re co rd in g on an attached
brass p la te the fou n d ation o f the stru ctu re. T h e G rea t H a ll, 60ft. w id e,
97 ft. lo n g and 50 ft. h ig h , is entered o n th e w e s t side b y five la rg e d o o r ­
w ays, and w ill h o ld 1,500 persons. T h e orch estra is p laced at the east
end o f th e hall, and contains an organ presented b y the R ea d in g P h il­
h a rm on ic S o cie ty . T h e hall has ba lco n ie s rou n d th e n o rth , sou th and
w est sid es, and its w a lls are d iv id e d in to panels b y flu ted p ilasters, w ith
m oulded bases an d g ilt c a p ita ls ; o v e r th is is an en rich ed frie ze , and
a b o v e a h e a v y co rn ice , from w h ich sp rin g the ornam ental ribs o f the
c e ilin g ; beneath th e hall is a supper ro o m w ith retirin g room s. On the
w alls o f th e C ouncil cham her and in o th e r parts o f the bu ild in gs are
p ortraits o f M r. R ich ard A ld w o rth , fou n d er o f th e B lu e C oat s c h o o l; Sir
T hom as W h ite , L o r d M a y o r o f L o n d o n in 1553. b o m at R e a d in g in
1492 ; S ir T hom as R ich hart, o f S on n in g, oh. 13 O ct. 1667 ; A rch b ish op
L au d , executed 10 Jan. 1 6 4 5 ; W . Stephens esq. H ig h S h e r iff; A ir. Joh n
K en d rick , a local be n e fa cto r, o b . 1624 ; an d S ir T h om a s N o o n T a lfou rd
kt. som e tim e M .P . fo r R e a d in g , and Ju stice o f th e C om m on P leas, w h o
died on the B en ch at Stafford, 13 M a rch , 1854, w h ile d e liv e rin g h is ch arg e
to th e G rand J u ry ; M r. Isaac H a rrison , su rgeon , late o f R ea d in g ;
E n d the late M r. W illia m Isaac P a lm e r, w ell k n ow n as a tem perance
ad vocate and p h ila n th rop ist, w h o con trib u ted a b o u t £ 2 5 ,0 0 0 tow ards
th e n e w p u b lic bu ildin gs.
T h e m unicipal insign ia include a m ace,
m ayor’s chain and b a d g e , w arden’s ba dg es, t w o tip p ed staves, a lo v in g
and o th er cups an d b o ro u g h seals. T h e m ace, o f silver g ilt, is 4ft. l l i n .
lon g an d has a plain staff w ith r ic h ly orn am en ted lvnops and a la rg e
sp readin g fo o t k n o p , w ith an in scrip tio n and th e date 1 7 7 0 : fou r
brack ets su p p o rt th e h ea d , w h ich is d iv id e d in to fo u r o v a l com p artm en ts
con tain in g the n a tion a l em blem s, c ro w n e d , and th e cy p h er G . f f i . R .” ;