St Albans Old Town Hall will soon be a Museum

Restoration and conversion work is well under way

The Same view 100 years ago

More views of the Town Hall in the early 20th century

A History of the old Town Hall in St Albans

I have just heard that Chris Green has written a book about the old Town Hall in St Albans and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Chris is a former director of St Albans Museum and will be signing copies of the book from 12.00 to 1.00 pm on Saturday 2 September, at Waterstones, St Peter’s Street, St Albans. The full colour, fully illustrated book costs £6.99, ISBN 978-0-901194-10-7. It is being published by St Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural & Archaeological Society, email publications@stalbanshistory.org.

During his time as director of St Albans Museums Chris Green worked in the old town hall and over the years has studied almost every inch of the building. He has drawn on his extensive knowledge and experience to write this definitive, fully illustrated guide to its history and use over almost 200 years. Original plans for the neo-classical building by architect George Smith are included in the book. The front cover of the book shows George Smith’s original drawing for the building.

The old town hall originally served as a place of local justice, with the local seat of government occupying just one large room. In 1851 the Bribery Commission held court in the building to investigate the ‘cash for votes’ scandal that resulted in St Albans losing its parliamentary representation for a period of time.

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In case you didn't know the original City Museum in Hatfield road closed in 2015 and is due to reopen in the Old Town Hall in Spring 2018

Click Here for some old post card images of the Old Town Hall

Work is about to start on the New Town Centre Museum at St Albans

It is just over a year since I posted pictures of the closure of the Victorian museum building in Hatfield Road (which had been made of bricks from my Great Grandfather's works on Bernards Heath. I am therefore delighted to see that St Albans Council have just posted information to say that the building work to prepare the museum's new home in the former Town Hall building will start in November.

Redevelopment of the Old St Albans Museum

The Former St Albans Museum in Hatfield Road

This building (or at least the front part seen in this picture) was built as a museum for the City of St Albans in 1898 but is now redundant as plans are underway to open a new museum is the magnificent former Town Hall in St Peter's street. Last year I reported on the closure and said something about its history. Now plans are underway to convert the original building into housing - retaining the older part including the frontage shown above and some of you may wish to comment.

Representations about the plans need to be made to the St Albans Planning Department by 17th February and more information can be found HERE.

Book Sale - to support St Albans new museum 24th October

Saturday 24 October 2015 at the Old Town Hall, St Albans

The Society in partnership with the St Albans Civic Society is pleased to announce that it is holding a book sale in the Assembly Room of the Old Town Hall on Saturday 24 October 2015. It will be open between 10am and 4pm.

While there will be some older books, most are nearly new with others barely touched.

Please do come along with your spare pennies and pounds. Tea, coffee and buns available.

All proceeds go to the new museum and gallery fund.

Pictures of the last day at St Albans Museum

The Mayor of St Albans opens the doors to the public for the last time

The Mayor of St Albans, Councillor Salih Gaygusuz, opens the door of the museum for the last time, on Sunday, September 21st, after having been introduced by the Portfolio Holder, Councillor Annie Brewster. For more pictures on the final day, and also of some recent exhibitions:

CLICK HERE

The Foundation Stone was laid on 20th July 1898, on land given by Earl Spencer, and it was erected using "red bricks of local make" . It was opened in November 1899 and was originally referred to as the Hertfordshire County Museum. 

One hundred and 117 years later I felt it was important to represent the family at this historic event. The Museum building was made of bricks made in Jacob Reynolds' brick-works on nearby Bernards Heath so I am sure myGreat Grandfather Jacob must have been at the opening. Also at the opening was Arthur Ernest Gibbs, the first curator of the Museum. Arthur's Grandfather, Richard Gibbs of St Albans, was the brother of my Great Great Grandfather, John Gibbs of Aylesbury.

WW1 Tapestry from Napsbury at St Albans Museum

Just a quick note to warn you that the excellent WW1 Exhibition at St Albans Museum  "Keep the Home Fires Burning" finishes on 14th November. There is still time to see this wonderful tapestry of military badges made by soldiers in Napsbury Military Hospital and also the Memorial Window from the Folly Chapel at Wheathampstead.

WW1 Memorial Window from Folly Methodist Chapel, Wheathampstead

This memorial window can currently be seen as part of the Keeping the Home Fires Burning exhibition (until 16th November 2014) at the Museum of St Albans. 

The names are: 

S. Bandy, C. Carter, F. Gray, M. Harrison, H. Izzard, H. Lawrence, G. Minal, A. Munt, A. Odell, C. Pearce, G. Upton-Robins & H. Wilson.

Click here for the story of how this web site helped in the window finding its new home.

St Albans Museum to move to Town Hall - questionaire

St Albans Town Hall

St Albans

The St Albans Museum in Hatfield Road is to move to the central position of the Town Hall and if you are interested there is currently a questionnaire seeking your views.

Sandridge Exhibition in St Albans Museum now open

Declaring the Exhibition open

Sandridge

Yesterday evening I attended the opening of the special exhibition to celebrate 900 years of records relating to the parish church of Sandridge, being held in the St Albans Museum over the next five weeks. Exhibits go back to the Iron Age and as one might expect there is a lot about the church. What made me feel old was that there was quite a lot on areas such as Jersey Far, which is now part of St Albans, and which had not been developed when my parents left Sandridge 75 years ago!

The Sandridge 900 Team

See Sandridge900 for the exhibition dates and other events, including a re-enactment of the 2nd Battle of St Albans in May.

A busy March - but a quiet April is predicted

While things may look OK up front with 25 posts, over 7200 page views on the newsletter, over 23,000 visitors to the main web site, and some useful activity @HertsGenealogy - behind the scenes things haven't gone as I planned. My office is still as untidy as before - I have made little progress transferring files to my new computer - I have not slept well, and have put on about 3kg when I was meant to be loosing it. The last of these problems is because I have spent more time snacking at the computer and less time on country walks, etc.  I am clearly showing signs of stress and need to unwind. 

Sandridge

... So don't expect a lot of activity in April - as this site will have to have a low priority. I will concentrate on news items, and finishing off a few mini-projects where 90% of the work has already been done - plus perhaps one or two rural relaxation posts. I will still answer quick questions and comments but anything new involving significant research will have to wait. I must avoid too much time at the keyboard so I also plan to get out and about more - starting with going to London at the end of the week for the Leo Computers Society Diamond Reunion, and including the opening of the St Albans Museum "Discover Sandridge" exhibition associated with Sandridge900 later the month. 

Points from the Post

Hertfordshire Memories: If you have memories of the last 100 years which should go on record the most appropriate place is probably http://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/ unless they are very specifically relevant to pages already on this web site. This site concentrates on the period up to the end of the First World War, and I can always link through to later material on other sites.

Local Germans in 1914: Jon drew my attention to a blog (Sausage Dogs Persecuted - the Fall of Dachshund during WW1) which mentions that according to Graham Greene (son of the headmaster at Berkhamsted School) dachshunds were stoned at Berkhamsted. This reminded me of Joseph Kimich of Hemel Hempstead, son of a German watchmaker, who committed suicide shortly after a newspaper article referred to the possibility of the sons of Germans being interned. 

Robert Clark of Royston: As far as I know his first post card views were published in 1904, and most were of Hertfordshire and adjoining parts of Cambridgeshire. A query from Shirley means it would be interesting to know if there are examples of his views earlier than 1904, either a straight photographs, or as post cards with undivided backs.

There were about half a dozen other items which would have qualified for a brief mention .. but I don't have time to report everything.

Their Names live again - in St Albans Museum

With the help of this Newsletter these First World War memorial windows from Wheathampstead have found a new home. (St Albans & Harpenden Review, January 22nd, 2014)

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