Tell me more about Lavenham Guildhall
A short history of Lavenham Guildhall
nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk/lavenham-guildhall/history-of-lavenham-guildhall
The origins of Lavenham Guildhall and the wealth that formed Lavenham village itself can be found in medieval times. At this time England’s wealth was largely built on the success of its high-quality wool and cloth industry. Much of the production was exported, which brought enormous tax revenues to the Crown, as well as making wealthy men out of merchants.
The Guildhall was originally founded as a meeting place for a Catholic guild. Religious guilds were essentially groups of wealthy individuals, in this instance cloth and wool merchants. The manufacture and export of woollen cloth particularly ‘Lavenham Blew’ cloth, underpinned Lavenham’s wealth in medieval times. Those same rich medieval clothiers and merchants built the Guildhall and the houses that characterise the village today.
Religious guilds date back to the 11th century and were originally associated with the monasteries. But by the 14th century they had taken responsibility for the repair of bridges and roads and the founding of schools, alms houses and colleges.
After a while the thriving cloth industry in and around Lavenham became a victim of its own success. Cheaper copies and foreign competition emerged and Lavenham’s decline became inevitable. Heavy taxes were levied on the merchants and clothiers by the Crown. Just as happens today, those who ran the businesses very quickly moved on to escape the financial burden.
Before the demise of the trade there were many powerful families steering the future of Lavenham, among them the De Vere family, Earls of Oxford. During their heyday they were the Lords of the Manor of Lavenham. Today De Vere house on Water Street in Lavenham is best remembered for its role as one of the filming locations used in the Harry Potter film ‘Deathly Hallows Part 1.
Much later, in 1785, the Guildhall was used as a prison, or ‘bridewell’ as it was then known. The courageous story of a little girl called Anne Baker comes from this time. Anne had run away from the workhouse, but she didn’t get far before being caught and tried. Judged as an ‘incorrigible rogue’ and found guilty of burglary and previously escaping the workhouse, she was sentenced to three years in the Guildhall, with subsequent deportation to Australia.
Anne boarded the ship for Australia in December 1789. With over a thousand convicts divided across four ships, it was a gruelling and cramped life below decks. Disease spread rapidly and around a quarter of the convicts died before reaching Australia. Did Anne survive the journey? Her life story is vividly retold at the Guildhall.
Between 1655 and 1836 there was a workhouse within the walls of the Guildhall. A prison existed for some of that time but was totally separate. The word ‘workhouse’ conjures up the image of the dreadful Victorian institute of Dickensian times as portrayed in Oliver Twist, but things were different in Lavenham. It was a largely benevolent, if somewhat frugal place and was established in the village to help the poor and those who’d fallen on hard times survive and get back into work. The workhouse operated under the supervision of one Judith Snell, a widow who came to be known simply as ‘the Widow Snell’.
She cared for between 30 and 40 local people at a time. The poor and needy would arrive seeking a roof over their heads, something to eat and perhaps even clothes if they needed them. Once accepted, they’d go on to receive training in local skills such as spinning and weaving. The girls might also be trained as housemaids and the boys in whatever local apprenticeships could be found. The purpose was to get them back into work as quickly as possible
It’s Widow Snell’s curious attitude towards rudimentary healthcare, and her ‘homebrew’ potions and cure-alls that reserves her a place in the Guildhall’s list of characters. Among her homemade remedies were:
• The treatment of ‘Scald Head’ – a form of ringworm – by applying pork lard to the scalp under a dressing three times a day for a fortnight and then pulling out the remaining hair with pincers.
• Treating catarrh with a mix of crab’s eyes, whale fat and castor oil, with the patient to take one spoonful each morning.
If you have the stomach to see and smell the weird and wonderful potions for asthma, diabetes and colic for yourself – woodlice, sweet mercury and dragon’s blood are all involved – then a visit to the Guildhall is in order.
A Master Tailor and Outfitter by trade, local resident Ranson (1882–1950), was a leading figure in the movement to obtain national recognition for the architectural and historical importance of Lavenham. An early conservationist and ‘green’ pioneer, it’s Ranson’s legacy that you see all around you today in the many preserved buildings in the village.
Alongside collecting photos, Ranson played a key role in the negotiations with Sir William Eley Quilter, Baronet and son of Sir William Cuthbert Quilter, who restored the Guildhall and bequeathed it to the people of Lavenham.
The Guildhall was finally gifted to the National Trust in 1951, a year after Ranson’s death, although negotiations had started as far back as 1946.