Description:
Cutting from 'illustrated London News' 6th November 1847.
NOTTINGHAM NEW GENERAL POST-OFFICE.
The ceremony of laying the first Stone' of this Edifice was fixed for eleven o'clock on Thursday, the 14th ult., when the Right Worshipful the Mayor, the Sheriff', the Town Council, and many other gentlemen of the borough, preceded by the ?Mayor?s Sergeant? (In his purple gown, richly trimmed with gold lace), carrying the gold mace; the two Baliffs, In their scarlet coats, carrying silver maces ; and the Pinders, In their livery of ?Lincoln green;? left the Exchange, and proceeded along the Market-place, down Wheelergate, and partly along Albert street, to the site of the new building.
A bottle, hermetically sealed, was deposited in a cavity at the west end of the Stone, containing specimens of silk hose, lace, gloves, and cotton hose, and bobbin net, all of Nottingham manufacture; also, coins of the present reign; a plan of the town of Nottingham; and of the immediate locality of the proposed building. On the east end of the Stone a brass plate was fixed, bearing this inscription:-
This Corner Stone or the New General Post Office, erected on part of the Bridge Estate of the Corporation of Nottingham, was laid by: William Cripps, Esquire, Mayor, On Thursday the 14th day of October 1847. John Hill, Merchant, Chairman. James Tomlinson, Gentleman. Alderman Thomas Carver, Merchant. William Taylor, Merchant. John Galloway, Merchant. Charles Beck, Merchant. Samuel Parsons, Gentleman. This 'Corner Stone,' which weighed about one ton, was then elevated by a pulley, when the Mayor, with an elegant silver trowel, assisted in spreading the mortar on the foundation, preparatory for its reception.
The Stone having been lowered into Its destined bed, the Mayor nested applied the plumb rule, the square, and the level, all of which were made of polished mahogany, for the occasion, and then, with a mallet of like material, he gave to the Stone three blows on its upper surface.
His Worship having removed his hat, and stepping to a more elevated platform, addressed the assembled multitude as follows :_ 'Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.
Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.' The Mayor then stated that the last occasion on which the municipal authorities of the town, in their corporate capacity, met for an object similar to the present, was In 1781, when they assembled to lay the foundation stone of the General Hospital. The Mayor next read a variety of interesting statistics of the Nottingham Post-Office, with which he had been furnished by the Surveyor.
Thus, it was stated that, 'for many years up to 1831, the room in which the entire business of the Establishment was conducted was about 600 or 700 cubic feet of space; whilst the proposed Building will contain 16,184 cubic feet. Some fifty years ago, the London mail deported daily, at six o'clock P.M, and reached Nottingham on the following day at the like hour; but letters were not delivered until the next morning, unless called for.
The Post-Office time In 1835 was- from London to Nottingham, 13h. 21m; in 1847 it is 7h. 20m.' There has also been very nearly a fourfold increase in the number of Money Orders issued In five years.
'The number of letters delivered In Nottingham and its neighbourhood during the year 1845 was 1,238,692; the number for the present year, assuming the past nine months to afford pretty correct data, will be 1,589,212,'.
The Mayor then, in an Impressive address, made a well-timed reference to the beneficial results of this postal extension, and concluded with a devout hope for returning prosperity to our manufactures and commerce. Nine good hearted cheers and 'one more' were then given, and a lively peal burst forth from the bells of St, Peter's Church. Within the inclosure a large assemblage of ladles were accommodated on benches, their presence adding considerable interest to the ceremony.
A vast number of persons were also assembled to witness the ceremony without the inclosure. Albert-street was completely filled, to the interruption of public traffic; and the south side of St. Peter's churchyard was lined with spectators.
The Architect of the new edifice Is Mr. H. M. Wood, the Corporation Surveyor; and the builders are Messrs. Walker. Within the substructure of the proposed bulldog are the kitchen, scullery, and other domestic offices of the Postmaster, whilst the ground-floor story is entirely appropriated to the official business of this establishment.
To the north will be a portico, after the Temple of Theseus, at Athens, Into which three windows will open: here will be the receiving-boxes, and co. Under an adjacent piazza, and immediately eastward, opening into St Peter's Gate, will be the entrances to the private dwelling of the Postmaster, and also to the Post-Office, wherein the bags will be received from, and despatched by, the respective mails.
To the west, and fronting Albert-street, will be the boxes for receiving prepaid letters; thus separating, as far as practicable, the several inlets and issues of busy correspondence passing through this establishment.
The ground story exteriorly will be of rusticated Mansfield freestone, surmounted by a continuous cornice with that of the portico.
The next story will be used as the family living rooms of the Postmaster; whilst the attic or upper story will be altogether a dormitory.
These upper stories will be of brick, covered with Roman cement, and protected by rusticated stone quoins, except that the pedimented window over the portico will be of like cleansed Mansfield stone. The proportions of this window are token from the little temple on the Ilyssus.