Without a Name

Some years ago a recollection by a long-established resident of Fleetville lead to an unusual discovery.  The former Smith's Institute building, on the corner of Hatfield Road and Arthur Road, has undergone a considerable number of changes during the past 126 years.  It was built to perform the role of an employees' social club at a time when the printing factory (on the Morrison's site) and a few employee houses were all to be had in the embryonic suburb.

The Institute when new.  The commemorative stone
panel is just below window level at the building's corner.

It has been extended further into Arthur Road, had doorways altered, the facings have changed, and most of the ground floor internal walls removed to enable later printing machines to be installed.  

But one person recalled that on a corner wall there had at one time been a stone panel marking the formal opening of the building by the Mayor.  The event had taken place in 1899.  After having been covered by a modern facing, a contractor had drilled through the panel – although he did not realise it – to install a gas pipe.

The same building recently.

A few years ago the facing was removed to confirm the presence of the remembered panel.  We all looked at it and then continued with our lives.  But it is worth looking at again, because there maybe a story attached.  "This stone was laid June 24th 1899 by Thomas Smith Esq, donor of the Institute."  That much is plain to see.  Mr Smith's name is bold enough, and so was his role.  He both owned the new printing factory on the opposite side of the road, and he had given the money to pay for his employees' club building.  We know from other documents that he set up a trust fund from his own monies; the resources did not come from the company.

"Which was opened by His Worshipful the Mayor of St Albans Dec 2nd 1899."

These days the new Mayor is appointed in May when the local elections take place, but in 1899 the elections, and therefore Mayor-making were in November.  If you were going to invite the Mayor all the way out to Fleetville, especially as Fleetville was then outside the city boundary, to open the building you are so proud of, surely you would give him the honour of including his name rather than just calling him The Mayor.  The man had a name, and it doesn't take that long to carve his name into the stone panel.  On the day of the opening ceremony and the speech given by the Mayor it was clear he was excited to be present on that winter's day and he expressed the hope that Thomas Smith would one day wish to move his home (from Enfield) to live in the city.  The mayor was anticipating in return that the city would move the boundary outwards to include Fleetville.  Both of these hoped for targets would, of course, benefit the finances of St Albans.

Henry J Toulmin
ST ALBANS MUSEUMS

OK, so the time has come to reveal the name of the mayor, both in 1899 and 1900.  It was Henry Joseph Toulmin, whose home was at Childwickbury, also outside of the city boundary!

There are two other relevant facts which might fit into this story.  Thomas Smith was, by politics, a Liberal; Henry Toulmin was a Conservative.  Perhaps that was the reason why His Worshipful the Mayor was not mentioned by name; and it would ensure for the life of the Institute, that Thomas E Smith would be the name associated with this structural gift to his own little hamlet of Fleetville.  Job done!