Sandwich Guildhall

The present Guildhall was built in 1579, enlarged in 1912, and in 1973 the New Hall, and offices, were added. It is the third Guildhall the previous one being sited in what is now St. Peter 's Churchyard, the original almost certainly having stood between King Street and The Chain, in the area behind the Old Parsonage.

THE COURTROOM was built in 1579 to precisely the same pattern as the previous one, and includes the oak screen near the main doors, with studded door, which date from around 1300. The studded door is constructed of three layers of wood, with the grain of the centre layer running opposite to the two outer layers ‚ a primitive type of plywood. On the two posts supporting this door stand carved, gilt, figures representing the English Lion and the Tudor Dragon which were part of the decorations on Sandown Gate (the remains of which can still be seen at the end of the Mill Wall) on the occasion of the visit of Queen Elizabeth I to the Town in 1573.

The stained glass window ‚ Queen Elizabeth arriving at Sandown Gate, to be met by the Mayor and Jurats ‚ was added in 1906, and shows the Mayor wearing a scarlet robe, instead of the black robe which is still worn today signifying the Town's mourning for the death of Mayor John Drury, killed in the raid of 1457 by the men of Honfleur. Reconciliation was, however, effected in 1957, when a 'twinning' between the two Towns was initiated, and which has continued successfully to date. Halberds, similar to those shown in the window, can be seen fixed to the rafters overhead.

The Coats of Arms in the adjacent window are, on the left, those of the DORMAN family and, on the right, those of CAPTAIN JOHN HARVEY.

The portraits above the Bench are of past Mayors, whilst at the far end are hung paintings of Charles II, James, Duke of York and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and Katherine of Braganza, Queen of Charles II. The painting by Henry Weigall R.A. (1829‚1925) was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1899, and shews the Courtroom as it was in 1898 during a sitting of the Quarter Sessions.

Courts of Justice were held in this room from 1579 to 1987, when the Magistrates' Courts were moved to Dover.

The panelling dates from 1607, and includes a collapsible Jury Box which, when closed, blends perfectly with the rest of the panelling. All the fittings on the floor are removable, thus leaving a clear space wherein Merchants of the various Guilds wool, leather, wine, etc. ‚ could deal in their various commodities.

The stairs were originally the sole access to the first floor, the side entrance having been added only in the mid-18th Century. They lead directly to:

THE COUNCIL CHAMBER

where the Sandwich Town Council still meet twice a month, continuing a tradition dating back over 400 years.

THE MAYOR'S CHAIR

dates from 1561, predating the present building by some eighteen years, and has particularly well carved armrests. The Arms above the chair are those of Charles II.

THE PARLIAMENT CLOCK

is an example of the type of clock erected in public places following the imposition of the Clock Tax in 1797 to help pay for the early Napoleonic Wars. So unpopular was this Tax, however, that, with the equally reviled Window Tax, it was repealed the following year (unlike the Income Tax of 1799, which is still with us). A number of bricked-up windows ‚ the result of the Window Tax ‚ can still be seen in several old buildings in the Town.

To the left of the clock hang the MOOT HORN, the HOG MACE and the BEADLE STAFF. The Moot Horn, of brass and 'of great antiquity' has been used to summon the people of Sandwich to hear important announcements from as far back as the 12th Century, and is still used today to announce the death of a sovereign, and the accession of the new. The Hog Mace was used, as the name implies, to round up straying animals after the Goose Bell had been rung from St. Peter's Church at 4.00 a.m. All such animals, if not repossessed by their owners on payment of a fine, passed to the Brothers and Sisters of St. John's Hospital (one of three such Hospitals in the Town).

The evening curfew at 8.00 p.m. is still rung every day continuing a tradition going back some 800 years. The Beadle's Staff was at one time carried by the Town Sergeant as a visible token of his authority.

At either end of the Chamber are painted wooden panels, those behind the Mayor's Chair depicting the visit of Katherine of Braganza entering Sandwich by way of Canterbury Gate in 1672, whilst the sea battle at the far end is that of SOLE BAY, when the First Earl of Sandwich (whose portrait hangs to the left of the panels) was killed. These panels were found in a house in Harnet Street, and their original location is shown in the picture by the left-hand window.

Further oil paintings of various local notables are hung round the walls, whilst the windows are decorated by various Coats of Arms of well known Sandwich personalities. From left to right these are: THOMAS ELLYS (wealthy merchant, and founder of St. Thomas's Hospital in 1392) : SIR HENRY de SANDWICH (these Arms were also used by the CRAWTHORNE and BOTELER families): SIR ROGER MANWOOD (Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, and benefactor of the Sir Roger Manwood's Grammar School which still flourishes on the outskirts of the Town).

The centre window bears the two sides of the Common Seal of the Corporation, flanking the Town Arms (which are identical with those of the Cinque Ports except only that the ships for Sandwich are of silver, whilst those of the Cinque Ports are of gold). The remaining window bears the Arms of the BOYS family (bome by the famous historian William Boys, whose portrait hangs in the Mayor's Parlour) and the FURNESS family (Sir Henry Furness represented Sandwich in Parliament in the days when Sandwich returned two Members).

Beneath the centre window is a large Chinese vase which was washed up intact, on the Goodwin, Sands but later, unfortunately, broken and repaired. The bronze bust by the right-hand window is that of LADY UTHWATT, Sandwich's first Lady Mayor who served from 1929‚30, and here, also, is the Ship's Bell of H.M.S. Sandwich which was officially adopted by the Town in 1929 but, sadly, sold to France in 1946.

MAYOR'S PARLOUR ‚ An intimate little room, particularly notable for the fine stained glass window installed to commemorate the 700th Anniversary of Sandwich's incorporation as a Borough in 1226. It shows the Arms of Henry III at the date of the original incorporation: Edward III at 1368, Charles II at 1685 (when all the existing Charters were returned to the King, and a new one drawn up) and George V at 1926 (seven hundred years after the original incorporation). Beneath each Coat of Arms is the name of the Mayor for that year. The two centre sections show the old Common Seal of the Corporation.

To the left of the main window is a small window showing the Coat of Arms of the BOTELER family, beneath which, again, are shown the Town Arms.

To the left of the small window is an oak case containing, on four sheets of vellum, the Charles II Charter dated 5th March 1685 and, on the same wall, an oak cabinet with a complete list of all Mayors from 1226 to date. By the main door is a cabinet containing a large section of the gold and silver Canopy which was carried over the Sovereign at the Coronation ‚ the unique privilege of the Barons of the Cinque Ports which continued until the Coronation of George IV (1821). Modern Barons, however, now act as Standard Bearers lining the aisle of Westminster Abbey as the Monarch proceeds to the Coronation Throne.

The large Mayoral Chair, still used on ceremonial occasions, dates probably from the late 18th early 19th Centuries.

The Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports are represented by an engraving of the Duke of Wellington and the photographs of Sir Winston Churchill and Sir Robert Menzies above the fireplace, whilst a fine portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother graces the wall between the windows.

A framed selection of seals hangs next to the Charter, and a portrait of William Boys, a noted Sandwich Historian and Mayor, is hung to the left of the fireplace. His daughter, Elizabeth is portrayed in an oval frame next to the door leading to the Grand Jury Room. Coats of Arms and Twinning Certificates from Honfleur, Ronse/Renaix and Sonsbeck frame the main window, together with items from other towns.

On THE LANDING outside the Mayor's Parlour can be seen a set of four water colours dating from the late 18th Century showing St. Clement's Church, the entrance to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, The Chapel of St. Bartholomew's, and Fisher Gate. Also a wooden panel showing the Cinque Ports fleet assembled in Pegwell Bay, and two prints of the Battle of the Glorious 1st of June in 1794, together with an engraving of Captain John Harvey, one-time Mayor of Sandwich, who was fatally wounded in the battle.

GRAND JURYROOM ‚ This section of the Guildhall was built in 1912 when, at the same time, an ugly yellow brick facade, built onto the old part of the Guildhall in the 1830's, was removed. This room is extensively used for Civic functions, Public Meetings and for meetings of the many voluntary organisations within the Town. The Coats of Arms at the far end of the room are, on the left, those of Queen Elizabeth I and on the right, those of Queen Victoria. Opposite, overlooking the street, the Town Arms again appear.

Pictures include paintings of the Sandown Gate, the Cattle Market and two of the Barbican and Tollbridge. Portraits include Alderman Henry Burch, Coronation Baron in 1953, and Councillor R.R. Chesterfield, the last Mayor prior to the reorganisation of 1974, and a particularly fine 17th Century portrait entitled 'Subject in Dutch Clerical Dress'.

Passing from the Grand Jury Room into the new section of the Guildhall, works by two contemporary local artists enrich the landing whilst, at the top of the staircase stands another PARLIAMENT CLOCK.

THE NEW HALL is notable for its fine wooden ceiling and is complete with a retractable stage for theatrical productions, concerts, dances etc.

In THE BAR, or RECEPTION ROOM, adjacent to the New Hall, is displayed a magnificent collection of horse brasses loaned to the Town Council by the Harle Family.

TOWN REGALIA ( not generally on view)
The Town has three silver-gilt maces, two small ones dating from 1435 (one of which is clearly shown in the Courtroom window) and a large one dated 1763 bearing the arms of George III.

THE WATER BAILIFF'S baton ‚ about 12" long, with a crown and silver oar, gave the King's authority to the bearer to board and search any vessel in Sandwich Haven.

THE MAYOR'S BADGE and Chain date from 1874, and are both of solid gold, the Badge having the Town Arms enamelled in full colour in the centre of some attractive scroll work, whilst the Chain, symbolic of the Town's seafaring connections, is of similar pattern to that of a ship's anchor chain.

The Mayoress's Badge and Chain, also bearing the Town Arms, were presented to the Town in 1933 by the then Mayor, Alderman J.J. Caspell.

As mentioned earlier, the Mayor's Robes are completely black as a sign of mourning and, on ceremonial occasions, he or she carries a blackthorn wand which, allegedly, repels witches and keeps the bearer safe from malevolent forces.

The Town Sergeant's ceremonial uniform is based upon that of an 18th Century Naval Officer, the Nelson-type headdress bearing a cockade with the Town Coat of Arms. On full ceremonial occasions, the large mace is carried on the right shoulder and the small maces held, crossed, in the left hand.

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