Bournemouth Liberal Democrats

The Political History of Bournemouth: The Bournemouth Commissioners (1856 –1876)

The steady growth of Bournemouth since 1835 led to a divergence of the administrative needs of the town and the parish of Holdenhurst to which it belonged. This along with a local desire for a pier to service the town led to The Bournemouth Improvement Act 1856 which marked the beginning of Bournemouth as a self-governing community.[1]

Practical measures to secure self-government began at a meeting of local residents at the Belle Vue Hotel on the 29^th August 1854, when it was decided to apply for a Local Act for the improvement of Bournemouth. [2]

The Bournemouth Improvement Act was passed in 1856; the preamble refers to the expediency of providing "the more efficient paving, sewering, draining, lighting, cleansing, watching and otherwise improving" the area within a one mile radius where the centre is the front door of the Belle Vue Hotel.[3]

The Act appointed a board of 13 commissioners incorporated as "The Bournemouth Commissioners" two of which were permanent members, the Lord of the Manor and a nominee of his choosing; the other 11 members being elected. Members of the Board were qualified by ownership of property of an annual value of £30 situated in the area or up to a mile outside. Electors were qualified by being rated for property of an annual value of £7, situated within the area.[4]

The original board comprised the two permanent members (not personally named) and Messrs. Samuel Bayley, William Clapcott Dean, Robert Kerley, George Ledgard, Charles William Packe, William Robson, Thomas Shettle, David Tuck, John Tregonwell, Samuel Thompson and William Esdaile Winter, all of whose names are mentioned in the Act.[5]

The Commissioners were given limited powers to provide lighting for streets and public buildings and to hold markets and establish a market-place, charges being regulated according to a scale set out in the Act. Financial provisions authorised the levying of a "General Improvement Rate" of not more than 3 shillings on the pound in any one year and gave the Commissioners the power to borrow money on mortgage of rates and tolls limited to £5,000 for work on the pier and a further £5,000 for the other purposes of the Act.[6]

A fortnight after the passage of the 1856 Act became law they held their first meeting under the Chairmanship of Mr. George Ledgard, at the Belle Vue Assembly Rooms on the 30^th July 1856.[7]

The Commissioners had a lack of ready money and the need for improvement in road-work and drainage was urgent, the Commissioners therefore had to resort to borrowing before their rate could be collected. The initial rate policy was for a low rate with high assessments, a valuation of the properties in their area on 10^th March 1857 assessed them to the General Improvement Rate at one shilling in the pound. By this assessment the rateable value amounted to £5,653 and the product of the shilling rate would have been £282 13s 0d. However objections were immediately raised to this policy by some of Bournemouth's leading residents and following a public meeting of protest the Commissioners decided to revert to the old assessments made under the Holdenhurst Poor Rate with a rate at the three shilling maximum allowed by law. By this assessment the rateable value amount to £3,950 5s 0d producing £592 10s 9d[8]

The Commissioners directed their early attention to two main objectives:

1. the acquisition of the Westover Pleasure Grounds and the extension of these to include the whole Bourne valley; and

2. and the provision of a pier.[9]

On 7^th December 1858 Cmsr. Henry Dickinson formally moved a resolution which was seconded by Cmsr. Robert Kerley and duly passed to the effect the provisions of the Bournemouth Improvement Act in respect of the pier and to secure a loan of £5,000 for the purpose. Further at a public meeting of Bournemouth residents on 17^th January 1859, a resolution was passed urging the Commissioners to speedy action. Within two months the Commissioners had engaged the engineer George Rennie to prepare a design. Rennie's plan was for a wooden pier 1,000ft long and 15ft wide to cost about £4,000. The plans were approved by the Commissioners on 3^rd May 1859, the contract for the construction work going to David Thornby of Newcastle the cost being £3,418. Work began soon after the tender was accepted and before the contract was sealed on 25^th July 1859.[10]

The pier was ill-fated from the beginning. Storms attacked the structure in its embryo stages, there was disagreement between the designer and the contractor and the bank in which the Commissioner's funds were deposited collapsed. What's more the bank 'Ledgard & Sons' was associated with the chairman of the Commissioners George Ledgard, and the treasurer Richard Ledgard. Diasaster was only averted with the intervention of the National Provincial Bank at Poole. The pier at last completed and opened with great ceremony and festivity by Sir George Gervais on 17^th September 1861. But battered by storms and infested by teredo (shipworm) the town fought a losing battle over the course of twenty years to keep the pier open until 1877 when steps were taken to replace the ailing and mutilated pier[11]

The district was rapidly increasing in population from 695 by the 1851 census to 1,707 in 1861 to 5,896 in 1871, this influx lead to a rapid development of the town by speculative builders. One such builder Henry Joy built the Arcade, starting in 1866 and finishing in 1872 its value as a shopping centre was quickly established.[12] Not all of this development was met with enthusiasm P. Brannon writing in the 10^th edition of 'The Guide to Bournemouth' in 1869 described the Arcade as 'spoiling one of the most picturesque spots in Bournemouth'[13] As Young describes in his book 'The Story of Bournemouth "Between 1856 and 1875 the Marine Village passed away and a new and thriving seaside town sprang up in it's place"[14]

The progress of Bournemouth at this time was directed and greatly influenced by the Commissioner's Surveyor, Christopher Crabbe Creeke. Mr Creeke served the Commissions until 1879 and a few years later was himself elected to the board.[15]

Commissioner's meetings were held at Mr Creeke's residence "Lainston Villa" situated at the junction of Exeter Road and Exeter Lane at the Square from 1858 to 1875 when they began to meet at a new Town Hall erected on the site of "Ashley Cottages" by the Bournemouth Town Hall Company. It was opened by Sir George and Lady Gervais on 6^th January 1875. The Town Hall moved to the converted Hotel Mont Dore on 1^st October 1921, it's current location.[16]

The town had come of age and in 1875 the railway which had until that point circled around the town came right into town marking the start of a new era in the town's history.[17]

History of Bournemouth Image Gallery