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Humphrey Gainsborough, Engineer, Inventor, and Congregational Minister at Henley-On-Thames, 1748-1776

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Humphrey Gainsborough, Engineer, Inventor, and Congregational Minister at Henley-On-Thames, 1748-1776 ump ey dinsboibug Engineer Inoentor Cong,regational }linister at Henley-on-Thames, 17 48 -177 Reproiluction of his Porhait as painteil by hi" brother -:l f t ,f J C<oci<€-€ Wt THIS BOOK !,e.!.ong's Lo Lhe- @9 ('I?sJ{l@S @71@61J@g7L & il?15(r@B1l((,tr116]1@GlS i cL EilL fnom JOHN CR.OCKER W The Life and Work of Humphrey Gainsborough, Engineer, Inventor, and Congregational Minister at Henley-on-Thames, 1748-1776. * By GEORGE H. PETERS, Minister, Heniey Congregational Church. * -1{ I FlliN I-EY (IONC;IillC -\'l-IONAT- CHLTIICIH. Opcned on I'uosday, J uly 2lst, 1908, rvhen the Itev C Silvcstcr Hornc, lI.A., was the spcci:r"l pleilcher. 'l'his beautrlul br-rilcling uzrs ereotcd tluling the ruinistry ol thc ltcv. Siclney I 'fuol<cr (1900 l919) (See pagc 3ll 1or a picturc oI the old lndcpcndcnt Chapcl, Henlcy). q Preface. pcoplc think of Henlel' as the Mecca of the Rowing man, MOST ancl with goorl reason, for the first Oxford ancl Cambricigc Boat Racc took place at Henlev in 1829, ancl since 1839, the Annual Rcqatta has been a preclomir.rant feature in the lifc of this river-sicle resort. Nevertheless, Henley has other claims to distinction. The purpose ol this little book is to honour the memory of a Congregational Minister who setticd here in 1748, and for 28 years devoted his leisr-rre lrours to engineering and scientific matters. Humphrey Gainsborough was a remarkable character whose achicvements and genir.rs shoulcl be more widely known and appreciated. A study of his life gives a fascin- ating insight into the social history of the lSth Century. May I take this opportunity of thanking the numerous peoplc who have so kindly helped in various ways to make possible the procluc- tion of thc book, especially rny wifc, who typecl ancl re-typed the mantr- scripts, ancl my friends at the Henley Congregational Church who ha,vc cncouragecl me in the r.rndertaking. Every cffort has becn macle to ensure accuracy, and to give due acknowledgments to those who ha,ve suppiied data. I hope to issue another book in due course, dealing with the Histony of Henley and giving an account of the Henley Congregational Church which dates back to the Great Ejectment of 1662. GEORGE H. PETERS. The Manse, Reading Road, Herley-on-Thamcs. Al>ril, 1948. List of Illustrations. Pa,ge HnNr,By Collcnnc-trroxer- Cxrrncrr J " IJrrA.rprtRDy G tNsnoRotrcn," Rnpnont:c,tor' oF PoRTRAT.r nt- Tgolt,ts GerNssonotrcrt, R.A s TnR GarNseoRoucus' HousD, Sungunv (1flth Century) 10 Tnn Gnaur,rlR ScHooL, Suoeunv (18th Centu::y) . 10 PlRr< Pr,rcn, Bnnxsnrnn (18th Century) 74 Tnn Gnp.cr ARcr: er Pa.nr Pr-rcn t4 Snrpr-e.xn Locr< (18th Century) 16 Tne Frnn-Pnoon Box eNo Kpv 18 Scnounnnc Houso, Plr,r- Melr (l8th Ccntury) 22 S,tuuBr Prxo, Fer-r,ow-SrutBnr 26 Trrs Mlr.rsp, HBt.tr,Brr-olt-Tnelvps ? Tnn Or-o fNonpnrorxt Crreprr, IInrr-ny-oN-llnnmns 30 A chnowledgments. Vuluuble information has been founil in the following books :- " LrFn o!'Tuolres GerNseonoucH, It.A.," by G lV, I;ulcher (1856), " ,\ Hrsrony or llBNrBy-ou-'l-n,ruBs," by J. S. Ilurn (7861) " I'uri Hrsronv or SnrprexB, Oxor," by E.J.Clintenson (7894). " A GUrDE ro HrNrBv-oN-THertos," by E. I Cl,iwenson (.1896) " A Hrsronv or NoxcoNroRx,rrry rN Sunnunv," by W. Vt TJodsoz (1893) " r\anurrvn oF TtrE RrsB ,q,uo Pnocnnss orr rHE InonpoNouNr Crruncn ,Lr NBtyponr P.tcNerr-," by 7'. P. Rrlll (1811,) " Tnr I'nenBs Hrcnlvav-Locxs .riNt \['Btns," by 1;. S 1'hacher (1913). " Hts'ronv on'HE Bentisgtnn, Sourn Oxoll and Sours Bucr<s C-oNcriicATroN;\L (i.luncnrs," by lf H Swn,nrcrs (19O5\. " J,rmus \V,lrt ANo luB Srlln HNc;rnn," I>y H ll . Dickinsort.:Lnc1 /l/r.ys Jenhitts (Ox{ord Universitv I'ress, 1927). " -L'lr,; JounNel or. JonN WESLDv " (" lJvoryntal's Library," J. nl. Deut & Sols, r,td,,1930). "'l-Hu I)rcrroNARy oF Ne.rroN-q.r IJtocn,tPrrv " (\rol. 2{)). Useful assistance has been renilereil by :- Onrrcrrrls on 'l'no Scrnxcn MusEUM, Tnn Bnrusu Nlusauu (Department of British and Mediaeval Antiquities), TnB Rover SocrBrv ancl the Rover Socrrtv ol Anrs. 'I'nn Srcnereev, Tueues CoNsnnveNcv, London. THn Rriv, Jentes A. Lewsox, Minister, Friar Strcet Congregationzrl Chulch, Sudbury, Suf{olk, C. EDwARD GRIM\\'ooD, Esg., and C. G Gnrml'ool, Esg., of Sudbury, Sufiolk. Tnn -Eorron, " Dasr ANcrrers ll.l.oezrxr," Ipswich (loan of block and permission to quote from the article by Mary Grimwood on " Scheming Ja.ck," Nov , 1947). R L. GrruNcnln, Esg , NI.A, Headmaster of Sudbury Gramrnar School Lhss Lrr-reN J. Ruosronr, Hon. Archivist, Burv St. Eclmunds. Tnl Eorron, " Sur,-ror-x e.No llssnx FnBB Pness," Sudbury, Jor much l<:ind co- operation and permission to quote from their files of May l9t}r 1927. _ Trrn Ltgne.nrew, " Ees:r ANcrreN Darrv Trnes," Ipswich. E. K. WerBnnouso, Esg., Faculty of Arts, Manchester University. P. J. PecrueN, Esg., M.S.I.A., Mechanical Engineer, of 'I-wyford, Berhs. Nurrrnous F'nrBNos who have loaned books and made suggestions. Special thanlts a,re due to :- Tno Rev. Cne.nr-ts E. Sunrr.lN, B.A Secretary of the Congregational Historical Society, lor the data he has supplied and {or his unfailing helplulness Coy'irr.s irt' 1l L liililhl. Lll , PholqraphLrs, Batnsloflt q IUI\ . III]]lt,Hlil,tY (;,\ tNSIl()ttot r(l1l llcprotluction o{ lris lx)rtrzril as Paintc(l bv his brotltcr, l'lrorrr:ls (iainsboroLrgh, [(..\, THE LIFE AND WORK OF HUMPHREY GAINSBOROUGH, ENGINEER AND INVENTOR, and MINISTER OF HENLEY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, 1748 L776. The Gains}orough Farrrily. T T UMPHRL, Y GAINSBOROUGH wirs thc grandson of " Ilobertus rH r Gainsbrow," wbo was Chief Constable at Sudb"ury, Suffolk, in 1681 ancl 1682. His father, John Gainsborough, was born there in 1685 ancl became a crape and shroud maker. This was a thriving business in ciays when each Fnglish town believed in local protection and a rigid exclr:sion of " foreigners." John Gainsborough's business was made still more profitable after he hacl succeeded, while on a visit to Coventry, in discovering the secret of woollen shroucl making, of which, until then, the Midland town had held the monopoly. Hc was popular with his work people, as he always set his face against the cornmon practice seems havc .)ostof levying on them " a toll of a third of their weeklv wages." He to large sums of money, and became bankrupt in 1733, owing to his too kindly and good to press a creditor unduly. -fhisdisposition nature, which would never allow him generosity was inherited b1r his son, I{umphrev Gainsborough. Jchn Gains- borough travelled for business purposes as far afield as France and Holland and is reported to have indulged in a little smuggling! He is describedasbeing afine looking old gentleman, very careful in his dress and person, a sliilfr-rl ambidex- trous fencer, loved and respected in Sudbury. He died in 1748, at the age of 63, the same year that his son, Humphrey Gainsborough, settled in Henley. l-or four generations, that is from 1685 to 1852 the lives of the Gainsboror.rghs werc bound up with the O1d Meeting House, Sudbury (now Friar Street, Congregational Church), and most of them were clothiers, crape makers or milliners. The exact date of Humphrey Gainsborough's birth is not knowl, but the year 1719 inscribed on his memorial stone, now affixed to the wall of Henley Congrega- tional Church, is incorrect, as he was baptised bv the Rev. Josias Maultby at Friar Street Congregational Church, Sudburl', on April 13th, 1718. Assuming he was about the usual age for infant baptism, he was probably born in March, 1718. Humphrey Gainsborough was therefore about nine years of age in 1727 when his brother Thomas, was born, who was destined to become England's greatest portrait and landseape painter. (Thomas Gainsborough was baptised at Friar Street Congre- gational Church on May l4th, 1727). The eldest brother, Jack (born 1711), was then a gawky lad of 16, and was usually known as " Scheming Jack." (Thcrc wcrc two other brothers and four sisters). Boyhood Days. I t THE GAINStsOROLTGHS' HOUS]] -\T SUDBI]RY, STIFIiOLK ('lhis reprocluction from an olcl engraring, rvas kinclly loaned by thc Dtlitor of thc " llast Anghan }lagazine ") The house has been moclernisecl and is norr a private hotel. llntil recent years, the pear tree l<norvn to Hnmphrey Gainsborough and portrayecl btz 'ilronraq Gainsl:orough, It '\ , in his pictut'e " Tonr Pear 'l'ree's Portrait," rvas still il thc garclen at the bacli oJ thc house, --' _€ '{ 6FAh4 l,{An SCfiO!Lr Sr_1DBURY, 1?O0 Col>ics bv Gco. Busltell €; Son, Phologrcphcrs, Henlty-on-Thanvs THII SCHOOL (as it was in Humphrey Gainsborough's tine) u-here his unc1e, the Rev Humphley Burroughs n'a,s lleachnaster. (Irrom an illustration incluclecl by W \\' Hodson in his brief history of the Suclbury Gramnar School, rvritten in 1891 u'hen the school cclcbrated its 400th.\nrtivcrsarv fhis brochurc rvas l<inclly loaned by lt L. Gillinghanr, llsq, lt A., lleacltrt;rster of Suclbttrt' Grammar School). l0 It is to be feared that they often permitted their thoughts to wandcr fron the learned serrnons ancl lone pravers of the Rev. Joshua liostcr, and even frorn the stirring aclclresses of the Rev. John Forcl, " l)reached to r-erv crowded t--ougrcgations," to their contemplated pranks at " Cousin Adclison's," thcir ran-rbles zlncl their favourite mechanical inventions.
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