14 Remember When Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Prince Arthur (centre) and Bolckow (left with back to camera)

Fountain in the Park c.1900 Sabbath concerns and foul murder ’s Albert Park has just marked the 150th anniversary of its opening. Here University of Huddersfield historian Dr Tosh Warwick explores the story of the park’s early decades.

AMED after the late turer had ‘given to this town one of Prince Albert, husband of the most magnificent gifts ever Queen Victoria, the offered by man’. town’s first public park The park went on to play an was the gift of ironmaster important part in the lives of Mid- Entrance to Albert Park for Nand first mayor of Middlesbrough dlesbrough’s Victorian citizens. The the official opening in 1868 Henry Bolckow as a means of pro- park’s archery ground would viding open, green space in the Vic- become the early home of Middles- performances which torian ‘Ironopolis’. The Illustrated brough Football Club before the ‘enhance the already strong attrac- Police News The development of parks in the cover on the club moved to Longlands and tions of the park’. expanding and new urban centres ‘Horrible before settling at In April 1871 the Evening Gazette of Britain was driven by major busi- Tragedy at in 1903. reported discontent and divide over ness and civic benefactors and Middlesbrough’ Albert Park also provided a vital the form this should take, particu- became an integral part of everyday space for leisure. larly on the issue of performances life. Yet, the ideals of parading along on the Sabbath, noting ‘the ques- The motivation for developing keep an eye on the behaviour of the with hearty enthusiasm’. the shrubbery lined paths, playing tion of having music in the Albert these new ‘lungs of city’ were workforce beyond the factory, The formalities of the ceremony bowls or cricket or simply relaxing Park on Sundays is causing consid- numerous. foundry and furnace. included the ironmaster delivering away from the troubles of the indus- erable discussion’. The new parks were seen as The official royal opening of the an address and His Royal Highness trial town were often far from the The debate found its way into the spaces for ‘rational recreation’ that Park by Prince Arthur of Connaught responded, followed by prayers reality of the park’s early decades. pages of the local press after the would encourage respectable helped propel Middlesbrough and offered by the Archbishop of York Musical festivities provoked out- Mayor of Middlesbrough, industri- behaviour and afforded opportuni- its achievements into the national before the Prince declared the park rage amongst some of the town’s alist Raylton Dixon, shared the let- ties for leisure in fresh air for all the spotlight. open for use by the people of Mid- citizens, as was the case with musi- ter he had received from cricketer family away from the smog of The event was chronicled in dlesbrough. cal performances in the park’s early and public house proprietor George industry and the moral degenera- detail both in the local newspapers After planting a commemorative years. Lynas. tion and ills of plentiful pubs and and in the national press. Having tree, the party then ‘partook of Under the direction of Franz The former tailender gambling. retired to Henry Bolckow’s Marton luncheon in a tent in the park’ to Groenings, a band was playing in was strongly against the proposal A more cynical or sceptical expla- Hall the previous day, Prince use the words of Middlesbrough Middlesbrough in 1870 to much stating that ‘as a Wesleyan Method- nation for these new green space is Albert’s presence helped draw historian and librarian William Lil- acclaim, with The Evening Gazette ist, I wish most emphatically to that of ‘social control’, with these crowds in the town, with The Illus- lie, followed by a banquet at the hailing the ‘very successful pro- express my opposition and hostility regulated spaces allowing the busi- trated London News reporting that Exchange Hall and banquet at Bol- gramme’, with music enjoyed by to that proposal, feeling convinced ness owners and local authorities ‘the streets were thronged with ckow’s abode, with the Archbishop several thousands of people attend- that should it be carried into effect, (very often the same people) to spectators, who greeted the Prince of York declaring that the manufac- ing the Thursday evening summer its influence would be most disas-