Oldham Gallery Visit - Thursday 13th November 2012
175th Anniversary of Henshaw's Society and Blue Coat School
Oldham Gallery have compiled a special exhibition to celebrate this remembrance of the great gift given to us by Thomas Henshaw, when after his death, and thanks to his charity, these institutions were created. Shaun Baguley lead us through this very special exhibition they have mounted in celebration of the work carried out over the years by Henshaw's vision to create care and education for children and the blind in his asylum and school.
There is a portrait of Henshaw in the galley together with a bust, and also a stone-carved model of his asylum. He himself started life on a farm and was lucky enough to become an apprentice at a hat factory in Oldham where he trained for seven years. After this training he worked in Manchester as a journeyman and after a number of years he returned to Oldham and set up his own hat factory with his brother. Sadly his only son died at the age of ten to be followed by the loss of his wife also at a young age. He lived as a widower for 25 years and then married a much younger woman. Sadly after eleven years of marriage he was found drowned in a local reservoir and it has been assumed that he committed suicide.
Shaun had obtained a copy of his will and he had gifted amounts ranging from £200-1000 to many people. Also an annual sum of £200 to his wife with the request that the remainder of his fortune should be dedicated to the creation of a school for the blind where training could also be given enable them to work, and also to open a school for ordinary children which was on a par with the very expensive public schools.
These institutions were not built until 23 years after his death because his wife contested the will and it would appear that the wording of his will had been carefully constructed to ensure that his charitable works were continued. At this time his fortune continued to increase due to the expansion of the industrial revolution. His intervention for the blind and poor had a resounding effect on society as a whole and it is from this period of time that many advances were made. Moorfield's eye hospital in London was opened, and after a number of attempts to create an alphabet which could be discerned by touch the most successful system was widely accepted and created by Braille who was himself blind.
Shaun had a walking stick which Henshaw had owned and the top of this was the head of a deer with antlers. He also had a wooden letter opener which was about a foot long and two inches wide with an owl's head on it. Oldham's coat of arms includes an owl and it is thought to have come about because Oldham at that time was pronounced 'Owl'dham.
The exhibition contains numerous items especially created for use by blind people to assist them in their daily functions and also indications of the progress of increased knowledge both medical and social relating to the blind.
Oldham Gallery have compiled a special exhibition to celebrate this remembrance of the great gift given to us by Thomas Henshaw, when after his death, and thanks to his charity, these institutions were created. Shaun Baguley lead us through this very special exhibition they have mounted in celebration of the work carried out over the years by Henshaw's vision to create care and education for children and the blind in his asylum and school.
There is a portrait of Henshaw in the galley together with a bust, and also a stone-carved model of his asylum. He himself started life on a farm and was lucky enough to become an apprentice at a hat factory in Oldham where he trained for seven years. After this training he worked in Manchester as a journeyman and after a number of years he returned to Oldham and set up his own hat factory with his brother. Sadly his only son died at the age of ten to be followed by the loss of his wife also at a young age. He lived as a widower for 25 years and then married a much younger woman. Sadly after eleven years of marriage he was found drowned in a local reservoir and it has been assumed that he committed suicide.
Shaun had obtained a copy of his will and he had gifted amounts ranging from £200-1000 to many people. Also an annual sum of £200 to his wife with the request that the remainder of his fortune should be dedicated to the creation of a school for the blind where training could also be given enable them to work, and also to open a school for ordinary children which was on a par with the very expensive public schools.
These institutions were not built until 23 years after his death because his wife contested the will and it would appear that the wording of his will had been carefully constructed to ensure that his charitable works were continued. At this time his fortune continued to increase due to the expansion of the industrial revolution. His intervention for the blind and poor had a resounding effect on society as a whole and it is from this period of time that many advances were made. Moorfield's eye hospital in London was opened, and after a number of attempts to create an alphabet which could be discerned by touch the most successful system was widely accepted and created by Braille who was himself blind.
Shaun had a walking stick which Henshaw had owned and the top of this was the head of a deer with antlers. He also had a wooden letter opener which was about a foot long and two inches wide with an owl's head on it. Oldham's coat of arms includes an owl and it is thought to have come about because Oldham at that time was pronounced 'Owl'dham.
The exhibition contains numerous items especially created for use by blind people to assist them in their daily functions and also indications of the progress of increased knowledge both medical and social relating to the blind.
posted by elaine at 9:44 PM
1 Comments:
November 23, 2012 6:10 PM
Thanks once to Elaine, Elaines report on the visit to the exibition at Oldam was most interesting. Perhaps I might get there before it moves on!in closing I trust this will get sent! (fingers crossed)
Don. (Bu-cket)
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