PRESIDENT - 1850 - 1852 David Badham
Born: 1784 at Bulmer Essex.
Married: 12 10 1802 at Bulmer to Rebecca Pung.
Died: 20 11 1865 at Bulmer.
Born: 1784 at Bulmer Essex.
Married: 12 10 1802 at Bulmer to Rebecca Pung.
Died: 20 11 1865 at Bulmer.
Rebecca Pung: Born 1775 at Bulmer, daughter of Thomas Pung. Died 24 4 1826 at Bulmer.
Family of two sons and three daughters:
George David b 17 5 1807.
Charles b 28 7 1814 Later to be Vicar of All Saints Sudbury.
Mary b 29 6 1809 Died aged 16.
Eliza b 15 8 1816.
Alice b 28 2 1819.
1841 Census David described as Independent.
1851 Census David was a Magistrate.
1861 Census David was the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Essex.
David never remarried.
There were always two house servants employed.
Alice stayed with her father until his death in 1865.
1881 Alice was still single and living in Lemington Priors, Warwickshire.
PRESIDENT - 1852 - 1858 Rev Edward Bull
Born: 1805 son of Rev Edward Bull.
Married: Bachelor.
Died: 1871.
Rector of Pentlow Essex 1834 to his death in 1871.
Took over as Rector from his father, another Edward Bull, in 1834.
Civic duties.
1864 was the chairman of the Sudbury Union (workhouse)
now Walnutree Hospital.
A Justice of the Peace.
A farmer.
Little is recorded of work done for the Institute before his Presidency or afterwards.
He had built the local famed Bull Tower at Pentlow seen for many miles, high on the horizon like a giant chimney. Built to the memory of his parents. Owned today by Paul Fennick an Institute member.
PRESIDENT - 1858 - 1876 Rev Edwin Sidney
Born: 19 3 1815 s/o Michael and Louisa nee Scott Born in Gloucestershire.
Married: Eliza ? Born 1795 in Shropshire. Died: 29 10 1872 Lt Cornard.
His last re corded Church register entry was a burial five weeks earlier,
Rector of Lt Cornard 1847-1872
A friend of Farraday, well versed of the science of the day. Did talks on scientific subjects. In 1849 while as Rector at
Lt Cornard he wrote a treatise on “ Philosophy of Food and Nutrition in Plants and Animals”.
Had a very keen interest in magic lanterns in the 1860s, and did many magic lantern shows at the Mechanics and Literary Institute and the Town Hall. Many were for the children. His shows were at the
PRESIDENT - 1877
James St George Burke
front edge of this new technology and could do simple movements when all of his slides were of painted glass. A man of very wide ranging ideas, from his faith as a clergyman, to the views of the new Darwin era on the survival of the species and how animals and plants use food and nutrients to sustain growth. Nationally known as an authority on geology and how the landscape had been formed by the ice ages.
Born: 20 12 1804 Lisbon Portugal. British Embassy Recorded birth s/o John French Burke and Catherine Sarah nee Thorne. Married: 3 12 1835 Anne Eliza Grubbe (b 1807 d/o John Grubbe d 16 11 1855).
Died: 25 2 1881 London.
Family five daughters and eight sons. The sons that survived infancy went onto Military and Legal careers.
Practicing solicitor in 1831.
Admitted to the Middle Temple as a barrister. made a Queens Council in 1863 (QC).
Continued >
Purchased the Aubries. Bulmer in 1857 Burke Family Married into the as his home. Barnardiston Family: = James St George m Anne Eliza Nathaniel Clark m Sophia Burke Grubbe Barnardiston Eyres Ulick John Burke m Edith Charlotte Barnardiston b 297 1843 Lt Henny 5 8 1867 b 22 11 1845 Gt Henny The above family connection Barnardiston It was Susanna’s mother Hannah who and Burke is in some measure inevitable was the first honorary female member as they were neighbours. The Reys and of the Mechanics Institute. Although \ the Auberies are very close together. Susanna was born in Ireland, she does not confirm as a native Irish. In these James St George Burke’s father in law times English families enjoyed privilege was one John Grubbe | have found no in administering the governance of law, connection with this John Grubbe and politics and commerce. After doing their the Joseph Grubbe, who loaned the £200 “stint” they returned home. interest free when the Mechanics Institute built their first premises in 1841 at 36 James St George Burke was not Market Hill. Another Grubb family member mentioned in Clubs day to day working. appears as the bride to William D King, Most of the Presidents were figure heads one Susanna Grubb. PRESIDENT - 1878 - 1916 Colonel Nathaniel Barnardiston Born: 24 4 1832 s/o Nathaniel Clark Barnardiston and Sophia. Married: 11 12 1858 Lady Florence Legge ( b 3 8 1838 d/o Sir William and Lady Frances Legge. Lewisham Kent. d 27 3 1917 The Reys Lt Henny) Died: March 1916. Army career, retired a colonel. 1887 - 1889 Leave or temporarily Father of Major General Nathaniel Walter resigned from the Army Barnardiston. 1890 - 1892 A Major An absentee President. 1893 - 1916 A Colonel Most likely retired In the Army: as a Major but enjoyed the 1878 - 1880 A Captain. retired rank of a Colonel on his 60th 1881 - 1886 A Major. birthday in 1892. 54
PRESIDENT - 1916 - 1919 Major General Nathaniel Walter Barnardiston Born: 20 11 1858 s/o Nathaniel and Lady Florence nee Lady Florence Legge daughter of the Fourth Earl of Dartmouth. Grandson ee of Nathaniel Clark Barnardiston. te : Married: Sarah Floyd-Jones, 28 6 1892 at Massapegua, Nassua, ae oe New York ery : i (b 18 9 1857 d/o David & Mary nee Stanton at Massapegua). ier mar (d The Ryes Lt Henny). Died: 19 8 1919 At Felixstowe. Educated at Merton College Oxford joining the 77th Regiment and later the Lived at The Ryes Lt Henny Extensive Middlesex Regiment, afterwards serving military career see enclosed material. as a staff officer from 1894 to 1901. He An absentee President. Very old Suffolk fought in the South African War from family. A village named after them Nr 1901 until 1902. From 1902 until 1906 Haverhill See the previous family History he was military attache at The Hague of the Barnardistons. Attached is The and from 1906 until 1910 was assistant Major Generals Military career. commandant. From 1910 until 1914 he was assistant director of military training Nathaniel Walter Barnardiston was an at the War Office. On the outbreak of the English soldier. He was born in 1858 and War he was in command of the small died in 1919. Educated at Merton College, British contingent from Wei-hei-Wei that Oxford, he entered the army in 1878 co-operated in the capture of Tsingtao. PRESIDENT - 1919 - 1932 Mr Alfred F Hitchcock Born: 3 3 1839 son of William and Eliza. Bapt at All Sts Sudbury. One of eight children. Married: about 1860 to Emma Lived in Hospitalers Yard (now the Boat House yard). Died: 14 4 1932 aged 93. Alfred was Baptised at All Sts Church. As a young man was employed as a Could not find his marriage as it may sawyer as his father was. have been a Chapel wedding. His funeral Lived in New Street when he and his wife at the Congregational Trinity Chapel would Emma started their family indicate that Alfred followed his wife Later had his own business as a coal and Emma’s church. timber merchant. Continued > 95
Lived at 43 Station Rd Sudbury. Family of five daughters and two sons. From his member ship Alfred was very much involved with the Institute Club covering over sixty years. Was a very generous man and the first to support any fund raising or help in material ways in time of materials needed. His coal supplies to the Institute were always heavily discounted.
His business carried on down through his sons.
PRESIDENT - 1932 - 1936
Civic duties: Justice of the Peace 1916- 1929.
At his funeral which was held at the Congregational Trinity Chapel there were a large number of mourners from many sections of the community. Many trades people, customers, the police, the magistrates panel, Borough councillors. Officers and members of the Institute Club. Other clubs and organisations he had been engaged with over his very long life were all represented.
Mrs Nathaniel Walter Barnardiston
Wife of the Late Major General Nathaniel Walter Barnardiston of the Ryes Lt Henny. Born: Sarah Hall Floyd-Jones, on 18 9 1857, Massapegua, Nassau, New York.
Daughter of David Richard and Mary Louisa, nee Stanton.
Married: Nathaniel Walter Barnardiston on 28 6 1892 at Massapegua, Nassua, New York.
Died: -
In 1937 Mrs Barnardiston, as the senior member of the Barnardiston family celebrated a memorial service at Kedington Church which was the manorial family home in fifteenth century.
Listed as Mrs N Barnardiston The Reyes Lt Henny in the trade directories. President for four years aged 75 to 78. The minute books for these years 1922
to 1951 are missing. The Presidency is
confirmed in Mr ST Hyde’s History of the Mechanics Institute to the Institute Club written in 1984 for the 150th Anniversary of the Institute Club.
Full details of the Barnardiston family difficult to trace as they were a military family and were abroad a great deal.
PRESIDENT 1936-1943
Mr Harold Deane
Born: 1879 s/o James and Julia Clapham London. Father James a Pharmaceutical Chemist Marr 1910 Georgina Elizabeth Freeborn d/o John and Julia Born Walthamstow 1882.
Died: -
1901 A student analytical Chemist.
1911 Works chemist for Stafford Allen at Long Melford.
1911 Private address St Olaves Priory Road Sudbury.
Private Resident 1916 -1943.
Later lived at Inward House Melford Road.
PRESIDENT 1943 -1953
Mr Benjamin W Barr
Trained as an analytical Chemist
(A chemist for Stafford Allen at Long Melford Stafford Allens main office were near at Finsbury/ Clapham)
Involved with the Institute Club as a committee man and later as President.
Born 1882 s/o Benjamin A Barr b 1857 and Eliza A b 1858 nee Hibbs (marr 1876-1881 WivenhoeMarr Maude Elizabeth Higley 1910 (b 1881 Bristol).
Died -
Son Brian aged 6 months in 1911. Parents in the inshore fishing industry. As a young man was a fisherman’s assistant (1901)
1911 census Listed as a civil servant. The Trade directories 1912 Was now a junior Customs and Excise Officer in the weights and measures section, having responsibilities for the Sudbury area Trade directories. Benjamin was the senior Inspector of weights and measures, Customs and Excise 66 Friars Street. In 1916. At 12 Friars Street in 1929 Later the office moved to Curds Lane (now Weavers Lane) Recorded there in 1937, Benjamin’s private address was York Road 1916–1937
Enjoyed a superb reputation as a billiard player in the Institute Club, having as much as a 100 handicap set against him in a match with his contemporaries.
The weights and measures inspectorate entailed checking that all drinking glasses were of the correct measure and were stamped, taking samples of spirits etc to check that the alcohol level was correct (watering of Spirits happened from time to time). The weights used on scales retained the stamped leaded inserts which ensured that the weight was accurate. Offending trades people would be prosecuted by the weights and measures inspectorate.