1 Monk Street, Monmouth

Grade II Listed building in Monmouth, Wales April 2014 August 2024 Former Working Men's Free Institute, Monmouth 1 Monk Street, Monmouth former Working Men's Free Institute.JPG Monmouth's former Working Men's Free Institute 14 Location in Monmouth Art Gallery Monk Street off St James Square, Monmouth Wales 51.8131 -2.7111 type:landmark_region:GB-MON inline,title 1868 10 15 y Grade II Listed 1 Monk Street, Monmouth was built as a Working Men's Free Institute. It is a Grade II Listed building in Monmouth, Wales and located next to Monmouth Baptist Church.85207 Art gallery and shop, former working men’s institute II 8 January 2023 The architect was Benjamin Lawrence of NewportJohn Newman, The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire, Penguin Books, 2000, 0-14-071053-1, p.399 who later designed the church next door. The institute's staircase was made by Macfarlane, Glasgow, Wrought Ironwork was by Cormell Cheltenham and the carvings were by J Willis. The building opened in 1868. A smoking room and lecture room were added in 1897.Keith Kissack, Monmouth and its Buildings, Logaston Press, 2003, 1-904396-01-1, page 146 History Mrs. Matilda Jones (died 1874) of Ancre Hill financed the Institutes construction.Illustrated handbook to Monmouth p.40 1875 https://books.google.com/books?id=L3cHAAAAQAAJ&q=Ancre+Hill+monmouth Town Monmouth It opened its doors on 15 October 1868 following a procession to Ancre Hill, then the home of Matilda Jones, of working men headed by a Military band and accompanied by the friendly Societies with their banners. The purpose of the construction was to provide a library and reading lessons for the working class. The books were transferred from St Johns Street where Matilda Jones had been offering a private room for reading. The building included a Reading room, library, gallery, committee room and lecture hall.Keith Kissack, Victorian Monmouth, The Monmouth Historical and Educational trust, 0-9503386-2-1, page 4,55,124,129,132 A song was composed for the workmen to sing during its construction: O may our institute succeed, And prove to men a boon indeed. May many hearts receive the seed Of saving the truth. Another song which was sung at each general meeting was: Hurrah for the men who work According to Keith Kissack some of the lectures may have been hard going with a programme of 1892/3 a selection being Hommer, Drink Work & Wages, Queens English, The Family Circle, The Solar System, French Salons, Fossils, Egypt, The War of The Roses, Cathedrals in Britain Most of the lectures lasted about two hours and were followed by the chairman's remarks and thanks. Many of the lectures made use of Magic Lanterns for their opening. In 1881 a meeting of teachers in the Institute elected to set up a Branch of the National Union of Elementary Teachers because they were unhappy being excluded from decision making in the schools. In 1885 the Church of England Temperance Society had offices in the building. Its members used the building when distributing petitions in favor of Sunday Closing and that flower shows were an antidote to alcohol. In 1890 the winter was particularly harsh with 56 consecutive days of frost. This led to the setting up of a Soup Kitchen in the Institute. In 1907 a series of Saturday Pop Concerts was held in the institute performed by the local regimental band. The building has been Grade II Listed since 8 October 2005. The more recent uses for the premises have been an Art shop, Gallery and Framing Company.Art @ Oriel Jones http://www.orieljones.co.uk/shop.html Oriel Jones 4 April 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20110429053152/http://www.orieljones.co.uk/shop.html 29 April 2011 dead dmy-allBeaver Framing http://www.beaverframing-monmouth.co.uk/ Beaver Framing 4 April 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120510210419/http://www.beaverframing-monmouth.co.uk/ 10 May 2012 dead Notes Category:History of Monmouthshire Category:Buildings and structures in Monmouth, Wales Category:Grade II listed buildings in Monmouthshire