Tickhill Mutual Improvement Society
For those of us who have missed coming together for meetings cancelled due to lockdown, here is some news of a society which once existed in Tickhill and held meetings in Northgate. Would we have been interested in the topics of the talks? Even in those relatively far off days some of the talks were illustrated. Five reports of meetings published in the ‘Nottingham Journal’ follow:
‘Tickhill: on Tuesday evening March 21st, a lecture was delivered to a crowded meeting of the members and friends of the Tickhill Mutual Improvement Society by George Dunn Esq. MD of Doncaster, on ‘Constantinople and the seat of war’. In the course of the lecture Dr Dunn gave a description of the Czar, the Christian in name, and the Sultan, the Christian in deed, a comparison of the political state and moral character of the Russians, the Turks and the Greeks, interspersed with narrations of personal adventures and reminiscences and illustrated with splendid views of Constantinople and the Bosphorus etc. Dr Dunn was listened to with such great attention, that he said he never had the pleasure of addressing a more attentive audience. Owing to some persons making a rush for the door, the thanks of the meeting were not formally presented to Dr Dunn, but we feel certain that they were not the less felt.’ (N J Friday, 31 March 1854, page 3)
An image such as this one could have been shown during Dr Dunn’s talk about Constantinople
‘Tickhill Mutual Improvement Society. A lecture was delivered to a crowded audience of the members and friends of the above society on the 5th inst by Mr G Bennett of Maltby, on ‘Lyrical Poetry’; the vocal illustrations were by Mrs Pegg (Miss Catherine Symington) and Mr Samuel Wood. Mr Skelton of Blythe presided at the piano. At the close of the lecture a vote of thanks to Mrs Pegg and Messrs Wood, Bennett and Skelton was proposed by Mr Edward Pearson, sen., and carried unanimously. After singing the National Anthem the meeting separated.’ (N J Friday, 13 October 1854, page 7.)
‘The second series of lectures on ‘Popular Geology and its kindred science’ was delivered on Tuesday evening last, to the members of the Tickhill Mutual Improvement Society, by William Popplewell Esq., solicitor of Tickhill, who treated his subject with great ability. The lecture was illustrated by drawings and fossils, and at the close the thanks of the audience were given to the lecturer amid much acclamation.’ (N J Friday, 22 December 1854, page 5)
‘Tickhill Mutual Improvement Society. On Thursday evening January 4th Mr Hallatt the treasurer of the above society delivered a lecture on ‘Ninevah’ to the members for which the thanks of the audience were unanimously given. At the close of the lecture Mr Crowther, the secretary, and Mr Hallatt, the treasurer, laid before the meeting a statement of the monetary transactions of the society during the past year. After reading the statement Mr Hallatt and Mr Crowther were congratulated by Mr W Popplewell and other members on the successful manner in which they had carried on the affairs of the society and they were re-elected to fill the same offices during the ensuing year.’ (N J Friday, 12 January 1855, page 5.)
‘Tickhill Mutual Improvement Society. John Burrell Esq. MRCS delivered a lecture on ‘Mind and soul or the intellectual difference between man and the lower animals with respect to instinct and reason’ to the members of the above society at their lecture room in Northgate, Tickhill, on Tuesday evening the 16th inst. At the close of the lecture the thanks of the audience were unanimously given to Mr Burrell for his instructive lecture. Alfred Bunn Esq. of the Covent Garden and Drury Lane theatres will give his entertainment entitled ‘A visit from John to Jonathan’ this evening (Friday) to the members and friends of the Tickhill Mutual Improvement Society under the patronage of R G Lumley Esq. of Tickhill Castle’. (N J Friday, 19 January 1855, page 8)
It is not known how long the Society existed, how much it cost to join or who the members were apart from those named. It is likely that the meetings were held in what became the Tickhill Institute. Mutual Improvement Societies developed after the Napoleonic wars and by the mid-19th century there were hundreds of such organisations. Some were attached to particular groups like the Retford Literary and Mutual Improvement Society and the Ploughmen’s and Shepherds’ Mutual Improvement Society in Scarcliffe, some were attached to churches and chapels, some were aimed at young men and some were organised by Chartists and other radical groups. Women belonged to some Mutual Improvement Societies but we do not know if they could belong to Tickhill’s Society or if they could attend any meetings here. These societies were in decline by the end of the Victorian era and disappeared with the advent of the First World War. They served a valuable purpose in reflecting the desire for self-improvement at a time when there were few other opportunities for adult education. They could be seen as a forerunner of organisations such as the University of the Third Age.
For further details see: Radcliffe, C., ‘Mutual Improvement Societies in the forging of working class political consciousness in 19th century England’, in International Journal of Lifelong Education, 16(2) July 2006 pages 141-155.