Brighton’s First Mayor – Lieutenant Colonel John Fawcett (1803-1878)

Lieutenant Colonel John Fawcett, first Mayor of Brighton, 1854.

Lieutenant Colonel John Fawcett

Before the creation of the Borough of Brighton by Incorporation on 19 January 1854 the town was led by Town Commissioners. Several attempts had been made to create a Borough prior to 1854; supporters arguing that the Town Commissioners were extravagant, too numerous and had only limited powers. Those who were anti-incorporation argued that there would be an even greater burden on the town’s rate-payers if incorporation took place.

John Fawcett was born in Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1803 and was listed on the 1851 census as ‘retired Major (East India Service)’. Fawcett was elected to Town Commissioner in January 1854 and was an active promoter for the Charter of Incorporation. At the first election of Councillors and was returned second for the newly formed Park Ward behind  William Hallett (who became Mayor of Brighton in 1855).

Brighton’s first Mayor

On 7 June 1854, at the first meeting of the new council, Fawcett was elected Mayor of Brighton. A strong Liberal in politics, he wasn’t without his critics. One newspaper article stated that:

‘The Mayor on his inauguration, addressed the Council in one of his incomprehensible speeches’.

The Brighton Guardian was outraged when the Mayor suggested he should be paid a salary. One figure mooted was £300 per annum. The Brighton Herald was no less shocked, stating that:

‘By once fixing a salary, the door is open to numerous abuses’

The Mayor’s chain was presented to the Fawcett by Jeremiah Pilcher. He had worn it himself when Sheriff of the City of London. The badge was added by ‘some ladies of Brighton’ and the borough arms and motto were selected by Alderman Burrows (Mayor of Brighton in 1857, 1858 and 1871).

Fawcett left Brighton around 1865 and resided in Jersey where he died on 24 March 1878.

Paul Jordan, Senior History Centre Officer

The life of a Stoat

Countryside 2011 takes place from the 28^th May to the 12^th June. To celebrate we take a look at some of the species on display at the Booth Museum.

The stoat has had an unfortunate relationship with man over the centuries. Along with being a highly prized fur species, gamekeepers and farmers have persecuted stoats in Britain for hundreds of years because they eat game bird eggs, chicks and even the sitting hen. However, in their natural ranges stoats are far more likely to eat rabbits, and act as a strong natural control on their numbers. This relationship is so clearly marked, that the rabbit myxomatosis outbreak in the 1950s decimated stoat numbers due to an overwhelming loss of prey.

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The stoat’s predilection for rabbits was used as justification for introducing them into New Zealand in order to control the rabbit population (which had also been introduced). However, the flightless indigenous birds proved to be easier prey for the stoats, and they have in turn become pests, helping to push many bird species to the brink of extinction. Efforts are now underway to completely eradicate stoats from many of the islands of New Zealand.

Stoats are often mistaken for weasels, but there are several differences. Appearance wise, weasels do not have a black tipped tail, and do not have a white winter coat. Stoats can live significantly longer than weasels, some living for up to ten years. Stoats also have one of the longest gestation periods in mammals, demonstrating delayed implantation, where the fertilized eggs are held in suspension for up to ten months before beginning to develop.

There are several examples of stoats in the Booth Museum collection, but one of the best examples is a case of two stoats in their winter ermine coat. This case was created by the award winning taxidermist William Farren. Farren operated in the late 19th and early 20th century, and his shop was located at 23 Regent Street, Cambridge. Farren often accompanied the Hon. E S Montague, Secretary of State for India, on expeditions, and many of his works are cared for by Leicester museums’ service. The case of stoats is typical of Farren’s creations as they usually depict the animals in their natural surroundings, with an absence of prey species. This particular example is part of the education collection, and is often used in the Booth Museum for learning.

Lee Ismail, Curator of Natural Sciences

Object of the Month – Willins’ Whistles

The whistles pictured in this blog are from the collection of A J Willins (1878-1950). The collection was donated to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery by his wife, Mary Willins, on his death.

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The 454 whistles were gathered in Britain but originate from all over the world and date from between 1780 and 1934. At home, Willins displayed his collection in a cabinet with little drawers and often took them out to show visitors. It is not clear why Willins formed his collection but he was clearly interested in the diversity of whistle types and their different purposes as he compiled a catalogue of the whistles dividing them into thirteen categories according to their function. The catalogue was also donated in 1950.

The collection has whistles for every occasion. Some have a practical purpose, such as a bosun’s whistle, whilst others, like a bone whistle with a microscopic lens showing views of the Royal Pavilion and the Chain Pier, are simply beautiful souvenirs. The collection also includes toy and novelty whistles like a porcelain eggcup whistle in the shape of a rooster driving a car.

A selection of the whistles were displayed at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery December 1930 – March 1931 and in 1998 another selection was exhibited under the title ‘Just for the Shrill of It…Mr Willins’ Collection of Whistles’.