THE HENRY FAWCETT WALK IN SALISBURY
Henry Fawcett, husband of Millicent Garret Fawcett, scholar, politician and Postmaster General, was born and raised in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with a statue of him standing in Salisbury's Market Square where he spent so much of his childhood.
It was also in Salisbury that he suffered the terrible accident which would leave him blind for life, making his achievements all the more remarkable.
There are several places in Salisbury connected with his life, including where he was born, where the accident happened overlooking his cherished views of the cathedral, and other places of significance to his life, which you can visit and combine together in a walk around the city (click here to go to the map of the locations and walk).
Point 1 - St. Thomas' Church
At the age of 22, Henry's father, William Fawcett, had settled in Salisbury, marrying Mary Cooper in 1827 at St. Thomas' Church. William Fawcett was the Mayor of Salisbury in 1832, the year before Henry was born.
William was a staunch liberal; a keen supporter of the Reform Bill which was passed in 1832 and allowed more men to vote. It also completely removed the vote from women however, as the Act defined a voter as a male person - women had previously been allowed to vote in a few, rare circumstances.
Nevertheless, the Reform Act was a considerable achievement for the time, and William Fawcett was a popular mayor in the town.
There has been a church on this site for over 800 years, it being built for the builders of the cathedral to worship in. The existing building is much as it would have been when Henry Fawcett's parents got married here, although its most impressive feature - the Doom Painting, was still under whitewash at that time.
The medieval Doom Painting is the largest and most complete in the UK, but it was whitewashed over in 1593 during the Reformation, and not uncovered until 1881, just 3 years before Henry died. The church is well worth a visit to see this incredible painting. It is usually open 9am - 5pm and is free to visit, although donations are welcome.
Point 2 - Statue to Henry Fawcett
The statue to Henry Fawcett stands in the Market Square, a life-size bronze on a marble plinth overlooking Blue Boar Row.
Many visitors wonder why the statue has him standing with his back to the square, but he is facing the house in Blue Boar Row where he was born, "in a wonderful Elizabethan room", in 1833.
Point 3 - Blue Boar Row
Blue Boar Row would have looked somewhat different at the time of Henry's birth, although some of the buildings you see today have been there for centuries.
The impressive building which is now Lloyds Bank wasn't built until 1869, many years after he had left Salisbury, and the large department store was once a range of 3 houses built in the 18th century - he lived in one of these, but the modern shop frontage has removed any vestige of the place he would have called home, which was described as an "old low red-brick house overlooking the market-place."
Point 4 - St. Edmunds Church
St. Edmunds church on nearby Bedwin Street was where Henry was christened on 18th September 1833.
This 15th century church now serves as Salisbury Arts Centre, with a café, art exhibitions, music, shows and films.
It is free to visit, and a lovely place to eat while listening to a lunchtime band. It still retains many of its finest features although they are sometimes covered up with exhibitions..
The churchyard has the Salisbury World War I memorial as well as wide open spaces to sit and enjoy the peace.
Point 5 - The Market Square
The young Henry loved to visit the market place right outside his front door, and would frequently spend his time there, making friends with the country folk, talking of their crops, apparently fascinated with the rising and falling prices.
The market square has long been the place where travelling funfairs and circuses are held, a source of much excitement to Henry and his siblings. "Sometimes the circus spread its mysterious tents, and when the children were dragged away from the wild beasts and the seductive freaks and put to bed, the little Fawcetts would stealthily creep to the bedroom window overlooking the market and see the lights shining on all the wonderful but forbidden marvels, and hear the hurdy-gurdy and the band mix their triumphal blare with the solemn striking of the clock in the near-by cathedral."
There has been a market held in the square for over 800 years, although the area was once much bigger than the square you see today. The lime trees which surround the Market Square were planted in 1887, a few years after Henry's death, to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Markets are held every Tuesday and Saturday, with regular visiting markets on other days. The square is lined with pubs and cafes as well as shops.
Point 6 - The Guildhall
On the south side of the Market Square is the Guildhall, which was completed in 1795. This is the home of local government, headed by Salisbury's Mayor, so a young Henry would have been very familiar with this building. The Guildhall is usually open to visitors and is worth a visit, as you can see displays of silverware, the banqueting hall lined with portraits of previous mayors, the oak courtroom which is a replica of the Old Bailey, and sometimes the tiny jail cells are available to view. Entrance is free.
Point 7 - Queen Street
This small street which lines the market square overlooking the Guildhall is still very similar to how it would have been when William Fawcett worked as a Haberdasher and Draper in a shop on this street. Many of the buildings are medieval and have been there for centuries. Have a look inside the top floor of Crew Clothing for the original wattle and daub walls, and walk into the entrance of Cross Keys Mall to see the 17th century Jacobean wooden staircase which once led to the Victorian Turkish Baths.
In 1841, the family moved to a farm on the Longford Estate, 3 miles outside Salisbury. At the same time, Henry started at a local dame school in nearby Alderbury, before moving on to a school in Hampshire and then one in London, ending up at Cambridge University, being elected to a Fellowship at Trinity Hall in 1856. His plan was to enter parliament, using a career at the Bar as a way in, and he worked at Lincolns Inn.
Fawcett developed problems with his eyes in 1857 when overwork caused him difficulties and after a while he went to stay at his parents house in Longford to convalesce.
Point 8 - Harnham Hill
In 1858 while convalescing at his parents house, he went on a partridge shoot with his father and brother. "Together they climbed Harnham Hill. Fawcett turned to look back at the glorious view, bathed in an autumn light, the trees, already turning to gold, the village nestled in the valley through which the river Avon wound, the spire of the great cathedral touched with glory by the setting sun. To Fawcett this was one of the loveliest views in England: he looked on all this beauty for the last time."
As they were crossing a field, he walked ahead of his father. William, who was suffering from cataracts, did not see his son, and as a partridge rose, he fired, hitting the bird but also his son, with stray shot going into both his eyes, blinding him instantly.
He was taken home on the back of a cart to his mother, his father distraught at the accident he had caused. Fawcett's first words to his father were said to be "This shall make no difference" and he remained stoic and calm throughout. About 6 weeks later he was able to see light for about 3 days, but then darkness fell forever and his sight was never recovered.
Read more about Harnham Hill >>
Henry returned to Cambridge, and in November 1863 was appointed Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge, a post he held until his death. He resumed his activities such as walking, mountain climbing, horse riding and even skating.
He gave up the Law and went into politics as a Liberal. In 1865 he was elected as an MP for Brighton, helping to get the Reform Act of 1867 carried. He advocated the abolition of religious tests at universities, he supported various measures of social reform, especially the extension of the factory acts to the agricultural labourers, and he regularly spoke in the commons about the helping the poor. He fought against land inclosure, once quoting this from the 1700s: