IT is 150 years almost to the day that the foundation stone for Bowes Museum was laid in a small ceremony – but does anyone know where the stone was located? There are living memories of people having seen it in their youth, perhaps 30 or 40 years ago, about 200 yards from the main building, perhaps among the trees on the town side of the site.
But now it cannot be found. The museum was built to house the extraordinary collection of Josephine and John Bowes of Streatlam Castle and Paris, and the stone-laying was scheduled for November 16, 1869 – 150 years ago this very day. A brass plaque – on display in the museum – was engraved with the date upon it, ready to be screwed onto the stone.
But Josephine sprained her ankle so badly that she couldn’t make it.
he swelling had reduced by November 27 when a rescheduled ceremony took place. A second plaque with the new date on it was made, but it, too, is missing – presumably because it is still attached to the stone, which may be buried deep in the undergrowth.
Five people are known to have been present for the stone-laying – John and Josephine, estate agent Ralph Dent, architect John Watson and builder Joseph Kyle – although some curious locals, no doubt scoffing about the wisdom of building a French chateau in the Teesdale countryside, may have been in the background.
Josephine laid the stone with a silver trowel – on display in the museum – and a special mallet and a leveller, to make sure she got it straight. As she did so, she turned to her husband and said: “I lay the bottom stone and you, Mr Bowes, will lay the top stone.”
Researcher Dorothy Brenkley has found receipts that show the trowel cost £5 18s and was engraved at a cost of 13s 6d.
Coins, worth £1 14s 10d, were brought from London to bring future prosperity to the project and to go in a 1s 6d glass jar, which is presumably still buried with the stone. And then once the ceremony was over, at least some of the party retired for a little celebration at the King’s Head Hotel, because there is a receipt in existence for four bottles of champagne, for £1 14s, and 16 shillings worth of spirits.
But where was the stone? People remember it being near the Roman Catholic church, but to have stumbled across it, you probably had to have departed from the path – children playing or firemen checking a hydrant.
If you have any clues, please let us know. Email chris.lloyd@nne.co.uk
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