Towards the end of the 19th Century a “Reading Room” facility had been provided for villagers in the Rectory, but a dedicated facility was desired, and the Rugby Advertiser featured a report on the May 1912 opening of the Church Lawford and Kings Newnham Reading Room in the June 1st Edition.
OPENING OF THE NEW READING ROOM.
Church Lawford was “en-fete” on Friday last week, the occasion being the opening of a new Parish Room and Reading Room for the village and the adjoining parish of Kings Newnham. The handsome brick building has been erected at the farther end of Church Lawford by the Misses Lizzie, Susan, Alice and Julia W Townsend, of Kings Newnham, and it is a striking instance of the interest the Townsend family have taken in the welfare of the inhabitants of the two villages. With characteristic generosity, the site was given by the Earl of Dalkeith, who handed over the conveyance of the site through his agent. Mr C G Bolam. The main room of the new building is capable of seating about 150 people, so that in addition to being a clubroom at ordinary times, it will serve as an excellent place for entertainments etc, for which a platform has been provided.
There would be about 180 people present at the ceremony, and amongst the assembly were the Misses Townsend. Mr T S Townsend, j.p, c.c (of Clifton), Mr S W Townsend, Mr W M Townsend,, the Rev J H Townsend (rector of St Mary’s, Oatlands, Surrey), the Rev (J W Jenkins (rector of Church Lawford), the Rev G A Dawson (Brinklow), the Rev W O Assheton (Old Bilton), Messrs J Brierlv and T Chalmers (churchwardens), Mr James Hair, M.D.. Miss Ursula Townsend, Miss E Lilian Ford. Mrs Assheton, Mr C G Bolam. Miss Etheldred L Seawell, Miss Annie S Townsend, Messrs G E Hitchcock, T Nona Hitchcock. W Dunn, G Wotherspoon. J W Heap, R Woodford, W Farmer. Edward Riley, F Cooke, H M Cooke, Arthur Cook, John Batchelor, and many others.
On behalf of the Earl of Dalkeith. Mr Bolam formally handed the site over to the trustees. In doing so he expressed the hope that the room would be prosperous and for the good of the two villages.
Mr J H Townsend, brother of the donors, then handed over the building, and expressed the pleasure it gave his sisters to give the room. They always had the welfare of the villages at heart, and believed the good feeling was reciprocated. He mentioned that the Townsend family had been at Kings Newnham for over 300 years. He also thanked Mr Bo!am for the efforts he had made to procure a suitable site for them from the Ear! of Dalkeith.
The Rector (the Rev G W Jenkins) gave expression to the satisfaction and pleasure the building had given to the inhabitants, and paid a high tribute to the esteem in which the donors are held in the locality. He then read the form for the opening of a Church Room or Institute, which in a prayer contained the following:— ” Accept the offering now humbly made of this building for good, pious, and charitable uses, that whatsoever is done here may be for Thy glory and for the help of Thy people.”
The Rector afterwards read a letter from the Rev J Pleydell Driver, a former rector of the parish, in which he asked him to express to his old parishioners his deep appreciation of the noble gift of the Misses Townsend of a Parish Room. It was his prayer that the room might prove for the social, moral and spiritual advantage of the parishes of Church Lawford and Kings Newnham. He extended his congratulations to the churchwardens and parishioners. His wife and he much regretted that they could not be with them on the festive occasion, but were delighted to hear that their son was expected to be present.
At the close, on the proposition of Mr J Brierly, seconded by Mr Chalmers, a very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the Misses Townsend for their gift, and also for the splendid entertainment that had been given on the occasion by Mr Selwyn Driver. The latter gentleman is the son of the former Rector, and for an hour and a-half he kept the audience in a merry mood. His abilities as a society entertainer are beyond doubt.
Hitherto the village clubroom has been held in a cottage, and there will now be plenty of space for expansion in the matter of membership. A rule of the new’ club will be that it is entirely nonpolitical. The building has been erected by Mr James Hollowell, builder, of Rugby.
