St Ann Street Former Museum

Salisbury Civic Society

Salisbury Museum
was established in 1860
by Dr Richard Fowler
and this building was
its first permanent
home.

Many of the Provincial Museums in this country originated
in the first quarter of the nineteenth century when learned
societies were active in collecting specimens covering an
extensive field of interest. A little later there was a widespread
movement for the establishment of "Mechanics' Institutes," for
the encouragement of education amongst workers of all classes. Later
still the Gilchrist Trust came into being, to provide lectures in the
Institutes all over the country.

    The Salisbury and South Wilts Museum owes its foundation
to these movements. It is a Public Charity, open free to all, and
benefactions which have enabled it to maintain its existence, while
many other Museums have either closed for want of funds or
have been absorbed by the municipality, and thus become supported
by the local rates.

    The actual foundation of the Salisbury and South Wilts
Museum is due to Dr. Richard Fowler (b. 1765. d. 1863), who had
practised in Salisbury for 60 years of his long life. He was an
Antiquary, a Fellow of the Royal Society, and also deeply interested
in what would be called to-day "Adult Education." He founded
and built the Working Men's Institute, in St. Ann Street, only a
few doors from the Museum.

    In 1852, the Canals and Channels, which ran through every
street of the City, were filled in; and in the course of the work
many objects were found, which were disposed of by the workmen
to interested persons, and specially to Mr. E. W. Brodie, whose
family carried on a publishing business in the city, which still
exists. Dr. Fowler conceived the idea of collecting all the "Drainage
Collection" under one roof, and of purchasing the "Brodie
Collection," to inaugurate a Salisbury Museum. He set up a
committee of local scientists for this purpose, which, among others,
included Mr. E. T. Stevens, Dr. Humphrey Blackmore, Mr. Henry
Blackmore, Mr William Blackmore, Mr. James Nightingale, the
Bishop and Mr James Hussey, with Mr. E. T. Stevens as General
Curator and Secretary. This committee raised funds for the
purchase of the Brodie Collection, which, with other specimens of
various kinds, was established in rooms adjoining the Market House
at No. 1, Castle Street, and opened in June 1861. Dr Fowler
next set about building of a permanent Museum on the present
site in St. Ann Street, but before it was fully completed he died.
His widow, also keenly interested, continued the work.

    The house, formerly belonging to Colonel Baker (Nos 40 and
42, St. Ann Street), was purchased, and a portion of it pulled....

A very interesting account of the discovery of the foun-
dations of Osmund's Cathedral was drawn up by the late Mr. Hatcher,
and published at the time in the Gentleman's Magazine. More lately
it has been embodied in the History of Salisbury, in Sir R. C. Hoare's
Modern Wiltshire. But we believe it is not stated in that account,
that the person who originated the search, obtained permission from
the proprietor of the soil to make the necessary excavations and
defray the expenses of the operation, was Dr Fowler. The follow-
ing communication with which we have been favoured by the Doctor
will be read with interest. "In the hot summer of 1834, when the
sainfoin sown in the field inclosed by the outer mound was observed
withered in lines, forming together such a figure as might have been
occasioned by the foundations of the ancient Cathedral, traditionally
said to have stood in this quarter, Dr. F., desirous of ascertaining
what might remain of this interesting structure, obtained permission
from Mr. Alexander (the liberal proprietor) to search for the founda-
tions in the lines indicated by the withered sainfoin. The result was,
the discovery of nearly the entire stone foundations, from one to two,
or more feet below the surface, which, from careful measurement,
were found to be 270 feet long by 150 feet wide. A skull was found,
and the place of a former interment was observed near the high altar;
not far from which a large key was picked up, curiously and artistically
formed, and near it another smaller key of ruder workmanship, appa-
rently the key of a chest. With the permission of Mr. Alexander,
Dr. F. proposed that the then Chapter should become the Curators of
the articles found in the course of the search, but the arrangement
was never carried into effect. Dr. F. was assisted in this research by
the late Mr. Fisher and the late Mr. Hatcher, who made a sketch to
scale of the outlines discovered, and the adjoining Close. This was
lithographed, and the copies were sold for one shilling each, by Messrs.
Brodie and Co." The skull, the two keys, &c., and some coins that
were found in the course of the investigations are now in the possession of
Dr. Fowler. It was a happy thought of the Doctor's at the time, to
plant trees or shrubs at the angles of the ground-plot as ascertained,
and two cypresses to mark the place of the high altar. As it was, it was
found necessary to cover in the foundations somewhat prematurely, the
occupying tenant having complained of the injury done to his crops
by the crowds of curious visitors that thronged to the spot. However,
as pegs were driven into the ground at the angles, with the assistance
of the lithographed plan, the foundation might be easily retraced,
and the outlines and form of Osmund's vanished Cathedral, visibly
defined and perpetuated on its original site, by the adoption of Doctor
Fowler's simple and ingenious suggestion.

The author is thought to be John Burchell (Moore)