This will be the 12th Plaque Event. The idea is to celebrate plaques that may be missed by the casual observer. A municipal plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom and elsewhere to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker.
This plaque commemorates Chatham’s Hospital, which the building is listed as Grade 1 and of historic interest. The hospital was established in 1654 as a charity school or 'hospital' and library. The building was later used as Manchester Northern School of Music. Humphrey Chetham (1580–1653) was an unmarried and childless financier, philanthropist and cloth merchant from Manchester. In the 1640s he provided money for the maintenance and education of fourteen poor boys from Manchester, six from Salford, and two from Droylsden. In March 1649 he wrote to the Earl of Derby about his intention to establish a school. He attempted unsuccessfully to acquire the buildings, which were "spoyld and ruin'd and become like a dunghill", to provide a hospital, school and library. In his will, Chetham left over £8,000 from his estate (which was worth about £14,000 in total) to establish a hospital school for 40 poor local boys, between the ages of six and ten and from "honest" families, who should be taught and cared for until they were 14. His executors obtained the lease of the college in 1654 to house both the school and library. After repairs to the college were completed in mid-1656, the first admissions were made.The first headmaster, Richard Dutton, was appointed in 1655, and in 1665 the institution became an incorporated charity.The number of pupils grew, with admissions rising to 100 by the 1870s. Boys were admitted based on the parish they lived in, and on need, health and background of the family. Illegitimate boys were not admitted, and all boys had to be able to read to a certain standard that meant they were not hard to teach. In 1878, a new schoolroom designed by architect Alfred Waterhouse (who designed Manchester Town Hall) was built in a Tudor style. The number of boys admitted was reduced to 75 in 1908 to save money, though three years later admissions increased again to 99. In 1916, no boys were admitted due to lack of funding caused by World War I, and in 1918 the number was limited to 70. Successful public appeals resulted in the numbers rising to 97 in 1929. In 1926 a scheme was set up which allowed boys to apply for scholarships to join a grammar school, which meant that while they lived at Chetham's, they were educated elsewhere during the day. Further, they would stay at grammar school until at least the age of 16 and sometimes 18.
(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chetham%27s_School_of_Music)
The meeting will be a casual style of meeting with geochat, all welcome between 12.30 – 1 pm.
The plaque is outside, so please dress appropriately for the weather. We will congregate on the grass by one of the permanent benches.
Footnote: If anyone wants to run a Plaque Event please contact snaffler, and the host will be eligible for a badge for their profile.
