Imposing home was once town museum (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Imposing home was once town museum

5:30pm Thursday 3rd November 2011 in Nostalgia

TO LOOK at Strickland-gate House today from the street one would be excused for not realising that it has stood for more than 200 years.

It was built about 1776, with gardens behind it, for Joseph Maude, a prosperous merchant and moneylender from Sunderland.

He became one of Kendal’s most influential merchants and married Sarah Holme, from a well-known local family, so consolidating his position in Kendal society.

He fathered a family of 12 children and, although he never became Mayor, his son Thomas did in 1799. He was one of the founders of Maude, Wilson and Crewdson’s Bank, one of the two Kendal banks founded on January 1,1788.

The family continued to live in the house until the early 1800s and in 1854 it was leased to The Kendal Literary and Scientific Institution – a lively body numbering among its members William Wordsworth, Robert Southey, John Dalton and Adam Sedgwick.

Adam must have been a magnetic personality. In a lecture on geology he kept his audience enthralled for no less than two hours!

So popular were the Institution’s lectures that it was forced to hire larger rooms from time to time.

The Institution formed a museum, beginning with a few stuffed birds and one or two relics of antiquity, gradually growing by donations to become an imposing collection.

1895 began a period of uncertainty about the future of the Institution. The lease of the house was due to expire and the new rental was more than it could afford. It seemed that the Institution would have to close down and its museum collection be dispersed.

At the last moment Gilbert Gilkes, a director of the Kendal Bank of Savings, purchased the house and leased it to the Institution at an affordable rent. The museum was thrown open free of charge to the public and was a huge success.

But storm clouds were gathering. By 1910 the Institution was in financial difficulties and its popularity declined. In 1913 it was disbanded.

Some of its treasures were sold to the British Museum (Natural History) and the remainder were handed to the corporation as a nucleus of a Kendal Museum.

The house was closed and emptied and was bought by Dr Samuel Noble, a local doctor, who lived in it until his death in 1926. After his wife’s death in 1945 South Westmorland Rural District Council took over for its offices which were passed to South Lakeland District Council, in 1974. They used it until South Lakeland House was opened.

After remaining empty for some years, it was leased to the Stricklandgate House Trust as a base for charities.

After extensive renovation in 2010-11, overseen by Dr Colin Reynolds, the house was brought to its present state – which has been given a Civic Society award.

A most interesting heritage exhibition has been set up inside, the work of Trevor Hughes, which tells interesting facets of Kendal’s history. Entrance is free - apply to the receptionist for permission.