Benjamin Satchwell
Encyclopedia
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England. Satchwell's cottage was in the old town to the south of the River Leam
River Leam
The River Leam is a river which flows through eastern and southern Warwickshire. It is a small river about 25–30 miles long. The town of Leamington Spa lies on, and is named after, the River Leam....
. He was the village's first postmaster, using his cottage as the post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, a shoemaker, and acted as an official mediator between two people in the village with a quarrel. In 1777 he helped set up The Foundation of Hospitality, a savings scheme which helped the poorer people of the village get medical attention.
In 1764 he married Mary Whitmore with whom he had 11 children: Hannah, Elizabeth, David, William, Elizabeth, Anne, Joseph, Kezia, George & Pheobe.
On 14 January 1784 Satchwell made the discovery that he would be remembered for. Until that date there was only one known spring in Leamington, on land belonging to the 4th Earl of Aylesford
Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford
Heneage Finch, 4th Earl of Aylesford PC, FRS, FSA , styled Lord Guernsey between 1757 and 1777, was a British peer, politician and artist.-Background and education:...
, who refused to sell the water (which was used for bathing and medicinal purposes), instead allowing people to have it for free. However in 1784 Satchwell and his friend William Abbotts
William Abbotts
William Abbotts was one of the founding fathers of Leamington Spa in Warwickshire, UK.Although already an important landowner in the then village it was on 14 January 1784 that Abbotts made the discovery that he would be remembered for...
found a second spring and in the manner of the time used its supposed medicinal qualities to make money from the leisured classes.
After Satchwell and Abbotts' spring was found several wells were bored and water was drawn. Leamington quickly grew into one of the most fashionable spa resorts
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
of the 19th century, a process which turned it from a sleepy village to a thriving town.
In 1806 Satchwell founded the Leamington Spa Charity, with the assistance of Reverend James Walhouse. The charity was to help the sick poor, who were to provide a certificate of need from a respectable person or parish officer, entitling them to a weekly lodgings allowance of 5s, subject to medical supervision. Money was raised from hotels and subscriptions, with Satchwell both the secretary and treasurer until his death in 1810. He was also well known for his poetry, which he wrote and performed. He died of a chest condition and was buried in Leamington's parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, All Saints
All Saints Church, Leamington
-Background:Built in the gothic style in the 19th century, it has been described as "one of the largest Church of England parish churches, rivaling many cathedrals in size." It is located in the centre of the town, just south of the River Leam in what was the old core of the town.- History :The...
on 4 December 1810, just yards from where his friend Abbotts had been laid to rest four years earlier. Two years after his death, Satchwell was to be honoured as a 'patron and friend' of the town, given a raised tomb fit for a nobleman or gentleman in the churchyard of All Saints.
Satchwell's Legacy
- Three streets in Leamington have been named after Satchwell: Satchwell Street, Satchwell Court and Satchwell Place.
- The WetherspoonsWetherspoonsJ D Wetherspoon plc is a British pub chain based in Watford. Founded as a single pub in 1979 by Tim Martin, the company now owns 815 outlets. The chain champions cask ale, low prices, long opening hours, and no music. The company also operates the Lloyds No...
pub chain, noted for naming its pubs after important local people or events, called its Leamington outlet "The Benjamin Satchwell". - There is a picture of Satchwell in the National Portrait Gallery in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. - A pair of Satchwell's spectacles take pride of place in Leamington's museum.