Charles Larkin
Encyclopedia
Charles Larkin was an auctioneer and electoral reformer from Rochester, Kent
, England.
A monument in his honour was raised by public subscription in Higham
, near Rochester. It still stands, although has been rebuilt twice.
The act introduced wide-ranging changes to electoral franchise legislation in the United Kingdom. Before the act, certain English boroughs were entitled to send MPs to parliament, while the remaining parts of each county voted as a whole.
Although certain individual boroughs had been added or removed over the years, the reform act's most important consequence was the first wholesale review and revision of the list of enfranchised boroughs. Many new-grown towns gained the right to elect their own MPs and many rotten boroughs lost it.
His coffin was interred in the family vault at nearby Gillingham on September 20. The hearse was drawn by six horses, after which came three mourning coaches, each drawn by four horses. These were followed by 160 gentlemen, two abreast and dressed in deep mourning; and then by several carriages. Most of the shops in the town were closed for the funeral.
A subscription for a monument in his honour was opened in October, within a month had raised £150 from 64 subscribers.
Work on the monument began the next January and was completed by September, 1835. A contemporary newspaper report said: "It is a column nearly sixty feet in height, built of a composition called concrete, in imitation of stone, and the structure, by its correct and elegant proportions, reflects great credit upon the architect, Mr Ranger."
It contained the inscription:
The monument, however, was not as sturdy as the man it commemorated. By August, 1860, it had fallen into such a state of disrepair that one newspaper reported:
It was repaired in 1869 by Benjamin Horne who added the inscription:
Concrete, however, was plainly a poor material for monuments. By the early 20th century both inscriptions had eroded. The column was renovated again in 1974.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England.
A monument in his honour was raised by public subscription in Higham
Higham, Kent
Higham is a small village bordering the Hoo Peninsula, in Kent, between Gravesend and Rochester. The civil parish of Higham is in Gravesham district and as at the 2001 UK Census, had a population of 3,938.-History:...
, near Rochester. It still stands, although has been rebuilt twice.
The reforms
Larkin promoted the Parliamentary reforms in 1832 that gave the vote to every householder whose property rental value was more than £10.The act introduced wide-ranging changes to electoral franchise legislation in the United Kingdom. Before the act, certain English boroughs were entitled to send MPs to parliament, while the remaining parts of each county voted as a whole.
Although certain individual boroughs had been added or removed over the years, the reform act's most important consequence was the first wholesale review and revision of the list of enfranchised boroughs. Many new-grown towns gained the right to elect their own MPs and many rotten boroughs lost it.
Death and honour
Charles Larkin died, aged 58, at his home on Boley Hill, Rochester, on September 12, 1833. He had been a Liberal and contemporary reports describe him as “one of the most prominent political characters in this country”.His coffin was interred in the family vault at nearby Gillingham on September 20. The hearse was drawn by six horses, after which came three mourning coaches, each drawn by four horses. These were followed by 160 gentlemen, two abreast and dressed in deep mourning; and then by several carriages. Most of the shops in the town were closed for the funeral.
A subscription for a monument in his honour was opened in October, within a month had raised £150 from 64 subscribers.
Work on the monument began the next January and was completed by September, 1835. A contemporary newspaper report said: "It is a column nearly sixty feet in height, built of a composition called concrete, in imitation of stone, and the structure, by its correct and elegant proportions, reflects great credit upon the architect, Mr Ranger."
It contained the inscription:
- The Friends of Freedom in Kent erected this Monument to the Memory of CHARLES LARKIN,
- In grateful testimony to his fearless and long
- Advocation of Civil and Religious Liberty
- And his zealous exertions in promoting the
- Ever Memorable Measure of
- Parliamentary Reform
- AD 1832
The monument, however, was not as sturdy as the man it commemorated. By August, 1860, it had fallen into such a state of disrepair that one newspaper reported:
- The Larkin Monument, beyond FrindsburyFrindsburyFrindsbury is part of the Medway Towns conurbation in Kent, southern England. It lies on the opposite side of the River Medway to Rochester, and at various times in its history has been considered fully or partially part of the City of Rochester. Frindsbury refers to both a parish and a manor....
, erected of concreteConcreteConcrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
in a paltry manner, is found to be in peril of tumbling into a heap of rubbish. What a satire on a 'memorial'!
It was repaired in 1869 by Benjamin Horne who added the inscription:
- This monument was repaired and re-inscribed at the cost of Benjamin Worthy Horne, Esqre, of MereworthMereworthMereworth is a village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England. The Wateringbury Stream flows through the village and powered a watermill, the site of which now lies within the grounds of Mereworth Castle.-History:...
, Kent, and of Russell SquareRussell SquareRussell Square is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Museum. To the north is Woburn Place and to the south-east is Southampton Row...
, London. AD 1869
Concrete, however, was plainly a poor material for monuments. By the early 20th century both inscriptions had eroded. The column was renovated again in 1974.
Sources
- A Mosaic History of Higham by Andrew Rootes (1974)