Jesmond – High West Jesmond

June 22, 2019June 22, 2019

Banqueting Hall in Jesmond Dene

Banqueting House in Jesmond Dene. Photo courtesy Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust

Members of the public are invited to comment on the Charity Commission’s proposed changes to Lord Armstrong’s Deed of Gift dated 1883 as it relates to the Banqueting Hall and Jesmond Dene Park.

The following announcement has been released by the JRA:

Urgent Update: The Banqueting Hall and the Charity Commission – The Armstrong and Hodgkin Charitable Trust

As the Jesmond Residents’ Association’s representative for matters relating to the Banqueting Hall and the Jesmond Dene Estate, I have responded to the charity Commission’s proposed changes to Lord Armstrong’s Deed of Gift dated 1883 as it relates to the Banqueting Hall and Jesmond Dene Park.

JRA concerns expressed

The Jesmond Residents’ Association has raised a strong objection highlighting a number of significant issues which must be taken into consideration before any changes are made.

In brief:

1. The poor quality of the consultation regarding the proposed changes by Newcastle City Council. This demonstrates a lack of fairness and openness, and unseemly and unnecessary haste.

It does not demonstrate or reflect the opinions of Jesmond residents or indeed the citizens of Newcastle.

2. The lack of clarity regarding the fate of the four endowment properties held within the Jesmond Dene estate.

The income generated from these properties is ring fenced for the management, upkeep and restoration of the Banqueting Hall as stated in Lord Armstrong’s Deed of Gift.

3. The actual intentions behind the proposed changes have not been made clear by Newcastle City Council or the new Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust.

The use of Jesmond Dene and the function of the Banqueting Hall were clearly separated by Lord Armstrong’s Deed of Gift. This was for good reason and we do not know why this should be changed.

The Banqueting Hall as a “controlled ruin” is used by the Armstrong Studio Trust and it fulfils Lord Armstrong’s intentions with their outreach activities. Many activities take place within Jesmond Dene which again fulfil Lord Armstrong’s intentions within the Deed of Gift.

4. The current financial effectiveness of Lord Armstrong Deed of Gift is under review by Newcastle City Council which is appropriate. However, there are a number of ideas and proposals from interested parties regarding sourcing funds which should be discussed publicly and openly by Newcastle City Council and Newcastle Parks and Allotments Trust.

Your opportunity to comment

Comments or representations on these proposals can be made to the Charity Commission within one month of 01 June 2019 by completing the form of notice on

www.charitycommission.gov.uk/our-regulatory-work/how-to-comment-on-a-scheme/schemes-and-orders

The scheme number is 494310

I would strongly recommend that you make your voices heard and respond to the Charity Commission proposal. Eileen Strouzer

The above news story was issued by Jesmond Residents’ Association. It has been included here for information and does not necessarily represent the views of High West Jesmond Residents’ Association.

July 26, 2018July 31, 2018

Newcastle’s first female GP honoured

The first female GP in Newcastle who campaigned for children’s and women’s health has been commemorated when a plaque was unveiled in her memory.

Dr Ethel Williams, the first female GP in Newcastle upon Tyne, lived in Jesmond

Ethel Williams was also reputedly the first woman in the North East to drive her own car – and service it.

Jesmond resident

Williams (1863-1945) lived at 3 Osborne Terrace, Jesmond, where Lord Mayor of Newcastle Cllr David Down unveiled a plaque in her memory on Wednesday, July 18.

Among those at the unveiling were members of the Workers Educational Association which championed her case for a plaque.

Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Public Health, Cllr Kim McGuinness, said: “Newcastle is a city with a rich heritage and a history of striving for equality. Ethel Williams’ remarkable story is part of that.

“This year we celebrate 100 years since some women got the vote. Commemorating great women who played a part in making the city the great place it is today is part of that celebration and it’s fantastic to see Ethel Williams honoured.

“Our blue plaques are designed to draw attention to the great sons and daughters of Newcastle so future generations can learn about them and be inspired and to keep drive our great city forward.”

Plaque unveiled at 3 Osborne Terrace, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne – photo courtesy Newcastle University

Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Cllr David Down, said: “In many respects Ethel Williams was a woman ahead of her time. She vigorously campaigned for women to get the vote and as a GP did a huge amount to improve the health and well-being of women and children.”

Set up her own GP practice

Williams attended the London School of Medicine for Women and graduated in 1891, but had to gain her internship abroad in Paris and Vienna, as women could not train in British hospitals.

Such barriers, and her belief in the need to supplement medical care with social reform, led to her active involvement in the suffragette movement. Though never militant, she withheld her taxes in 1905 – a year before she set up her own GP practice.

She co-founded the Northern Women’s Hospital in 1917 and, when she retired in 1924, she left her practice to another female doctor, Dr Mona MacNaughton. By this time there were 14 female doctors practicing in Newcastle.

She died in 1948 and Ethel Williams’ Halls of Residence was opened in her memory in 1950 at Newcastle University.

Williams was an active member of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies. A banner from the Mud March in which she took part is on display in the Ethel Williams Collection in Newcastle University’s Robinson Library.

She was also a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. In 1915 she was due to travel to a conference in The Hague but was prevented from doing so by the Government.

Williams went on to become a Justice of the Peace, a member of Newcastle Education Committee and co-founder of the Monkton Home for Mental Defectives, the Northern Women’s Hospital and the Medical Women’s Federation.