## **THOMAS FOWELL BUXTON SOCIETY** ## **REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES** **FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31[ST] DECEMBER 2021** ## **THE AIM OF THE SOCIETY** The Thomas Fowell Buxton Society became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) in 2014. The aim or object of the organisation, set out in our governing document is “To advance the education of the public in general on the subject of the achievements of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton philanthropist and MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis 1818-37 and in particular his achievement of the abolition of Slavery throughout the British Empire by Act of Parliament in 1833”. ## **THE SOCIETY’S OBJECTIVES FOR 2021** The Objectives of the Society for 2021 were to continue to educate the public in accordance with our aim by means of the following activities, but in accordance with the Government strictures on assembly during the Covid Pandemic. - a) The care of the Buxton Monument and its Information Board, erected on Bincleaves Green Weymouth. The monument and its information board provide a silent witness to Buxton’s achievements and is now a feature of the town’s heritage. - b) As far as practicable, to organise public events to foster recognition of Buxton as a philanthropist. - c) To keep members informed via newsletters and a website ## **THE SOCIETY’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN 2021** ## **CARE OF THE BUXTON MONUMENT** The Buxton Monument, erected in 2017 on Bincleaves Green by the Society, together with its National Lottery funded information Board educates the passing public every day, especially in the tourist season. The Thomas Fowell Buxton Society owns the Monument and has a 50-year lease on the public land on which it stands. The Society therefore has a duty of care to maintain the Monument and take out public liability insurance. During 2021, the Monument needed no extra maintenance. Albion Stone who supplied the Portland stone with which the monument has been built, advise letting the monument ‘weather’ for a few years before cleaning and re-waxing. ## **MARCH 2021: THE MICO SERVICE** The Mico Service, which was to take place on Friday 26[th] March (the Friday before Palm Sunday), had to be cancelled again this year due to the Covid Pandemic. 1 ## **APRIL 2021: APPROACH BY NORFOLK MUSEUM SERVICE** In April 2021 Meg Barclay from the Norfolk Museum Service contacted the Society for information on Thomas Fowell Buxton and Norfolk abolitionists who supported him. The TFB Society presentation _The Parliamentary Achievements of Thomas Fowell Buxton_ was forwarded to Meg and she was referred to the book _The Northrepps Grandchildren_ by Verily Anderson, Mallard Reprints, 1979, for further relevant information. Meg expressed her gratitude for the information, which she said was proving a great help. ## **PRESENTATIONS TO PROBUS AND PROBUS LADIES** The Society educational team’s bookings with local organisations Probus and Probus Ladies, deferred from 2020, were deferred again in 2021. We hope these bookings will be honoured in 2022. Since its inauguration, the Society has given 100 presentations to mostly local groups, though some further afield. ## **EPPING FOREST DISTRICT MUSEUM AND SAFFRON WALDEN MUSEUM, ESSEX** In 2020 a request came in from Ian Channell, Collections officer for Epping Forest District Museum and Saffron Walden Museum, Essex. The Museum has ethnographic items donated in 1993 by the Buxton Family of Warlies and Woodredon, Waltham Abbey. These items had been collected by Thomas Fowell Buxton, 3[rd] Baronet Belfield and his wife lady Victoria Noel Buxton and later by their children, particularly by Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton 4[th] baronet, Charles Roden Buxton and the Rt Rev. Harold Jocelyn Buxton. Ian wanted information on additional objects existing or related objects housed in other museums. Replying on behalf of the Society, Joyce Fannon forwarded Ian’s email to Joe Buxton, as Joe has a descendant database and that proved helpful. Society member, John Ponsonby, even replied from his hospital bed in Manchester. In addition Joyce put Ian in touch with our member Donald Donaldson in Adelaide, South Australia. The 3[rd] Baronet, grandson of the first baronet, was Governor there from 18951899. Joyce also sent the part of her presentation, _Thomas Fowell Buxton and Empire_ that dealt with the 1[st] Baronet’s connection with South Australia. Ian thanked everyone for their help and promised to inform us about the proposed exhibition. In mid-2021 Ian Channell again contacted our Society to say that the ACE (Arts Council England) Bid had been submitted. In December 2021 he contacted yet again to say that the bid had been successful and that a grant of £ 100,000 had been awarded to set up the Exhibition. Ian asked if our Society would be willing to partner with the Museums for research. We agreed. ## **AUGUST 2021: AN EVENING OF ELIZABETHAN MUSIC** As part of the Weymouth and Portland Heritage Group, the Society took part in the 450[th] Anniversary Celebrations of the formation of the Borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis **.** The Borough was formed in 1571, and our Society’s contribution was to organise an **Evening of Elizabethan Music** at St Mary’s Church, Weymouth, with the Mayor Cllr Colin Huckle and Mayoress Marian Huckle as honoured guests. 2 Although the evening was rather dreary with drizzle, a goodly number turned out to enjoy a wonderful evening of Elizabethan Music and Song. Duncan Honeybourne who has given piano recitals at St Mary's as part of TFB Society fundraising, coordinated the evening's entertainment, calling in the services of violinist (and early music specialist) May Robertson and also two junior scholars from the Royal College of Music, Dimity Shorrock, singing soprano and playing recorder and Alex Campbell, lutenist. Duncan himself played the harpsicord which was loaned to us and tuned on the evening by Peter Barnes. The music was by Elizabethan composers with melodies, madrigals and folk songs. Dimity sang songs by John Dowland and other Tudor composers, with lute accompaniment and also the madrigal "The Silver Swan", by the composer Orlando Gibbons, whose life spanned the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages. The event was subsidised by a generous grant from Weymouth Town Council, for which we are most grateful. ## **SEPTEMBER 2021: THE BUXTON MEMORIAL SERVICE AT THE MONUMENT** This year the Annual Service was held on 12th September, on an idyllic afternoon in midSeptember. The Rev Edward Tyldesley presided and welcomed members and visitors. The Mayor, Cllr Colin Huckle and the Mayoress Marian Huckle attended and the Mayor as our Honorary President gave the opening address. The Mayor, who himself comes from Essex, pointed out that it was the grandson of TFB, Edward North Buxton who with his brother Thomas saved Epping and Hainault Forests for the Nation. The Nation owes a debt to many in the Buxton family. 3 In his introduction to the Service, Rev Tildesley, recalled the many achievements of Buxton, and exhorted us to ask ourselves 'what is mine to do in our time, inspired by Buxton’s example. During the Service that followed, James Buxton gave the reading from Ecclesiasticus "Let us praise famous men", while Cllr Gill Taylor read Psalm 112 "Blessed are those who fear the Lord". The service ended with a prayer, a Litany of Thanksgiving and a Blessing. ## **THE WEYMOUTH BID HERITAGE INITIATIVE** The Society was contacted also by Graham Perry of the Civic Society. He is involved in the Weymouth BID heritage initiative. This involves the extension of the Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Beach and Harbour History Trail. It includes sinking ceramic heritage information plaques in the pavement with information on the nearby building. There are plans to extend the trail further north to include the Buxton Memorial on Bincleaves Green. ## **THE DORSET YEAR BOOK 2022** The Society’s Education Office, Mrs Joyce Fannon, wrote a biography of Thomas Fowell Buxton for the Dorset 2020 year book. Subsequently, she was invited to offer a second article for the 2022 year book and she submitted ‘Thomas Fowell Buxton and Empire – Humanitarian Colonialism’ describing Buxton’s initiatives in South Africa, South Australia and West Africa. The Dorset year book for 2022 was published in late 2021. (The Dorset Year Book has a print run of 1600 copies and is a very good platform for informing people of Dorset and further afield of Buxton’s achievements). Joyce also wrote a short article on Thomas Fowell Buxton for the Pugin Society Newsletter. ## **THE PUBLICATION OF OUR SECOND SOCIETY BOOK** It is five years since the publication of the first Society book, ‘A Monumental Endeavour’. In July 2021, it was decided to work towards a second book and donations were received from four Society members towards its publication. Contributors have been contacted and 8 articles have been received both locally and from Canada, South Australia and the USA – an international effort! The new book was edited by Dr Beatrice Fannon and is entitled ‘INVINCIBLE DETERMINATION– THE LEGACY OF THOMAS FOWELL BUXTON’. ## **OTHER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES** The Buxton Monument and its information board on Bincleaves Green, Weymouth continues to educate the local public and tourists on the achievements of Thomas Fowell Buxton, MP for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis 1818-1837. As a reaction to Covid-19, Weymouth had an unprecedented tourist season in 2021. Usually, the population of 64,000 doubles during the summer. In 2021, the population of Weymouth more than doubled. 4 ## **CONTACTS OUTSIDE THE SOCIETY** The Society maintains contact with Professor Richard Follett of Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, Georgia, USA. ## **MEMBERSHIP** The current supporter list stands at 60, and of these 31 are life members and 35 are ordinary members. Many members have now taken up the option of paying membership dues by standing order. ## **FINANCES** Annex A to this document shows the financial report. A summary is given below. Our income for the year was £2243 and expenditure was £1758. Our major expenditure was £670 to pay the performers at the Elizabethan Musical Evening. We also paid £300 to hire the harpsichord and £105 to hire the venue. Our other major expense was £492 for public liability insurance for the Monument. Our closing balance for our main account on 31[st] December 2021 was £4852. The Paypal account was empty at the end of the year. Our net assets therefore stand at £4852. ## **THE SOCIETY’S PLANS FOR 2022** - a) To continue the care and maintenance of the Monument - b) To continue to give presentations to local groups on request - c) To continue to provide 3 newsletters per year and maintain the website - d) To seek new members - e) To prepare a calendar of events for members were possible Future plans will be discussed at the AGM including a discussion of ideas put forward as feedback requested from the autumn newsletter. Committee Meetings are held on average every two months. ## **STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT** The Governance and Management of the Society comprises 1. The Honorary President. Since the formation of the Society, the current Mayor has been invited to be honorary President and all incumbents so far have accepted this office. The President will preside over the Annual General Meeting and if diary permits will attend the various functions of the Society. 2. The Trustees. At present there are three trustees which is the minimum as required by law. Members of the society may volunteer to be a trustee. The process of appointing Trustees is set out in the governing document. 3. A committee or council which has no formal standing but meets regularly to advise the Trustees on the management of the society. Any member of the Society may attend these meetings which are held approximately every 2 months. 5 ## **CHARITY TRUSTEES** During 2020 the Trustees were 1. Mr James Buxton 2. Mrs Joyce Fannon 3. Mr Trefor Morgan 4. Dr John Fannon who acts as Treasurer and Web master. Dr Fannon also coordinates the annual programme of events. At committee meetings the Chair is taken by rotation amongst the attendees. At each AGM, one of the trustees resigns in accordance with the Governing Document. If willing the trustee offers himself or herself for re-election. With no AGM in 2020 nor 2021, this cycle has been put on hold. At the AGM for 2022, Dr Fannon offered his resignation as a trustee, and offered himself for re-election. At the AGM, held on 16[th] March 2022, Mrs Anne McKechan and Miss Anna Viccars-Barber were appointed Trustees to help govern the Society. Dr Fannon was re-elected as Trustee and Treasurer. At the AGM, the Trustees Annual Report and the Financial Report were approved. **WEBSITE** www.thomasfowellbuxton.org.uk **REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER** 1158648 **BANKERS** Barclays Bank Plc, Leicester LE87 2BB 6 ANNEXA Receipts and payments accounts CC16a For the period from Section A Receipts and payments Unrestricted funds tothe nearest Restrictsd fund5 Endowment fund5 Total fund5 Last yeai tothe nearest£ tothenearest£ tothe neatest£ tothe nearest£ A1 Reeelpts 361 361 270 64T f4T 93 io Books Badgesflderthanthse HIARC Other Granlfrom Weymouth Tovm Counul AMa￿n Smil8 18 19 1.268 810 12 43 ZT 42 810 12 43 ZT 42 AGGt03782050 From Payp31Acct Sub toral(Gross Income for ARI 2,Z43 2,Z43 1,995 A2 A559t and inv95tsn•nt sales, (see tsblel. Sub toral Totalreceiprs 2,243 2,243 1,995 A3 Payments 492 492 448 Poslage Room hlre 1QS 10S 25 YDO Performers Other Expenses 670 69 19 Sub toral 1,75B 1,75B 641 A4 Asset and investment purchases, Is** tabl•l Sub total Totalpaymenrs 1,158 1,158 641 Net of receiptsl(payments) A5 Tran5fer5 between funds A6 Cash funds last year end Cash fvnds this year end 1,354 4,367 4,B52 4,361 4,B52 3,055 4.40 ANNEXA Section B Stat8ment of assets and liabilities at the end of the period Unrestricted funds to nearest£ Restriaed funds to nearest£ Endowment fvnds toneare5t£ Caiegories B1 Ca¥h fund¥ MainAcGouDI 4W52 Paypal Account Total cash funds 4,B52 (agree baknces wth Teceiptsand pay￿￿nts Unrestrlet•d funds to ne•rtr$t£ R•strld•d funds 10 nt4re$t£ Endowm•nt funds toneartst Detai15 Fund lowh￿h a55etbeknn Detai15 Cost{wtionall C￿ttent¥a1Ue B3 Investment assets Fund towhKti D•tai15 Cost{oFtionall Cut[ent¥a￿e iopuonaD B4 Assets retained for the charity's own u8? ni- Fund kn whkh IkRbiiny reLAtes Arnounirtuè (op￿all When due loptK>n&l Details B5 Liabilits?¥ &gned by one or two trustees beha￿ Gf all the INstee5 Signature Print Name Date of roval JOHN A FANNON 1210312022