Diary: Lady Wernher aids Red Cross and museums

 

Stories from the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: April 15th, 1916.

Lady Wernher, of Luton Hoo, supplied dramatic and profitable episodes at yesterday's Red Cross sale at Christie's in London. Hitherto a generous donor of gifts, she appeared for the first time as a buyer.

Lady Wernher and Mayor Primett 1914 (Cox)English pottery was being sold, and the last lot in this section was a Toft dish decorated with the Royal Arms and Garter motto, and inscribed Thomas Toft, with a broad band of trellis work round the border.

Bidding was spirited, and the hammer fell at 650 guineas. Lady Wernher proved to be the purchaser, and she requested the auctioneer to put the article up again. The second time of asking it sent for 600 guineas, Lady Wernher stalling off all competition.

She informed the auctioneer that she proposed to present this beautiful piece of pottery to the British Museum, and announcement which elicited further cheering.

Later in the afternoon Lady Wernher bought for 500 guineas a panel of English tapestry "8ft high by 9ft 9ins wide, probably woven at Soho early 18th century". This she proposed to present to the London Museum.

[Lady Wernher is pictured, right, with Mayor Walter Primett in 1914. Photo W. H. Cox.]

  • News has been received of the death of Rifleman Augustus Tennyson Bruton, 16th Battalion, King's Royal Rifle Corps, aged 21 years. He died from wounds on Monday last in the Lord Derby War Hospital, Winwick, Warrington. He was a native of East Hyde.

  • A fifth conscientious objector in two days was brought before the Borough Court on Thursday and charged with being an absentee under the Military Service Act. Hubert Plummer, of Ashburnham Road, said he had been before the local and appeals tribunals and stated his willingness to accept work of national importance, and had filled in forms to join the Friends' Ambulance with whom he would have gone away the previous weeks he not been refused doing so by the appeals tribunal. He was remanded to await a military escort and ordered to pay costs.

  • Two further fines of 40 shillings were imposed at Luton Borough Police Court this morning for contravention of lighting orders. Lights had been observed shining from the Blundell Bros premises into Cheapside and George Street and from the Tomlin Bros factory in Cheapside.

  • An order for the winding up with costs of printing firm Camerons (Luton) Ltd, of Silver Street, was made at the Court House on Thursday. Several creditors had petitioned for an order for compulsory winding up, but by consent the case was not gone into. Judge Wheeler said he had read the papers about the case.

  • It is a pleasant sight at this season of the year to behold the steady and continual procession down Bute Street of railway trolleys laden with boxes from Luton straw hat warehouses. The two middle weeks of April are usually recognised as those in which the volume of trade is at its highest point in the local factories.

  • The percentage of children absent from school in Luton through the excessive granting of medical certificates is far too high, and has been the rule for a long time. The moment has now arrived for a positive check to be put upon the practice. Not only is lax attendance prejudicial to the best interests of the children but likewise of their too-indulgent parents. Whether any blame is to be attached to medical gentlemen remains to be proved as it may be that other causes operate in the large percentage of absentees from school.

  • Whilst felling a tree on the estate of Mr Collings Wells yesterday, Bert Fensome, who lodges in Duke Street, Luton, met with a serious accident. The tree fell towards him, inflicting internal injury and bruising of his legs. He was taken to the Bute Hospital.

  • William C. Aylott, of 80 Park Road West, received injuries to his back and left ankle while working at the Vauxhall works. While putting a belt over a pulley a supporting rope broke and he fell some considerable distance on to axle boxes. He was taken to the Bute Hospital.

  • After suffering an 11-1 drubbing in their London Combination away fixture, Luton Town fans were gloomy about prospects for the return match in Luton today. Chelsea too an early lead with an opportunist goal, but after 20 minutes Simms set up Roe to equalise. Although Chelsea looked favourites to win, the score remained 1-1 at full time and Luton moved up one place from the bottom, level on five points with Queen's Park Rangers but with a better goal record.