| The William Booth Birthplace Museum - Nottingham back to 'Other Places Of Interest'
INTRODUCTION
Number 12 Notintone Place is the house where William Booth was born on 10 April 1829. The plan of NOTTINGHAM of 1827 (immediately on the right as you enter the museum) shows the three houses standing independently as they do today. In the 1830s they became part of a terrace of three-storey houses, which were eventually demolished in the city redevelopment schemes of the late 1960s. The three original houses, numbers 10,12 and 14, were retained and restored and the site around developed by The Salvation Army to include an elderly persons' home and a goodwill community centre, thus becoming a living memorial to the life and work of William Booth, Founder and first General of The Salvation Army.
The restoration and development was carried out in 1969-71 by Messrs Simms Sons & Cooke of Nottingham and was designed by the Architect's Section of International Headquarters. The complex was officially opened by Sir Keith Joseph, MP, Minister of Social Services, General Erik Wickberg and Commissioner Catherine Bramwell-Booth, on 1 October 1971, receiving a civic trust award in 1972.
THE EXHIBITION
The museum is intended to give visitors a general outline of the life of William Booth and the development of The Salvation Army. To achieve this the exhibition has been laid out, as far as possible, in chronological order and it is therefore important that visitors should follow the suggested route through rooms 1-6.
ROOM 1: 1829-1849
On entering the museum you will discover the scene is set in Nottingham at the time of William Booth's birth. Illustrations on the right-hand wall depict Nottingham during the industrial revolution, the advent of the railway and the growth of the lace-making industry. Also included is a chart of contemporary events which help to identify the period.
On the wall facing are portraits of various religious and political leaders, including Isaac Marsden and Feargus O'Connor, who, together with the teachings of John Wesley, were important influences on William Booth in his formative years.
Attached to the chimney breast is the original shop door of the pawnbroker, Francis Eames, to whom William was apprenticed as a boy of 13. It is interesting to note that Eames, who was a Unitarian, was also an active member of the Chartist movement in Nottingham. Various contemporary posters show evidence of the protests and unrest brought about by the low wages and overcrowded living conditions of the period.
On leaving Room 1 turn left up two flights of stairs and Room 2 is to the right of the first-floor landing
ROOM 2
This room is the actual birthplace of William Booth and has been restored and furnished in the early 19th-century fashion. It also includes several items of furniture belonging to William Booth during his lifetime. Adjacent to the door, in the wall showcase, are his christening robe and wedding waistcoat together with early photographs of the Booth family. Beyond the bed is his dressing gown.
Follow the stairs up to the room above.
ROOM 3: 1849-1885
Leaving Nottingham in 1849 Booth moved to London where he worked in the only trade he knew, that of pawnbroking, as assistant to William FilImer of 1 Kennington Row, Kennington Common. In April 1852 William Booth accepted the offer of Edward Harris Rabbits of 1 Crosby Row, Walworth Road, of becoming a full-time preacher for a probationary period of three months at £1 per week. In November the young evangelist accepted leadership of the Methodist Reform circuit in Spalding:
In 1854 William Booth joined the Methodist New Connexion, becoming the first minister at Packington Street Church, Islington, and 12 months later, on 16 June 1855, married Catherine Mumford, who was born in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, on 17 January 1829.
Early in 1865 the Booths, with a family of six children, returned to London.
Booth joined a group of Missioners in the east end and was soon asked to take charge of a mission tent in the Whitechapel area. During the next decade the mission evolved into The Christian Mission, which eventually spread to many parts of the country. In 1878 The Christian Mission became The Salvation Army and Booth, who was the General Superintendent of the Mission, became the first 'General' of this new army.
The photographic display on the left-hand wall of this room depicts Booth's involvement in the transition of The Christian Mission into The Salvation Army. On the adjacent wall are many good examples of Salvation Army uniform and various personalities of the period. In the corner showcase is a replica of one of the earliest uniforms, and the flag of the Bethnal Green Slum Corps of that period and an early French flag also hang in this room.
Cross over the landing into Room 4
ROOM 4: 1885-1900
Coming over London Bridge late one night in November 1887, William Booth saw men trying to sleep on the cold paving stones. The vision led to the opening of hostels where homeless men and women could find food and a bed. The 'Darkest England Scheme' of 1890 was a fully organised plan to attain 'for every honest Englishman' the living standard of the London cab-horse. On the walls of early shelters residents could read:
'No man need beg, steal, starve, sleep out at nights, be a pauper or commit suicide. We will help you!'
The work has in many ways progressed far beyond William Booth's dreams until today, for example, Army hostels throughout the world provide accommodation for over 40,000 homeless people, with some 15,000 people living in its eventide homes.
On the wall on your right are photographs depicting the squalor and conditions of the poor in London's east end. Alongside these are scenes from the early-day hostels, including examples of the various types of rehabilitation work incorporated in the scheme.
The wall on the left-hand side of the doorway portrays members of the Booth family, and includes scenes of the family and friends around the deathbed of Catherine Booth, the 'Mother' of The Salvation Army.
Included in this room are showcases with various caskets and scrolls-mementoes of the occasions of William Booth receiving the Freedom of the City of Nottingham and London.
Retrace your steps down the two flights of stairs to Room 5, at the back of the house.
ROOM 5: 1900-1912
The centrepiece of the room is the free-standing display case exhibiting uniforms of the period. The man's uniform is the frock coat of a commissioner, and the lady wears one of the coal-scuttle bonnets which evolved to protect the wearer from the missiles often hurled at Salvationists during the 1880s era of persecution.
The wall on your right has photographs of the visiting overseas delegations to the International Congress in 1904 and is evidence of the wide expansion of the Army which had begun as far back as 1879. Today, The Salvation Army flag flies in more than 100 countries.
The Promotion to Glory section includes the historical display with scenes from the momentous funeral procession of the Founder in 1912. The penny slot-machine viewer includes 'movies' from the procession and is one of the highlights of the museum.
ROOM 6: Today
Back to the ground floor: this room brings us up to the present, highlighting various aspects of Salvation Army outreach today. A small selection of publications and postcards are available from the curator's bookstall, and please don't forget to sign the visitors' book.
For more information:
The William Booth Birthplace Museum
William Booth Memorial Complex
Notintone Place
Snienton
Nottingham
NG2 4OQ
Tel: 0115 950 3927
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