Rushden Research Group: Temperance Drinking Fountain

Temperance - Drinking Fountain

The memorial stone set into the wall outside the memorial gardens near to Clark & Co factory building currently used by Peter Crisp Ltd but under offer for rent (2007) has the following inscription but it is wearing away. There used to be a drinking fountain in this, where anyone could stop and refresh themselves with a drink of water.

To Commemorate the

Services of the Founders

and Early Workers of the

Temperance Movement

in Rushden

1889

Rev J Whittimore		E Knight
Rev R E Bradfield		G Denton
Canon Barker		W^m Skinner
C G Cunnington		J Claridge
N Crick	J Cave	and others

The Memorial, Green & Church in 1891

Rushden Echo & Argus, 14th January 1955

Some people claim temperance built Rushden.

The pioneer boot manufacturers, it is said, were temperance men, whose clear heads enabled them to devote all their energies to building their businesses.

One of the town’s memorials to the movement is this drinking fountain, but alas the fountain runs no more.

Temperance Society