The Hollon Trust - 3rd November 2020

Barbara Pringle, Trustee, outlines the history of this Morpeth Institution

Barbara Pringle

MORPETH ROTARY WITH A STORY FROM A HOLLON TRUSTEE

Barbara Pringle is a Trustee of the Hollon Trust. She told the story of the Trust to a Morpeth Rotary Zoom meeting. She said it was a love story and began with a poem she had written to mark the anniversary. To most people the Hollons are known from the name of the granite fountain beside Morpeth Clock Tower but the story started much earlier, when Mary Trotter first came to Morpeth. Her parents died in Rangoon, then part of India, and she was adopted by her uncle Dr. William Trotter of Bon Accord House, Newgate Street, Morpeth. When he became Mayor of Morpeth she acted as his Mayoress and continued as always to show concern and sympathy for the poor. Richard Hollon fell in love with her and they married on 5 November 1855. When they married they moved to York but she always took an interest in Morpeth. Six years after leaving she organised the purchase of a steeple clock with three faces for St. George’s Presbyterian Church in memory of her Grandfather Rev. Robert Trotter and her uncle William. Her grandfather had been the Presbyterian Minister in Morpeth. Richard Hollon became a local Councillor and then Lord Mayor of York in 1865 and she was his Mayoress. York was second only to London in the importance of the Lord Mayor. They had 25 very happy years together before she died at York in 1880. Richard returned to Morpeth where he set up a trust fund to commemorate his marriage. It was to help 25 deserving people in Morpeth with an annual tea where small annuities were given on 5 November, the date of their wedding. The Hollon fountain came later.

Mary remembered Morpeth in her will and gave £100 to Morpeth Dispensary to aid the poor and to commemorate her happy marriage.  The trust fund was £5000 to assist 13 women and 12 men who were over 60, honest, sober and of good character and had lived in Morpeth for 15 years. There was an annual tea and other gifts. Each was given one ton of coal, six pounds of good beef or mutton and £6. Richard added to the fund with stocks and shares mainly in railways and gas. 

Around this time the Morpeth water trough had been stolen so a new trough was designed and made in honour of Richard Hollon. He watched the grand unveiling from an upstairs window in the Town Hall. It was on Easter Monday 1885 where the Town Clerk declared the programme, the whole Council attended along with the mace, there were red and blue ribbons everywhere, cannons were fired in Oldgate, the band played, there were flags on the clock tower, speeches were made and the whole town attended. There was a lot of detail in a report in the Morpeth Herald.

At the first Hollon tea at the Town Hall, all of the ladies sat down on one side of the room and the men on the other. There was entertainment and an address by a member of the clergy. At one point recently some of the Trustees had moved out of the area and because the Town Hall was being refurbished and funds were at a low level, the tea was missed for two years. There was a determined effort to change the situation. New trustees were found including Barbara and community links, funding and publicity were all improved. At last year’s tea there were 72 annuities and the Butter Market at the Town Hall was full for the tea. Unfortunately, this year’s tea, now in its 140th year, has had to be cancelled due to Covid-19. They hope to be back in 2021. Barbara finished her talk with a toast to Richard and Mary Hollon, their wedding day of 5 November and a marriage full of love and concern for others. 

Barbara was thanked by Rotary President Colin Dyson.

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