Tower and Town, August 2023 (view the full edition)George Lane Police StationThe police station where David Davidge worked was built in 1899. A major factor in its construction was the inadequacy of Marlborough's first police station built in 1854. In a letter in December 1890 Horace Cooper states: "Superintendent Pearce has just lost a little girl from inflammation of the membranes of the brain and I believe her death was accelerated by a general deterioration of health due to the damp and unhealthy surroundings." He also notes that Dr Edward Penney of Marlborough College was "not surprised at any illness in that house the place feels like going into a vault." The process of planning and building the George Lane police station began in January 1891. A plot of land had to be found. Eventually in 1896 Purcell's Meadow on George Lane was purchased by Wiltshire County Council from brothers Oliver and James Maurice for £200. The County had to gain permission from the Secretary of State to borrow £3,300 to fund the building.
With thanks to Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre where I accessed the sources for the written text (document WSHC F2/125/1) and the photograph of George Lane Police Station (document WSHC F10/200/186/9). Sarah Bumphrey |
The Secretary of State gave permission for the building to be sold to the College for £1,300 in 1895. (Photo right: it is now the Marlborough College exams office). 
The plans went from pillar to post until 22nd June 1898 when Whitehall approved them. The job was put out to tender and 7 firms responded. It was offered to M.E Piper of Marlborough who accepted. The very substantial and well-constructed building (Photo left: taken c1990) was completed by 24th February 1899 exceeding the estimated cost of £4,000 by only £46 10s 4d. The work seems to have gone very smoothly. However, a letter from William Bromley, the clerk of works, gives an insight into his personal difficulty. He wrote on 19th May 1898 to Sir Charles Hobhouse, Chairman of the Wilts Joint Committee, that he needed a pay rise: "I find that the cost of living at Marlboro' is much more than I expected owing to there being so many visitors and people engaged at the College, lodgings are very scarce and I have to pay six shillings a week for the only place I could get, this and the railway fare to and from my home, and also the present increased cost of food make my money [£5 2s a week] go only a small way." It is interesting to see how similar problems are very much with us today. A letter from William Bromley to Mr Merriman, the solicitor, (requesting him to inspect, on behalf of his clients, the boundaries which had been laid out) shows that he was still working on the site in July suggesting he did get his pay rise.