The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-05-30 00:00:00

BIANDFORD.

SOCINTT.—The aonal show of this
society is fixed to be held on or about the 21th of August

next.
Tan Venerable Archdeacon Saootuary held his visit-
ation
.st Blandford on Wednesday. About 40 clergy

attended.
TEI Tyrolese singers on Tuesday, gave morning and
evening (monads in the Corn Esehange. There was a
fair attendance.
Q.0.D.Y.0.-10 revising the Domes made for the
regimental cup at Weymouth, it was rUsoovered that
the wore by which Yr. Chamen tied for the seoond cup
contained less outers than het of his eompetitor, and
comequently by the regulations of the contest be was
entailed to the cup. Both cups are therefore, won
this year by members et the Blandford troop.

LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONE OF THE
WESTMINSTER MEMORIAL.
On Thursday Lady Theodora Grosvenor laid the
foundation stone of • Oottage Hospital at Shaftesbury,
which the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood
have decided shall be erected in memory of her father,
the late Marquis of Westminster. The building will be
neat end plain, and the internal arrangements all that
can be desired. It will afford accommodation for eight
patients, purees, As.. and it can be readily enlarged
without destroying tin proportions of the structure.
The institution will be built of local stone, with dress-
ings of Bath stone, on • most eligible site, given by the
Dowager Marchioness of Westminster, situated near
the church and schools. The building contract was
obtained by Mr. Miles, his tender of £1430 being the
lowest. Tee architect is Mr. J. B. Corby, of Stamford,
Llnoolusbire. Tbe cost of emotion is already covered
by the amount of subscriptions received, but more funds
as. earnestly solicited for the endowment of the Mitt.
tution, Towards the latter object Lady Westminster
has oontributed the munificent sum of £2OOO, and the
annual subscribers of from three to five guineas num-
ber about thirty. The weather was most unfavourable
for the ceremony, heavy rain falling the whole time.
A procession, consisting of the loc.l rifle corps and
friendly sooieties. labscribera and inhabitants, clergy
and other ministers, the Mayor and Corporation, and
mace bearers, was formed in front of the Town-ball
shortly after two o'olock, and, unmoompanied by any
band, marched in the following order to the building
slte:

Rifle Corp.
County Friendly Society.
Foresters Society.
Hope and True Blue Clubs.
Heart of Oak Society.

"ad—dlellows' Society.:
Subscribers arid Inhabitants.
Clergy and Ministers of the town and neighbourhood.
The Town Council.
Mace Bearers.
The Mayor—Mr. Pricker.
Lady Theodora shortly afterwards walked to the
south-east corner of the site, where the memorial stone
was to be laid, sorrompartiod by Mr. John Hussey and
other gentlemen.
Mr. W. El. Faionsi (ilayor) rood tin following
address to Lady Theodora :
As Mayor of this ancient borough, and representing my
tellow-townsmen, I am desirous to express to you, Ledy
Theodora Grosvenor. our hearty thanks for the readiness with
which you complied with oar request to assist at the present

ceremonial.
We meet this day to lay the first stone of • building to be
raised as i memorial to your late revered father-4 building
to be devoted to the relief of the sick poor of this town and
neighbourhood.
When we look around on the public buildings, on the
schools, on the admirable dwellings of the labouring clue,
built at your noble father's sole cost, and under his perv.inal
direction—all tending to improve and raise (ho conditi, ~f
the ',style—we ventnes to hope, in erecting • Cottage 11.,.-
that we are acting in accordance with his life-long
desire to benefit this town and district.
We trust that the Divine blessing may rest on the under-
taking, and that the Hospital, when completed, may, for
generations to come, afford comfort and relief to ita inmates
during the trying hours of sickness,
Now, Lady Theodora, earnestly praying that the Divine
blessing may abo attend the Dowager Marchioness and your-
self, and that you may make it your life-long desire to alleviate
human UMIAK, as did he to whom we rah, this memorial, 1
ask yen to lay the foundation stone
Lady THEatOltd, in reply. mid: I thank you very
sincerely for the kind manner in whioh you have a:-
premed the feelings of yourself and your fellow-towns-
men on this occasion, sad I assure you that It was
with more than ordinary gratification that I &tweeted
the invitation to takes part in the ceremonial of to-day.
The obleot of the cottage hospital about to be erected
to the memory of my father by those who truly valued
and appreciated him, ie so entirely in accordance with
the spirit and thief 'ion of his life—the relief of
siokneu, of sorrow, and of suffering—that we cannot
fail to feel that the Liken°e which guided hie path
while he lived amongst us, still dwells in the
neighbourhood el the home and country he loved, Intl
Ii this town, in whose welfare he ever took so deep an
interest. I trust, with you, that a blessing from on
high may rest upon this undertaking. lam now going,
with deep gratification, to lay the foundation stone of
• building, which will stead for long years to oome, a
memorial of my father—end a proof of the affection
and esteem in whieh be was held by his friends and
neighbours, so many of whom have met here to-day to
do honour to his memory.
The Rev. T. H. IL ifouxow, vector, read portions of
Soriptute, the first being the 14th chapter of Job, and
the second %MIMI chapter of St. John's Gospel. A
bottle oontalning a smell of parchment recording the
event, and a copy of the Times for the day were placed
In • cavity prepared for thee, and her ladyship Lid the
stone in the taunt way. The Rector then read a prayer
prepared for the °maiden, and this closed the proceed-
ings at the site.
At four o'clock a party of the leading tradesmen and
farmers of the neighbourhood dined together at the
Grosvenor Arms Hotel. Mr. o presided, and at ter
the loyal toasts had been honoured, the health of the
Dowager Muchionem of Westminster and the Lady
Theodora were moat enthusiastically drank. Several
other ooseplimentery tamale followed.
It was intended to iveeent the Lady Theoion with
a pencil sketeh of the busfging by Mr. 0. T. Miles, son
of the contractor, but the date of the the weather
, prevented that being done- It was, however, privately
presented to her ladyship on Saturday.