Nottinghamshire History Newswire Archive

Feargus Edward O'Connor (1794 – 1855) was a Chartist leader and advocate of land reform. In 1847 he was elected MP for Nottingham, making him the first and only Chartist to get elected to Parliament. While largely forgotten today, when a statue in his memory was unveiled 150 years ago in August 1859 thousands of people came to mark the event. A contradictory figure, the statue to O'Connor which still stands in the Arboretum is a reminder of Nottingham's long, proud tradition of political radicalism.

Further Reading: BBC: Historic Figures | Spartacus Educational | Wikipedia

Since a few days, a group of people have occupied the Old County Hall in Nottingham as part of the international days of action for free culture and autonomous spaces. Also see feature article. The building, also known as 'the Judges' Lodgings' has both a fascinating history and is a building of outstanding beauty. So what is its history? Who's been living there over the years? And why has been sitting empty for so many years?

"For many years it was used as the Judge's Lodgings, and behind it is a really charming garden which forms an oasis of greenery which it is very difficult to see from anywhere else than the windows of the schoolrooms of Halifax Place Chapel. It is a 17th century house which was greatly altered about 1833, about which time it was purchased from the Fellows family, who had removed thither from a smaller house a little to the west. Before their time it was occupied by Lady Hutchinson, the mother of Colonel Hutchinson." That's an extract from an article on Notts History, an online collection of copyleft articles on Nottinghamshire's vibrant history. Reading through articles about the history of the Judge's Lodgings, one thing is certain. And that is that some very high ranked individuals have lived here over the centuries.

Links: Nottinghamshire History | Announcing The New Squat: Location (Nottingham) | Nottingham Braced For Squat Actions (feature) | Days of Action for Squats and Autonomous Spaces