Page 339 - Reading Mercury

candidates. The polling went on steadily throughout the day, but little excitement was
exhibited in the town. Elected were: Daniel Norton Heron (202); Robert Henderson
(174); George Sale (167); Frederick Johnson (153).

th
Sat 12 Dec
TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
It was resolved to invite John Walter III to be High Steward of the Borough. Mr.
Ducrocq was appointed assistant Treasurer at a salary of £10. The Town Clerk’s
salary was fixed at £75 per annum.

1886

th
Sat 9 Jan
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR’S TREATS AT THE WOKINGHAM UNION
Christmas Day at the Wokingham Union is always looked forward to by the inmates
with unusual enthusiasm, Mr. and Mrs. Treverton, the respected master and matron,
doing their utmost to promote the comfort of those in their charge. This year they
seemed to have excelled their previous efforts to provide seasonable entertainment.
Early in the morning Christmas cards, kindly sent by Mrs. Knox, of Sonning Grove,
and addressed by name, were distributed to each inmate and to the officers. Instead of
the ordinary diet for breakfast, tea and bread and butter was served to all. At 10.30
Divine service was conducted in the chapel by the Rev. B.R. Body, the chaplain. The
company then met in the dining hall, which was beautifully decorated with festooned
evergreens, mottoes and designs, and partook of a bountiful dinner, consisting of roast
beef, baked potatoes, and plum pudding, with a pint of beer to each adult and milk for
the children. After dinner oranges, apples, figs, sweets, nuts, tobacco and snuff, were
served. In the evening tea, with bread and butter and cake in ample quantity, was
provided for all. Before retiring, the inmates gave three cheers for the guardians, who
had so liberally entertained them.
On New-year’s day the inmates of the Union were again enabled, by the kind
permission of the Guardians and through the energy of the master and matron, to
enjoy a very pleasant evening. An excellent tea was served in the dining hall, at one
end of which a large platform was erected, covered with crimson baize, on which was
staged a splendid collection of palms and other stove plants, lent and arranged by Mr.
Williamson, gardener to Sir Edward Walter. The visitors included the Countess
Desart, the Hon. O. Cuffe, Sir Edward Walter, Lady and Miss Walter, Mr. and Miss
Murdoch, Mrs. De Vitré, the Rev. J.T. Brown, Mrs. Gray, Dr. and Mrs. Hicks, the
Rev. B.R. Body, Mr. and Mrs. Ducrocq, and the Mayor of Wokingham (Mr. T.M.
Wescott.) The Mayor who is one of the guardians, presented each of the inmates with
a threepenny piece.
In the centre of the hall a table was provided for the visitors, which was served by
Mrs. Treverton, the matron. Mrs. Webster, of Broad Street, kindly sent her piano for
the occasion, and Mr. J.W. Moss, organist of All Saints’ Church, Wokingham, played
choice selections during tea. After the repast the inmates retired to their wards for a
short time, while the seats were arranged for an entertainment. This was carried out
with great satisfaction to all present.
Programme
During an interval, the master and matron distributed among the inmates tobacco,
oranges, apples and sweets, and a cask of biscuits, which was kindly sent by W.I.

337