Page 904 - Reading Mercury

GIFT FOR WOKINGHAM CORPORATION
Silver-gilt Cup From Mr. John Walter
Mr. John Walter, late of Bear Wood, whose family has been intimately connected
with the neighbourhood of Wokingham for more than 140 years, presented a silver-
gilt cup to the Mayor, Cllr. E.W. Goodchild, before Thursday’s meeting of the Town
Council, as a memento of the happy relationship that has endured between the family
and the town through four generations. The cup was originally presented by the
residents of Bear Wood to Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Walter, parents of the present Mr. John
Walter, on the occasion of their silver wedding anniversary in October 1897.
In making the presentation Mr. Walter said that there were two occasions, each
concerned with the Town Hall, that stood out in his mind. It was in the hall that he
made his first public speech. In those days there was considerable agitation by the
suffragette movement, and he accepted an invitation to address a public meeting. “I
being very young at the time, spoke with great conviction against votes for women.
The following year I was asked to address another meeting on the same subject. I then
spoke with equal conviction for votes for Women.”
His second personal memory of the Town Hall was of the presentation made to him
by the Mayor and Corporation of a silver rose bowl on the occasion of his marriage 55
years ago. “The sight of that rose bowl brings back to me happy recollections of those
days, more peaceful in many respects than we are living through now. This evening I
am honoured in the opportunity of meeting the successors of the former council who
have, in their turn, taken up the unending task of safeguarding the ancient traditions of
this borough.”
To the Mayor, Mr. Walter said, “May I ask you to accept, on behalf of the
Corporation, this cup. I ask you to accept it in memory of the happy relations which
have existed between Wokingham and my family for four generations, or for let us
say more than 140 years. It was presented to my father and mother in 1897 in memory
of their marriage in 1872. It has always been a cherished treasure in my family, and
now Bear Wood has passed into other hands I feel that there is no place so appropriate
for it as in the Wokingham Town Hall. Wherever I happen to live in future, so long as
the cup remains here I shall feel the honoured friendship between my family and
Wokingham has not been severed.”
In reply Cllr. Goodchild said, “It is with the greatest possible pleasure that I accept
this beautiful gift to perpetuate the memory of the name of Walter in this borough.”
He went on to recall the civic connections with the town of the family—Mr. John
Walter, grandfather of their guest for the evening, was the High Steward from 1885 to
1894 and Mr. Arthur Fraser Walter held the same office from 1895 until his death in
1910.
Concluding the Mayor said to Mr. Walter, “I thank you very sincerely for this gift,
which together with the beautiful painting of Mrs. Walter you gave some time ago
will keep alive the memory of the Walter family.”

th
Sat 26 April
WOMEN LEGIONNAIRES
The annual monthly meeting of the Wokingham branch, women’s section, British
Legion, was held in the Legion Hall on Wednesday last week. Mrs. P.G. Murray
(chairman) and Mrs. R.H. Anders (vice-chairman) both gave short talks. A musical
interlude was provided by Mrs. Dowding (hon. secretary) and Mrs. Hare (hon.
treasurer).

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