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Thomas LaytonThomas Layton
His Collection & LegacyHis Collection & Legacy
Thomas Layton Born in 1819
Died in 1911.
How long did he live?
92 years
Thomas Layton What did he do?
•He was a successful business man.
•And a highly respected councillor in Brentford
A very keen collector of:-CoinsArchaeologyPotteryBooksPrintsMapsAntiquities
Thomas Layton was a rich man.How did he make his money?He was a coal merchant, who had barges on the Thames.What did we use coal for?
•Burn in homes for heating and cooking.
•To use as fuel for steam trains.
•To make gas (for light and heat)
•To make coke (used in iron making)
Brentford Gas works on the High Street
St George’s Church
Opening of Brentford market in 1893.
Who owns the coal office?
- Where Fountains Leisure Centre now is.
What was Brentford like when Thomas Layton was alive?
Gas & Coal
The gas works was huge and employed thousands of people
The Gas works on Brentford High Street
The Gas works was very smelly making lots of soot and smoke
“……the entrance to Brentford is like the gates to Hell. Already the gasworks and the coal yards are there for stoking the punishing fires”
Smelly Brentford…….When Thomas Layton was alive Brentford was one of the noisiest and smelliest places in London.
Why do you think this was?
Gas works
Coke works
Brewery
Tannery – making leather
Soap works
Other smelly businesses?
This is the committee which built Brentford Library.
Which one is Thomas Layton?
Some Hounslow Councillors Today
Brentford Councillors 1900
What is different about them? What is the same?
Thomas Layton lived here
A Picture of Kew Bridge in 1892
To Brentford
To Chiswick
Thomas Layton's House Do you recognise this?
What do you think it is?
To Brentford
What did Thomas Layton do for the people of Brentford?
Helped build the Brentford Infirmary (hospital)………..
The Fire Station………
The Swimming Baths……………
St George’s Church – Where he was warden.
He left money in his will to build the Bell tower and bought the church bells which hang in it.
And………
The Library
And of course………….
The Brentford Monument
This records important historical events that happened in Brentford.
It was first placed in Ferry Lane by the river but has now been moved to outside the County Court
Thomas Layton’s collectionAll his life Thomas
Layton bought and collected many historical artefacts.
Coins
Pottery
Prehistoric items like this fish hook.
A spear head An iron age axe
Thomas Layton’s collection
He also had a massive collection of books.
About absolutely everything!
Thomas Layton’s collection
And maps……….
What happened to his collection when he died?
Thomas Layton left everything in his massive collection to the people of Brentford
It was put into the Brentford Library which he’d help build
But……..
There was not enough room so it was moved………….
And mould grew on the pages.
To this store where the books got damp…
And pigeons got in!!
Then……..
In 1988 the collection was found a permanent home at the new Hounslow Treaty Centre Library
Books in modern storage at Hounslow Library
The print collection in new plan chests.
Now the old books are being cleaned and repaired.
From this…
…to this
Pigeon Poo!!
Finds from the ThamesFinds from the Thames
► You can go and see You can go and see Layton’s Prehistoric Layton’s Prehistoric objects from the objects from the river at the Museum river at the Museum of London in the of London in the display called display called ‘London before ‘London before London’London’
Axe head
Prehistoric Knife Spear head