The Indenture of 1883
This is the original hand-written Indenture of 1883, the legal document setting out the purpose of The George Moore Memorial Hall, the arrangements for its proper management and the rules and regulations governing its use. A transcript of this document is printed below.
The Trustees of The George Moore Memorial Hall
Rules and Regulations governing the use of G.M.M.H.
The following is a transcript of Rules and Regulations set out in The Schedule attached to the hand-written Indenture made on 24th December 1883.
1. The objects in view in the establishment of the Working Men's Hall and Library and Reading Room are to promote among Members of the Club hereinafter mentioned habits of reading industry temperance and self-improvement and to afford them means of social intercourse and rational recreation.
2. The Club shall consist of working men and mechanics above eighteen years of age who shall subscribe one shilling per quarter and conform to the rules.
3. Youths under the age of eighteen years and above the age of fourteen years may be admitted to enjoy the use of the Reading Room and Library of the Club if they shall subscribe six pence per quarter and conform to the rules but such youths shall have no other rights or privileges appertaining to members of the Club.
4. Anyone failing to pay his subscription on the day when it becomes due shall thereby cease to be a Member or as the cased may be to enjoy the use of the Reading Room and Library but he may renew his membership or the right to enjoy the privileges aforesaid within one month from the time when his subscription ceased upon payment of all arrears.
5. Every member of the Club and every youth admitted to enjoy the use of the Reading Room and Library as aforesaid shall be entitled to borrow books from the Library under such rules as the Committee shall from time to time prescribe.
6. John Jackson Walton is to be President of the Institution and also the Treasurer of the Endowment fund and deal with it under the direction of the said Trustees or Trustee.
7. Every appointment of a future President of the Institution and of a future Treasurer of the Endowment fund shall be made by the Trustees for the time being of the above written Indenture who shall have power in their or his discretion to remove the President and Treasurer and to appoint others in their respective places.
8. Any money which may hereafter be received as a gift with a view to increase the Endowment fund shall be paid to the Treasurer for the time being of the Endowment fund who shall dispose of the same under the direction of the said Trustees or Trustee in order that the same may be dealt with in accordance with the trusts expressed in the above written Indenture concerning the said sum of three hundred pounds.
9. The affairs of the Institution as a going and working concern (except where otherwise provided in the above written Indenture or these Rules) are to be under the management of the President and a Committee of nine and the nine following persons (that is to say) Messrs William Lattimer, Tom Pattison Martin, George Newbold, John Penn, Daniel Penrice, George Potter (SPACE LEFT) all living in or near Mealsgate aforesaid constitute the first Committee and such Committee shall remain in office for the period of one year from the twenty ninth day of September 1883.
10. On the twenty ninth day of September 1884 the first three in order of the said nine persons above named as the Committee shall go out of office and on the twenty ninth day of September 1885 the second three in order and on the twenty ninth day of September 1886 the third three in order of the said nine persons shall in like manner go out of office and on each of the aforesaid occasions three persons shall be elected to fill up the vacancies but retiring members shall be immediately or at any time re-eligible on the twenty ninth day of September 1887 and on every subsequent twenty ninth day of September the three members of Committee who shall have acted longest shall go out of office and the vacancies shall be supplied as aforesaid the retiring members being immediately or at any time re-eligible.
11. The new members of the Committee are to be elected by the members of the Club and subscribers to the Institution at the Annual Meeting of Members and subscribers which meeting to be held on or as soon as conveniently may be after the twenty-ninth day of September each year and at the election of new New Members of the Committee each voter shall have one vote for every place which is then to be filled up by the election and may give his votes to any one or more of the Candidates as he may think fit.
12. Each Donor of five pounds or upwards in one gross sum and each annual subscriber of four shillings or upwards so long as he or she shall continue so to subscribe (and no other person) is to be considered a "Subscriber" for the purposes of voting for any purpose at any Meeting of members and subscribers. If any casual vacancy in the Committee shall at any time happen by death or resignation in the course of a year the remaining members of the Committee may (if they think proper) appoint a successor to supply the vacancy who shall hold the office which shall have been vacated for the same period and on the same condition of retiring by rotation as the Member whose place he supplies had held it.
13. The Committee shall appoint one of their number to be the Treasurer of the Club funds and all monies received on account of the Institution other than those constituting the Endowment fund shall be received by the Treasurer of the Club fund and applied under the direction of the Committee./
14. The President and the Committee may at any time call a Special Meeting of the Members and Subscribers for the transaction of any business to be specified in the Notice of such Meeting and previously to any such Meeting written or printed notice thereof shall be hung up for seven days at least in the Club room.
15. The order and proceedings of all meetings of members and subscribers shall be under the regulation of the President or in his absence some Member of the Committee or Subscriber who shall by the Meeting be chosen Chairman in his room.
16. The Committee shall meet once a month or oftener if needful three to be a quorum and the Chairman of such Committee shall have a second or casting vote
17. All orders for payment on account of the current expenses of the Club shall be signed in Committee by two members of the Committee
18. The Committee shall have the power to make and alter any Bye Laws (so as the same be not repugnant to the general principles of the above written Indenture or of these rules and regulations) as they shall deem best calculated to promote the welfare of the Club as a working or going concern but so as not to interfere with the rights and duties of the Trustees as defined by the above written Indenture and these Rules.
19. The Committee shall annually nominate a Librarian and a Secretary out of their own body such Officers to hold office until the meeting of the members and subscribers in the month of September following their election
20. All the Books and property presented to the Club or purchased out of the funds thereof shall be absolutely vested in the President for the time being. No book newspaper or other publication shall be admitted to the Library or to the Clubroom until it has been first sanctioned by the Committee. The Institution shall be open at such times as the Trustees and Committee shall from time to time determine and shall on Sundays be appropriated for religious purposes.
21. Tea coffee cocoa and other refreshments (except intoxicating liquors) may be supplied at such charges and in such manner as the Committee may from time to time determine.
22. No spirituous liquors shall be allowed on the premises and no part of the premises shall be used for dancing or for any theatrical entertainments and no gambling betting or playing for money shall be permitted.
23. The Committee shall have the power to use or grant the use of the Hall for such religious educational instructive or other similar purposes as to them shall seem suitable on such terms and subject to such provisions as they shall think proper but no part of the premises shall at any time be used for any purpose inconsistent with the Christian Religion.
24. In case of any violation of any of the Rules of the Club or any grave breach of propriety or other cause which in the opinion of the Committee shall warrant such a step the Committee at a Meeting specially summoned to consider the case (and of which notice shall be given to the offender) may suspend from membership or expel from the Club the Member so offending and this clause shall apply to youths so to be admitted as aforesaid to use the Reading Room and Library as well as to Members.
25. All questions not provided for by these rules and regulations shall be referred to the President for the time being whose decision shall be final and binding upon all members of the Club.
26. Any Trustee for the time being of the above written Indenture shall be eligible to any of the offices of President or Committee man in the same manner as if he were not a Trustee.
27. All or any of these rules and regulations may be repealed or altered or any new ones made at the Annual General Meeting or at any Special Meeting of the Members or Subscribers after notice given in the manner prescribed in the fourteenth rule but only if the motion for the repeal or alteration or new Rule be carried by a majority of two thirds of the members or subscribers present at the Meeting and no repeal or alteration or new rule shall be made which shall destroy or affect the main purpose of the Institution as defined by the written Indenture and these Rules.