With contributions from Cirencester Archaeological & Historical Society, members & friends
Samuel Rudder, an early Cirencester historian
The walls of the Parish Church of St John Baptist in Cirencester Market Place are a rich source of local history references. Not least of these is the impressive plaque to one Samuel Rudder in the Lady Chapel. So who was this man ‘of the strictest honour and most inflexible integrity’ and why such a monument?
Samuel Rudder wrote and printed a history of the town as part of a greater and impressive work ‘A New History of Gloucestershire’ in 1779. His was not the first; Sir Robert Atkyns had published ‘Ancient and Present State of Glostershire’ in 1712 and apparently Rudder dealt with much disdain over the years for daring to set himself up as a similar authority beyond his social status.
Rudder was considered a tradesman, not a gentleman. He had come to Cirencester from Uley, with some level of education funded by his father (a local butcher, known for his vegetarianism) and was based in premises in Dyer Street, writing, printing and bookselling. He set himself the task of visiting every parish and sending questionnaires to local landowners in order to record and publish the most accurate and up to date information about each town, village and hamlet in the county – an ambitious plan.
Nicholas Herbert provides the historic evidence to Rudder’s life and life’s work in his detailed introduction to a limited edition of the ‘New History’ in 1977. He points out his care and commitment to his project, and also the value of his first-hand observations of 18th century life and attitudes in Gloucestershire as he tramped, trotted and sometimes complained his way down muddy country lanes.
Inevitably it took a very long time for Rudder to get to the point of publishing, often having to answer to public criticism for the delay from his subscribers in the London papers, but that man ‘of inflexible integrity’ achieved his goal in the end.
Rudder’s personality shines through his writing. Never afraid to pass comment, his ‘History of The Town of Cirencester, in Two Parts’ published in 1800 is full of opinion. One of my favourites is his view on music in ‘Part II, The Modern State’. Spurred on, I suspect, by not being invited, he comments on a yearly musical event held in Cirencester Park up at Alfred’s Hall, by permission of Allen Lord Bathurst.
After a rather barbed account of its popularity and decline, he follows on with ‘We have bestowed a few thoughts on the subject, and the result in short is this; that music fascinates the ear and exercises an imperious sway over the passions. It propels and precipitates the will without convincing the judgement. It is of an intoxicating nature, and has no restraining powers. Hence the dangers to which its votaries are ever exposed, when pursued with avidity as it now is; and even its greatest advocates must allow that it is at least a very heavy tax on their time and finances.’ He was probably never first on any party invitation list in Cirencester society at that time, then!
As Herbert points out, Samuel Rudder’s Cirencester was a busy town, important for its market, road connections and business. Over the years Rudder profited and expanded his business interests, becoming a respected auctioneer, charity trustee, and seller of general goods. He was proud of the town, praising its ‘fine healthy air and excellent water’. Evidence of modern innovation was just as important to him as the Roman mosaics and antiquities.
Rudder’s family plaque records that ‘his History of Gloucestershire will Establish his Character as a Writer.’ If he were writing today I think he would be just as proud of how Cirencester has developed and thrived. Either way, we would all be in no doubt of his opinion.
Anne Buffoni
Please support Cirencester’s principal heritage societies and their event programmes: Archaeological & Historical Society (www.cirenhistory.org.uk) and Civic Society (www.ccsoc.org.uk), which runs a programme of Town Walks in the season plus pre-booked for small groups. See the Society’s website or phone William Cooper on 01285 88 55 90.
To keep up to date with what´s going on in town, feel free to join our Facebook group by clicking here
0 comments on “CAHS Snapshots of Local History – Samuel Rudder, an early Ciren Historian”