A CUP which previously belonged to Abraham Laverton, the Victorian Westbury cloth mill owner and philanthropist, has been returned to his home town.
The mid-Victorian Silver, two handled presentation cup and cover was bought at auction by councillor Ian Cunningham who believed it should be back in Westbury.
The cup, which displays a repousse lion mask floral and swag decoration, is engraved. ‘Presented to Abraham Laverton esq. by the middle and working classes of Westbury, expressive of their gratitude for his munificence in erecting the Laverton Institute and thus contributing so greatly to their hitherto limited means of amusement and edification, January 26th, 1874.’
It was presented to Abraham Laverton seven days before he won the local Parliamentary seat as a member of the Liberal Party. It was the first general election where voters were able to vote in a secret ballot.
Cllr Cunningham said, “The ongoing Victorian exhibition in the Laverton is all about Mr Laverton and, whatever your view of politics of the day, he did a huge amount for the town. Ideally the cup will be added to the exhibition but the council will have to work out some security first.”
Abraham Laverton (1819-1886) built the houses of Prospect Square in 1869 to house his mill workers. The square consisted of 32 homes and 7 almshouses. It was also his idea to build Westbury’s public baths, but the project was completed by his nephew, William Laverton, a year after Abraham Laverton’s death. Westbury’s Victorian swimming pool remains open to this day. Another project, Westbury Manor, has now disappeared, with part of it surviving as the medieval section of the Pinnigar Finch & Co solicitors’ office.
