William Booth Birthplace Museum, UK
From Sawiki
The house in Nottingham in which William Booth was born on 10 April 1829, has over the years, been used for a number of purposes.
In December 1938 The War Cry reported that 12 Notintone Place was to become a hostel for Stranded Girls. The house provided emergency accommodation for six girls or women with Major Lilian Webb as the officer in charge. One of the rooms was reserved as a memorial to William Booth and was furnished with articles personally associated with the Founder. This room was to be open to the public. In March of the following year Lieut-Colonel Mary Patch, the Slum and Goodwill Secretary wrote to Commissioner W. Maxwell of SP&S requesting that surplus items that belonged to William Booth, or were used by him, be transferred from trade headquarters to the house in Nottingham.
At the outbreak of the Second World War the cadets of the Holdfast Session were dispersed to a number of training centres. Twenty five women cadets, with their sergeants and training officers, were sent to 10 -14 Notintone Place. Cadets living in the house where William Booth was born soon became a familiar sight out and about on the streets of Nottingham. During this period General Evangeline Booth unveiled a brass plaque bearing the words "In this room, on the 10th April, 1829, was born William Booth, Founder of The Salvation Army". This plaque still hangs in the bedroom today. By March 1940 the cadets returned to the training college and a room was set aside as a Prayer Room for visitors. A number of additional items belonging to William Booth were loaned to the house, including one of the Founder's chairs, shaving glass and firescreen, for various special events such as a display arranged to celebrate the centenary of William's conversion in 1844.
In 1946 Major James and Mrs Elizabeth Simpson retired from active service and were given the privilege of living in and caring for the Founder's birthplace. They looked after the house until the major's Promotion to Glory some eight years later.
On 3 February 1959 Colonel Eustace Russell, from IHQ, wrote to Commissioner Ebbs concerning 12 Notintone Place "this house has recently been acquired by the Nottingham authorities who have relet the same to the Trustee Company at a nominal rental, and it is now in the process of being redecorated after which I hope to be able to let it to a suitable retired officer tenant."
It is unlikely that any tenants did in fact move in as it was reported in the 24 October 1959 issue of The War Cry that the Army had made the decision to use the entire house as a Salvation Army museum. The house had been compulsorily purchased by the local authority as part of a modernisation scheme. Because of its pride at having produced such a brilliant religious leader the Nottingham authorities agreed to let the house to the Army. Two salvationists, Senior-Major Elizabeth Marshall (R) and Envoy Rushton, were installed as resident caretakers to maintain the historical birthplace for salvationists and other interested parties to visit.
During the early 1960s the house and the surrounding area was destined for demolition and redeveloped by the local authorities. However, due to the protests made by the Army the house was spared and transferred to the care of the Army.
The three original houses, numbers 10,12 and 14, were retained and restored and the site around developed by The Salvation Army to include an elderly persons' home and a goodwill community centre, thus becoming a living memorial to the life and work of William Booth, Founder and first General of The Salvation Army.
The restoration and development was carried out in 1969-71 by Messrs Simms Sons & Cooke of Nottingham and was designed by the Architect's Section of International Headquarters. The complex was officially opened by Sir Keith Joseph, MP, Minister of Social Services, General Erik Wickberg and Commissioner Catherine Bramwell-Booth, on 1 October 1971, receiving a civic trust award in 1972.
