local and county business. As a possession the
Court House is the property of the Board of Works, in London, the county
authorities paying to them a rent of 10 pounds, for the use of it by the
magistrates.

THE STANHOPE MEMORIAL.

This handsome structure was erected under the following circumstances.
The Right Honble. Edward Stanhope, who had represented the Horncastle
Division in Parliament, with much distinction, from the year 1874, died
rather suddenly, as the result of hard work, in his official capacity, on
Dec. 22, 1893, to the great grief of the entire constituency; when it was
universally felt that his services merited some public recognition.
Various meetings were held, and at length, on Jan. 22nd, 1897, at a
gathering in the Masonic Hall, a committee was appointed to carry out the
scheme. The design of the Memorial was intrusted to the architect, Mr.
E. H. Lingen Barker, of Hereford, Messrs. Walter & Hensman, of
Horncastle, being the contractors for the work.

The ceremony of inauguration was performed by J. Banks Stanhope, Esq.,
formerly M.P. for the Division, on Feb. 2nd, 1899, in the presence of the
Earl and Countess Stanhope, and other distinguished persons on the
platform, and a vast crowd from the neighbourhood filling the entire
Market Place. This was followed by a public luncheon in the Corn
Exchange.

The site chosen was the centre of the Market Place, as that, along with
the market dues, had been made over to the town as a free gift, by the
Right Honble. gentleman, as Lord of the Manor. The following is the
official description of the monument, as published at the time of its
erection. The structure is 31-ft. 6-in. in height. It stands on a
massive foundation of concrete; with three tiers of Yorkshire stone
steps, each 15-in. wide, running round the base leading up to the
monument proper, their shape being octagonal. With the exception of two
strings of Dumfries' red stone, the lower part is of Monk's Park stone.
Above this is a moulded string course, and on each face are shafts of
Aberdeen red granite, with moulded caps and bases. The panels are filled
with diaper work; and in each alternate panel are arms of the Stanhope
family, and the arms of the town, with an inscription to the memory of
the Right Honble. E. Stanhope, and a medallion, with bust, in relief, of
the same. These panels are surmounted by moulded and carved cinquefoil
panels, surmounted by carved finials. Above th