Sussex Advertiser - Saturday 10 December 1864

CUCKFIELD.

Opening of the New Workmen's Institute at Whiteman's Green.—

The opening meeting was held in this room on Wednesday evening, which was very wet and story, and the attendance was not nearly so large as it otherwise would have been, but from 30 to 40 persons were present, including the Rev. Mr., Mrs., and Miss Maberly, the Revs. Messrs. Appleton and Watson, Messrs. Fox, Croucher, Jeffery, Lather, and others, principally farm labourers and mechanics, with some few women.

At the commencement the vicar announced that they would first proceed to Divine service, which would be continued every Wednesday evening. After service had been held, the vicar addressed the meeting, and mentioned what he had proposed in carrying out the institution, which they proposed to call the cottager's club. It was to give facility to young men and others of the neighbourhood to benefit themselves by study and innocent recreation during the long winter evenings. Newspapers, periodicals, and other works would be provided, and it was proposed to have occasional readings from popular authors, an interesting and instructive nature.

The members were called upon to subscribe one penny per week. Coffee was also to be supplied to the members, a cup of which would be presented gratis, and those who might require more a halfpenny per cup afterwards. Smoking would be allowed in the lower room, but, not in the upper. The premises are situated opposite the old toll gate at Whiteman's Green, and is fitted up for the purpose of forming a reading room, and a cottagers' club, and also for occasionally holding divine evening service, for the inhabitants of that vicarial district, including Brook street, the Highlands, and Whiteman's Green, being very inconveniently situated, on account of their distance from the church.

At present the club is confined to adults, who will be allowed to bring their wives, it being thought advisable not to admit boys, at least not until it comes into full operation. The upper room is nicely fitted up for divine service, and there is also an harmonium and reading desk. The lower room is fitted up with bookshelves, but as yet there is no library. There is also a large American stove, fitted up with cooking apparatus, and for heating the coffee as well as warming the room, also a coffee apparatus admirably adapted for its purposes.