The Club was formally opened in the following year, when several more members were added; the Honble. John Dymoke being elected President, Dr. Clement Madeley, Vicar of Horncastle, Vice-President, with Dr. J. B. Smith as Secretary, in which capacity he did valuable service, in increasing the membership and adding to the efficiency of the institution, which flourished for many years.
In later times, especially on the lamented death of Dr. Smith, and the creation of circulating libraries, such as that of Messrs. Mudie, in London, the numbers of subscribers fell off considerably. The books were transferred to various quarters; at first to the house of the late Mr. John Osborne, parish clerk, himself no mean scholar and student, afterwards to the residence of the head master of the Grammar School, where they remained for some years, under successive masters, still available for members of the club.
On June 8th, 1892, Canon Quarrington, Vicar of Horncastle, Revs. J. C. Hudson, Vicar of Thornton, and J. Conway Walter, Rector of Langton, were appointed a sub-committee, with instructions to find a permanent club room, or to give the books to the Lincoln Diocesan Library. In September of that year Dr Madge, Head Master, offered to keep the books, to act as Librarian, and admit members to them two or three days a week in his house.
In January, 1893, the present writer was commissioned with Dr. Madge, to examine the books, when there was found to be 799 in good condition, 69 missing. The Secretary of the Lincoln Diocesan Library was communicated with, and at a meeting of the committee of that library, held on Feb. 24, 1893, the offer of the books was accepted, and they were in due course transferred to that institution.
On May 17th, 1894, the Rev. J. Conway Walter, with three others, was commissioned to obtain a supply of books from a circulating library at Lincoln. Eventually Mudie's library was established at the shop of Mr. H. Willson, Bookseller, Horncastle; Mr. W. K. Morton opened a subscription library, and Messrs. W. H. Smith opened a book stall at the station. These three still continue; the original Clerical Club books being still available, with others, at the library in the Chapter House of Lincoln Cathedral.
There was at one time a Literary Society in Horncastle, which used to meet at the Bull Hotel, in a small room, now the bar, beneath the large ball room, on a level with the street. Among the most active members of this was John Brown, the late, so-called, Horncastle "Poet Laureate," whose poems were published in 1890, by the Rev. J. Conway Walter, in a volume entitled Literæ Laureatæ, dedicated to Lord Tennyson Another prominent member was the late Mr. Thomas Baker, who was an amateur actor and clever ventriloquist, as well as a great cricketer. In his early years he was engaged by the father of Sir Evelyn Wood to teach the village boys cricket in Essex. His bowling was of the old roundhand style; in which he bowled to Fuller Pilch, the greatest batsman of his day; and also to Dr. W. G. Grace, now of the Crystal Palace; and, many years ago, in a match against a crack 11, including three University players and one professional, he bowled them all out for 11 runs. He also bowled out the captain of the All England Eleven with his first ball. He died Feb. 12th, 1903, aged 88.
