Thomas LaytonThomas Layton

His Collection & LegacyHis Collection & Legacy

Thomas Layton Born in 1819

Died in 1911.

How long did he live?

92 years

Thomas Layton What did he do?

•He was a successful business man.

•And a highly respected councillor in Brentford

A very keen collector of:-CoinsArchaeologyPotteryBooksPrintsMapsAntiquities

Thomas Layton was a rich man.How did he make his money?He was a coal merchant, who had barges on the Thames.What did we use coal for?

•Burn in homes for heating and cooking.

•To use as fuel for steam trains.

•To make gas (for light and heat)

•To make coke (used in iron making)

Brentford Gas works on the High Street

St George’s Church

Opening of Brentford market in 1893.

Who owns the coal office?

- Where Fountains Leisure Centre now is.

What was Brentford like when Thomas Layton was alive?

Gas & Coal

The gas works was huge and employed thousands of people

The Gas works on Brentford High Street

The Gas works was very smelly making lots of soot and smoke

“……the entrance to Brentford is like the gates to Hell. Already the gasworks and the coal yards are there for stoking the punishing fires”

Smelly Brentford…….When Thomas Layton was alive Brentford was one of the noisiest and smelliest places in London.

Why do you think this was?

Gas works

Coke works

Brewery

Tannery – making leather

Soap works

Other smelly businesses?

This is the committee which built Brentford Library.

Which one is Thomas Layton?

Some Hounslow Councillors Today

Brentford Councillors 1900

What is different about them? What is the same?

Thomas Layton lived here

A Picture of Kew Bridge in 1892

To Brentford

To Chiswick

Thomas Layton's House Do you recognise this?

What do you think it is?

To Brentford

What did Thomas Layton do for the people of Brentford?

Helped build the Brentford Infirmary (hospital)………..

The Fire Station………

The Swimming Baths……………

St George’s Church – Where he was warden.

He left money in his will to build the Bell tower and bought the church bells which hang in it.

And………

The Library

And of course………….

The Brentford Monument

This records important historical events that happened in Brentford.

It was first placed in Ferry Lane by the river but has now been moved to outside the County Court

Thomas Layton’s collectionAll his life Thomas

Layton bought and collected many historical artefacts.

Coins

Pottery

Prehistoric items like this fish hook.

A spear head An iron age axe

Thomas Layton’s collection

He also had a massive collection of books.

About absolutely everything!

Thomas Layton’s collection

And maps……….

What happened to his collection when he died?

Thomas Layton left everything in his massive collection to the people of Brentford

It was put into the Brentford Library which he’d help build

But……..

There was not enough room so it was moved………….

And mould grew on the pages.

To this store where the books got damp…

And pigeons got in!!

Then……..

In 1988 the collection was found a permanent home at the new Hounslow Treaty Centre Library

Books in modern storage at Hounslow Library

The print collection in new plan chests.

Now the old books are being cleaned and repaired.

From this…

…to this

Pigeon Poo!!

Finds from the ThamesFinds from the Thames

► You can go and see You can go and see Layton’s Prehistoric Layton’s Prehistoric objects from the objects from the river at the Museum river at the Museum of London in the of London in the display called display called ‘London before ‘London before London’London’

Axe head

Prehistoric Knife Spear head