Transcript

of

William Kendall [Obituary]

Trans. Devon. Assoc. 1878, Vol X, p. 56-57.

by

W. Harpley

Prepared by Michael Steer

A handsome portrait of William Kendall, Mayor of Exeter in 1862, courtesy of the Westcountry Studies Library, can be found at:
http://www.exetermemories.co.uk/em/exetersmayors.php. The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.

William Kendall was a native of Padstow; but came to Exeter, and entered the employment of the firm of Shepherd and Gains, woollen drapers, of High Street. After a time, however, he left the woollen trade, and took off the linen-drapery business carried on at that time by Messrs. Presswell and Please, at the corner of Queen Street.  In 1834 he gave up this business, and returned to the old woollen trade in which he was engaged when he first came to Exeter, and for many years was a partner in the firm of Shepherd, Kendall, and Tucker. As a man of business, Mr. Kendall was highly valued in commercial circles; and among his employees he was held in great affection. Having amassed a considerable fortune, he a few years ago retired absolutely from business.

In 1862 he became mayor of Exeter; and during his mayoralty the Albert Memorial Museum was originated. In the building of the Museum his munificence was almost unbounded, and but for his aid the city would not be possessed of the fine and handsome building that now stands in Queen Street. In the same year this Association held its first annual meeting at Exeter; and Mr. Kendall not only welcomed the Association to the city in his official capacity, but was one of the vice-presidents on that occasion. Mr. Kendall was a constant and liberal subscriber to most of the charitable and other institutions of the city; and having a warm heart and generous disposition, no charitable institution in want of assistance ever appealed to him in vain. He was mainly instrumental in bringing about the erection of the present buildings of the Wonford Asylum. He laid the foundation-stone, and on the portals of the institution his name is engraved.

In person Mr. Kendall was above the ordinary height, with handsome features, and hair of extraordinary whiteness; and his well-known figure was generally to be seen on Sunday mornings at the cathedral, where he had a stall, and was a regular attendant Until three or four years ago he was an alderman, and at the time of his death a justice of the peace.

He died at his residence, Higher Summerlands, Exeter, on the morning of Friday, the 29th of March, 1878, in the seventy-fifth year of his age. On the previous Monday, while descending the stairs, he fell over the balustrade, a distance of five or six feet, in a state of giddiness, and besides breaking his thigh, sustained a severe shock to his nervous system. When the servants came to his assistance they found him in a state of insensibility; and thus he remained, with a lucid interval only now and then, until his death. The following interesting particulars, gleaned from his will, made the day before his death, may be adduced as proofs that his well-known generosity was active to his last moment. To the National Life-boat Institution he leaves £1,000, on condition that within two years of his death the society establish a lifeboat to be named the " Exeter," and to be placed on some portion of the coast of Devon or Cornwall, or the Scilly Isles; to the West of England Deaf and Dumb Institution, to the Devon and Exeter Hospital, and to the Eye Infirmary, he leaves £500; and to St. Martha's Orphanage, in St. Sidwells, and the Servants' Home, Exeter, £50. He also bequeaths £500 to the Albert Memorial Museum, on condition that within five years of his death additional buildings, suitable to the purposes of the Museum, are erected at the back of the present structure.