The history of Norwich's Strangers' Hall museum

This is a very special place tucked away in the City of Norwich with an extraordinary and fascinating story to tell.

The Undercroft in the early 20th century, during Leonard Bolingbroke's residence (Image: R.C. Fisk/Strangers' Hall)

One that people of all ages can enjoy…which illustrates so well how that museums are no longer stuffy places where you feel like a stranger.

Youngsters admire the huge display of toy trains at Strangers' Hall, December 1990 (Image: Newsquest Archive)

You will get a warm welcome at our wonderful Strangers’ Hall which is celebrating its 100th birthday as a museum in public ownership next week.

On July 4 1923, it became one of the oldest folk museums in the land thanks to the generosity of Sir Leonard Bolingbroke.

Pre-1922 postcard of the 17th Century Parlour in Strangers' Hall (Image: Strangers' Hall)

The earliest parts of the hall date to the 14th century. For some 400 years it was the prestigious residence of wealthy merchants, many of whom held high rank in the city as Aldermen and Mayors.

The sign outside Strangers' Hall in 1958 (Image: Newsquest Archive)

During the 16th century, its owner Thomas Sotherton was involved in the settlement of “The Strangers” from the Low Countries in Norwich.

Sotherton Room at Strangers' Hall, photographed in 1968 (Image: Strangers' Hall)

Over the centuries Strangers’ Hall was home to a dancing master and his family, provided lodgings for Assize Court judges and a seminary for catholic priests.

The founder of the hall as a museum solicitor Leonard Bolingbroke (1859-1927) came from a family of wealthy local silk weavers/manufacturers and was a grandson of James Stark, the Norwich School artist.

Leonard Bolingbroke, the founder of the Strangers' Hall museum (Image: Strangers' Hall)

After lengthy debate about the future of the building, he purchased Strangers’ Hall in 1899 in order to save it from demolition, at a cost of £1,050.

Leonard moved his collection of antiques, topographical prints, into the building and opened it as a museum in 1900 declaring it was the first folk life museum in the land. It cost 6d to get in and have a look.

The last Norwich Bellman, Harry Moulton, and his dog Prince, c. 1906. Harry served as Bellman from 1905 until this office was abolished during the First World War, when ringing bells warned of either invasion or air raids. (Image: Strangers' Hall)

His whole idea was to display objects showing everyday life as opposed to cased displays of specimens. The Oak Room was one of the first, set out with furniture, prints, playbills and railway timetables from his collection.

The Old Oak Room in Strangers' Hall (Image: Strangers' Hall)

During the first year it attracted about 200 visitors and in order to increase income he let out rooms to local societies.

But there were difficult times ahead. In 1904 there was a fire.

The hall was expensive to maintain and three years later Leonard moved his whole family of wife, five children and two servants in and legend has it that everyone went up a different staircase to bed, some of which were the attic rooms now used as stores.

An attendant in one of the store rooms in Strangers' Hall (Image: Strangers' Hall)

In 1914 a reproduction of the hall, which took  about a month to build, appeared at a large Anglo American exhibition in Shepherd’s Bush – where a lady in 16th century costume guided visitors around.

Then, after two decades of running the hall as a private museum, Leonard offered the building and the entire stock to the City of Norwich.

Victorian Parlour in Strangers' Hall in 1972 (Image: Strangers' Hall)

It took a year or so for the city to consider, formerly accept the offer and refurbish Strangers’ Hall.

This paper's coverage of the official opening of Strangers' Hall in July 1923 (Image: Newsquest Archive)

At the re-opening ceremony there were addresses from Sir Rider Haggard, Sir Eustace Gurney and Lord Mayor George Morse.

Leonard described his relationship with Strangers’ Hall as a “very great adventure.”

A very early view of the Great Hall (Image: Strangers' Hall)

His aim was “to show an old house which for centuries had been occupied by a series of city merchants and to show it furnished as it was in their day people would be able to learn more of the history of England in half an hour than they could learn from a good many books.”

Leonard died in the summer of 1927. Described as a tall, upstanding figure, he always carried a hale and hearty appearance and was a man of genial and cultural interests. We have much to thank him for.

With thanks to Senior Curator Cathy Terry and Esther Morgan, Communications Manager at Norfolk Museums Service.

Strangers' Hall in Norwich (Image: Strangers' Hall)

Called Strangers’ Hall 100 a whole host of events are taking place at the hall to celebrate the anniversary and they are launched with an afternoon of free entry on Sunday July 9 as part of the Norwich Lanes Summer Fayre .

The centenary programme as a whole is generously funded by the Norwich Freeman’s Charity and the Friends of the Norwich Museums have supported additional interpretation about the history of the museum and new permanent displays

Hannah Broadway designed the Strangers' Hall centenary logo featuring Leonard Bolingbroke proudly riding a Penny Farthing bicycle (Image: Hannah Broadway/Strangers' Hall)

There are some wonderful new features by illustrator and designer Hannah Broadway who also designed the centenary logo featuring Leonard Bolingbroke proudly riding a Penny Farthing bicycle. The inspiration came from a cycling journal he kept from the 1870s about his rides around Norfolk.

And look out for the great portraits created by young people from Norfolk Museum’s Service’s Kick the Dust youth engagement programme using designs created by Hannah and Rachel Duffield.

Portrait of Alan Partridge which is on display in Strangers' Hall (Image: Strangers' Hall)

From Elizabeth Fry to Alan Partridge. That’s what a museum is all about. I think Sir Leonard would approve