During the Civil War the city was held alternately by both parties.
Since then the citizens have been left in comparative peace, intent on
their several industries. At one time they were actively engaged in the
preparation of woollen articles and in the manufacture of excellent
cutlery. These are now declined, and such commodities as boots and
shoes take the first rank, whilst the shops depend mainly on the
villages and agriculture around. The many places of antiquity in this
ancient city of the county of Wiltshire have furnished many interesting
palaeolithic relics for the reception of which the Blackmore Museum was
established. The library was instituted by Bishop Jewal, in 1560 to
1571.
There have been many men of note from Salisbury. The celebrated poet and
essayist Addison, born near Amesbury in this county of Wiltshire, was
educated at the Grammar School for choristers within the Close. Amongst
the many eminent natives of the city are included William Hermann,
author of several works in prose and verse; George Coryate, who wrote
"The Crudities"; John Greenhill, a celebrated portrait painter; William
and Henry Lawes, both musicians and composers; and James Harris, author
of "Hermes." But the most conspicuous, or rather the best known, is
Henry Fawcett, the politician and economist.
Born in 1833, he was the second son of a draper who, starting as an
assistant, became afterwards his own master. He was enabled to afford
his son Henry a good education at King's College and Peterhouse,
Cambridge, from which he migrated to Trinity Hall. He became Seventh
Wrangler and Fellow of his College. At the Cambridge Union, Fawcett
gained considerable notice for his oratory. His ambition conceived the
idea of attaining the highest honours in the kingdom through the
profession of a barrister. For this purpose he entered Lincoln's Inn,
but at the age of twenty-five a terrible accident happened to him. His
eyesight was lost by two stray pellets from the gun of his father.
Though his plans of advancement were altered, he determined within ten
minutes of the catastrophe to continue his old pursuits of rowing,
fishing, skating, riding, and even playing at cards which were marked.
He became Liberal candidate for Brighton in 1865, and entered Parliament
just when Palmerston's career came to a close. He opposed Gladstone's
scheme for universal education in Ireland. He was an opponent to
Disraeli's Government.
On the return of the Liberal Party to power Fawcett was offered the post
of Postmaster-General, though without a seat in the Cabinet. He
introduced five important postal reforms; namely, the parcels-post,
postal-orders, sixpenny telegrams, the banking of small savings by means
of stamps, and increased facilities for life insurance and annuities.
He also invented the little slot label, "next collection," on the
pillar-boxes.
The employment of women he greatly advocated. The defeat of the scheme
for the deforestation of Epping Forest and the New Forest was entirely
due to the exertions of this great politician.
After a marvellous career of many years Fawcett died in 1884. From
humble origin, and in spite of his blindness, if he did not realise his
full ambition, he reached to an exalted position in the State--an
achievement never accomplished by any one under like disability.