ALONG with the Verdins salt concerns, another great benefactor to the town of Winsford - indeed Mid Cheshire - was John T Brunner of Brunner Mond.

His mainstay of industry was centred around Winnington works which were later to become ICI.

Along with giving a school to Barnton; the Northwich Free Library and a school for the children of his employees in Winnington, he also presented the magnificent Brunner Guildhall to Winsford in 1899.

John Brunner was born in Liverpool on February 8, 1842, the second son of the Rev John Brunner who ran a school in Everton, where John Jnr was himself a pupil until he was 15.

With a good head for business, he started work in a Liverpool office with his brother. In 1861, when he was 20, he left Liverpool to join the chemical firm of John Hutchinson and Co in Widnes.

This was where Brunner first met up with the German Ludwig Mond, which led to the future partnership which was to change the state of Northwich in the future thanks to Brunner's management and Mond's technical know-how.

According to the story, John Brunner and Ludwig Mond took the train to Hartford and walked to Winsford hoping to set up business in the town because of its rail, road and canal links.

They talked business to salt proprietor Herman Falk, who among other concerns once owned the Meadow Bank mine.

Falk was only prepared to lease land to the two entrepreneurs. Brunner was adamant that they should buy land outright or nothing.

On a further trip close to the Anderton boat lift, they spotted some land in Winnington close to the old hall. On enquiring, they found that the whole 130 acres was for sale and the land was purchased for £26,000 from Lord Stanley of Alderley.

In 1837, the Winnington works took off and in 1874, Brunner moved his family into Winnington Hall along with the Monds, who lived in the added Georgian wing while the Brunner's lived in the original Tudor house.

The Brunners then moved to Wavertree in 1891.

The land next to the Technical Schools in Winsford, close to Grange Lane, was chosen for the sight of the new Brunner Guildhall, and the tender for the building of it was accepted by James Fowles and Sons, builders of Winsford.

It was built in Jacobean style with red terracotta brick and consisted of entrance hall, secretary's office, a further four committee rooms on the first floor with a staircase of granolithic stone, with wrought iron balustrade.

The building was "warmed and ventilated by hot air heating apparatus" - a form of central heating?

November 4, 1899 was a red letter day for the town.

The whole of Winsford had eagerly awaited this new building and a granite panel close to the door reads: "This hall was presented to the Urban District Council of Winsford by Sir John Tomlinson Brunner, Bart, member of the North Division of Cheshire in trust for the daily use of trade and friendly societies and for other public purposes under the management of the representative committee."

A grand procession preceded the opening ceremony.

At 1.30, it assembled by Wharton Rec.

By 2pm the procession - which included the Volunteer Band, 40 members of the Cheshire Regiment, 200 members of the Saltmakers Association, Ambulance Brigade, Winsford Temperance Band, Fire Brigade and the Over Silver Band - set of via Wharton Road, Winsford Bride, High Street to the cross in Over and back to the Guildhall.

It passed under an arch en route by the Guardian office.

The message on the arch read: "A generous heart, a noble gift". On arrival at the Guildhall, a large crowd had gathered to witness the opening of the door by Sir John. Mr Fowles, the architect, presented a silver key which was inscribed "Presented to Sir J T Brunner, November 4, 1899, opening of Brunner Guildhall", and on turning the lock immerse cheering went out from the townsfolk.

A celebration banquet was held in his honour in the adjacent Technical Schools to crown the day.

Today, the Guildhall is used by the WRVS and CAB.

It was also used in the 1950s as an annexe for High Street Schools.

The Brunner Guildhall in the 1920s, before the houses on the right were demolished.

Sir John Brunner in later life. He died in 1919.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.