Arnold Merrick - Testimonial to Budding's Mower

Arnold Merrick of Cirencester wrote an early testimonial to Budding's lawnmower which was dated 17 September 1831 and published in The Gardener's Magazine in 1832.

There was a father, son and grandson all called Arnold Merrick in Cirencester during the late Georgian and Victorian periods.

Arnold "Aristarchus" (as was his proper name) Senior came from a gentry farmer background in Herefordshire and was married to Mary Smith of Much Dewchurch, Herefordshire. His obituary is in The Gentleman's Magazine by Slyvanus Urban, published January-June 1812, states that he introduced the winnowing machine to Herefordshire, was a musician and gifted surgeon, and had fallen on bad times and had moved to Cirencester to become the "wood-man" to Earl Bathurst of Cirencester Park. He died at Oakley Lodge on The Cirencester Park Estate at the age of 68 on 31 January 1812. This was reported on 1 March 1812 in The Monthly Magazine or British Register and in The Gentleman's Magazine. His wife Mary died and her remains were "deposited in the same grave as her husband at Sapperton" twelve years later,

His son; Arnold (1782-1849), the writer of the testimonial, was born in Herefordshire (according to the 1841 census) and presumably accompanied his father Aristarchus to live in Gloucestershire. He had married Eleanor Frere at Ross On Wye in Herefordshire on 18 October 1817.

Arnold had many vocations and interests and was an early purchaser of Budding's Patent Lawnmower, as evidenced by the testimonial. He followed his father's interest in music; at 20 years old in 1802 he was the organist at the parish church and it is known that he translated the theoretical works of Austrian composer Johann Georg Albrechtsberger. He was clearly a progressive and enlightened academic, who is listed as Secretary to The Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway in several publications including the The Railway Directory 1845, published by The Railway Times Office at 122 Fleet Street, London. He took a keen interest in meteorites, as noted in a book "Report of the Twenty Seventh Meeting of The Association of the British Association For The Advancement of Science", published in London 1858 where he is mentioned as "the late Arnold Merrick, Curator of the Museum." Other publications show that he was an organ builder. The printer he used to print his music, W. Fowler of Cirencester, also printed one of the early leaflets for Budding's Patent lawnmower.

The 1841 census lists Arnold Merrick as being 60 years old with his occupation given as "Railway Secretary", not born in the County. His wife Eleanor, 51, and a 19 year old servant, Sabina Swinford, were living at the same address. By 1851, after his death, according to that year's census the family was living in Cirencester at Queens Lane (more likely Quern's Lane):

Ellinor MERRICK - Widow - age 59 annuitant, born Herefordshire Ross (Blind)
Elizabeth D WILDEY - unmarried - 45, born Glos. Cheltenham
Charles FRERE - age 63, born Hereford, Ross
Elizabeth ELDRIDGE - 27, General Servant, born Glos. Bisley

This would suggest that when Arnold bought the Budding's Mower in 1831/2 he was living at Quern's Lane, Cirencester, not far from the railway station. After his death, his widow is described as blind, so it is possible that she lived in the Almshouses in Quern's Lane, although this is speculative.