Governor's gift to Portsmouth was a drinking fountain

Last week I published the picture, below, of two men standing beside a fountain bearing what appeared to be the Portsmouth crest.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Jun 2016, 06:02 BST
The Scarlett drinking fountain is seen here in the mid-distance on the left at the entrance to Pembroke GardensThe Scarlett drinking fountain is seen here in the mid-distance on the left at the entrance to Pembroke Gardens
The Scarlett drinking fountain is seen here in the mid-distance on the left at the entrance to Pembroke Gardens

It came from Graeme Swain who wondered if indeed it was in the city and, if so, where.

Karen Newland has come up with the answer. She says it was built by her great great grandfather John Burgoyne Baker. He was a stonemason and ran his business from premises in Marmion Road, Southsea where the Waitrose multi-storey car park now stands.

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Karen says: ‘The drinking fountain was commissioned as a farewell gift to Portsmouth by General James Yorke Scarlett, the governor of Portsmouth from 1857 to 1860. It stood close to the corner of Long Curtain Road and Pier Road by Clarence Pier.

John Burgoyne BakerJohn Burgoyne Baker
John Burgoyne Baker

‘I have seen plenty of postcards with the fountain in the background as it is close to the tram terminus but have never seen a photo as detailed as this.’

She adds: ‘It appeared in postcards up to the early 1920s but disappears after that and sadly I do not know what happened to it.’

Related topics:PortsmouthWaitroseSouthsea