The death of a Newark Castle custodian who swallowed weedkiller
after his collection of artefacts was removed is being marked by an exhibition.
John Mountney who died in 1912, was the second custodian of the
Nottinghamshire castle and spent years collecting items to illustrate the
history of Newark.
In a dispute with the council, the castle's owners, Mr Mountney
lost the collection and was left "heartbroken".
The exhibition of photographs is open from 13 to 17 February.
Mr Mountney became the castle's second custodian in 1901 and
worked enthusiastically to promote the castle as a tourist attraction.
He turned a room in the south-west tower into a museum,
displaying artefacts and curiosities which had been given to him by various
people in the town.
The tragic story of Mr Mountney's death unfolded after King
Edward VII paid an impromptu visit to Newark Castle in September 1909.
In the absence of civic dignitaries to welcome the King, it was
left to Mr Mountney to show him around the castle. On leaving, the King signed
the visitors' book.
Mr Mountney then set about producing a commemorative postcard to
mark the visit but the borough council deemed it distasteful and ordered Mr
Mountney to surrender the page with the signature so it could be displayed at
Newark Town Hall.
Relations between Mr Mountney and the council deteriorated and
on 12 February 1912, as the council was planning a new museum for the town,
council workmen arrived at the castle and removed the exhibits.
The following day, Mr Mountney went to work as usual but when he
did not return home for lunch, his wife Elizabeth went to look for him.
She found her husband lying dead in the south-west tower having
taken some arsenic-based weedkiller.
'Tragic
consequences'
At his inquest, it was revealed Mr Mountney had been offered £2
for his entire collection and left a note which read: "Might is not always
right. Broken hearted."
Allan Towler, chairman of the Friends of Newark Castle and
Gardens, said: "We couldn't just let the centenary of such a story pass
by, a story of unforeseen tragic consequences.
"John held the visitors' book while the King signed it. He
was happy and glorious afterwards, quite understandably.
"Perhaps after the council took ownership of the book, the
matter should have ended there but it didn't and the rest is history."
Due to present-day conditions in the castle, the actual exhibits
cannot be displayed but photos of them all have been taken.
Images include paintings, photographs, models, sculptures as
well as fossils, clothes, weaponry and ancient maps.
Mr Mountney is buried in Newark Cemetery.
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