Joseph Strutt (philanthropist)
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Joseph Strutt (1765-1844) was one of Derby's most honoured wealthy citizens, whose wealth came from the produce of the silk/cotton/calico mill on the Morledge in Derby. He served on the Town Council since the age of 28, serving in numerous offices, including Chief Magistrate and two terms of office as Mayor. He served his second term as the first mayor of the reformed borough of Derby, taking office in November 1835 until November 1836. Joseph was the youngest son of Jedediah Strutt, who had two other sons, William and George. Joseph was baptised at the Unitarian Chapel on Friar Gate, Derby on 19 September 1765. He married Isabella Archibold Douglas at St. Oswald's, Ashbourne in 1793, Isabella subsequently died in 1801 leaving Joseph with a son and two daughters, Caroline and Isabella. Caroline married Edward Hurt but died in 1835.
He was a life-long radical social reformer and dedicated the majority of his time in the service of the Town Council. He had the firm conviction that in order to gain the respect of the working classes and reform them from "Their brutish behaviour and debasing pleasures" they must be allowed the same opportunities to enjoy pleasures such as exhibitions of art and open spaces, as are enjoyed by the upper classes. Joseph also set up the Mechanics Institution (established in 1824).
He served as a Deputy Lieutenant in the local militia in defence of the nation during the Napoleonic Wars in case of invasion.
Joseph opened up his own house and gardens at Thorntree House in St. Peter's Street, now the site of the HSBC Bank, as an art gallery and museum, for the benefit of all classes of Derby's citizens, in order to cultivate a common appreciation of works of art. The works of art included sculptures by W. J. Coffee, representing the work of sculptors of the Classical antiquity and Renaissance periods as well as a collection of paintings by famous Renaissance artists.
His collection of paintings offered an opportunity for ordinary working citizens to see examples of fine works of art.
His collection of artifacts also included a fine example of an Egyptian Mummy, believed to be the one that now resides at Derby's Central Museum.
Amongst many other things, Joseph was president of the Mechanics Institution which he founded in 1828, and gave an annual subscription to support its work. He also gave gave £1,000 to the Athenaeum Society, helping to build the Athenaeum Building, an art gallery and museum offering collections of art and exhibitions to the general public. He also gave some financial support to the Derbyshire General Infirmary (later to become the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary), which was designed and built by his elder brother, William.
Joseph is probably best known for his gift to the people of Derby of the Arboretum, which was designed to give instruction and be a place for exercise and entertainment; it is also recorded as the first public park in England. Joseph enlisted the services of John Claudius Loudon to lay out his design, which was completed at a personal cost of £10,000.
Joseph died on January 13, 1844 at his home in St. Peters Street, after attending a meeting to cast his vote in favour of improving Derby's sanitary conditions. He had been ill for some time and suffered a relapse from which he never recovered. He was interred along with his wife, Isabella, at the Friargate Unitarian Chapel in Friar Gate. The chapel was demolished in the 1970s to make way for the Heritage Gate office complex, which now incorporates a modern Unitarian Chapel.
