Inscriptions: Foundation stone of Town Hall
The foundation stone of the present Town Hall stands at the junction of St Aldate's and Blue Boar Street. It reads:
THIS STONE WAS LAID
ON THE SIXTH DAY OF JULY, 1893.
BEING THE WEDDING DAY OF H.R.H. THE DUKE OF YORK
AND H.S.H. PRINCESS VICTORIA MARY OF TECK
BY
THOMAS LUCAS ESQUIRE MAYOR
THOMAS W. TAPHOUSE, ESQUIRE, SHERIFF
JOHN PARNELL & SON BUILDERS HENRY HARE ARCHITECT
The stone weighs half a ton, and unfortunately had to be laid twice. The first time it was ceremonially laid by the Mayor Thomas Lucas on 6 July 1893, the wedding day of the Duke of York and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, as recorded on the inscription. At that point it had the name of John S. Chappel of Pimlico engraved at the bottom left as the builder. He went bankrupt just three months later, and because the stone had to be changed to give the name of the new builders, Parnell, it had to be relaid.