Talk by Jane Houlton: Richard Fountaine – The Almshouse and the Man

The Fountaine Hospital Almshouse in Linton is a unique miniature gem of English Baroque architecture.  Research into its architectural history by the late conservation architect Michael Devenish and writer Jane Houlton has revealed much fascinating evidence about the building, and its benefactor, Richard Fountaine, 1639-1722, merchant of the City of London, born in Linton.

Jane Houlton will talk about their main findings, with analysis of the building, and facts about the life and career of Richard Fountaine.  The research proved exceptionally hard, with few primary documents extant; Jane will also describe the challenges of the work.  Jane has published a book  “An Almshouse for Linton – Richard Fountaine’s Legacy” which summarises the research, The full research report “The Fountaine Hospital Almshouse – An Architectural History” is available in Skipton Reference Library, at the British Library, and at the RIBA Library.