Gideon's Chair

Chapter 7 Gideon Tutbury 1820

Chapter seven

Gideon Tutbury 1820

Gideon Tutbury had wealth beyond compare . He had just inherited the bank accounts, land , property and other assets from his Father , who was regarded as the richest commoner in Britain , probably Europe.

His entourage of carriages and staff  arrived in Salford in August 1820 . Initially they rented the large Bank House behind central street

They tried to remain discreet , a man of such wealth would obviously be an attraction to society . Gideon shunned the social scene , the world that had been so vital to his parents and sister . Preferring to surround himself with other major industrialists m scholars , doctors , clergy and the most learned people money could buy.

By early 1821 plans had been prepared for the building of the Giant Peoples Facility in Salford . The size of 6 Football pitches and Eight storeys high with grounds stretching over 200 acres . This was to be a wonder of 19th Century design .

The huge façade surrounded by miles of scaffolding and pulleys and ladders began to draw gasps from passers by. Stone masons worked in 24 hour shifts carving exact copies of Paisian , Roman and Venetian sculptures into the walls . They emerged like living figures , reaching out into the northern sky . Their limbs sometimes obscene groped the Lancashire skyline. The Northern festival of Britain in 1821 displayed a large glass cased model , with diagrams and scale drawing of The Facility now nicknamed " The Palace Of The North" . Crowds , some from as far away as Asia gathered and marvelled at the building , its splendour , its arrogance ,  its beauty and what it could offer.

By February 1823 the giant project was complete , a feat of incredible design and endeavour . Its sheer size altered the skyline of the city it now dwarfed . Dignitaries were invited for a tour of the building and the grounds . Virtually held in silence as they stared in awe .

The vast marble  pillored entrance area with its black and white Italian floor welcomed them . They stood on the tiles like chess pieces in a game gazing around them . A five way staircase , like a multi headed serpent rose into the air leading to each floor . Uniformed staff in red  lined the walls and stairways like a private army , almost mirror images of each other as if they had been cloned from one. The next floor was a shrine to the industrial age , with working machinery , slavishly operating a working life sized model of the famous BOAZ mill machine from the Great Tutbury Mill.

Another floor and uniformed staff like red page boys stood in front of thousands of books and Ledgers and manuscripts depicting every aspect of the Industrial Changes and heritage. Another floor was devoted to religious studies , with manuscripts of every religion known. Staff from all corners of the world represented their religion at the Facility . Like a Global Faith.

The next was virtually a history of the world , ancient historical books , ancient books adorned every shelf . Scholars sat at desks in front of them pupils studying .

The fifth floor was a centre of learning for medicine . A lecture theatre , an operating theatre , private rooms and tables of plants , specimins . Samples of rare diseases were stored and studied ...Beyond that a meeting floor for the greatest scholars   . A room  of learning , a chance for the best to teach and learn from the best.

The two top floors were the private residence of Gideon . The tour didn't show this area but it was said to better any palace in Europe . Magnificent opulence , art and treasures dating back centuries .

Around this time Gideon had visited America twice and had bought the land between Dey and Greenwich Street . He had instructed various properties to be built between Battery and Chambers street . He had inherited six warehouses which fronted the Hudson River , but his main priority was to receive annual ground rent for the majority of the area we now know as Manhatten.

On his second visit he met the beautiful socialite Anne-Magarite Roulle de Gisors . Her family had fled Napoleonic France and had settled into New York . They had donated thousands to support the Phelps Society of Learning , an obvious attraction to Gideon.

Gideon and Anne Margarite married on Christmas Day 1823 in New York at the large Catholic Church on Beckman Street , deciding to spend their lives between America and England.

Gideon returned to England in 1824 and started to surround himself more and more by the learned men within his facility , influenced by what he saw at the Phelps Society. He had a huge thirst for knowledge in particular medicine.

The highly secret Gideon Society was formed . Their headquarters , the previously unknown two basement floors of his facility building. The members were senior scholars , Physicians , members of Parliament and leading military figures from around the world . Members were sworn to secrecy and this oath was policed with ruthless efficiency . Baron Hyde de Nevvy discussed the society with his private physician. Both men disappeared without trace.

In February 1827 Gideons wife gave birth to a boy called Jean whilst staying in England . Gideon doted on the boy , determined to create the idyllic childhood he never had.

But intensely homesick for America his wife took Jean back to America . Gideon pleaded with her to stay longer , but he was now virtually a recluse with his studies and she longed for the freedom and the glittering society of which she was its Queen in New York.

Gideon tried to visit regularly , but the journey was long and Anne Margarite had refused to bring the child back to England saying her home was now permenantly in America. The strain of the distant relationship began to show and by 1830 they were virtually separated.

Gideon devoted himself to his studies and to the society ....But , A telegram from America altered his life forever .

Anne Margarite her mother and Jean had been killed in a carriage accident two months earlier .

Gideon immediately travelled to America and in Autumn of the same year he was able to visit the family vault there .

Any investigation he made into the accident drew blanks with no witnesses wishing to come forward to help him.

Rumour started to spread that the child killed was not in fact a child but a baby . He scoffed at these , refusing to accept that his wife could have had an adulterous affair in his absence resulting in a child .

He returned to England a broken man

A telegram awaited him on his return from his trusted American friend and lawyer Bruno Cavella

VAULT OPENED stop

BABY GIRL NOT BOY stop

TRY TO FIND MORE INFORMATION stop

SON JEAN NOT DEAD stop

Gideon sunk into his chair . The telegram crumpled in his hands clutched to his chest . Calling his assistant he requested a reply be sent

ALL RESOURCES BE USED TO LOCATE SON  stop

WILL ARRIVE IN AMERICA EARLY 1832 stop

Gideon turned to his assistant .

" This can't be Gods will , tell me , I have everything I want , I control whatever I want , I buy whatever I want , I have every scholar in the world at my beck and call, ...But I can't change Gods will "

The assistant looked up from the telegram he was preparing

" Why don't you try to make people believe you can Sir "  a sentence that would change the world forever

Gideon got up from the serpent entwined carved chair and  walked to the window ..... his hand covered his mouth as he thought

He turned to his assistant

" Yes , why not , why ever not "