Rotunda, which were occupied by two companies of his regiment, and
contained the guard room and a mess room for the officers. This building
was afterwards known as the Rockingham Inn, a favourite resort in
summer, when tea and ginger beer were to be had under the piazza which
ran along the edge of the water. This hotel acquired the name of the
"Rockingham," having been for a long time after the Prince's departure
the place of meeting of the Rockingham Club. This club was established
either while the Duke was resident here, or very soon after his leaving
for Canada. It was composed of Governor Wentworth, the members of His
Majesty's Council, the Admiral of the station, several of the principal
military officers, and a number of the leading citizens of Halifax. Dr.
Stanser, rector of St. Paul's, was one of its members; also the Hon.
Andrew Belcher, both of whom had villas on the Basin, the former at
Sherwood, afterwards the property of the late Mr. Thos. Kenny, and the
latter at Birch Cove, now in the occupation of the family of the late
Peter Donaldson.
The Rockingham Club was partly literary and partly social. The members
dined together at the hotel, which was styled the Rockingham House, in
compliment to Sir John Wentworth, the head of whose family, the Marquis
of Rockingham, was about that time in, or at the head of the British
Ministry. The large room which extended along the south wing of the
building, east and west, with the end to the water, was hung with the
portraits of many of the members of the club painted by Field, a
portrait painter of considerable talent who, at that time and for
several years after, resided in Halifax, and from whose brush the
portraits of many of the then principal citizens and their ladies still
remain.[60]
[Footnote 60: Among Field's portraits remaining in Halifax, are those of
the Hon. Michael Wallace, Hon. Wm. Lawson, Hon. Andrew Belcher and Mrs.
Belcher, Bishop Charles Inglis, Rev. Dr. Archibald Gray and Mrs. Gray,
the late Andrew Wright, of the firm of Belcher & Wright, and his sister
Mary, the Dr. W. J. Almon, and others. That of Sir John Wentworth, a
full half length, the best performance of Field in this country, was
removed from the Rockingham to Government House by Sir John after the
club had been dissolved, and became Government property. It was
afterwards removed to the Province Building, whence it was taken some
years ago, and is said to have fallen into private hands, having been
either lent or given away by order of one of the gentlemen who, some
years ago, occupied the office of Provincial Secretary. It is to be
hoped that ere long it will find its way back to its place in the
Building.
That of Commissioner Inglefield, also a member of the club, hung for
many years over the mantle piece of the committee room of the
Legislative Council Chamber, but was afterwards presented to the late
Admiral Inglefield, father of Sir Edward Inglefield, lately Admiral on
this station.]
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