Village Hall

For more information about booking the hall, contact Val Tough, hall manager, at jhvh.booking@gmail.com

Mrs. Jessie Hughes was the wife of the Rector of Tarporley. As president of the Women’s Institute she played a prominent part in the scheme of providing a Village Hall for Eaton. Money was raised from two village fetes held on the Arderne Estate in May 1925 and September 1926 and along with other monies from subscriptions, whist drives and concerts just over £500 was raised for the building and furnishing of the Eaton Institute.

On September 6th 1926 the Institute was opened with a “stone laying” ceremony performed by Mrs. Hughes. Capt. the Hon H R Baillie Hamilton Arden (who had donated the land) presented Mrs. Hughes with a silver trowel from the members of the Institute and said “The Institute owes so much to your work and your energy, and we hope that the stone will be a testimony to the work that you have done.” The trowel bore the inscription “Presented to Jessie Louise Hughes on the occasion of her laying of the corner stone of the Village Institute Eaton. September 6th 1926.” Mrs. Hughes then smoothed the mortar over and declared the stone well and truly laid.

Mrs. Hughes subsequently died and at the meeting on November 6th 1928 the Rector offered to the Committee of the Institute a framed portrait of the late Mrs. Hughes. It was felt that the name of the Institute, which was so largely the fruit of Mrs. Hughes’ labours should be in memory of her, and the designation “The Jessie Hughes Institute” was accordingly formally adopted by unanimous desire.

The portrait is still in the Institute and the stone, which was one of the exterior of the chimney, is still there and bears the inscription “This stone was laid by Jessie L Hughes 1926”

In November 1932 electric light was switched on by Lady Cecily Baillie Hamilton and there was “a blaze of coloured lights”

In 1983 there were extensions to the kitchen and toilets costing circa £6,200 which was partly funded by grants from Cheshire County Council and Vale Royal District Council.