Wisteria Cottage
Stephen Ballard, the owner in 1841, being the engineer behind behind the construction of the Gloucester and Hereford canal, needs no
introduction here. His life is well documented.
By 1844 the Misses Baker are in residence:
From Hereford Times March 9th 1844.
The house, presumably still owned by Stephen Ballard, was up for sale in 1846 which gives us a useful description:
The advert for the Misses Baker's Seminary refers to the 'air very salubrious', the trial in 1851 suggests otherwise!
Being the nearest house to the catch pits it was mentioned many times.
Here are a few extracts:
Mr Reece, of Ankerdine, said that, 'if the smells should continue, in his opinion no one would buy either of the houses on the South parade, especially Miss Baker's, at any price.'
Sarah Baker:
I live in the South Parade, and have done so for seven years; I and my sister keep a school there; my house is not far from the Pound ditch; have frequently been annoyed with offensive smells in my house, particularly in the summer and autumn; it is very difficult in a summer evening; have frequently seen a fog rising in the meadow on the cesspool, and the whole course of the ditch, and I have frequently been obliged to close my windows sometimes in the middle of the day; 1 should think my house is about 100 yards from Mr. Chamberlain's; these smells have frequently rendered my house uncomfortable; remember my sister Matilda visiting me in the autumn three or four years ago; it was in the year 1846; after she had been there a short time she was taken ill with a fever; have seen the ditch myself in the summer; there is not much water in the ditch in the summer, and sometimes none; the smell has then been worse; last summer it was much worse than any other, and sometimes I have not been able to walk in my garden owing to the efluvia from the ditch in the Pound meadow.
The Misses Baker are Sarah a schoolmistress born Barnstaple in 1820 and Matilda a schoolmistress born Downend (Bristol) in 1829.
Their parents were William, a Wesleyan Minister, b 1786 and Sarah, nee Herridge, b 1792.
I have a Reverend Baker living in No 27 Southend in 1839 and I say in that web page 'I have no idea who he is'.
I can't help wondering if he is not Sarah and Matilda's father.
Sarah seems to have been the principal of the school but she disappears after 1851, Matilda moved back with her parents, William and Sarah, and died in Cheltenham in 1893.
By 1861 William Farmer, 28, a fundholder is in residence with his wife, Elizabeth nee Woodward and daughter Frances J. born in Ledbury in 1861. They soon moved on as there next child William was born in 1863 in Worcestershire.
Harvey Shelton, b 1800 from Worcester moves in before the 1871 census. A wealthy retired merchant from Worcester and London he married Mary Jane in about 1822 they had several children of which only Mary Jane, named after her mother, survived.
She married Robert Gossett Brown in 1846 and is with her parents in Ledbury in 1871.
Mary Jane senior died in May 1871 and Harvey in 1875 in South Parade.
This prompted another sale:
Note that it is now known as 'Gloucester Villa', later records confirm this.
In the 1881 census John R Smith (referred to in the above advert) is Head of Household and the enumerators route confirms the house location.
John Richard Smith, a Bank Accountant, was born in Much Marcle in 1850. He married Charlotte Mary Griffin from Ledbury in Dec 1876 and they had Annie Charlotte in 1877 and Thomas H in 1880 and more. Becoming a wine merchant in 1886, he left South Parade by 1888 and is Manager to a Stout Merchant in Yardley Worcestershire in 1891.
T Gardner must have bought the house in 1877 for his future use, as in 1882 he is advertising it for rent:
From Hereford Times Dec 9th 1882.
Leased to the John R Smith above T Gardner probably needed it by 1888 when John Smith moved on. T Gardner is Head of Household there in 1891.
Thomas Stevens Standish Gardner born Liverpool in 1848 is in the High Street in 1881 as a 'Fire and Life Insurance and Newsagent', married but no wife with him.
By 1891 in South Parade he is a 'retired grocer' and at only 43 years old!
Curiously in all censuses through to 1911 he says he is married but never has a wife living with him and I cannot find out anything out about her.
He died on March 26th 1925 in Gloucester Villa but not before he had given a new fire engine to Ledbury.
From the Gloucestershire Echo March 8th 1924:
This Obituary from the Cheltenham Chronicle of March 28th 1925 tells us a bit more about him not found in other sources.
It seems Ledbury has to thank him for the early outdoor swimming pool!
After he died the house was unoccupied until 1930 when the Marquis de la Pasture stayed here for a year.
Now called Southend Cottage R W Keene was here from 1940 to 1955 after which it was called simply The Cottage with various occupants, Miss Stickland, Rev D J Walters, A H Hall and D Tatham in 2002, the last year Of Tilleys Almanack.
By 1844 the Misses Baker are in residence:
From Hereford Times March 9th 1844.
The house, presumably still owned by Stephen Ballard, was up for sale in 1846 which gives us a useful description:
LEDBURY.
TO BE SOLD 8Y AUCTION BY ROBERT JONES, At the Feather's Hotel, Ledbury, on Tuesday, the 15th of December, 1846, at Four o'clock the Afternoon, subject to conditions of sale then to be produced.
A MOST complete VILLA RESIDENCE, situate at the north end of the South Parade, Southend street, Ledburv, in the occupation of Miss Baker; comprising House recently built in the modem style, having a verandah and stuccoed front, entrance hall, with staircase therein, dining and drawing rooms (with cellar under), breakfast parlour, kitchen, back kitchen, pantries, and back stairs, conveniently fitted up, on the first floor; stairs landing passages, four bed rooms, and two closets, on the chamber floor; a lawn, with walks tastefully laid out, in front of the house ; a productive walled garden at the back, at the top of which is a capital two stall stable and gig house, with carriage road leading to and from the same.
The whole of the premises are in complete order, and well adapted for the residence of a respectable family.
For a view, apply on the premises; and for particulars, at the offices of Messrs. Higgins and Chamberlain, Solicitors, or the Auctioneer, Ledbury.
The advert for the Misses Baker's Seminary refers to the 'air very salubrious', the trial in 1851 suggests otherwise!
Being the nearest house to the catch pits it was mentioned many times.
Here are a few extracts:
Mr Reece, of Ankerdine, said that, 'if the smells should continue, in his opinion no one would buy either of the houses on the South parade, especially Miss Baker's, at any price.'
Sarah Baker:
I live in the South Parade, and have done so for seven years; I and my sister keep a school there; my house is not far from the Pound ditch; have frequently been annoyed with offensive smells in my house, particularly in the summer and autumn; it is very difficult in a summer evening; have frequently seen a fog rising in the meadow on the cesspool, and the whole course of the ditch, and I have frequently been obliged to close my windows sometimes in the middle of the day; 1 should think my house is about 100 yards from Mr. Chamberlain's; these smells have frequently rendered my house uncomfortable; remember my sister Matilda visiting me in the autumn three or four years ago; it was in the year 1846; after she had been there a short time she was taken ill with a fever; have seen the ditch myself in the summer; there is not much water in the ditch in the summer, and sometimes none; the smell has then been worse; last summer it was much worse than any other, and sometimes I have not been able to walk in my garden owing to the efluvia from the ditch in the Pound meadow.
The Misses Baker are Sarah a schoolmistress born Barnstaple in 1820 and Matilda a schoolmistress born Downend (Bristol) in 1829.
Their parents were William, a Wesleyan Minister, b 1786 and Sarah, nee Herridge, b 1792.
I have a Reverend Baker living in No 27 Southend in 1839 and I say in that web page 'I have no idea who he is'.
I can't help wondering if he is not Sarah and Matilda's father.
Sarah seems to have been the principal of the school but she disappears after 1851, Matilda moved back with her parents, William and Sarah, and died in Cheltenham in 1893.
By 1861 William Farmer, 28, a fundholder is in residence with his wife, Elizabeth nee Woodward and daughter Frances J. born in Ledbury in 1861. They soon moved on as there next child William was born in 1863 in Worcestershire.
Harvey Shelton, b 1800 from Worcester moves in before the 1871 census. A wealthy retired merchant from Worcester and London he married Mary Jane in about 1822 they had several children of which only Mary Jane, named after her mother, survived.
She married Robert Gossett Brown in 1846 and is with her parents in Ledbury in 1871.
Mary Jane senior died in May 1871 and Harvey in 1875 in South Parade.
This prompted another sale:
Note that it is now known as 'Gloucester Villa', later records confirm this.
In the 1881 census John R Smith (referred to in the above advert) is Head of Household and the enumerators route confirms the house location.
John Richard Smith, a Bank Accountant, was born in Much Marcle in 1850. He married Charlotte Mary Griffin from Ledbury in Dec 1876 and they had Annie Charlotte in 1877 and Thomas H in 1880 and more. Becoming a wine merchant in 1886, he left South Parade by 1888 and is Manager to a Stout Merchant in Yardley Worcestershire in 1891.
T Gardner must have bought the house in 1877 for his future use, as in 1882 he is advertising it for rent:
From Hereford Times Dec 9th 1882.
Leased to the John R Smith above T Gardner probably needed it by 1888 when John Smith moved on. T Gardner is Head of Household there in 1891.
Thomas Stevens Standish Gardner born Liverpool in 1848 is in the High Street in 1881 as a 'Fire and Life Insurance and Newsagent', married but no wife with him.
By 1891 in South Parade he is a 'retired grocer' and at only 43 years old!
Curiously in all censuses through to 1911 he says he is married but never has a wife living with him and I cannot find out anything out about her.
He died on March 26th 1925 in Gloucester Villa but not before he had given a new fire engine to Ledbury.
From the Gloucestershire Echo March 8th 1924:
This Obituary from the Cheltenham Chronicle of March 28th 1925 tells us a bit more about him not found in other sources.
It seems Ledbury has to thank him for the early outdoor swimming pool!
After he died the house was unoccupied until 1930 when the Marquis de la Pasture stayed here for a year.
Now called Southend Cottage R W Keene was here from 1940 to 1955 after which it was called simply The Cottage with various occupants, Miss Stickland, Rev D J Walters, A H Hall and D Tatham in 2002, the last year Of Tilleys Almanack.