Years ago this house was occupied by Mr. Ardesoif, a noted cook-fighter. He was once so enraged by his bird losing his bet that he threw it on a large fire. Grove House was afterwards occupied by Mr. Thomas Smith, the then Lord of the Manor. There is no house now attached to the Manor of Tottenham. The Society of Friends afterwards established a large boys’ school there, generally known as the Quakers’ School. This is now used for the Polytechnic and the Magistrates’ Court.
TOTTENHAM GREEN.
There was a large brick house, called “Eagle House,” which was afterwards used for a boys’ school. This was destroyed by fire, and Mr. Chassereau, the owner, had Norma-villas and Eagle-avenue erected on the site. Eaton House came next; Miss Toogood was owner and occupier. Then there was a very old-fashioned white-fronted house, which was unoccupied for a great many years, and the garden became overgrown with thistles and weeds. A Quaker lady named Coare kept a school here, and it was the scene of my mother’s earliest school days. About the year 1845 the house was demolished and two semi-detached houses erected. The tenant of one house kept a horse and chaise with a hood to it, and as there was no side entrance or accommodation for either, the horse was always led through the hall into the garden, where a temporary shed was erected, and the chaise was kept in the front garden, opposite the drawing-room window. Then came two large detached houses, only one of which now stands. The other, with the two white houses just mentioned, also Eaton House, were recently purchased by the Tottenham Urban District Council, and the Municipal Buildings erected. Lastly came a pretty white house, the residence of Mr. Benjamin Godfrey Windus. He was the possessor of some very fine paintings by Turner, and once a week he kindly allowed the public to see them, by ticket of admission. A few years after his death the house was taken down. With gardens, orchards, and meadows the land comprised 31 acres, 3 rods, 37 poles, and reached up what was then called West Green-road (now Philip-lane) as far as where the last of Stowe-villas now stands. Then there were fields as far as West Green Common.
Crossing over the road there was a good sized house and grounds. Next came a field with a stile at each end and footpath across. By the side of the field there was a road or carriage drive to
DOWNHILLS.
This was the property of Rowland Stephenson, Esq., and when he died it was, in 1808, offered for sale by auction by Messrs. Skinner, Dyke, Tuckin, and Forest, at Garraway’s Coffee House, Change Alley, London, in seven lots. The house was described as “The truly desirable residence of the late Rowland Stephenson, Esq., situated at Mount Pleasant, West Green, Tottenham, on a delightful eminence, commanding rich and picturesque prospects and agreeably remove from the public roads, and forming one of the most complete residences in the county.” The estate included a productive farm and lands containing three hundred and thirty acres, lying nearly within a ring fence. At this time the House was called “Mount Pleasant.” When I first knew it it was known as “Downhills.” Later on for a short time it was called “Uplands,” but in its last days was again called Downhills, when it was purchased by the Tottenham Urban District Council.
Across the fields by the house there was a public footpath, and it was a pretty walk leading to where Hornsey turnpike gate then stood. Not far from this was the very quaint old house called “Duckett’s Farm.”
Returning to West Green-road one next came to a very large house, the residence of Henry Scambler, of Scambler’s Livery Stables, City. Later on his nephew Thomas Owden lived there. He was Alderman, and in due time Lord Mayor of London. The house lay some distance back from the road, and was approached by a long straight carriage drive, with beautiful meadows on both sides. The estate was 31 acres 3 rods 39 poles in extent. The garden of the lodge was a sight to behold, especially in the spring time, when it was gay with flowers of every hue. Then there were four large houses, and adjoining a stretch of beautiful fields. The two first belonged to Mr. Robert Forster, where we children spent many a happy hour in haymaking time. The next belonged to Mr. Wm. Fowler, the banker. There, after haymaking was over, horses which were ill and required medical care were taken into graze, and it was a very pretty sight to see them march in a body to meet the veterinary surgeon when they saw him coming. It showed how grateful they were for his skill and kind attention. On the left hand side, where the fields belonged to Mount Pleasant Estate, there was a footpath across these fields into Lordship-lane. West Green-road was very lonely. Two young ladies, friends of mine, were walking alone, when just by these fields two tramps appeared and commenced taking off their jackets and dresses to steal them. Fortunately just at this moment a gentleman drove down the lane, and attracted by the children’s cries he came to their rescue. The tramps immediately made off, and he kindly drove the frightened girls to their parents’ house. Mr. Robert Forster lived, with his sisters, in the old-fashioned house that came next, and they built the almshouses that stand on part of their land, and called them “Forster’s Almshouses.” Round the bend of the road there were two large white houses. Mr. William Janson lived in the first, and in later years the other was occupied by Mr. Joseph Howard. He was the first member of Parliament for Tottenham, when in 1885 the ancient Parish of Tottenham and Wood Green was made into a separate constituency, and continued to be its Parliamentary representative for 20 years. Then came two good houses; next to these was a large garden and builder’s yard and house, occupied by Thomas Ashwell. On these premises was the room used for the infants’ school belonging to Trinity Church. It was also used for missionary meetings.
TOTTENHAM GREEN.
is the property of Sir William Curtis Baronet, the Lord of the Manor, and he gave a portion of it to the parish for the erection of Holy Trinity Church in 1829. In May, 1830, Holy Trinity, which was the Chapel of Ease to the Parish Church, was consecrated. The first minister appointed was the Rev. George Hodson Thompson. He lived at the corner of Page Green, and was succeeded by the Rev. George Brewster Twining. In the centre of the Church were benches which were free, and there were doors to the pews; there was always a full congregation. The gallery was mostly used for the children of the Green School on one side, and on the other the boys from Sherboro House School, Stamford Hill, of which Dr. Williams was the Principal. Mr. Barton was the organist, Peter Rickard the clerk, and the pew-opener was Mrs. Perrin. Occasionally the Rev. Mr. Newcome, the Vicar of All Hallows, would take the service. Once he told the congregation he would he unable to preach as he had left his spectacles at home. My grandmother called the pew-opener and sent him hers, which fortunately suited his sight. In those days a clergyman could hold two livings at a time. He was Vicar of Tottenham, and also of Shenley, where he resided. He used often to come and see my father, and always gave my mother his blessing. I remember once hearing him say, “I give you my blessing my dear, and oh what a pretty gown you have on!” At one time a lady living on the Green who was one of the congregation, asked my father, as churchwarden, to have the middle post at the entrance moved to make a wider space as she was so stout she could not get through. He at once complied with her request. I must not forget to mention how beautifully the churchyard was turfed, and how lovely it looked with the long-stalked white daisies. On coming out of Church I occasionally gave way to the temptation of gathering a few, although my mother used to say I ought not to do so, particularly on Sundays. I used to wonder why it was worse to do it on Sundays than other days.