Spring 2009 Newsletter

The Society are pleased to sponsor awards to outstanding students attending Trowbridge schools/ colleges. The 2008 award winners are as follows:

Andy Milroy

Stallard Street and Stallard's Corner, from a John Stallard who in the 17th century built a dwelling on the waste (a piece of land which was an unused edge of enclosed former common land).  Stallard Street was originally the lane that led to his house.  Newtown is a common place name and indicates a new part of a town built separately from what was seen to be the town proper.  Although known as Pilewell for centuries (there are several wells shown in old maps of the area) building really began in Newtown in 1790 with the three storey terraced weavers' houses, with larger windows on the top floor for the workshop.  Earlier single storey cottages were demolished in the 1920s with the existing small shop close to Gloucester Road being a remnant.  These perhaps date from 1700.  Wesley Road, from the Wesleyan Chapel.  Gloucester Road, origin unknown.  Park Street, from Park Farm, which in turn came from the name of its owners.  Waterworks Road came from the proposed but failed waterworks in Frome Road.  Bond Street, as in other towns, probably is copied from Bond Street in London.

John Austin

Edward Toomer of Four Counties Inns has asked the Society for help in finding out more about the origins of Stallard Street and the pub.  This is a nice coincidence with Andy Milroy's piece in this Newsletter explaining some of the street names in that area.  I remember the Stallards of the late 1950's as being quite pleasant and Edward plans to reopen it as a well restored, quality house specialising in real ales.

In Ken Rogers' “The Book of Trowbridge”, page 58 reports that a John Stallard was presented at the manorial court in 1660 and his house was probably at or near the junction, i.e. near the present pub, as the lane (now street) leading to his house (probably a cottage on the waste) bears his name.

The internet has a site listing over 30 Stallards for Trowbridge in the 16th and 17th centuries.  A John Stallard, married to Alice in 1559, had a son William and a probable line of descent follows through two more Johns.  The first of these married a Trowbridge woman, Jane Sartaine, in 1623 and his son married Mary and they had a daughter baptised in 1663. Either of these latter Johns could have been the one referred to by Ken Rogers and Andy Milroy.

Bob Hallam and John Austin

Glyn Bridges

Our articles on Mortimer Street brought a response from Jack Carter who lived at number 5 until the family moved to nearby Stainer's Buildings in 1928 when he was 11.
I visited Jack at his home (one of the few original householder / self builders of Marshmead) and he reminisced about the old days and the folks who lived in places like Anstie’s and Barnett’s Courts.  These are long gone but can be found on the Ordnance Survey “blue” facsimile Trowbridge map of 1899.  He recalled many of the residents of Longfield House including a Mr Evans, who in his later years was wheeled about in a long wickerwork type of Bath chair.  Many of us remember the side stream, known as the minibrook, beside the path by Longfield House, which then ran under the road and past the Three Horseshoes.  Jack has an amazing memory for detail, backed up by his “bible”, a closely written notebook and a collection of photographs and slides.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel by John Salvat 14th October 2008

45 people met at the United Church to hear John’s talk which was very much enjoyed by all.  Isambard's father Marc was born in France and came to England to develop his idea for the machining of ships' pulley blocks which up till then had been made by hand.  Lord Nelson visited his works in the Portsmouth Royal Naval Dockyard to check on the progress of this scheme, which was subsequently adopted by the Royal Navy. Isambard, one of three children, was educated in Paris and proved to be a very able pupil.  At 17 he helped his father build the first tunnel under the Thames, then the main sewer of London!  Nearing completion, a banquet was held under the Thames with the band of the Coldstream Guards providing entertainment.  Unfortunately the tunnel collapsed and Brunel nearly drowned but the tunnel was repaired and is still in use today.  Isambard convalesced in Clifton and entered a competition to build a bridge over the Avon.  We all know the finished product; it should have included sphinxes at each end but unfortunately money ran out before these could be completed.  Brunel was very sociable; he entertained the composer Mendelssohn and was also considered to be a bit of a ladies man.  His Bristol office had only one chair so that visitors would not interrupt his work for too long!  His first railway was built for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway Company for the transport of coal and other goods, passenger trains came later.  Then the GWR was born and Brunel's works included Paddington Station (the iron supports of the station roof are hollow to allow drainage of rainwater), a bridge built across the Brent and another across the Thames (here Brunel was only allowed to put in one arch, this weakened the structure and it collapsed, the bridge was rebuilt as Brunel wanted and is still in use today).  Local examples of Brunel's work include Box Tunnel, Bath Station, many railway lines and other stations.  Brunel travelled on the first train between Bath and Bristol and also turned his attention to shipbuilding, entering a competition to build a ship able to cross the Atlantic and thus we have the SS Great Britain which incorporated many innovations including the screw propellers.  The portholes instead of being along the side are on deck above the cabins and consequently give much more light.  The bridge over the Tamar and cable laying across the Atlantic were further achievements.  His atmospheric railway was one of his few failures and another venture to encounter problems was the building of a large passenger ship, the Great Eastern, on the Thames.  Because of its size it was launched sideways, the wooden supports broke up depositing the ship into the mud and at least one man was killed.

Brunel died aged only 53 on 15th September 1859 and did not live to see his beautiful Clifton Bridge completed but many of his ideas and procedures are still in use today.

Kay Austin

Russell came to West Wilts District Council in 2003 following his graduation in Town and Country Planning at the University of the West of England in Bristol. For two years he worked as planning officer, during which time he became more interested in the heritage side of planning and two years later he was made Heritage Development Officer. He worked closely with Caroline Power and when she left the council he was made Conservation Officer.

His job involves conserving Grade I; Grade II and Grade II* listed buildings and maintaining the ‘Buildings at Risk’ register. He also reviews conservation area assessments and designates new ones. This is very busy job when you consider that he has the whole of West Wiltshire to cover on his own whereas in North Wiltshire there are nine officers to cover that area.

Russell was brought up in Keynsham and has family links with Trowbridge in that his father (now with his own engineering company)served his apprenticeship at Hadens.

I asked Russell which project he was most pleased with since being in the post – the answer was the group of buildings at 46 Stallard Street. These are old wool warehouses which Russell worked very hard to conserve and restore and indeed they certainly enhance the town. He also mentioned Kings Farm North Bradley which has been so sympathetically restored after being rescued from near collapse. He is kept very busy having to watch over the other 4 towns of West Wilts – not to mention all the villages in between, and at present is working very closely with the developers of the Ushers Brewery site in Manvers Street. The corner building with Back Street has had to be taken down but will be faithfully reproduced and Russell is in close contact with the stone masons involved who are very keen to do a good job in the restoration, which will be a complete replica of the original building.

Jim Denning

Almshouse trusts originally relied upon rental income from land and property endowment to support their buildings and residents. Residents are known as beneficiaries as no rent is charged. Support would have been a weekly cash sum, and also included such items as bread, coals and even clothing. To qualify as beneficiaries pensioners must be fit, on low incomes and older than 60 or 65 depending upon the trust deed. Almshouses today are organized as charitable trusts, owned by and registered with the Charity Commission and with a few exceptions provide only housing for the beneficiaries. Almshouse Charities now depend largely upon Weekly Maintenance Contributions from the beneficiaries. These WMCs are traditionally less than market rents and are not for profit. However due to the rising cost of maintenance, insurances etc. are ever increasing. Poorer beneficiaries are enabled to pay through Housing Benefit and Pension Credit just as if they were tenants. Chapels and churches were the main providers in the town for the poorer members of their congregations. There were however several philanthropists who personally founded almshouses.

The Old Almshouse 1483–1786. The gift of James Terumber. It was endowed by him on death with his property of land, woodland and buildings in several local parishes. The trustees were the priest and churchwardens of St James Church. The six beneficiaries received housing and support of 3s 4d quarterly on condition they pray twice daily for his soul and the souls of his wives.

The original Yerbury almshouses

The New Almshouse 1679. Later the New Yerbury Almshouses. Originally the gifts of several of the Yerbury family “For 6 women inmates – four of whom must be C of E”. An equal sum to the cost of the almshouses £660 was laid out to purchase freehold land for the support of the almshouses including adjoining land known as ‘Ostlers’ and Pepper Acre in total over 3.75 acres. In 1739 it was recorded that a further 10 acres had been acquired in and around Trowbridge. The rents of which, for the maintenance of the buildings and support of the almspeople in the growing town must have been considerable. By 1793 John Ching had certainly developed the present Yerbury Street. The original terrace of stone tiled cottages (illustrated) were redeveloped to their present form in 1914 but ceased as almshouses in 1991 when they were sold, converted and resold as private houses. The proceeds of the 1991 sale passed to Lady Browns Cottage Homes in 2008.

Those at the United Reform Church (formerly the Tabernacle) in Church Street date from the mid 19^th century in an older style, and until the 1990s were nominally free to qualifying members of the congregation although contributions were gratefully received in the offertory on Sundays. These were administered by a committee of elders and stewards of the church but were neither registered as a charity nor almshouses. Residents may have been single or married. Today the residents are normal rent paying tenants of the church.

Union Street Almshouses 1860. The existing buildings were founded on the instigation of the Rev’d J D Hastings the rector of St James – “eight small tenements for aged men and a residence for the sexton.” Apparently fourteen old houses were purchased and demolished to clear the site and widen the street. At the same time this part and most of Back Street was renamed Church Street. The cost of building and providing for the inmates (sic) was raised almost entirely by public subscription. On completion the inmates were paid five shillings a week and given free bread and coals. The building style is described as Tudor vernacular, of two storey and originally eight ‘tenements’ arranged four up and four down. Access to the first floor level was by an external stone stair to a covered balcony. Today this steep stair still exists but has been superseded by internal staircases to reach the bedrooms and bathrooms from the living rooms and kitchens below while the number of ‘tenements’ has been reduced to a more spacious four. Rear access is by a narrow covered passage to a yard shared with the cottages. All four almshouses are currently occupied and include one married couple. Three of the current board of nine trustees are nominated by the Town Council.

Salters Almshouses Union Street 1884. Originally provided by an indenture of 1851 and by the will of Samuel Salter. They are a row of three brick cottages and another adapted from a schoolroom. “For poor men and poor women being respectively widowers and widows (from the congregation of Emmanuel Baptist Church). No widow under 30 and no widower under 40 years of age. They must vacate the almshouse if they should remarry and no widow or widower be elected who five years preceding had not been a member or communicant of the congregation.” The costs of the almshouses and support for the beneficiaries were borne by rental income from The original Yerbury Almshouses property fronting Church Street. Custodianship of all the property including the chapel has recently passed from the congregation to the South West Baptist Union.

Palmer's Almshouses Islington 1892. An existing block of three 2-storey dwellings with 2 bedrooms each together with a wash house. They are timbered with brick nogging at the front and sides, ornate porches, a tiled roof and brick chimneys. As a group their appearance is likened to a ‘16^th Century Manor House’. A terracotta plaque over the centre reads: “These almshouses erected and endowed in 1892 by George Llewellen Palmer in memory of his father Michael Palmer who died in 1891 aged 77.” George Palmer was a clothier of Palmer and Mackay who ran Court and Ashton mills. As almshouses the buildings ceased in 1992, were subsequently sold, renovated and resold as three private houses. The proceeds of the sale still support organizations for the needy and the remaining almshouses in the town through the Palmer Charity. The last board of trustees was represented by Mann, Rodway and Green Solicitors of 9 Union Street.

Zion Chapel in Union Street 1893. Land and buildings behind and beside the 1816 chapel were known as Barton Court where a group of chapel buildings included Nos 7 and 8, two almshouses each of two rooms. Maintenance of the almshouses and support for the beneficiaries came from rental income from a three storey tenement known as Nos 1 and 2 Zion Buildings on the frontage known later as No.21 Union Street. Beneficiaries were poor members of the congregation, usually widows, and the trustees were members and deacons of the chapel. The last beneficiary to leave was Miss Edith Chapman in 1956 and her almshouse No.8 was demolished soon afterwards. No.21 lasted until 1971.

Lady Brown's Cottage Homes. In 1900 Sir Roger Brown erected and endowed these existing six ornate cottages in

Yerbury Almshouses as rebuilt in 1914

There are two ornate blocks of three each described as ‘Tudor style picturesque’ designed by A S Goodridge of Bath (also architect of the Town Hall) each of slightly different plan. In 1974 the trust was reconstituted and the buildings renovated. The existing coal store in each and a small wash house at the rear were combined to make a bathroom. There was also a modern kitchen and electric heating fitted. The glass roofed veranda across the front of each block was removed but the fourteen tall ornate chimneys were restored in 1986. In 1999 the metal windows were renewed and in 2007 the railings restored along the Trowbridge Park boundary. All six cottage homes are currently occupied by

United Reform Church (Tabernacle) Almshouses

Bethesda Baptist Chapel Court Street founded in 1825. In 1902 Two of a group of four 1885 cottages Nos 4 and 5 Court Street were mortgaged as almshouses to provide for poor members of the congregation. The trustees were members and deacons. The cottages were demolished quite sometime before the whole of this site was redeveloped as part of The Shires shopping precinct.