The Naming of Orlando Road

I walked home via Orlando Road today, which in my opinion is one of the nicest corners of Clarendon Park.  So of course I got to wondering how it came by its name (you do that too, of course).

Well it transpires that Orlando Road began life as Holland Road, and was renamed along with a number of others throughout Leicester, as part of a rationalisation project to remove duplication.  In 1894 there were 40 streets with the same name; in seven cases there were three streets with the same name; four cases of four streets with the same name and one of the same name repeated five times throughout the city.  Which must have made the postman’s job something of a nightmare.

So in April 1894 the council made changes, including adding the qualification of north or south to some existing names.  An early suggestion was to change Holland Road to Dutch Road – a bit unimaginative, Councillors Smith and Booth - but in the end they settled on Orlando Road.  Our Lorne Road was allowed to remain, whilst the Lorne Road in Aylestone was changed to Lorrimer Road.

And why Orlando?  In 1890 the artist G F Watts had presented his painting ‘Orlando Pursuing the Fata Morgana’ to the Corporation, to help with the establishment of the permanent art gallery.  You can still find it at New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, though perhaps not on display as that kind of art isn’t fashionable just now.  Personally I love a bit of narrative art and if it includes over blown close-ups of wobbly flesh, so much the better.  Anyway, I suspect that the painting is the reason for the name, though I’d be interested to hear another theory.  So the next time you are in Orlando Road (which probably isn’t that often unless you live there, or like me are forced by small boys to take an alleged ’short cut’ through the alley from Cecilia Road), you can think of G F Watts and feel much better for it.  Regards, Elizabeth

More Clarendon Park Fallen

Last year I published the details of the war memorials at St John the Baptist church.  Because of the way that parish boundaries are and were set, not all of the Clarendon Park fallen are remembered at St John’s.  I would like to remember three brothers who died during the Great War, Harold and Arthur Bree, and their older brother Ernest Harry, who survived.

You might remember their mother, Eliza Bree, from an article I posted right at the beginning of this blogging lark – here.  Mrs Bree lived in Avenue Road Extension and in 1898 got into a bit of bother with her drunken boarder.  Eliza and her husband Harry had a large-ish family – Emma b1878, Ernest Harry b1887, Sydney John (1890-1), Harold b1892, Arthur Edward b1896, Oliver b1898, Doris May (b1904), Ivy Helen (b1907), as well as several others who died in infancy.

At the outbreak of the war, Ernest Harry, a railway goods porter, joined the Leicestershire Regiment as a private (nos 2046, 200223), fought in France and lived to tell the tale.  He died in Coalville in 1965.

Harold Bree enjoyed – if that is the right word – a varied career in the Army Service Corps and the Royal Engineers.  At the time of his death on 2nd May 1918 he was a Sapper in the Royal Engineers (Railway Traffic Establishment), perhaps due to skills picked up from his railway porter father and brother (Harold himself was a butcher before the war).  He died in England and was buried at Welford Rd Cemetery in consecrated ground, alongside fellow casualties Private Vivian Harry Ringrose and Private William George Grewcock.

Grave of Sapper Harold Bree, at Welfrod Road cemetery

Arthur Edward Bree, also a railway porter, joined up as a Private in the 4th bttn  Worcs Regiment and died on 16th Aug 1917, during the 3rd battle of Ypres.  His body was never found and he is remembered at Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium to the missing in Belgian Flanders.

Younger brother Oliver died six days later, as a Private in the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment), having transferred from the Leicestershire Regiment.  He was just 19.   He is buried in Potijze Chateau Grounds Cemetery, Western Flanders.

Sadly none of the service records for the Bree brothers survive, being amongst those water damaged and lost during the second world war, which is such a pity as it seems that almost all we know of these young men is that they lived and died.  And what of Harry and Eliza Bree?  How awful for them to have lost three of their four surviving sons to the slaughter.

Thank you to David Roberts for telling me about the Bree brothers some months ago, and to the volunteers at Welford Road Cemetery visitors centre, who were so helpful in showing me where Harold Bree is buried.  It was good to visit his grave and see the poppy placed there by the volunteers.  Elizabeth

Drunk or Ill? You decide.

I have such an interesting article about Clarendon Park Congregational Church Football Club to post, but the wonderful postcard of the team in 1910 can’t be scanned because I am having yet more computer problems, so in the meantime let’s have another drunkard story, this time from 1893:

DRUNK OR ILL?  William Sharman (50), 11, Seymour Road, Clarendon Park, was charged with being drunk while in charge of a horse and dray in High-street on Wednesday.  – Mr J. T. Hincks defended. – P.C.’s Sharman and Underwood stated that they found prisoner asleep at his dray in High-street about one o’clock on Wednesday.  He was very drunk, and smelt strongly of drink.  Mr Dixon, charge office clerk, stated that when brought to the police station Sharman reeled about, and was very drunk.  Mr Hincks said that the man had been employed by a railway company for 30 years, and had nothing against him.  He contended his client was ill and not drunk and when he (Mr Hincks) saw him he could hardly stand for pain.  Evidence was called showing that the accused was very ill on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday morning was so ill that his friends advised him not to go to work.  One witness stated that at a quarter to twelve prisoner was quite sober, and two draymen, who were present when he was arrested, gave similar evidence.  The magistrates dismissed the case.

William Sharman, who was from Rutland, and his second wife Sophia, moved to 11 Seymour Road with their two children sometime around 1887, probably when the house was brand new.  In 1891 William was a drayman, meaning that he drove a low, flat-bed wagon with no sides, generally used for transporting goods.  He worked for the Great Western Railway until his death in 1905.

So was he drunk or was he ill?  Well, whatever the ‘illness’ it certainly wasn’t serious enough to kill him as he lived and worked another 12 years.  And there aren’t many illnesses that cause the sufferer to smell strongly of alcohol, so my money is on a conspiracy.  The man couldn’t stand for the pain, eh?  I’m putting him down for another Clarendon Park person drunk in charge of a horse.  Sorry William.  Regards, Elizabeth.

The Disappointing Holiday of Hannah Vice

I love this postcard of St Michael’s Mount, Penzance, which was posted to Mrs W J Vice of 222 Clarendon Park Road.  Not because of the picture, but because of the message from Hannah expressing her very English dissatisfaction with her holiday.  Listen to this:

The weather is just as dull as it was at home.  Not much sea and rather a dirty brown.  Did you come here as well as Swansea?  I forget!  There are some nice public gardens but small.  Went to the Baptist Chapel twice yesterday.  Yours with love Hannah.  Penlee Villa, Redinnick,  Penzance.

Poor Hannah!  I’ve been to Penzance once and it was lovely, although the sun was shining and I’ve never been a fan of large public gardens.

Mrs W T Vice was Mary Eliza Vice  (also nee Vice, 1857-1927), wife of William Thomas Vice (1862-1942), originally a corn miller from Blaby but by 1911 manager of flour mills for a biscuit manufacturer.  They had several children: Samuel (1886), Dorothy Martha (1888-1954), Gladys Mary (1890), Hilda Geraldine (1894-1931), and Marjory (1893) who died in infanthood.  All except Dorothy lived at 222 Clarendon Park Road in 1911.  I have no evidence for this, but suspect that the Hannah of rubbish holiday fame was William’s unmarried sister Hannah Eliza Ann Vice (1854-1928).  Virtually all the Vice girls – no pun intended - remained unmarried, and almost the whole Vice family returned to their native Blaby to be buried in the cemetery.

222 Clarendon Park Road - I've often admired this house

It’s a pity Hannah didn’t enjoy her holiday more because it was probably the last one she took for a long time.  The postcard was sent on 1st September 1913, not long before the onset of World War.  My mother in law is off to Penzance in a few weeks – here’s wishing her blue skies and a sparkling sea.  Regards, Elizabeth.

Experienced waiter of Avenue Rd Extension

The Times 25th July 1891, p16

“WAITER, Coffee, Sitting Room, or otherwise.  Thoroughly experienced.  English.  Age 23. – E.L. 241 Avenue-road Extension, Clarendon Park, Leicester.”

This advertisement is so interesting to me.  It typifies us so many things about Victorian Clarendon Park life.

Number 241 Avenue Road Extension was a shop.  In 1891 it was occupied by John and Elizabeth Clayton (and her mother), who also kept boarders.  Census night was 5th April 1891 and E.L., whoever he was, had presumably found a job and moved out.  He was almost certainly a boarder rather than a family member (Elizabeth’s maiden name was Rawlins).  There was a surprising amount of mobility in and out of Clarendon Park, and also within it – a bit like the student population today I suppose.  Boarders were particularly likely to move frequently, in search of better landlords or a more convenient location.

As to  E.L. – well, I have found in 1891 a waiter by the name of Emanuel Leiter, aged 23, in an hotel run by Emily Cunningham at 51 New Bond Street, Mayfair.  He was born in Switzerland, so he may not be the same person.  Then again, he may be – people weren’t always entirely honest about their age and minor details like their nationality in these adverts.  They knew that employers were prejudiced against foreigners and those they felt too old or too young for the job (especially domestic service).  E.L. may not even have been his real initials:  People sometimes changed their names to more ‘suitable’ ones for their profession, again especially in domestic service.  It has to be said that Emanuel isn’t a very Victorian Clarendon Park name – I was expecting something more prosaic like Edward or perhaps Ernest.

I tried to take a photo of 141 Avenue Road Extension but once again I CAN’T FIND IT.  Is the extension some kind of Bermuda Triangle?  If anyone feels like looking for it, or even showing me how the numbering system works on that godforsaken road, I would be only too grateful.  In the meantime, regards Elizabeth.

Howard Road 1911 – 2011

HUGE apologies for this being the first post in a very long time.  Real life work commitments have been keeping me from going to the record office, and I have barely sat down to do anything historical in weeks.  But enough about the high-pressure Clarendon Park life we all lead today (cue violins), and more about the past.  I thought we’d start afresh with Howard Road, one of my favourite parts.  It’s a bit like Clarendon Park Road in that there is a real mix of housing, though none of it as grand.  There is/was a sprinkling of shops and businesses, but of a smaller and humbler nature as they are not on a main thoroughfare.  Several purpose-built shops have now been converted into houses, but a few linger on.  Here is a snapshot of businesses in 1911, from the census and Kelly’s Directory:

• 21 Howard Road – Mrs Lydia Fletcher, beer retailer and shopkeeper
• 43 Howard Road - Ruby Gursley, general draper
• 47 Howard Road –  Cuthbert Chapman, scientific instrument designer
• 59 Howard Road – Julia Annie Hill, boarding house keeper (2 boarders)
• 77 Howard Road - George Edward Pritchard, grocer and confectioner
• 84 Howard Road – Sarah Benskin, dressmaker
• 85 Howard Road –  Charles James Groves, boot repairer

59 Howard Road or "Ashbourne Villa" - Julia Annie Hill ran a boarding house here for many years

It’s worth mentioning that the lower end of Howard Road (towards Welford Road) was still pretty new in 1911.  Many of the houses from about 90 onwards were not built until 1903-6.

There were never very many businesses on Howard Road, because unlike Clarendon Park Road it’s not a main thoroughfare – especially now that it has been divided up for traffic calming.  There are only a handful today and several have been converted into housing like number 77, which in 1911 was a grocer and confectioners, and was last used as a general corner shop and off license.  It stood empty for many years and was a bit of an eyesore until it was renovated in 2009/10 and converted into two houses.  The old off license illuminated sign was still there until a few months ago. 

 Anyway, it’s good to be back and I promise to be a better Yourhistories from now on and not to get distracted by gin other things.  Yours, Elizabeth.

Clarendon Park Lending Library

I have been having a run of good luck on Ebay this week.  My favourite item, which arrived in the post this morning, is a copy of Ernest Thompson Seton’s Old Silver Grizzle The Badger.  What makes this slightly battered edition interesting to me is that on the front is a stained, green label printed with the words CLARENDON PARK LENDING LIBRARY.  Which got me thinking about libraries in Clarendon Park.

Apologies for the terrible photo!

Knighton branch library opened on Clarendon Park Road on 9th April 1896.  In 1912 it contained upwards of 4,300 books (according to Kelly’s Directory), rising to 5,900 by 1928.  Opening hours were then 6 – 9.30pm on weeknights and 3 - 9.30pm on Saturdays, reflecting the leisure hours of Clarendon Park working folk.  The Chronicle reported in 1897 that Knighton library readers were more inclined to read “serious” books, especially theology and philosophy, and there were more adult readers than at other branches.  It was abundantly supplied with daily papers and periodicals.  18,000 books were issued in the first year, making it a great success.  A separate table was kept for ladies, and another for boys.  Very sensible.  Ladies and boys just don’t mix, do they?

Many towns and villages had private lending libraries, often operating from small shops.  In Victorian times the cost of books was so high in proportion to incomes, that most people could not afford to buy them and so used a private lending library, at least until the municipal ones were established.  Quite a few were organised by churches, such as St Philips in Evington, where the vicar “put by” 300 or so books and started one for the poor of his parish (no doubt of an improving nature).  Some were established in village halls and schools.  Some of these were free, and some were paid for by subscription or by individual book borrowed.  Both kinds could have flourished in Clarendon Park, with its mix of wealthier middle class and very humble working class people.

None of which brings me much closer to finding out about Clarendon Park Lending Library.  I’m pretty sure I came across a reference to it in a city directory at the county archive…..but I won’t get a chance to check until next week.  Oh, and Catherine Hayes, of The Pebbles, Burmarsh circa 1982 with the red felt tip pen – you are a naughty girl for writing in your books!  Regards, Elizabeth.