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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Berkshire => Topic started by: snoulton on Monday 14 May 07 20:25 BST (UK)
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Hello, my Grandparents worked at Moor Hall Cookham during the 1920's. Does anyone on the list know who were the owners of Moor Hall at that time?
Fingers crossed.....Brenda
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Hi Brenda
Have a look at this site.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43192
It seems that in 1923 it was the property of Mr. F. D. Lambert, J.P
Barbara
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It is now the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
It was built in 1805 William Skinner, a London merchant. After his death it was leased by a Stephen Darby. He ran it as a brewery! The building was extended in 1889, the chimneys being designed by Francis Devereaux Lambert. According to the information I have, it was sold in 1919 to Captain Fodel-Phillips. It was taken over by Odeon Theatres in 1940 and after WWII, cartoons were made there until the Institute of Marketing took it over in 1971.
Now also a wedding venue.
Nell
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In the late 1960s it was a training school used by ICT and later ICL.
David
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My very grateful thanks for all the replies to my query regarding Moor Hall, Cookham, it's added flesh to the bones, so to speak.
Kind regards, Brenda
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Hello snoulton,
I have also been researching Moor hall as my Great x 3 Grandfather worked there as a carpenter. He was born in 1796 and in the 1851 census was living and working at Moor Hall as were several other families. The info I have is as follows:
It was built in 1805 by William Skinner and was a Regency house which was to grow into a Victorian stately home. William moved in in the Autumn of 1805 and enjoyed nine years there until his death in 1814. His son rented it out to the Darby family who raised their family there and then moved out in 1836 after selling their malting and brewing business.
In 1833 ownership passed to Captain Augustus Charles Skinner a young man who preferred not to live there. He rented out the house and grounds to support his lifestyle.
In 1840 the tenancy was taken by Joseph Hobbs and his family, he stayed there for 23 years occupying the property as his home farm from which he ran three other local farms in Cookham Rise and Cookham Dean, totaling over 300 acres.
James Harding ( my relation) and his family were living there (1851) and two of his sons have occupations as farm labourers and I imagine James was a sort of farm carpenter and the sons worked on one of the farms.
I've now reread your message and see that you are interested in the 1920's! I was so pleased to see something that I could possibly help with that I got stuck in!! Having had so much help from this site with my problems.
The Hall was bought by Francis Devereux Lambert in 1888 (who was known as King Coal Lambert having amassed a fortune in coal-brokering) and was restored and extended into a very grand luxury house. There were numerous house staff, four grooms, four full time gardeners and it became necessary to add a gate lodge, storerooms, carpenters shop, engine and boiler houses etc. etc. and staff accomodation. Even extensive hothouses, a melon house, a tomato house, a carnation house! a cyclamen house and a fernery. It must have been quite a house until.....
Lambert did not have children and his wife died just as the house was nearing completion and probably his happiest time was when the Hall became
the Lambert Convalescent Home for wounded soldiers in 1914 and so I imagine your ancestors could have been employed in many occupations from garden boy to housekeeper to matron. I think you have many choices!
Ownership for your period of interest
1917 1920 Lord Astor (landowner)
1923 1927 Mrs Barnard (widow)
1928 1933 Mrs Blundell-Maynard (widow)
This information comes from a booklet written by Richard Parkes.
I hope it will be useful to you,
Regards, Abiam
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Hello Abiam, thank you so much for all that information, my grandfather was the chauffeur there, and lived in the gatehouse, I have a photo of him and my grandmother standing outside, my father has written 'Our Cottage at Cookham' I have had to guess when the photo was taken and I think it would have been about the 1920's so I have a choice of employers it seems.
My kind regards, Brenda
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Hi,
Just a note I worked at Moor Hall in the 70's and 80's - a really lovely house - shame I worked in converted stable block!!!.
Julie
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Recently discovered that my father in law worked there as a cameraman just after WW2.
I
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For a short time I lived in the cottage at the entrance to the road, Moor End - always looks as if its about to fall over.......
Small world
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Yes, it is a small world. Are you from Maidenhead? I lived there and in the area until about 15 years ago when I moved to Spain,
Regards Abiam
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Yes, I spent the first 7 years (in the 50s) in Cordwallis Road and then we moved to Cookham. I eventially left home and became a childrens nanny , went abroad, lived in London etc then found a live in job in Cookham (Moor End) for a few months.....
I still go to Cookham each week to take my mother shopping in Maidenhead Waitrose.......and pass Moor End on the way.
My mother came from Bray and I was christened there.
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I was born in College Glen and lived there until I married in 1964 and stayed in the area for another 30 years. My family on both sides lived in the very poorest areas of the town Cordwallis Road, Garden Cottages, The Barracks, Denmark Street, Reform Road and Waldeck Road. They were really improving their lives when they moved to College Glen and Norfolk Park Cottages and all of my generation have worked hard and improved their lot. Unfortunately the earlier generations didn't have that opportunity.
There may be lots wrong with life today but I think we are still very lucky - how they would have loved our 'problems'
Regards, Abiam
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My father was bought up by his grandmother in Cordwallis Road, he and my mother looked after her there until she died and then they stayed there. About the mid 50s the Landlord died and his children wanted to sell the property so my father bought it, put in an upstairs bathroom and decorated and then sold it.
He used the proceeds to move to Cookham.
In my memory the houses in Cordwallis Road (68)were quite roomy, we grew veg and kept chicken and rabbits in the garden (a habit left over from the war I suspect) but the area behind was quite industrial - The Jam factory etc .....
We had a corner shop 2 doors away, the butcher was in Denmark Street, Just down the road was a small hairdressers run by a lady called Nora who sometimes used to let me go for a walk with her and her huge dog Bimbo.
We used to cycle everywhere (me on the back of a bilke) and thats how we first viewed the house in Cookham.
My father used to work in Clark and Seniors in Queen Street, but later went to work in Uxbridge.
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Memories eh!
I trained as a hairdresser at Joan Bennets in M'head High Street in 1958 and when trained trained a girl called Barbara Clark , daughter of Clark and Seniors! I remember going in there with my dad to buy nails by the ounce! Well at least loose.
And being taken for tea at Spindlers and Brocks. Such a long time ago now.
I was back for the 1st week in August to visit my children and grandchildren and they ( my grown up children ) can never understand why I like to have a mooch around the town as they really think it has been spoiled during their lifetime. i suppose I like to do that as it was my home for so many years and of course I see changes I don't particularly like. My biggest shock this year was the new Sainsbury - a hideous monstrosity.
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and the traffic !
Between the new Sainsbury Traffic lights and the road works I can only say that I have taken from very circular tours back to Cookham, my mother has enjoyed it though! ;)
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Enough said!
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I was born in College Glen and lived there until I married in 1964 and stayed in the area for another 30 years. My family on both sides lived in the very poorest areas of the town Cordwallis Road, Garden Cottages, The Barracks, Denmark Street, Reform Road and Waldeck Road. They were really improving their lives when they moved to College Glen and Norfolk Park Cottages and all of my generation have worked hard and improved their lot. Unfortunately the earlier generations didn't have that opportunity.
There may be lots wrong with life today but I think we are still very lucky - how they would have loved our 'problems'
Regards, Abiam
Enough said!
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Hi just was reading about yourself, and i also was born in maidenhead, i was on google looking at our old house. at Norfolk Park Cottages where i was born in 1959. And you were talking to someone regarding names of people who lived on cordwallis road, my sister used to go out with Kevin Copas. I was actually looking for Gordon Road School, I went to St Lukes Primary which was then near the park. and went to Cookham Road which used to be an old boys school don't no what the name was. anyway it was so nice to look back at some old names.
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Hello Woolis,
Welcome to Rootschat very helpful and friendly people. I lived in College Glen just round the corner from Gordon Road. Age wise you could be my daughter! So it's only the previous generation names we'll know.
Good luck with your searching,
Abiam
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Hi Abiam,
I was browsing around the web for information on my Harding line and found your posting here on Roots Web.
Seems like we share a common ancestor - James Harding - born 1796 in Cookham!
My line comes through his son George Harding, who married Sarah Ann Hyde and they emigrated out to Australia in 1857.
I live in Melbourne - and would love to get in touch with you to compare notes on the Hardings if possible?
cheers,
John
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Have sent you a PM
Abiam
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I have just discovered this thread after researching Moor Hall, Cookham and hope I am not too late to resurrect it?.
I have no direct link to Cookham or Moor Hall, but have recently purchased, at auction, a lot of documentation regarding Moor Hall from February 1935. The documents make for fascinating reading as there are solicitors letters regarding the death of the owner at the time and the subsequent sale of Moor Hall for the princely sum of £4000!!!
I also have the original death certificate of the owner Florence Isabel Barnard (née Fanny Isabella Pollard), sister of Arthur Albert Pollard and widow of Frank Stewart Barnard. Florence was married twice, previously married to George Scates (Skates) during her first marriage 22 April 1884. Florence died 18 Feb 1935 in Cookham.
Included in the documentation are bills for gas, electric, phone, milk, butchers and her funeral. There's even a copy of a letter to the gardener, Mr Lunnon of Moor Hall,Cookham, giving him a weeks notice after Florence's death. What a great snapshot of Moor Hall history!
By the way JT123. There is a letter from Australia. I will dig it out and see if it has a name.
Obviously, having no personal interest, we are looking at moving these documents on to interested parties with a personal link. Anyone interested, please contact me.
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Maybe the Institute Of Marketing, the current occupiers of Moor Hall would be interested, if not it may be worth contacting the Maidenhead a Heritage Centre who even if they are not interested may suggest a suitable home for the documents. Good Luck !
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Hi Russethouse.
I have emailed the Hall today, but as yet have not received a response. I feel the documents deserve to be kept at the hall, so hopefully they will get back to me.
This original documentation is unique and should be preserved. Things like the last milk bill detailing how many pints delivered during February 1935 at threepence halfpenny a pint is delightful. There's the coal bill, butchers bill, gas bill, phone bill detailing the number of calls too. Even a bill for repairing a toilet! Superb find.
Thanks for the suggestion of the Maidenhead Heritage centre too. I hadn't thought of that.
Excellent advice, much appreciated.
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Hi JT123
I have found the letter with the Australian link as mentioned previously. It was to Mrs Whitham of Anglesea Barracks, Hobart and details her inheritance from the deceased Florence Barnard.
Any link to you?
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Berkshire Record Office may also be interested in receiving the documents.
Nell
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Thanks Nell. I will drop them a line too.
I went through the letters again today and found that RJ Robson of Station Garage was interested in buying the "Daimler" but then changed his mind. Another letter, written by Mrs Smith of Moor Hall because "Miss Hay is away", dated 9 July 1935 mentions that the new owner of the Daimler was Mr Carroll of the Bel & Dragon, Cookham. The registration of the Daimler was XE 3843. I find this truly fascinating.
Each of the invoices give a glimpse of the names of the local traders in and around Cookham in 1935.
For example, there are receipts dated 1935 from the following:
R Webster & Sons - Coal, Corn, Potato & Seed merchants & Factors 124 High St, Maidenhead
The AA of Fanum House, 75 London Road, Reading
Dudley Sims High Class family butcher High Street, Cookham tel: Bourne End 68
Edgar R Spindler High Class baker, confectioner & caterer. - Cookham Road, Bourne End tel: 454
William Creed & Co, Boyne Works, Maidenhead
Budgen & Co Ltd Family Grocers and Provision Merchants Maidenhead
E R Parsons, Poundcroft Dairy Farm, Cookham
W Collinson Newsagent, Stationer and Tabacconist Station Hill, Cookham tel: Bourne End 412
Robert H Shepard Lynwood, Cookham Dean, Maidenhead Tel: Marlow 152
Colebrook & Co Ltd Purveyors of fish, poultry, game and ice. 120 Broad St, Reading
E T Biggs & Sons Goldsmiths and silversmiths. 30-32 High Street, Maidenhead
R B Gould Practical Cabinet maker, High Street, Cookham
R J Robson Cars for hire, Station Garage, Cookham tel: Bourne End 371
Pryce-Jones "Chymist" Cookham-on-Thames
W A James & sons Builders and Decorators, Station Works, Maidenhead
Maidenhead District Laundry Co Ltd, Furze Platt, Maidenhead tel: Maidenhead 43
You just have to love the phone numbers!!
Thanks for your info. Appreciated.
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I recently found out that Francis Deveraux Lambert is my great great great grandfather, and googled his name and found out he owned this property, how lovely! Does anyone have any old photos at all?
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Welcome to RootsChat :)
You may find this site interesting:
http://www.angelfire.com/nj/healing/moorhallcaptured.html
And this blog post:
http://widbrook2.blogspot.com/2008/10/moor-hall-in-wartime.html
although the photo is well after the date you are interested in.
Nice postcard here:
http://www.akpool.co.uk/postcards/24309329-postcard-cookham-berkshire-south-east-moor-hall-landsitz
And there is a mid 60s photo here:
https://www.francisfrith.com/cookham/cookham-the-moor-c1965_c157042
Nell