Trentham Hall Estate Buildings

[Telford 1445]

I am trying to locate the Gas House at Trentham Hall without success.  The Census entry for 1851 puts it between Trentham Hall Laundry & the Duchess's School while the 61 has it between the Girls School and the Trentham Estate Yard & Farm Yard. 

I have tried "walking" the census route using modern day maps and also those available on the old-maps website but do not feel very confident that I am in the right place on the Estate. 

I am wondering if anyone knows if the School is the derelict building alongside Park Drive at it's junction with the A34 and opposite the Mausoleum (as viewed on Google Earth) which would narrow down the location of the Gas House or was it elsewhere? 

If anybody also knows where the Gas Works building was on the Estate then that would really be the icing on the cake

[liverpool lass]

Have you tried contacting the local library? If its the place I am thinking of the site has undergone considerable restoraion over the last few years and is now a huge retail complex and gardens. Well worth a visit.

[Telford 1445]

Hi Liverpool Lass,

Thanks for the reply.  Yes, I've tried Staffs R.O. at Stafford (visited)  & Hanley (phoned), I've also emailed Trentham Gardens to see if they have any old plans of the estate - they don't.

Stafford had plenty of info on the Estate but I couldn't locate anything specific to the Gas Works or Gas Manager/Makers House.  I did get a link to Dunrobin where the Gas Maker (Elijah Derbyshire) had moved in his employment with the Sutherland family in 1871 along with his wife & two youngest daughters. 

The record took the form of complaints from the Steward as to how much coal was being used to produce gas for the Castle, although eventually there was an admission that the coal in that part of Scotland was different to the type used in Staffordshire and that Elijah - who by this time was 60 - wasn't slacking by not cleaning out the Retorts properly

Will just have to keep searching I think - and it's not even my side of the family!! 

 

[linell]

I was told by one of Stafford's Archivists that the Sutherland Papers would soon all be on line, there maybe something in there to help you pinpoint the Gas House, surely it wasn't near any other buildings was it?? linell.

[liverpool lass]

Keep searching Telford. Somewhere the size of that estate must have heaps of info out there in the ether! Good luck!

[Telford 1445]

Hi Linell & Liverpool Lass

I was thinking the Gas Works would be quite a way from the main house as well but given the location of buildings on the 1881 map I don't know.  My thoughts are it was either one end of Park Drive or the other but I'll find it somehow because it's now seriously getting to me

I have been watching the Sutherland Papers coming on line and hopefully they should be complete by the end of this year - been looking for a while so what's another few months? 

Liverpool Lass, I will keep looking odds are that I will stumble across it while searching for something else - I do tend to find myself being side tracked when I am in Libraries or Record Offices, much to my partners dismay

Louise

[linell]

Good luck Louise, I go there quite often, will be thinking of you and the Gas Works now whilst walking around :)linell

[VeraH]

The Duchess school use to be on the A34 opposite what is now the poachers Cafe. It was next door to the Trentham Institute and on the other side after a private drive to  house owned by the Wenger Family . Next door to that is the cemetery and Mausoleum.  Opposite that is Park drive leading to the back entrance to the Gardens and the entrance to the Park. On the right hand side of Park Drive is what used to be known as the courtyard which had the stables ,blacksmith and slaughter house. Laundry, grain store for the estate. The Gas house was next door to the Laundry, this has now been converted into accommodation. It was at the back of the Stables where there is an arch in the shape of a horse shoe. There was also another school in the courtyard under the clock tower, this was very derelict when I last saw it 3 years ago.I know this as I lived in the courtyard as a child as my granddad was the last gamekeeper for the Duke, and I went to school in both of these schools also in the Lotte Black and White cottage (Brothie Cottage)now restored in the gardens.

[linell]

Lucky you Vera, sounds idyllic, thanks for the wonderful description, will have to get up there and have a good look for these landmarks.  Best Wishes from Linell.