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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: cazza59 on Tuesday 25 October 16 17:28 BST (UK)
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What can I say? ;D Again, could be instantly recognised.
Caz
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Okay, confession time....I am officially an idiot. ::) ::)
I have just noticed on the back of this photo is written "Staffs." Could it be Staffordshire I wonder??? :-\
:-[ :-[ :-[
Caz
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Hi Caz, :D
As soon as I saw it I thought it might be Longford House in Cannock, Staffordshire.
It looks a bit different now, and is a steak restaurant!
It belonged to a family called the Gilpins - my grandma was in service there.
There is a photo of it here - http://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/staffordshire/cannock/cannock-south.html
what do you think??
Judy :D
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Hey! Howdy Stranger! :D
Gee, hard to tell Judy. If it is, obviously it's had major renovations. Don't know what to think to be honest.
Caz
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I've got a book of old photos of Cannock - I will go and see if I can find it in there! ;D
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Sorry Caz - no luck!
Hopefully someone will come up with the answer!
Judy :D
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The Longford House could well be right. Attached is substantially the same building with add-ons.
http://www.expressandstar.com/wpmvc/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Longford-House.jpeg.
In my link, the stone pillars are still there.
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I don't think it is Longford House though am happy to be proved wrong.
Gate posts are different, front door in Caz's picture is to the centre of the building under the middle windows - windows are different size.
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It is very convincing isn't it...I looked for an older version and couldn't find one so I think Judy that you probably have found a match supported by Gregorian's shot ;D
The only thing that troubles me is the rounded bay which looks original.
Match
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I don't think it is Longford House though am happy to be proved wrong.
Gate posts are different, front door in Caz's picture is to the centre of the building under the middle windows - windows are different size.
I'm with Rosie on this - particularly re the position of the doorway. I'd also be rather surprised if so many additions had been made to an old house (extensions, pediment(?) etc) in a reproduction style. Longford House as seen here looks to be mostly built all at the same time.
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I don't think it is either. Similar but just not quite on the money.
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I agree it's not Longford House,
1'st thing I noticed was bottom windows are out of line before looking at anything else although I agree at a glance it looks very similar.
Annie
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Just keeping this one in the mix as well, but don't hold out much hope.
Caz
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At least we have a county Caz. That's more to go on than usual.
(I don't think it is a match with Longford House either. )
Were there any other photos purchased at the same time as this one Caz? (wondering if there might be something identifiable in "the lot"). It's a fairly generic looking Georgian (country?) house. If it still survives (please let's hope it does) it may be an hotel, or worse, split into flats. :'(
Windows open as is the norm with your photos Caz. ;D
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Sadly these were another mixed job lot. It infuriates me that people buy albums and then remove all the photos, mix them all up and sort into batches for sale. Some are literally torn out and have half the backing of the album still stuck to them. There's every chance the locations were written on the albums or on the backs of the photos. Some I can tell came from the same album because they match in dimension and paper thickness so I assume the same camera was used, but on the whole, they are just a jumbled mess of historic photos that between myself and Rootschat are being preserved!
Caz
PS I forgot we know the county! ::) ;D
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We might not know the current county though:
These are the Staffs boundary changes throughout the years from Wikipedia!
1888: Those parts of the town of Tamworth lying in Warwickshire, and those parts of Burton upon Trent lying in Derbyshire were ceded to Staffordshire. Lichfield ceased to be a county in its own right.
1891: Harborne became part of the county borough of Birmingham and thus transferred from Staffordshire to Warwickshire.
1895: a small section containing the villages of Shatterford and Upper Arley was transferred to Worcestershire.
1911: Handsworth became part of Birmingham, then in Warwickshire.
1928: Perry Barr was ceded to Warwickshire, also as part of Birmingham.
1966: Smethwick and Rowley Regis became part of Worcestershire, as components of the newly formed borough of Warley. Dudley was ceded from Worcestershire, having absorbed the Staffordshire towns of Sedgley, Coseley and Brierley Hill into its local authority.
1974: Under The Local Government Act 1972, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich (plus Warley and Birmingham) became part of the newly formed West Midlands County.
1994: The western/southern shores of Chasewater, were acquired from the West Midlands, transferring from the Walsall local authority into Lichfield District Council.
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Well that confuses things ever so slightly.... :-\
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Frustrating to hear that Caz - it is probable that there would have been some further identifying information in each individual album.
Yes djm, good point about boundary changes. At least we know general part of the country - which is still more than usual. :)
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Well I used to write notes in the margins in my photo albums before the digital age, so I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Goodness knows how much information gets thrown away by the sellers. It kills me thinking that there would have been more photos of Burham Beeches and family that went in another batch to someone else. I wrote to the seller by the couldn't tell me, they're just interested in $$ anyway.
It's a shame these photos and albums get separated from the original families in the first place, but then when I look at all my photos (literally thousands), I know my daughter won't want them, so thank goodness for digital photos and the internet, where I hope to eventually get them all posted for everyone to see and enjoy. It's a massive project but keeps me out of trouble!
Caz
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Caz, It's a valuable thing that you and others, like Carol, are doing. ;D
(Depending on how old your daughter is, she might eventually decide that she does want them.) :)
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Theres quite a lot of similarities with this house
https://www.bigholidayhouse.com/property/ismere-hall-estate-wedding-and-party-venue
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Yes, some similarities Shaun, but also some differences .... the central row of windows and door being extended out from the face of the front wall of Ismere Hall. It looks original too.
Looks like a lovely place.
I had forgotten about this house search. It could be worth having another shot at. :)
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Hi Ruskie,
Yes apologies i am no expert like you guys are. I just really enjoy trying to research these thread and trying some detective work to see if i can solve stuff.
I am learning so much from all of you on here though. And am gradually starting to learn to to identify certain buildings by style and era.
I have actually just made a post on the kent forum about a family home that i would love some help on regarding its date and architectual design/era.
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Hi Shaun. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm no expert of architectural styles. :) I'm not too good on the solving front either.
I agree that we can, and do, learn a lot from others though. :)
I'll pop over to look at the Kent house now. ;)
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That would be great thankyou Ruskie.
And like i say in my post over there I am just interested in for ndong out maybe about the date of the building or whether in fact it is even just quite modern and made to look in the style of an older building. I just dont know. I know there has been a lot of modern renovations done to it like patio doors put in etc.
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Good evening,
Theres quite a lot of similarities with this house
https://www.bigholidayhouse.com/property/ismere-hall-estate-wedding-and-party-venue
Wrong roof i'm afraid, the original picture has a hipped roof, this one has a double gable roof.
John915
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I have just searched 92 pages with 18 photos on each page on a site posted by Staffordshire Past track.org.uk These photos are old ones of houses, halls, manors etc around Staffordshire, but no sign of this one, a couple similar, Rodbaston Hall and Adbaston Hall but they are not right.
In all these 1656 photos there is not one house with similar stonework to No 234, so is this particular to a particular area and are we looking in the wrong place, or is this not the original stonework?
I also think this could be on the outskirts of a village or small town. It is no on a big estate as the gateposts are too near the house, so no long drive. Could it be another vicarage?
Pat
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Just to add my opinion. I was almost convinced that it was Longford House but various details decided me against it, namely the extension to the right seemed the same but the chimney is in the wrong place, and the white lines across the front of the building are not there. Also the road looks too small for the Watling Street?
The ground floor could have been changed and the additional bits and pieces added to the front however so maybe the other changes were made too. It is certainly very similar.
The white stones on the edges of the building are very distinctive so perhaps the same architect, therefore local to the Cannock area.
Hope someone has the answer.
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I've been inspired to take another look, though I haven't got anywhere yet. I was wondering if the wing on the right hand side might be an older building that the Georgian one was built on to? Or just servants' quarters that didn't need to be so smart?
The white stones on the edges of the building are very distinctive so perhaps the same architect, therefore local to the Cannock area.
There don't seem to be that many houses with this feature, so it might be worth homing in on. Does anyone know the technical term for it? I saw one or two examples elsewhere in the Midlands, so in case "Staffs" is approximate or a mistake, maybe we should look a bit more widely.
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I think the term may be "quoins".
Regards
Roger
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Thank you, quoins looks right - unlike the pics I've found so far.
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Would it be worth putting this on the Staffordshire page?
Searching via search engines has not produced a match unless it really is Longford House. Local knowledge seems more likely to find it.
P
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Hi Folks
So amazed you're still at it! Hopefully I'll be back soon to give you more grey hairs searching!
Caz
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Hope so Caz! You have been missed :D
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Aw thanks Judy. :-* Been so busy these last few months, but hopefully the 'storm' is over and I can get back to what I love!
Caz
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:D :D :D
Keep posting your mystery photos! Keeps us all out of mischief ;D
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another afternoon looking back over the WAI posts - found this one - what does everyone think.
Offcote Grange, Ashbourne - now renovated, along with outbuildings into self catering accommodation
http://www.offcotegrange.com/wp-content/gallery/history/thumbs/thumbs_31-july-2004-3.jpg
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Certainly has similarities
Unfortunately the photos online are less than 200x200. If someone with capture skills could enlarge these we might get some clarity - but its a good one to look at
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I agree that the windows and outbuildings show similarities, but our house has a hipped roof and this one has a gable roof. Also, ours has prominent stone quoins against brick (probably), and there's nothing similar here.
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File this under pure speculation, the telegraph pole has several short cross arms so might it be possible that the house is near a busy railway route? I'd assume the railway telegraph normally runs next to the railway but presumably must divert where there are tunnels involved. No idea whether it was unusual or not to share a pole with normal telegraph/telephone services.
S_L