Rev. Edward Whitehead: St John's House, Chichester

[janan]

Now I am confused!

This reference from the West Sussex Records Office that I posted earlier
Mss 19774-19833    Deeds relating to Friary Close (formerly St. John's House), Friary Lane, Chichester    1807-1952 confirms Friary Close and St John's House as being one and the same. The house that is now Stride and sons is called Southdown House - it is however in St John's St so maybe the Times got confused.  Or maybe in 1969 Southdown House was called St John's House as by this time St John's House was called Friary Close 

Behind the garages in my photo (I think they may have been stables originally) there is a small house which may have been St John's Mews.

I am pretty certain we have the right house

Jan

[Tom Piper]

Jann,

Yes sorry for the confusion, having seen the reference on the Archives now I can see what you mean.

Tom

 

[janan]

This part of the city is very confusing. The whole area is usually called Newtown but there is also a street within it called Newtown, formerly Cross St. However sometimes the area can be called St John's like the street. I still haven't worked out the enumerator's route on any census - they seem to hop about all over the place.

Jan

Just to clarify Newtown (the street) was never known as Cross St. Wondering where I got that idea from, I looked again at Fanny E Smith, who resided in St John's House  in Cross St: this was in the North of the city in the Somerstown area nowhere near Newtown, therefore a different St John's House now demolished.

[WilliamD]

Picking up from your research, I am attempting to piece together the Willan ancestry, and have got hooked on the whole family history (easily diverted!).

Isabella Maria Douglas-Willan was the grand-daughter of Thomas Willan, who owned Twyford Abbey and Willans Farm, amongst other properties.  Willan's Farm is now known as Regents Park.

I think Thomas is the key to links between the Douglas family and the Willans, so the more I can learn about him, the better.  Isabella would have inherited his property.

Are you able to tell me what she owned?

[janan]

Hi WilliamD

Welcome to Rootschat

I don't know anymore about Isabella Maria I'm afraid. Maybe Tom Piper has found out more.

Good luck with your research ( I know what you mean about being easily diverted )

Jan

[WilliamD]

Ah, well, I'll just to have to keep looking,

W

[Tom Piper]

Hi Will

There this for you:

Jackson's Oxford Journal , Saturday, October 22, 1808

    Married at Farmington, J.K. Douglas, Esq.,  second son of Brigadier-General Douglas, Esq., to Isabella Maria, eldest daughter of Thomas Willan, Esq.,of Farmington, Gloucestershire & Marybone Park.

In August 1803, during Napoleonic Wars he, TW, was he was living at Marylebone farm-he offered 120 horses and 40 carriages to the government free of charge and expence for the benefit of inn-keepers, hostelries, coach masters and farmers.

In July 23, 1806, he offered for sale several lots of land for the building of villas etc on land around Acton.

He died 24th March 1828 in his 73rd year, of Twyford Abbey, Middlesex.

On 27th day of May 1829, a sizeable part of his estate in Gloucestershire went under the hammer-a whole list of the estate, the farms loads of info.
Its all Lower Turk Dean farm, also Rectory Farm at Turk Dean, the Manor farm of Ley Gore, 1193 acres altogether, which produced a net rental of £1100 per year!

Another farm sale in July 1831, this time 600 acres.

Tom

[Tom Piper]

There is this also from Hampshire Chronicle:

Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle etc  Saturday, August 16, 1862
  Pursuant to an order in the High Court of Chancery, made in the matter of the Estate of Isabella Maria Douglas Willan, late of Twyford Abbey, in the County of Middlesex, widow, deceased, and in a cause Robert Douglas Willan and John Douglas Willan, against Tomas Willan; Douglas Willan, the creditors of Isabella Douglas Willan, deceased, formerly of Twyford Abbey, in the County of Middlsex, but late of the City of Chichester, widow, and who at different times, resided at Bognor, in the county of Sussex, at Anglesey, and in the County of Southampton; and at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight; and who died at Chichester aforesaid in or about the month of January 1862, are by their solicitors, on or before the 8th day of November, 1862, to come in and prove their debts at the Chambers of the Master of the Rolls-yard, Chancery-lane, Middlesex, or in default thereof they will be peremptorily excluded from the benefit of the said decree. Friday the 14th day of November, 1862, at twelveo’clock at Noon,at the said chambers, is appointed for hearing and adjudicating upon the claims.
Dated 31st July, 1862

Tom