Western House- Some Victorian Residents

This list is of residents not owners of the property (though some people will be both).

1862-66 Edmund Sexton Perry Calvert. In late 1865 the property is advertised as for sale leasehold with a 15 years term remaining. It then comprised of a 17ft 6" x 14ft entrance hall, 20ft 9" X 15ft 4" dining room, 21ft X 15ft 9"  drawing room, 14ft 10 X 14ft 10" library, 15ft 9" X 15ft boudoir,  10 bedrooms, 2 dressing rooms, kitchen and domestic offices. Outside the would be occupier could enjoy the garden, a private walk to the Thames,  an orchard, coach house, gardeners cottage and the farm buildings. In all 13 acres including some pasture. We are also told that the house is properly enclosed in a ring fence and that it is sheltered from northerly winds. If that's not enough, the house can also boast of a good supply of water, and twice daily postal deliveries. 

1866- 1867 Charles Fowler. Architect. Fellow of the Royal Institute Of British Architects 1834. Also farmed land by Western House. Wife Maria. He died 1867.

1867- 1876 Maria Fowler born circa 1798, widow of Charles Senior. Also resident her son Charles junior born circa 1823 who was also an architect (Fellow of the Royal Institute Of British Architects 1862). Charles junior was  additionally Deputy Chairman of the Llanelly Railway Company in Wales. He (and his mum though he took the lead) got into a row over rights of way with his neighbour Sarah Bliss Hammond. It was a big row- barricades were erected and lawyers called. For more on this see my biographical post on Sarah here.

Other children of Charles Senior and Maria= Sophia born 1829, Jane 1833 and Emma 1835. 

1879- The Misses Fowler. Must be two of the Fowler daughters above.

1881- Austin MacKenzie and Mrs MacKenzie. Their housemaid Annie Field was found guilty of stealing £5 worth of items from her employer that year and jailed for four months. The items included 10lb of candles, a pot of jam, dusters, soap, napkins and tablecloths. The butler at the house at that time was Robert Wright and the footman was Thomas Sutton. Both were witnesses against Annie in court.

1888- Major A Griffith.

1898- Mr and Mrs A Dunn who had lately been in residence left.

1898-1899 Mrs Henrietta Isabella  Ranken. Died on a visit to London. Widow of W B Ranken. She seems to have had farming interests. 

1900-1914 Francis Crawford Caffin AKA Frank. He leased it 1900 after Mrs Ranken's death. Civil engineer and Director of the Djebel Charra Mining Company. His son Haden served in WW1 and was twice mentioned in dispatches. More on Haden to come. Francis had first leased Palmer's in the High Street, while he was in the area supervising work on the Bourne End railway bridge. 

Researched and written by Charlotte Day.

For other West Street related posts, see the specific shops, streets etc option on the top drop down menu. The A-Z person index there is where to go to find every mention of your ancestor here on the blog. Thousands of people get a mention. Happy hunting! 

©Marlow Ancestors. You are very welcome to use this information for family or local history purposes with credit to this blog

Sources:

Dutton, Allen and Co's Directory 1863.

Royal and Commercial Directory of Beds, Bucks etc by J.G Harrod and Co 1876.

Post Office Directory 1869 by Kelly's Directories Limited.

Census my transcription from microfilm.

List of Members of the Institution of Civil Engineers 1914.

Bucks Herald 27th August 1881. British Library Archives.

Bucks Free Press 26th August 1881. Bucks Free Press Archives.

The Mining Yearbook 1905.

The Joint Stock Companies Directory 1867. Oxford University Library. Digitized by Google.

Catalogue of the London Library 1888. Digitized by Google.

GRO death registrations from GRO online. 

Windsor and Eton Express 14 October 1865, Slough Libraries.