If you had stopped to ask one of our Victorian Marlow citizens for directions to Thames Lawn, they would not have sent you to the current house bearing that name at the bottom of St Peter's Street. Instead they would suggest you stroll along the river a little further, into Mill Road as we call it. As you pass the house known as The Sycamores and look to your right, the sweep of grass stretching along the river front would still be easily recognisable. This was also known as the Thames Lawn but it is not our destination. Look ahead, just before the lock, and you will see the handsome Elizabethan style riverside residence currently known as Three Gables and Unicorn Bridge House. But to our Victorian friends, a quite different property would have sat on that spot - the original Thames Lawn House. It's this sadly forgotten but once very important home that is the subject of our post today. If you wish to know more about the house more recently known as Thames Lawn, see the linked posts below.
A Word Of Caution
As mentioned above, Thames Lawn and Thames Bank were both often used as the equivalent of street addresses for any of the homes fronting the river in Mill Lane as it was then. So for example The Sycamores could be referred to as "The Sycamores, Thames Lawn" or "The Sycamores, Mill Lane" or "The Sycamores, Thames Bank". Understanding this is the key to untangling who lived where and when. It means that any person whose address is given as Thames Bank, may be living in Thames Bank House, but they might equally be present at any of the nearby houses too. The story is complicated because most of the early homes that stretched along this riverside part of Mill Lane were either built or occupied (often both) by members of the Wright family of Marlow paper mills or by one of the other mill operators. Therefore the project of finding historic residents for the specific properties in that area has been a very long task. I have revised some of the below information first collected many years ago but it's still a work in progress. Be aware too of the riverside house, also Wright owned, known as The Lawn or Lawn Cottage, set back from Mill Road. Members of the Wright family seem to have signed themselves as of Thames Lawn or Marlow Mills regardless of whether they were occupying The Lawn, The Sycamores etc.
Early History
Late Victorian accounts of Thames Lawn House said it was in existence in the 18th century. Unfortunately I can not be any more precise about a build date for this original property but it may well have been older still. The house was said then to have been purchased by the Wright family of Marlow Mills - with William Wright born there in 1798. In that year, the Wright's were in occupation of one if not both paper mills but they did not yet own them. They were leased from mealman Thomas Ricketts who operated the third Marlow Mill - at that point a corn mill. Twenty five years before Ricketts was seeking a business partner to share grinding there, and he offered to supply a residence conveniently close to the Mill if required. This could refer to Thames Lawn House but equally to another house nearby such as Mill Cottage which was often occupied later by the various proprietors of the corn mill, or to Weir Cottage. When Ricketts died the three mills were put up for auction at Garraways coffee house, along with two residences associated with them one of which was almost certainly our subject. One of the paper mills - the Lower Mill, closest to the site of Thames Lawn - was eventually taken on by Salem Chapel stalwart Francis Pepper who operated it himself. He had formerly been in partnership with the Wrights but this relationship was dissolved in 1814. We know Francis lived adjacent to the mill complex, and I believe it was he who was resident at Thames Lawn House before the Rose family. Certainly the mill property came with a detached residence when it was sold on his death in 1831. An 1827 map of the Mill site shows "Mr Peppers Garden" and an unnamed house immediately adjacent. This is approximately where Thames Lawn was and where Three Gables is now. Presumably this house was the one occupied by Francis Pepper but many better off people possessed "gardens" separate from their homes in old Marlow! This residence was set back a little closer to where Mill Bank is in the present day so it had a slightly larger front garden then. (Certainly William Rose believed Pepper had been a former residence of his home.)
Regardless of who was in residence, the house had a lucky escape in 1826 when a destructive fire broke out at Wright's paper mill. It started in the drying room which was very close to the property, under somewhat suspicious circumstances. Very quickly the large quantity of paper within was destroyed. A depression in the paper trade meant there had been more paper on the premises than usual. The blaze was considered to be the work of an incendiary and so a substantial reward was offered in return for giving up the culprit. I do not believe they were identified. The residential property closest to the mills (eg Mill Cottage too) were considered to be in grave danger during this blaze. The orange glow in the sky could apparently be seen from as far away as Reading!
The Rose Family
The most detailed early description of the house comes from the time it was occupied by wealthy solicitor William Rose and his "beloved wife" of 40 years Caroline in the late 1860s and early 1870s. William maintained a London office at Change Alley, aka Exchange Alley. This bustling and narrow lane and the area around was an historic centre for financial services in the capital including London's first Stock Exchange. It must have been some relief to retire from that part of the city to his elegant Thames side home. William inherited the property from his uncle Ralph Rose who had lived in it many years, followed by his widow.
William's pride and joy at Marlow was obviously his carefully curated library. This contained some 900 volumes including a large number of legal works and a complete set of the Encyclopedia Britannica. The rest of the home was filled with some "very choice" furniture and all the home accessories a gentleman of means could enjoy the possession of - from bronze figurines to old Wedgewood china. It then had 8 bedrooms and 3 reception room and a conservatory plus a coach house. The clear selling feature were the "tastefully arranged" gardens sloping down to the river with the enchanting views towards the bridge and Weir. The Roses spent time and money on improving the house, and possibly extending it.
Did the garden include the grass running along the margin of the river in front of The Sycamores which was also referred to as the Thames lawn? That would prove to be a somewhat contentious issue! William Rose was said to have regarded it as common ground and paid little attention to who used it. He did apparently enjoy playing a game or two of quoits there. In fact when the Wrights tried to claim it as private property, enclose it, and prevent fishing from there, William Rose objected, and said in fact the area was listed as an appurtenance to his home. He did not wish to close access to it himself, and certainly wasn't going to allow anyone else to do so. He threatened the Wrights with legal action and seems to have succeeded in diminishing any threat to public access to the area then. William Rose pointed out that the property he inherited came with related exclusive fishing rights to this area. So nobody had any right to gather fish from the lawn or nearby - but they Wights had been doing so on a large scale and selling them out of town. Rose considered this not only illegal removal of his property but morally wrong as it was depriving locals of access to cheaper fish. It's fair to say the relationship between the Roses and the Wrights would not be a cordial one.
A path ran across this disputed lawn which was used by those using the lock by either custom or right, although it's exact route I can't determine precisely. When it was later (1886) decided to divert this path for aesthetic reasons the question of who actually had ownership would lead to a lot of legal wrangling on at least two occasions. No one has been paying rates for it it seemed, and no rent had been paid either. It seems likely that whoever did own it had forgotten. At least whatever documents William Rose had had that he said proved absolutely his ownership to the stretch seem to have been lost. The then occupier of Weir Cottage produced various deeds to suggest the lawn was his, but on the other hand it was said many of the older residents were certain it was originally common land and that documents could be produced to support that. The Mill Road residents did not pretend that the path wasn't in general use (e.g public by custom) but they thought only those using it as a towpath had a legal right to do so. The outcome of this second attempt to restrict public access to the grass was unsuccessful as the magistrates agreed that there was no public benefit to such a change, and it would create a bad precedent. A suggestion had been made that the occupiers of the Mill Road properties (not including Thames Lawn House) should pay a quit rent to the parish in return for continuing to use and maintain it but I do not think this compromise was adopted. Sanction was definitely given in 1893 to divert the then path to more or less its current route from Mill Road to the foot bridge over the mill cut however. It was to be lined with a red brick wall mounted by "rustic" iron railings as constructed by Marlow builder Lovells. And the Coxes would be obliged to pay for its maintenance for 5 years.
Tragedy overcome the Rose family in quick succession in the early 1870s. Caroline died in September 1871 and William himself followed a little over 4 months later age 64. Then in 1874, their son Alfred Valentine Rose died aged just 29 at Wooburn. The executors put the house up for let after William's death but in 1876 the house was auctioned off by the last surviving trustee William Rippington Rose. This auction took place in the historic riverside Complete Angler inn. Following this there was a few short term residents including some who hired it for the summer or "river season". Then in approximately 1880, a man would arrive at Thames Lawn who would bring the house to the attention of people far and wide.
Edmund Yates in residence
Thames Lawn House by name starts to get specifically mentioned in contemporary guides to the Thames at this time. They noted it was a "picturesque" building with a famous resident - the writer, magazine editor and critic Edmund Yates. Edmund was a friend of Charles Dickens or as some said, an acolyte or disciple who regarded the author as "some kind of God."
Mostly a summer resident, Edmund entertained many names of literary and theatrical Victorian London at Thames Lawn - not all of them household names now. The superstar actors Henry Irving and Ellen Terry and the then editor of Punch magazine were among his regular weekend guests. Not everyone well known appreciated Edmund's company however. During his time at Marlow he spent several weeks in a London gaol (out of a longer sentence) for publishing a libel in his gossipy magazine against a member of the aristocracy. He was not the author of the article and on reading it in draft had crossed out the most offending sentences with the intention these parts were not to be published. Unfortunately they were, and he was found guilty of the libel. Edmund was let out early on account of bad health. A banquet in London to celebrate his release was attended by over 200 people.
Although Edmund did not live full time at Marlow, he certainly enjoyed the river while he could. He kept a small steam launch and was president of the Thames Steam Launch Association. Many regarded these launches as an unpleasant addition to the Thames, and they were associated with bad steering, noisy whistles and with speeding past other river traffic to the latters peril. So there were a lot of campaigns to potentially oversee their use more closely. The Association wanted to represent the launch owners and prevent what they considered petty restrictions, frivolous law suits and damage both intentional and deliberate to their craft.
Edmund lived at Marlow for about 5 years. He had moved away at the time he died at the Savoy Hotel in London in 1894 after falling ill at the Garrick Theatre. He had been regarded as in delicate health for some time but it seemed his sudden collapse was still a surprise. He had seemed to rally a little after spending part of the winter abroad on doctors orders. For many years after his death Thames Lawn would still be referred to as Yates former residence by the literature catering for Thames tourists.
The situation of Yates' Thames Lawn House is undoubtedly picturesque and romantic to our modern eyes but it would not have been quite a place of undisturbed peace disturbed only by the "hum" of the weir. It immediately abutted the Marlow mills and these were not known to be exactly quiet in operation. The adjacent Marlow Lock could see an eye-watering number of craft pass through it on busy summer weekends such as those around the time of Ascot or Henley regatta. The river was still a working one even if there were fewer barges passing by than before the railway came to Marlow. Sometimes too a dead body would be recovered from the river adjacent to Thames Lawn.
But there were many compensations. It was in a prime position to enjoy what must have been the most beautiful sight of the "Venetian river parade" of illuminated launches and punts which took place at the time of the annual regattas. Most of the riverside residents decorated their homes with bucket lamps and lanterns at the same time and those at Thames Lawn were no exception. People came far and wide to enjoy this glittering wonderland.
Is that a lion I hear?
In the 1890s there were two residents at Thames Lawn who had some interests in some rather unusual pets. Mrs Coppinger (who also rented another house along the river side at times) had a pet monkey which she enjoyed taking for rides in her launch. But this was tame compared to the ambitions of young Captain Marshall. Always interested in wildlife, Marshall bought a lion cub from a passing circus and this would form the nucleus of what would become the Marlow Menagerie complete with pumas, elephants, wolves and more. I have compiled a full biography of Marshall which you can read here. With a somewhat small garden to make into a zoo, he hired some land along the river bank towards Gossmore to house his collection. He soon out grew this and moved to a specially constructed residence with animal enclosures at the site of what is now known as Gossmore House. Marshall is remembered for a successful attempt to drive two ponies in tandem across the relatively narrow footbridge to the lock from the Thames Lawn. Don't try that at home! Mrs Coppinger and Captain Marshall were said to be lovers and sometime co residents at Thames Lawn. The vastly unsubstantiated Marlow legend is that she was suspected of an arson attack on Marshall's next residence motivated by jealousy at his forthcoming marriage to another and that she then left town never to return. Arson it certainly was believed to be by Marshall, but no culprit was identified despite a substantial reward offered. Initial investigations had identified an overheated flue as the most likely cause. Furthermore it's certainly not true that Coppinger left immediately and finally after the fire. She's still recorded here 6 months later and as a summer visitor for a couple years afterwards. Not did the fire occur on the eve of his wedding as some say - the events didn't in fact occur in the same year!
Captain Lamotte and his family were the next residents. The Captain came to Marlow to take charge of the local Volunteers. (Forerunners to the Territorial Army - read about our Marlow company here). Described as a "most able and energetic officer" he was supposed to have won the "golden opinions" of all ranks. The couple certainly threw themselves into the local society, joining groups and fundraising drives of all kinds. They remained there until 1897, with the Captain rejoining his regiment the following year. In the time between leaving Thames Lawn and leaving the country, the Lamottes moved to Quarry Wood House. (A post dedicated to that vanished property will follow shortly.)
Fire!
In the summer of 1897 the "well known and attractive little property" with its "pretty garden" and landing stage was yet again offered for sale at the Complete Angler. ("Little" was obviously relative - it was described then as comprising 9 bed and dressing rooms, an entrance hall, a bathroom - yes just one - and three reception rooms.) The purchaser was the wealthy author and magazine proprietor Mrs Ada Bennett Edwards. She was the co owner of The Field with her brothers, among other titles. Her father and other relatives were some time residents of other properties in Mill Road so it was an area she knew well.
She had planned a significant overhaul and modernisation of the house. Unfortunately less than 6 months later, a fire would break out just as the works were nearing completion. This was serious enough, but the proximity of the Mills with their wooden buildings and abundance of combustible material within made it even more of a serious situation. The Mills own fire engine was bought out as it was the workers there that had first raised the alarm, and Marlow fire brigade were also quickly in attendance. The proximity of the river as well as a fire hydrant meant there was no shortage of water to hand. Nevertheless there was a time when the Mills were regarded as in severe danger of going up too. The flames burned with such ferocity that despite the frantic efforts of all, Thames Lawn was totally gutted. A heaven sent outbreak of rain prevented the numerous sparks taking hold at the mill. A smouldering beam running through a fire place was blamed - a surprisingly common cause of Marlow house fires! It's unfortunate for Mrs Edwards that much of the furniture had been moved back in and was if course destroyed too. Even more unfortunate, the insurance policy taken out against fire by Mrs Bennett Edwards was said to have lapsed. Fortunately she was a lady of considerable means, as well as a wealth of determination, and she decided to build a new house on the spot. A Who's Who entry for 1898 mentions that her hobbies include "artistic house decorating" which was something she was about to have ample scope to indulge. (Her other interests were "practical and experimental zoology", cycling and tennis.)
A description of the destroyed house mentions that at that time there has been on top of the house a sort of glass panelled tower. I believe this may have been part of Mrs Edwards additions to the house as there is no record of this distinctive feature earlier. If so it lived too short a while to appear in any photographs which is a pity.
New life and new styling
The local newspapers said that Mrs Bennett Edwards very quickly launched into a new contract with a London architect to get her house built. With a now blank canvas she was free to decide on a completely different style of architecture. She chose a "very pleasant half timbered style" with lattice windows. No expense was to be spared. Comfort and modern conveniences were her watchwords. There would now be not only a bathroom but 4 w.cs as well. Drainage was on "the latest scientific principles" and electric call bells were fitted throughout to summon staff as required. A noted striking feature was the "very handsome oak panelled hall of imposing dimensions" and the "fine oak staircase." There were 11 bedrooms, 3 reception rooms, and a boat house which it was stated could easily be converted into a garage for a motor car.
Mrs Bennett Edwards did not live at the house for long despite her efforts to create such a pleasant home. By April 1900 it was advertised as available to let for the summer season. In 1902 the house was sold for £5,120, the contents following shortly after.
Edwardian Residents
Sir James Boyton arrived next, president of the auctioneers Elliott, Son & Boyton and an M.P. He like many of his predecessors also kept a London residence. James was a keen rower and something of an authority on all things River Thames. If he had any intention just to relax and enjoy river events as a spectator alone, he was an optimistic man. It was inevitable he would find himself invited to involve himself in organising the Marlow Regatta. In particular I can see he assisted on the committee behind the above mentioned Venetian fete. Sadly James suffered a serious motoring accident near Henley in 1905 which resulted in the partial amputation of one of his arms. While this may have curtailed his planned involvement in any veterans events, he did see his children including daughter Kitty row at the regatta. He acted as a judge of the illuminated craft competition, umpired various races, and his wife was co opted into giving out the regatta prizes on different occasions. James also caused a great deal of excitement when he acted several times as a host for the Cambridge rowing crew who would compete in the University boat race. The bridge was lined with spectators whenever they practiced at Marlow.
The Boyton's retained possession of Thames Lawn during the beginning of the First World War. Their son was sadly killed in France in 1916. James himself also suffered yet another serious accident when the omnibus he was travelling in within London hit another vehicle and overturned with a loss of life. All of the passengers were injured to some degree - James by lacerations made by broken glass on his "full" arm. The news was met by an outpouring of sympathy back in Marlow.
Above, Three Gables with the modern mill style apartments to the rear.
James died in May 1926 but I think he had left Marlow a few years previously. (Certainly the freehold of the house was for sale in 1919) In his will he left a request that his wife and children should pay a sum of £15 to any grandson of his that competed within Henley Regatta. Rowing devotee to the last!
Next resident was race course manager Frederick Henry Cathcart who was there by 1926. We've reached the limit of the period our research deals with but Henry deserves a mention as the honorary treasurer of the Higginson birthday fund that raised the money to purchase the Court Garden estate so it could become what we know as Higginson Park*. The first mention I've seen of the use of "Three Gables" as a new name for this Thames Lawn comes in 1926 - so he may well have been the person to make that change. UPDATE - biography of Frederick Cathcart is available here
Written and researched by Kathryn Day
Related posts
*More on Frederick's role in securing the park can be found in a post about its early history here here
Index of posts about other specific property including the "other Thames Lawn" - here
To look for more about any particular person or family - see the A-Z Person Index in the top drop down menu. There's many thousands of people listed there with more names added weekly.
Sources:
Boyd, Frank M - A Pelican's Tale. (H Jenkins 1919)
Krausse, A D - Pictorial History of the Thames. (Krausse 1883)
Who's Who, 1898.
Parish Assessment assessor's notebooks, 1833. Transcribed by Charlotte Day.
Census data 1871-1891 - from the transcripts from the originals at the National Archives by Jane Pullinger and Charlotte Day.
1827 Great Marlow Mill Plan.
Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News February 1874, 14th August 1926.
Bucks Herald - 19th June 1886, 8th December 1888
Berkshire Chronicle 15th April 1826, 19th March & 14th May 1831, 23rd September 1871, 3rd February 1872
Country Life 19th April 1919
Dundee Evening Echo 8th December 1897
Galignani's Messenger - the spirit of the English" qv Paris, May 5 1826 - digitised by Google and accessed May 2021.
Gloucestershire Echo February 13th 1934.
Henley Advertiser 13th May 1871
John Bull 28th April 1826
London Gazette 25th October 1814
Maidenhead Advertiser May 28th & 27th October 1884, June 16 1886, 5th December 1888, 8th October 1890, 23rd May 1894
Morning Post 8th July 1897
Morning Leader 3rd November 1902
Newcastle Journal 23rd December 1916
Reading Mercury 5th February 1798, 13th June 1831, 19th February 1876, 6th January 1917
Sporting Life 29th April 1882
South Bucks Standard 6th February 1891, 20th May & 2nd December 1892, 11th August 1893, 18th June, 6th August & 10th December 1897, 28th December 1898, 20th April 1900, 10th October & 14th November 1902, 2nd June 1905, 12th March 1914, 2 November 1918
The Gentlewoman 12th July 1890
The Globe 3rd November 1902
Walthamstow and Leyton Guardian 7th December 1894.
Westminster Gazette - 8th December 1897
Windsor & Eton Express 15th April 1826, 6th June 1874
Kelly's Directory of Bucks, Berks & Oxon - 1911, 1913, 1915, 1920.
Ordnance Survey map 1876.
Wilson, David Gordon - The Middle Thames, Spurs Books 1977.
South Bucks Free Press 1st & 15th May 1867.
© MarlowAncestors
