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Postcard of Quorn - Multiview
This postcard contains six photographs and although they are small, the quality is such that when scanned and enlarged, they all still make excellent pictures.
The views are:
Top (left to right) - Quorn Hall, The Vicarage, Quorn House
Bottom (left to right) - Quorn Court, Quorn Hall, Westfield.
The photographer was William Shuttlewood who lived in Quorn with his wife and three children for a relatively short period - from about 1905 to about 1909. However he obviously enjoyed photography and Quorn owes him a great debt for the wonderful pictures he took. Many examples of his work can be found in the collection and his full story is told elsewhere on the site. This card was posted on 26th March 1906 and addressed to Miss N Spreag, The Girls Orphanage, Winchcombe Street, Cheltenham, Glos
The message reads:
I suppose you would like one of these. Mrs Woodward is on the step of Westfield, which is her house. Will write letter to Maud sometime.
Westfield was an impressive house set at right angles to the road. It is now 78 Loughborough Road (known as Westwood) and occupied by a firm of accountants.
In the early 1900s the house was occupied by John Hawkes Woodward, his wife Emily, son Hubert and three servants. The lady standing on the step is Emily. 17 years earlier, Hubert, then aged five, had laid one of the foundation stones at a ceremony at the Village Hall. John and Emily are buried in the Parish Churchyard.
The vicarage still exists, but is now part of Rawlins School. It looks very different without the thick covering of ivy. The vicar in 1906 was the Reverend Foord-Kelcey, so it is very likely that the lady standing by the door is his wife Frances. Her mother, Sarah Foord was also living with them, so it seems possible that Edward was born Edward Kelcey, but added his wife name at marriage. This was not uncommon, especially if a family name was in danger of dying out, or money was involved.
Quorn Court is now 26 High Street and has been turned into flats. It was originally built as a hunting box in 1746, but has been much altered over the years. At the time this picture was taken, the house was occupied by John Davys Cradock and his servants. The people by the door (5 or 6 of them), would appear to be the servants. The women look as if they are wearing aprons and the men are in their shirt sleeves with their hands on their hips.
Without stretching the imagination too far, it is quite likely that one of the men is Tom Long who worked as a gardener at Quorn Court for many years. When the grounds of Quorn Court were sold in the 1920s and the land used to build Cradock Drive, Spinney Drive, and Elms Drive, Tom Long had the first house ? now number 3 Spinney Drive. His daughter Phyllis lived there until her death in 1988. Tom Long is still remembered by some of the older villagers and his name lives on in Quorn with Tom Long's Meadow and Long Close.
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Submitted on: |
2009-08-10 |
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Submitted by: |
Sue Templeman |
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Artefact ID: |
496 |
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Artefact URL: |
www.quornmuseum.com/display.php?id=496 |
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Print: |
View artefact in printer-friendly page or just on its own (new browser tab). |
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