BRIEF HISTORY OF OWNERSHIP

This is mainly taken from Deeds preserved at Stanford House and abstracts made by Miss WALKER, Archivist to Central Public Library, Sherwood Street in 1862.

1684 - The first mention found of a house on this site. It was then sold by Robert EGGINGTON, mercer, and his mother Mary and at that time was occupied by Joseph HOLDEN, Gent. The 'EGGINGTON family' has owned property from, at least 1587. In 1643 three members of the EGGINGTON family paid assessments for property in Castle Gate: Mistris EGGINGTON £1 10s.0d. Brownloe EGGINGTON £1 0s.0d. Robert EGGINGTON £1 0s.0d.

It was sold by the EGGINGTON family to John DAND Esp., for £110 5s.0d. (*5/- to Mary EGGINGTON). On the south (or south east) side there was a garden and this or a small paddock, is mentioned until 1760. Until after the Enclosure Act of 1845 - not implemented until the 1860's - the house would have a wonderful south view over the Meadows to the Trent. In 1696 a brewhouse, washhouse and other buildings were erected and this was probably the date when the house was "new built" as mentioned in 1701 and John DAND actually lived in it. John DAND was probably connected with the DANDS of Mansfield Woodhouse but when he remarried in 1681 was of St.Mary's Parish Nottingham (19 Castle Gate was in St. Nicholas' Parish).

* /- was the sign to denote shillings - therefore 5 shillings would be written 5/-.

1701 - Three daughters of John DAND and his widow sold the property for £650 to Thomas MANSFIELD of Nottingham, Gent. He lived in the house, but was one of the MANSFIELDS of West Leake. His sone, another Thomas MANSFIELD of West Leake sold the property to Thomas BENNETT of Welby, Leics., for £550 but agreeing to pay off £1000 charged on the premises. Chiverton HARTOPP inherited the property. He had married Catherine daughter of the second Thomas MANSFIELD at ST. Mary's in 1727, was a major in the Duke of Kingston's Light Horse during the 1745 rebellion and was also deputy governor of Plymouth in the same year. The Corportation of Nottingham gave him the Freedom of the town in 1740 because of his eminent services "against the Rebels in the Northern part of this United Kingdom". When his Aunt Elizabeth BENNETT died in 1751 he succeeded to the manor of Welby and also to the property in Castle Gate. He was living there in 1752 and may have been occupying it even earlier.

In 1755 he was fined 6d. for *"froing Durt on High Ways" in "Casselgate". He had two daughters Catherine the Elder who married James Modyford HEYWOOD of Maristowe, Devon, and whose daughter Sophia married John MUSTERS of Colwick; Mary the younger who married Richard HOWE of Langar in 1758. Richard HOWE later became Admiral Earl HOWE (Black Dick) of the battle of 'theGlorious First of June in 1794'. This is the reason that 19 Stanford Street has been said to be the town house of the HOWES of Langar - quite incorrectly. Chiverton HARTOPP died on 2^nd April 1759 and by July 17^th 1759 arrangements for the sale of the house had been made. Lady HOWE may have lived there for a short time after she married but by right of her father than that of the HOWES.

* For "throwing dirt on (the) Highways" in "Castle Gate."

The bundle of Deeds contain lists of fixtures in the house including seven marble chimney pieces and there is also a list of household goods sold. The rooms mentioned vary in the two lists. These come from the list of fixtures. New Room, Drawing Room, Street Parlour, Kitchen, Servants Hall, Larder Necessary House, House Keeper's Room, Butler's pantry - all presumably on the ground floor (other list has a Booting Room). Then presumably on the first floor there were the Tapestry Chamber, Green Chamber, Dressing Room, Street Chamber, Yellow Room, Closet in top of the stairs, study. Then right at the top were the papered Garret and the New Garrett. The list concludes in this order: The Brewhouse, Laundry, Red Room, Corn Chamber, Garret over the Red Room, Chicken house, Stables and summer house. The other list ends with the Garden and Cellars.

1760 - The two daughters of Chiverton HARTOPP and their husbands (the other way round in the Deeds of course) sold the house and several messuages (probably small houses) in Greyfriars Gate otherwise Lister Gate, and in Rosemary Lane, otherwise Narrow Lane (near St. Nicholas Church) for £2450 to Valentine STEAD of Halifax, Yorks., merchant. He had Nottingham connections for a Valentine STEAD apothecary, presumably his father was living in Nottingham in 1723 when he married and Valentine STEAD junior married Anne, daughter of the Hon. Colonel Edward POLE on Nottingham in 1753. The Valentine STEAD who bought the house died in 1761 and in his Will requested his wife "to continue to reside in my messuage in Castle Gate". She married again (William STEAD of Wanstead, Essex".

1775 - Her son sold all the property to William STANFORD of Brewhouse Yark, silk merchant for £2,650. He and his brother Thomas had been apprentices to their uncle William ELLIOTT who discovered a superior technique of dyeing and finishing black silk stockings. William was first a dyer stocking trimmer and silk merchant and then added cotton spinning to his interests, going into partnership with his son-in-law John BURNSIDE. The family became wealthy and William STANFORD probably inherited part of his uncle's fortune as in 1792 he changed his name to William ELLIOTT and his two sons also cotton spinners changed their names in 1796 to William ELLIOTT and John ELLIOTT.

William STANFORD completely remodelled or more probably rebuilt 19 Castle Gate after 1775 (possibly between then and 1785 - but the date is unknown). William lived in the house probably until his death in 1796 and John followed him. The property however was cut into as in 1801 warehouses had been "lately erected" on the site of the stables and outbuildings. John died in 1823 and William in 1843 (but the latter lived at Gedling) and their property passed to their nephews Rev. John BURNSIDE rector of Plumtree 1816-64, and William Stanford BURNSIDE.

1853 - The BURNSIDES sold it to George RAWSON for £3,000 but the property was even more curtailed then as a new street had been laid out to be called Stanford Street immediately to the west.

John MORLEY a lace manufacturer lived in the house after John ELLIOTT died but his length of tenancy is unknown, as the house was unoccupied when the Conveyance was drawn up 29^th September, 1853.

Probably later in 1853 or early in 1854 Mrs. TREFFRY moved her school for ladies into 19 Castle Gate. Mrs. Ann Eliza * TEFFRY had been occupying part of Plumptre House, Stoney Street, until it was bought by the BIRKINS in 1853 for demolition so that lace warehouses could be erected. She stayed at 19 Castle Gate until just after 1871 occasionally describing her school as a "Boarding and Day School".

1872 - It was sold to Joseph SPENDLOVE described at first as a manufacturer of muslin embroidery, then a manufacturer and embroiderer and finally as a manufacturer of art, needlework. He did not live in the house but used it as a warehouse and might even have had part of it as a workship (but I am not certain of that). He was still using 19 Castle Gate in 1915 but from 1916 until after 1925 (no directory of 1926 or 1927 available) L.E. & M.F. RATCLIFF, lace manufacturers had it, presumably as a lace warehouse.

In 1928 it was bought by Robert BARBER & Sons, Solicitors who still own it.

SUMMARY

1684 - EGGINTON to John DAND who built a new house before 1701.

1701 - Sold to Thomas MANSFIELD of Nottingham.

1719- Sold to Thomas BENNETT of Welby, Leics.

1751 - Inherited by Chiverton HARTOPP who may have lived in it previously.

1760 - Sold to Valentine STEAD.

1775 - Sold to William STANFORD. Later ELLIOTT.

1853 - Sold to Joseph SPENDLOVE.

1928 - Sold to Robert BARBER & Sons.

THE ARCHITECTURE

The majority of architectural historians who have either written or spoken to me about the house consider that it was entirely rebuilt just after 1775, but one comments that the window heystones of Castle Gate front are totally out of harmony with the Adam type façade and resemble those of Bromley House, Angel Row built in 1752 so wonders if the street façade was altered and not completely rebuilt.

However, as I have said, the others think this façade and the rest of the house was rebuilt in the Adam style of his later period. There is no evidence at all that Adam designed it but whoever did so was under his influence and was extremely able. Gwydyr House in Whitehall built in 1772) illustration in the Age of Adam, James LEES - Milne, Batsford - but see Pevsner (Buildings of England, Penguin, London Vol.1 for correct date) has a doorway very similar to 19 Castle Gate, split windows at the side, somewhat similar columns and a Venetian window above.

It is a fine red brick house with stucco and stone dressings including plinth, quoins, window arches with keystones, cornice and panelled parapet. The centre just slightly forward and this contains the best features of the façade; the door and Venetian window both definitely in the Adam Style. The flanking door columns have slit windows between them and above is an entablature decorated with an ox skull hung amidst garlands and flowers. Above this is a central pediment. The most graceful three-light window has Ionic columns and above is a large fan. Below all the first floor windows are balustrades. The side door in Stanford Street has a good wooden doorcase. The rear elevation is also very typical of Adam - a semicircular bow on the façade.

The interior is even more remarkable, the hall originally extended to the vestible going directly on the terrace and garden. The columns have typical Adam capitals (Egyptian type) like those of the front door. Drawing room on the left - splendid. The decoration is derived from Adam town houses and is very beautiful. The marble fire places are almost certainly not the ones described in the 1759/60 inventory of fixtures. Mahogany doors, very high standard of joinery with a fine balance. The two original staircases met on the landing.

GILL (1912 THOROTON Transactions p.69) states that the balustrade consists of an elegant polished mahogany handrail carried on ebony bauster 3/4in square set 3in apart.

The first floor has a superb feature, a gallery corresponding to hall and vestibule below - once open - no divisions at all - fine views to meadows. The architectural historian I mentioned in the first paragraph thought Mr. BARBER's room, apart from the fireplace, was in essence, slightly earlier than the late 18^th century - ceiling rather low - simple moulding.

A friend of mine sums up the interior:

Page design © Sue Kay 1999.