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Shirle Hill Cottage, Cherry Tree Road Nether Edge


duckweed

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Can someone tell me if this cottage is still in existence, or if not, at least where it was? It is said to have been the home of artist Theophilus Smith in 1871.

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The census for 1871 shows Shirle Hill Cottage, Cherry Tree Road - next to Prospect House, Cherry Tree Lane - though I can't find the junction between Road and Lane on any maps

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Cherry Tree Lane is now Union Road. Problem being that the area changed a lot in 1860s after John Brown moved out of Shirle Hill. Some of the estate was broken up into smaller portions and built on. Newspaper article re sale of Shirle Hill estate does mention cottages but not a specific Shirle Hill Cottage.

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Hi Duckweed

Don't know if you're still interested in Shirle Hill Cottage, but if you've got any further with your enquiries I'd be very pleased to hear what you have learned. I'm keen to know more, as we're currently looking at the artists who lived in Nether Edge in the early years. As it happens, not only did Theophilus Smith live at the cottage, but also William Poole, portrait painter. Census Returns and Directories indicate the Mr Poole lived at Shirle Hill for over 20 years. White's Directory of 1862 places him in Shirle Hill Cottage.

(I'd post the extract, but I've only just joined the site and haven't got round to working out how to post images - yet!)

Curiously Poole moved from Shirle Hill to Oakdale Road at about the time that Theophilus moved in. Theophilus then moved, as I'm sure you are aware, from Shirle Hill to Oakdale Road a few years later and the 2 were close neighbours.

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I haven't got any further. Seen some examples of Smith's work online. Husband's direct ancestor lived Oakdale road but he was no artist.

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Hi again Duckweed - I think I may have finally located Shirle Hill Cottage.  

In 1988 Nether Edge Neighbourhood Group published a booklet entitled "They lived in Sharrow and Nether Edge".  Page 34 relates to Theophilus Smith and mentioned that  "he lived at 21 Cherry Tree Road, then known as Shirle Hill Cottage, but now called Lamorna".  I'm off out shortly to see what I can see!

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It would appear that Shirle Hill Cottage is indeed still there at 21 Cherry Tree Road and not surprisingly perhaps, directly opposite Shirle Hill, which was built in 1809.  I need to do some more work to confirm it, but it's looking pretty good.  Incidentally William Poole moved out and Theophilus moved in in 1869.  WP went to 5 Oakdale Road and TS moved into 25 Oakdale Road 5 years later.

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