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Woodhill House


dunsbyowl1867

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I've passed it a few times myself walking around that area, but haven't looked into the history of it.

It isn't shown on Fairbank's map of 1795, but is there on the 1850s map. I would imagine it was built in the early 1800s when the Don Valley was still a pleasant prospect from there.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

Noticed this fairly grand house still nestling on the side of the hill overlooking what's left of Sheffield's industry.

Anyone know when it was built and any further history of the house?

http://www.picturesheffield.co.uk/cgi-bin/...jpgh/y01133.jpg

I can tell you that my grandfather's sister, Annie, and her husband Lewis James lived in this house around about 1900. They were married at Upper Langwith in 1896, Annie having previously been the housekeeper to the widowed Lewis James. Lewis J was in charge of the melting shop at John Brown's and he hailed from South Wales, although I think he arrived in Sheffield via the Teesside area, where there were links with Sheffield steel manufacturing.

Lewis and Annie James moved out of this house in about 1913 when Lewis retired, and they lived in a village not far from Retford.

I do believe that my grandfather may have spent some time at this house after he followed his sister from Langwith, and before he met and married my grandmother, Annie Johnson, in 1908.

I assume the house may have belonged to another of the Brown's senior employees before it was acquired by Lewis James, and it may have subsequently passed back to another of Brown's men after 1913.

I have never been able to check the records for the house during the time that Lewis and Annie James lived there, but I would love to, for it would be interesting to know who was living there in, say, 1901, and to see whether any of Lewis James's children from his first marriage were still there. Indeed, I suppose it is possible that Lewis James was there at the time of the 1891 census.

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I can tell you that my grandfather's sister, Annie, and her husband Lewis James lived in this house around about 1900. They were married at Upper Langwith in 1896, Annie having previously been the housekeeper to the widowed Lewis James. Lewis J was in charge of the melting shop at John Brown's and he hailed from South Wales, although I think he arrived in Sheffield via the Teesside area, where there were links with Sheffield steel manufacturing.

Lewis and Annie James moved out of this house in about 1913 when Lewis retired, and they lived in a village not far from Retford.

I do believe that my grandfather may have spent some time at this house after he followed his sister from Langwith, and before he met and married my grandmother, Annie Johnson, in 1908.

I assume the house may have belonged to another of the Brown's senior employees before it was acquired by Lewis James, and it may have subsequently passed back to another of Brown's men after 1913.

I have never been able to check the records for the house during the time that Lewis and Annie James lived there, but I would love to, for it would be interesting to know who was living there in, say, 1901, and to see whether any of Lewis James's children from his first marriage were still there. Indeed, I suppose it is possible that Lewis James was there at the time of the 1891 census.

Is this your man ?

From Sheffield Indexers

James, Lewis (, manager).

Residing at 656 Grimesthorpe Road, in 1911.

Recorded in: Whites Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham - 1911.

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And on the 1901 Census ?

Lewis J James 11 Sheffield Yorks Sheffield Brightside Bierlow Juvenile

view census image Lewis James 39 Aberbey Monmouth Sheffield Brightside Bierlow Foreman ...

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

And on the 1901 Census ?

Lewis J James 11 Sheffield Yorks Sheffield Brightside Bierlow Juvenile

view census image Lewis James 39 Aberbey Monmouth Sheffield Brightside Bierlow Foreman ...

That's him, but doesn't the census give details of other people living at the house? By 1901 he and Annie would have been married about five years.

What would be interesting would be to know if any of Lewis James's family from his first marriage were still there. I would have thought so.

As I have said, it was in 1913 that Lewis James retired and moved to East Drayton (where they lived at the Old Vicarage). Somewhere I have a list of the children of Lewis and Annie, but I have no knowledge of the earlier children --and their names and ages would help towards trying to sort out a mystery that had its roots in the last months of the family's links with Woodhill or the first months of their time at East Drayton.

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That's him, but doesn't the census give details of other people living at the house? By 1901 he and Annie would have been married about five years.

What would be interesting would be to know if any of Lewis James's family from his first marriage were still there. I would have thought so.

As I have said, it was in 1913 that Lewis James retired and moved to East Drayton (where they lived at the Old Vicarage). Somewhere I have a list of the children of Lewis and Annie, but I have no knowledge of the earlier children --and their names and ages would help towards trying to sort out a mystery that had its roots in the last months of the family's links with Woodhill or the first months of their time at East Drayton.

Sorry I haven't got access - thats just a search result. Perhaps someone with An Ancestry sub can have a look for you for the full details. ;-)

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Hi 1891 census family living at 149 Ellesmere Road with 1st Wife Louisa, children and Mother in Law Elizabeth J Jones, Elizabeth and Louisa born in Cornwall.

1901 census living at Woodhill, with 2nd wife Annie and children; Elizabeth b 1885 Scotland, Lewis J b Sheffield 1890, Louise b 1892 Sheffield, Fred E b 1898 Sheffield and Wyndham b 1900

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Edward Vickers 'Old Sheffield Town'

'The house was built in the 18th Century, it was the home of Colonel Fenton, the Chief of the Militia during the stormy uprisings in Sheffield. From the front windows of Woodhill the Colonel could lookdown ove the fields and watch his troops being drilled, where now stands works and factories of busy, Industrial Sheffield.

the cottage that housed the Colonel's coachman still remains but this, withthe former stables and coach houses, are in a derelict condition.'

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Well.... the few years after 1795 would still count as 18th. century :) It definitely isn't shown on Fairbank's map of 1795.

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Guest philw53

Noticed this photograph of this fairly grand house nestling on the side of the hill overlooking Sheffield's industrial industry.

Anyone know when it was built and any further history of the house?

http://www.picturesheffield.co.uk/cgi-bin/...jpgh/y01133.jpg

The house is neither Wood Hill, nor 656 Grimesthorpe Road (which is a large semi, opposite Margate Drive, S4): it is in Grimesthorpe Road, on the corner of Torbay Road and was called Meadow Head on the 1853 map. Sheffield photo archive seems to have mis-named it as Wood Hill, which was further along and was demolished in about 1985 and is now being built over by (see Sheffield Council planning application numbers 08/01999/REM, 08/01990/REM and 08/01989/REM). Meadow Head is two houses and seems to have been shown as such in 1853, as the map appears to show a dividing line though the block and an entrance porch on either side (porches now gone), even though the garden is not shown as divided and has some elaborate landscaping, of which no trace remains. There is now a "Segal" eco-house in the lower part of the garden, built in 1990. Meadow Head is easily visible in Google Street view. I don't know who lived in either half of the house prior to the current occupants' predecessors.

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Roebuck and Smith it would appear ...

1833

George Roebuck Currier &c. 6 Castle Street; h. Meadow Head

Jonathan Roebuck Merchant and file, saw and edge tool manufacturer Hall Car Works, Saville Street; h. Meadow Head, Occupation Road

1837

George Roebuck Currier & leather cutter 7 Castle Street; h. Meadow Head

Jonathan Roebuck Merchant and file, saw and edge tool manufacturer Saville Street, Meadow Head

1849

George Roebuck Currier & leather cutter 13 Castle Street; h. Meadow Head

Thomas Smith & Co. Cotton & worsted machinery, iron & brass roller &c. manufacturers 40 Nursery Street; h. Meadow Head, Occupation Road

1852

George Roebuck Meadow Head, Occupation Road

Thomas Smith Coal owner, machine maker &c. h. Meadow Head

Welcome to the Site Philw53.

Occupation Road is the old name.

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