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| c.2022 |
This is our house pictured in 2022 where we've lived since 2001, but it was only four years ago now that we were inspired to research the history of our home after watching a documentary series called, 'A House Through Time' on BBC2, which examined the history of a single residential building in the city of Liverpool. As many will know, the program was presented by passionate historian, David Olusoga, who has gone on to film three further series, covering properties in Newcastle-upon-Time, Bristol and Leeds.
Whilst each house in the series has been somewhat older than our own, and often occupied by persons of significant influence and notoriety down the years we thought there could also be some history of interest in our own property, which was built in 1902. Having received the deeds for the house a couple of years ago that then opened up a wealth of information on which to base our research, which is referenced on various occasions throughout the blog.
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| Coronation Recreation Ground c.1902 |
The photo above show the recreation ground facing the back of Collison Avenue just before our house was built and around the time of its opening by the King. Eighteen years later, the below aerial shot was taken and shows our row of terraced houses at the bottom of the picture as well as a rather bare looking recreation area compared to how it appears today.
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| 1920 Coronation Pleasure Ground and the town centre |
A very brief chronology of the house's history taken from the property deeds, and which is explored further in the following pages is as follows: -
5th August 1902 the land was leased by Thomas Brindle (Furniture Dealer of Chorley) to John Richard Lucas (Joiner and Builder).
1902 The house was built and sold by John Richard Lucas to Mrs Ellen Balshaw on 7th November 1902
1920 Ellen Balshaw died and left the property to husband Richard Balshaw.
Oct 1922 Richard Balshaw sold house to Paul Parkinson.
1927 Richard Balshaw died (living at 7 Rotherwick Avenue) leaving will to Nellie Parkinson nee Withnell (his adopted daughter) wife of Paul Parkinson).
1936 Police Inspector Joseph Montgomery (b.17/1/1881 @ Co. Antrim) and his wife Ellen were in residence as tenants.
Aug 1936 Paul Parkinson re-mortgaged the property with £150 from Ada Thornley (a member of the family who ran the town's famous butchers).
1939 Police Constable Norman Bullivant and his wife Nellie were in residence as tenants.
Feb 1944 Paul Parkinson again re-mortgaged the property with £100 from Ada Thornley.
May 1946 Paul Parkinson's mortgage was cleared when he sold the house to the sitting tenants, Mr & Mrs Norman Bullivant.
6th November 1963 Mr (retired Sgt) & Mrs Bullivant sold the house to John and Rhoda Crook nee Blackburn and Miss Edith Winstanley (the older sister of Rhoda).
July 1979 Death of John Crook
May 1992 Death of Edith Winstanley
Mar 2001 Rhoda Crook sold the house to us.
...the rest is history!
