Named after the powerful nobility – Isabella Place

isabella place combe down 300x118
Isabella Place, Combe Down

As well as tidying up some issues with navigation I have spent some time finding out more about Isabella Place. About building Isabella Place and its builders William Harrold (1750 – 1817), a carpenter, and William Butler (1756 – 1846), a victualler.

Isabella Place, like Claremont House, 113 – 117 Church Road and Hopecote (originally 1 – 3 Claremont Buildings) was built about 1805. 

What is not clear is whether there was anything there before. If one looks at the rear of the houses in Isabella Place it is fairly clear that the present buildings are not the original buildings. The original buildings appear to be a terrace of five 2 up, 2 down cottages that were extended and re-fronted.

Peter Addison says in Around Combe Down (ISBN: 9780948975486) that “it is quite likely that they were originally built in the 1770s…” but is clear there is no evidence of this. Indeed there is the opposite, possible evidence that they did not exist then.

Collinson’s History of Somerset, published in 1791 says:

"On the summit of Combe Down....is a neat range of buildings belonging to this parish. It consists of 11 houses built of wrought stone raised on the spot, each of which has a small garden in front. They were originally built for the workmen employed in the quarries but are now chiefly let to invalids from Bath, who retire hither for the sake of a very fine air (probably rendered more salubrious by the plantation of firs), from which many have secured essential benefit."
part of interview with old john greenway bath chronicle and weekly gazette thursday 19 march 1896 300x243
Part of interview with ‘Old John’ Greenway – Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette – Thursday 19 March 1896

We can also read an interview with ‘Old John’ Greenway, a stonemason, published in Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette on Thursday 19 March 1896. ‘Old John’ was 94 at the time and had lived on Combe Down since he was an infant and in the same house (in Rock Cottages on Rock Lane) on Combe Down for 67 years since 1829.

He states clearly that that by the early 1800s there were “only 13 cottages besides the houses in the Old Rank” (De Montalt Place).

We know that Cornwallis Maude 1st Viscount Hawarden had agreed on 23rd April 1800 with Messrs. Harrold and Butler to build Isabella Place but he died in August 1803.

We also know that he had real money troubles. It’s just possible that the original design was for a terrace of five 2 up, 2 down cottages but that, after he died and his heirs had to deal with his debts and sold Isabella Place to William Harrold and William Butler, the design was changed to appeal more to the middle classes. Perhaps we will never know.

Two things stand out. The relatively large houses in Isabella Place were used as schools and boarding or lodging houses for much of the 19th century.

For example there was Mrs. Armytage’s Ladies’ Boarding & Day School as well as Miss Holbook’s school and Mrs. Battely’s preparatory school. In 1883 Frederick Daniel Riddle at 3 Isabella Place and James Miner at 4 Isabella Place were both running lodging houses according to Kelly’s Directory.

There are some interesting people. Rosa Robinson (née Pyne) (1829 – 1901) the widow of George Augustus Robinson (1791 – 1866) George Robinson was known better as Black Robinson, Protector of Aboriginals. Thomas Towill Treffry (1809 – 1886) may be related to the Treffry family of Fowey. If this is so he was related to Charles Stanley Monck, Baron Monck of Ballytramon, an executor of the will of Cornwallis Maude 1st Viscount Hawarden. Ellen Julia Hambridge (1853 – 1932) and Mary Hambridge (1855 – 1940) were the daughters of Francis Henry Hambridge (b. 1826) who was a brewer. When Mary Hambridge died she left £85,000 which is equal to about £11,750,000.00 today. Then there are the Wood family who had 3 sons Peter C Wood (b. 1920), David James Wood (1923 – 2009), Michael George Wood (1923 – 1944) involved in the 2nd World War.

Related Images:

author avatar
thecassyput Founder
Experience   Prior to Now, Founder, 2013 - Present - Local history research and Wₑbₛᵢₜₑ & bₗₒg ₐbₒᵤₜ Cₒₘbₑ DₒwSeₑₒₚₗₑ, bᵤᵢₗdᵢₙgₛ, ᵢₙₛₜᵢₜᵤₜᵢₒₙₛ ₒᵥₑᵣ ₜₕₑ ₗₐₛₜ ₂₅₀ yₑₐᵣₛ₊. #cₒₘbₑdₒwₙ #ₘₒₙₖₜₒₙcₒₘbₑ #ₚᵣᵢₒᵣₚₐᵣₖ #ₗₒcₐₗₕᵢₛₜₒᵣy #ₜwᵢₜₜₑᵣₛₜₒᵣᵢₐₙₛWₑbₛᵢₜₑ & bₗₒg ₐbₒᵤₜ Cₒₘbₑ Dₒwₙ ₚₑₒₚₗₑ, bᵤᵢₗdᵢₙgₛ, ᵢₙₛₜᵢₜᵤₜᵢₒₙₛ ₒᵥₑᵣ ₜₕₑ ₗₐₛₜ ₂₅₀ yₑₐᵣₛ₊. #cₒₘbₑdₒwₙ #ₘₒₙₖₜₒₙcₒₘbₑ #ₚᵣᵢₒᵣₚₐᵣₖ #ₗₒcₐₗₕᵢₛₜₒᵣy #ₜwᵢₜₜₑᵣₛₜₒᵣᵢₐₙₛ   Member Board Of Trustees & Director, Museum of Bath Stone - (Combe Down Stone Legacy Trust) Nov 2017 - Apr 2018 6 mos The Museum of Bath Stone tells the story of Combe Down Stone, the material from which the Georgian City of Bath was built and Ralph Allen, the man behind the enterprise. Non executive director Innovecom - Mar 2002 - Dec 2017 15 yrs 10 mos. IT and ebusiness.   Director, E-CRM Solutions - Feb 1999 - Jan 2014 15 yrs. Internet and direct marketing agency dealing with SME clients.Internet and direct marketing agency dealing with SME clients usaing coding partners in Sofia, Bulgaria.   Non Executive Chairman, Innovantage - Mar 1999 - Aug 2012 · 13 yrs 6 mos Recruitment information.   Managing Director, Person to Person Services Ltd - 2002 - 2004 · 2 yrs London, United Kingdom and Canada Set up.   Partner & Director RPM Business Strategies & Solutions - 1997 - 2002 5 yrs Implementation consultancy.   Chief Executive Officer, CGA Group - 1996 - 1997 1 yr Turnround and £20m MBO in insurance.   Non Executive Director, Firstline Insurance -1996 - 1997 1 yr Bermuda captive insurance company.   Director, Oriel Group plc -1994 - 1996 2 yrs. Insurance broker.   General Manager, Royal Insurance -1987 - 1994 7 yrs. Created major direct insurer. Chairman, The Insurance Service plc - 1987 - 1994 7 yrs Set up and ran. Managing Director, Cavendish Insurance plc - 1987 - 1994 7 yrs Set up and ran.   Vice President, Director of Business Development, Citibank - 1986 - 1987 1.5 yr Created JV with Storehouse. Marketing Director, Storecard -1986 - 1987 1.5 yr. Set up and grew.   Marketing Director, Welbeck Finance plc -1981 - 1985 4 yrs. Created marketing machine.   Marketing Executive, American Express, -1978 - 1981 3 yrs. Doubled UK Corporate Card division.   Sales Executive, Sherry House Ltd. 1974 - 1976 2 yrs Represented international brands to major accounts.   Cellar & Shop Manager Pearl Vintners -1972 - 1974 2 yrs. Shipped and bottled wine imports, ran wholesale and direct distribution & onsite retail outlet.   Resort Representative, Martlet Travel - 1970 - 1971 · 1 yr. Brighton and Jersey, Telemarketing Adviser for holidays then Resort Representative   Founder Member: Institute of Direct Marketing. Member: Chartered Institute of Marketing. Chartered Management Institute. The Marketing Society. Association of MBAs. Institute of Directors. Also: Member of (B.) D.M.A.Council for 5 years. Member of D.M.C. (now I.D.M.) Council for 5 years. External Examiner for (B.) D.M.A. Diploma for 3 years. Helped to found the Telephone Preference Service. Entrepreneur then retired family man with a real interest in local history