NEWSTEAD (continued)

Charles W. Hopley (1845-1882) merchant (H. Woodhead & Co.) was the next resident and from the 1876 L.W.L.B. rates book we see that he is the owner occupier - with his mother Mrs Mary Ann Hopley (c.1819-1886) living next door at Woodcroft. The 1881 census shows that Mr Hopley is a gentleman, born in Rio de Janeiro, age 36. His mother age 62, born Rawtenstall was living with him until he died on 11.11.1882 and she continued in residence until 1885.

During 1886 & 87 the house was empty, the owners being the exors. of C.W. Hopley, but in 1888 Miss Catherine Evans was the occupier - ownership remaining with Mr Hopley's exors. until 1906. In October 1888 the L.W.L.B. received a letter from J.H. Boult (? Joseph Boult the architect) suggesting they install a sewer in the road to drain all the houses, the Board replied that they were not prepared to do this at present. During Miss Evans' occupation alterations to the house (unspecified) are mentioned in the Minutes in 1889 and in 1890 Pain & Coard, civil engineers of Bebington wrote about the drains of the house and were told that the owner must provide a cesspool and empty it from time to time. In 1891 Miss Evans married S. Jebb Scott, a surgeon, and they moved away.

From 1892-1898 Captain Charles E. Terry lived here and from the Minutes we learn that he was having a room enlarged over an ashpit to make a tool house, the work being carried out by Brown & Backhouse, building contractors, of Chatham Street.

In 1899 Alfred Hood, cotton broker lived here, staying till 1908, but in 1907 the owner becomes John Robert Collie, a cotton broker with A. & M. Ralli. In 1909 & 10 he is owner and occupier. In 1911 Collie remains the occupier but the ownership has now changed to Jebb Scott, the surgeon. (!) Collie appears in Gore until at least 1917 but by 1920 he had moved to Woolton Hill House.

In c.1920 Col. Arthur Braun, bought the house and it was from his widow that the present owner purchased the house in 1943.

continued . . .