1 Holywell Street probably dates from the seventeenth century. It is owned by Merton College (as are all the houses on the north side running west to No. 20 on the east corner of Mansfield Road).
It is a Grade II Listed Building (1047263) with the following description:
GV 2. House. Probably re-cased late in C18; the earlier building may be C17, judging from east wall. Three storeyed stuccoed rubble on an ashlar base with cellars. The dressings are also of ashlar. As a centre-piece in the ground and first floors is a front doorway in stucco with coved imposts and a semi-circular arch, over which is a moulded stone bracketed hood. Above this is a slightly projection projecting stone moulded frame to a sash window with a pediment and scrolled consoles to the architrave. There is plain coping at the top of the parapet. Modern brick stacks. Five sash windows with glazing bars in stone frames, architraves and cills. For drawing made in 1822 by J C Buckler showing the then exterior, see Bodl. MS Don a.3 II. 3l.
Mrs Nicholes is listed as living here in the 1772 Survey of Oxford, but she died soon afterwards, and a forthcoming auction at her house “on the Corner of Holiwell" of her furniture was advertised on 7 August 1773.
The 1876 OS map (left) shows how vast the grounds of this house were by this date, with enormous pleasure gardens, complete with two fountains, stretching to the north west. The large extra square of garden incorporated to the north was the former Holywell Bowling Green.
In about 1800 Samuel Wilson Bishop, a London merchant, retired to this house. His fourth son, Charles Joseph Bishop (1794–1838), obtained his D.Med. from the University of Oxford in 1826 and practised as a physician here until his untimely death from a cerebral haemorrhage on 9 December 1838.
In 1842 in Gloucestershire, Mrs Bishop married her second husband, the surgeon Thomas Richard Fisher, Surgeon to the Radcliffe Infirmary, and they appear to have spent some time at this house and some on the premises of his practice in Cornmarket. After the suicide of her second husband on 4 November 1846, Mrs Fisher remained here with children from both her marriages. She died here on 20 February 1898 at the age of 89.
1 Holywell Street in the censuses
1841
No listing, but this appears to have still been the home of the widow Mrs Elizabeth Copeland Bishop and her four children: Ann Bessy Bishop (b.1833), Charles William Bishop (b,1834), Mary Ellen Bishop (b.1835), and Martha Grace MacLean Bishop (born posthumously in 1839). She was living at this time with her father, Charles Tawney, in Paradise Street.
1851
Mrs Elizabeth Copeland Fisher (40), formerly Mrs Bishop and now widowed a second time, was living here with her three daughters from her first marriage (Ann Bishop (18), Mary Bishop (15), and Grace Bishop (11) and three from her second marriage (Arthur Thomas Fisher (7), Emily Bishop Fisher (6), and Frances Tawney Fisher (4). The family had two servants: a governess and three servants.
1861
Mrs Elizabeth Copeland Fisher (51), was still living here with three of her daughters from her first marriage – Anne Bishop (27), Mary Bishop (25), and Martha Bishop (21) – and the two surviving children from her second marriage – Arthur Fisher (17) and Emily Fisher (16). The family now had a governess and four domestic servants.
1871
Miss Mary Bishop (34), described as a “dividend receiver” and the daughter of the householder [Mrs Fisher], was living here with her Oxford-born nephews Herbert Walton (7) and Walter Walton (4). The family still had five servants: a governess, lady's maid, cook, housemaid, and footman.
1881
Mrs Elizabeth Copeland Fisher (71) was still living here, this time with her unmarried daughter Mary Bishop (45), and both are described as stock & share holders. Also living with her was her grandson Walter E. B. Walton (16), who was at school; her widowed sister Martha C. Tannard (67), who was also a stock & share holder; and her unmarried companion Elizabeth A. Collins (55). They had three servants (a cook, a housemaid, and a butler).
1891
Mrs Elizabeth Copeland Fisher (81) was still living here with her companion Miss Elizabeth Collins (66) plus four servants (a cook, housemaid, kitchenmaid, and footman).
1901
Sir Charles Arthur Roe (59), a widower retired from the Indian Civil Service, lived here with his married daughter Margaret Langworthy (29). He had four servants (a cook, parlourmaid, housemaid, and kitchenmaid).
1911
Sir Charles Arthur Roe (69) still lived here, this time with his unmarried niece Florence Penny and three servants.
1921
Sir Charles Arthur Roe (79) again with his nieces Elizabeth, Florence, and Emily Penny and their two servants (a cook and parlourmaid).
1939 Register
Winifred B. Holroyd is listed here with Emilie & Elizabeth Wellesz and Frederic & Frieda Burschell.
Occupants of 1 Holywell Street listed in directories etc. |
||
1758 |
Mr Whistler |
|
1772 |
Mrs Nicholes |
|
1830 |
Charles Bishop |
|
1846 |
No listing |
|
1851–1896 |
Mrs Elizabeth Fisher (formerly Mrs Bishop) |
|
1899 |
No listing |
|
1901–1927 |
Sir Charles Arthur Roe, M.A., LL.D. |
|
1928–1931 |
Arthur Ernest Cowley, M.A., D.Litt., F.B.A. |
|
1933–1940 |
Michael Holroyd, M.A. |
|
1941–1945 |
St Hugh’s College House |
|
1947–1976 |
Holywell House (Private Hotel) Later just listed as the Holywell Hotel |
|
1974 |
Change of use from private hotel to college annexe (74/00256/A_H) |
|
Today |
Merton College annexe |
|