No. 53: Part of Blackwell’s
No. 53 is a Grade II Listed Building dating from the mid-eighteenth century (List Entry No. 1369354) and is in St Mary Magdalen parish.
The original house on this site passed into the hands of the city in 1569 and they granted the following leases:
- 1616: Elizabeth Bold, widow
- 1640: Thomas Foster of the Inner Temple
- 1654, 1663/4: Richard Smith, cook
- 1678: Henry Stripling
- 1702: Thomas Seely, barber
- 1716: Thomas Finmore, victualler
- 1730, 1744: Daniel Shilfox, tailor, and to his widow Elizabeth Shilfox in 1758
The present building dates from the mid-eighteenth century. had the following lessees in the first half of the nineteenth century:
- 1772, 1786, 1800: Eliz. Seely, widow
- 1814: Samuel Collingwood, printer (in his occupation)
- 1828:
Samuel Collingwood’s lease renewed
(in occupation of Rev. Burton) - 1842:
John Collingwood and Joseph Parker (executors of Samuel
Collingwood Esq.)
(occupied by Mrs Lloyd)
It is separated from the main Blackwell's shop to the east by the White Horse pub
Samuel Collingwood was the Superintendent of the University Press, which until 1832 was just across the road in the Clarendon Building; he retired after 36 years in the post in 1838. G. V. Cox in his Recollections of Oxford wrote of him:
“A.D. 1841. JAN 1. Died Mr. Collingwood, the Superintendent of the University Press. It was a proof of the liberality of the University, that its chief printer was known to be a zealous Dissenter. He was an accomplished, amiable, and good man, as well as an excellent printer, in which character, from the liberal share of the profits granted to him by the University, he accumulated a considerable fortune. His widow was his fourth wife; or, as he used to say, his “fourth edition”.
The next occupant was the widow Mrs Mary Lloyd. Her husband was Charles Lloyd, Bishop of Oxford, who had died in May 1829, and she probably moved here in 1830, as she is listed under Broad Street in Pigot's Directory for that year, and continues to be listed at 53 Broad Street under the “Gentry” lists in directories until her death. She was at home here with four daughters and others at the time of the 1841 census, and again in the 1851 census, when she was a widowed annuitant of 62 living with her daughter Eliza (22) and their housekeeper, cook, housemaid, and footman. She died in December 1857, and the following advertisement appeared in Jackson’s Oxford Journal on 12 February 1859:
A VERY DESIRABLE
UNIVERSITY RESIDENCE
No. 53, BROAD STREET, OXFORD.
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION,
By Messrs T. MALLAM and SON,
At the King’s Arms Hotel, on Tuesday the 15th day of February 1859, at Three o’clock.—The RESIDENCE of the late Mrs. M Lloyd, No. 53, Broad-street, well situate, being nearly opposite the principal University Buildings.
The Premises comprise a breakfast room, hall, dining room, kitchen, and offices, on the ground floor; elegant drawing room and two bed rooms on the first floor, four bed rooms on the second floor, and two attics and store room over; wine and beer cellars in the basement, garden, and servants’ offices, with separate entrance to the same.
This property is held by lease under the City of Oxford for a term of 40 years, from March 25th, 1856, at a yearly Rent of £2 2s. 6d., and Capon Monday 4s.; Land-Tax.
At the time of the 1861 census this house was occupied by George Rawlinson, the Camden Professor of Ancient History, his wife and eight children, and four servants. Another child was born here to the family on 10 April 1866. The family is listed at this house in the 1871 census, but they probably moved out when he was appointed Canon of Canterbury in 1872.
William Slay, a college bedmaker, kept a boarding house here from about 1874, and Arthur John Evans (later Keeper of the Ashmolean) lodged here from about 1874 to 1878 (see Joan Evans, Time and Chance (1943), p. 182. At the time of the 1881 census there were no boarders as it was out of term, but Slay was here with his wife, seven sons, and a baby daughter. Notwithstanding his relatively humble position, he had four live-in servants himself: a cook, housemaid, kitchenmaid, and nursemaid. An advertisement in Jackson's Oxford Journal of a forthcoming auction of his “superior household furniture” on 24 July 1886 stated that he was then moving out.
Miss Mary Ann Lockwood moved here in 1887 when Blackwell's expanded into her former shop and home at No. 53. The 1891 census shows her running a lodging house here and living with her were her niece Gertrude Webb (22) who was a governess and her nephew Henry Lockwood (12). She had a general servant and a houseboy.
The 1901 census shows the ophthalmic surgeon Robert Doyne (44) living here with his wife Gertrude, his nephew Philip Adams (21), who was a medical student, and their servant.
By 1911 Robert Doyne's nephew Philip Adams had his medical practice here, and the 1911 census shows him occupying the thirteen rooms in the house with his wife Margery and their two young children, plus three servants. In 1916 the University of Oxford appointed Adams the Margaret Ogilvie Reader in Ophthalmology.
In 1919 Trinity College purchased the garden of this house to form part of the site of their library and its rose garden.
The 1921 census shows the ophthalmic surgeon Philip Adams (42) living in the ten rooms here with his wife Marjorie and their three children plus three servants (a cook, parlourmaid, and chauffeur/indoor servant).
In 1924 this house was granted by Oxford City Council to St Mary Magdalen Church in exchange for St George’s Church in George Street, which had become disused, and it served as their vicarage for the next twenty years. The vicarage doubled up as a doctors' surgery from 1929 to 1947. At the time of the 1939 Register the Vicar, Bartle Hack,was here with his housekeeper and servant, and Dr Mary Fraser lived separately in the building.
In 1946 Trinity College purchased the freehold of the building, thanks to a bequest from Mr C.B. Marriott, and it became part of the college, known as Marriott House. From 1954 to 1964 it was occupied by Alfred James Holladay, the Fellow Lecturer and Dean of Trinity College.
In 1964 the house had been damaged to such an extent by death-watch beetle that everything behind the street frontage had to be pulled down. Trinity rebuilt it with undergraduate rooms on the upper floor, but have let the ground floor to Blackwell’s since 1966.
|
Occupants of 53 Broad Street listed in directories |
|
1830–1857 |
Mrs Mary Harriott Lloyd, Gentry |
By 1860–1872 |
Revd George Rawlinson, Professor of Ancient History |
By 1875–1886 |
William Slay, Boarding house keeper |
1886–1899 |
Miss Mary Ann Lockwood, University lodgings |
1901–1909 |
Robert W. Doyne, FRCS, Surgeon |
1911–1922 |
Philip Edward H. Adams, MA, MB, DO Oxon, FRCS Eng |
1923–1947 |
Revd Bartle Starmer Hack, MA plus the following doctors: 1929-1930: Miss Dorothy Whitely,
BM, B.Ch. Oxon,Physician & Surgeon 1934–1945: Miss Victoria Smallpeice, MD, BS, MRCP Lond., Physician (consulting room) 1935–1947: Miss Mary Fraser, MD, BS Lond., Medical practitioner 1947: Mrs Eleanor J. Herrin, MD, BCh, DCH, Physician (consulting room) |
1954–1964 |
Alfred James Holladay, MA |
Since 1971 |
Part of Blackwell’s |