Brandon Lodge
This page is one of several pages which are based on articles in our book entitled Royal Leamington Spa, A History in 100 Buildings which was published in 2018 and is no longer in print.
As part of the growth of Leamington Priors, Brandon Parade was set out in the 1830s on land originally belonging to Edward Willes of Newbold Comyn. Over the years, Brandon Lodge, Holly Walk was known as 10 Brandon Parade, 60 Holly Walk and Preston Lodge. By the 1840s, there were complaints about the ‘bad state’ of the road ‘after making the sewer,’ (– still not remedied by 1852), and Brandon Parade was considered ‘an undesirable area of town’ in 1850. Nonetheless, residents had moved into Brandon Lodge by 1849. In 1851, Brandon Lodge and Newstead House were the only two houses occupied in Brandon Parade. That same year, Thomas William Oldham attempted to sell plots in Brandon Parade but there were complaints at the prospect of “the proposed ill-considered plan for erecting stables, cart-sheds, and other buildings on a piece of land, near Brandon Parade.” The Coach House at the back of Brandon Lodge, went ahead nonetheless in William Street – named after the prominent town architect, William Thomas, who designed Brandon Parade. Thomas’ original plan was to build 6 villas in Brandon Parade but following the financial crisis in Leamington (1837 c.) not all were built. Brandon Lodge is now the only remaining ‘William Thomas’ house in Brandon Parade.
Dr. Thomas Willis, a widely experienced surgeon, his wife, Mary, two daughters and two servants lived at Brandon Lodge from about 1851. In 1852, Dr. Willis, and his neighbour, Rev. E. Clay, wrote a letter ‘complaining of nuisances [i.e. sewage] and the state of the road, near Brandon Parade, ’which was then referred to the surveyor to remedy.’ In April 1855, the doctor returned from the Crimea, where he had worked at the same hospitals as Florence Nightingale, and the following year moved to the Upper Parade. Mrs Willis died in 1856, prompting a move to Paddington in 1860, where Dr Willis then re-married.
Henry Dixon next moved into Brandon Lodge (1856-1859) followed by Miss Foster (1859-60) and then Mrs W J James (1859-61). In 1861, recently widowed Ellen Renshaw (nee Knight), aged only 23, was living at Brandon Lodge with her 3 infant children: Edith Ann (aged 1) and twins, James Ernest and William Charles Renshaw (3 months old), and several servants, including a total of four nurses, a Housemaid, a Butler, and a Cook. Ellen had only been married for three years when her husband James died just before the birth of his twin sons, at Brandon Parade. As the Renshaw’s first child, Edith (1860-1935) had been born in Manchester, this indicates that the family had only recently located to Leamington. James Ernest Renshaw and William Charles Renshaw (born 3 January 1861) were baptised at St Mary’s Church, Leamington and were to become Brandon Lodge’s most famous residents, ‘the first great stars of lawn tennis.’ The family moved to Cheltenham shortly afterwards. In 1870 Ellen married Edward Spencer Meara (1830-1886) in London, and went on to have two more children.
By 1862, the Misses Emily and Louisa Collinson, two of the ten children of the late Charles S and Maria Collinson originally from Sproughton, Suffolk, had moved from 7 Waterloo Place to Brandon Lodge, where they were to remain for the rest of their lives, – over forty years. The Collinson sisters, who lived on their own independent means, regularly donated to worthy causes in the town, including the Christmas Fund; and Louisa was proactive in the Leamington Provident Dispensary Committee. After Emily’s death in 1895, Louisa remained alone at 10 Brandon Parade. By 1901, she was 84 years old and living with two long-term servants, her Cook and Housemaid, a new Lady’s Maid and a second Housemaid.
Brandon Lodge was advertised for sale in 1897, including ‘large flower and kitchen gardens; [and] stabling for two horses, with Coach House.’ However, it seems that Louisa remained in the property until her death on 2 Apr 1903. Following probate, Louisa left £8578 13s 7d (over £2m today) to Louisa Henrietta Hardy and Brandon Lodge was again up for sale or let in June 1903.
Herbert Reginald Oldham Carter, a Captain in the 6th Battalion, Worcester Regiment, subsequently moved in (1905-06). Brandon Lodge, still known as 10 Brandon Parade, reappeared for sale on 10 May 1907.
From 1908, Albert Lewis Wagstaff (1864-1931) lived at 60 Holly Walk. He married Amelia Roddis (1867- 1959) on 4 Oct 1892, in Preston Deanery, Northamptonshire. Their two children, Albert John Francis and Isabel Prudence May, were born in Leamington. For a number of years, the house was then known as Preston Lodge, perhaps because of Amelia’s connection with Preston Deanery.
Albert was a Leamington Fruitier, Italian Warehouseman and Wine Merchant, originating from Southam. He traded at 68 Regent Street, in partnership with Edward Crump, until 1886; and then as ‘Wagstaff and Russell’ at 56, The Parade, with Sydney Russell, until 1927. Albert continued to trade in the town but it seems that he went bankrupt shortly after moving out of Preston Lodge.
During the period 1913-1917, Preston Lodge was occupied by A F Radford Corget & his spouse, now with the benefit of a telephone, Number 459. After the war (1919-1920), Arthur Kitson lived there with his wife – although he was not very happy when thieves absconded with his precious rose tree from his front garden. He offered a huge £10 reward to catch the culprits.
Brandon Lodge welcomed further residents, including Edward Booth (1921-25), Guy John (1926-1953), Mrs Harper (1956), Ivor B Hampton (1959), Muspratt, 1959, Theobard Smith Douglas (1963-4) and L G Troup (1965–1974). In the mid-1980s, Brandon Lodge was extended and converted into offices.
REFERENCES
British Newspaper Archives
Cave, Lyndon F. (2009) Royal Leamington Spa: A History
Leamington Courier Newspapers
Leamington History Group: http://www.leamingtonhistory.co.uk
Leamington Street Directories
London Gazette
National Census 1841-1911
Willis, Irene Cooper, (granddaughter of Dr Willis), 1931, Florence Nightingale. Allen Unwin.
Stella Bolitho, 2018