John George Jackson was born on 2nd February 1799, the son of Ralph Jackson and Eliza (nee Hopwood). He was baptised at St George’s Church in Hanover Square in London, the church where his parents had married. John married Emma Prichard, daughter of Bristol surgeon William Evans Prichard and Sarah Radford on 19th February 1835 … Read more
John Cundall, 1830 to 1889 John Cundall is a person who is not quite as well-known as he deserves to be; he was in fact an architect whose designs peppered the town of Royal Leamington Spa. They are buildings which mostly have a distinct air of belonging to the same family. They are mainly unashamedly … Read more
NOTE: This page is a revised and more comprehensive version of the subject than the previous page with a similar title and lists over 140 architects. Introduction Following the date when a village of simple cottages, a spring and a small church, named Leamington Priors, quite rapidly morphed into a burgeoning town from after 1800, … Read more
Frederick Foster (1851 to 1929, age 78) was born in North Marston near Winslow in Buckinghamshire on 25th January 1851; he was the eighth son of Joseph Foster who was a tenant farmer and the family is recorded as moving quite frequently from farm to farm. His Christian name is sometimes found written without a … Read more
This video about the story of a house in Priory Terrace by Janet Ainley was first made available at our virtual meeting on 22nd February 2021. Some glitches have been corrected and this new version can now be viewed on YouTube by clicking on the image
Frederick William Hobill Lee (about 1876 to 1954, aged 78) was the son of Frederick W Lee, a local builder of No 18 Clarendon Avenue. He was active as an architect in Leamington Spa from around 1898 to 1954 in a partnership with Harry Quick which was simply known as Quick & Lee. The other … Read more
Tachbrook Road was one of the early residential streets in Leamington, but it has changed character several times over the years. In 1893, Tachbrook Road included such smart addresses as Claremont Terrace, Eastnor Terrace and Park Place, where a Miss Collins ran her own school. Shrubland Hall (Home of Rev W G Wise, incumbent of … Read more
The Ambitious Stonemason (William Gascoyne’s rôle in the development of Royal Leamington Spa and a changing Construction Industry) This is a new book by LHG member Kevin Hunt, who lives in the Willes Road house built and owned by William Gascoyne. It is a novel based on facts uncovered during Kevin’s extensive research into the … Read more
Sherbourne Villa Once a large, elegant and detached building, Sherbourne Villa, stood on the corner of Sherbourne Terrace, Clarendon Street and Villiers Street. In 1938, planning permission was obtained to demolish the villa and replace with 4 houses: 17 and 17a Sherbourne Terrace and 2 houses in Villiers Street. Originally, Sherbourne Villa (later known … Read more
Charles Richard Burgis was descended from a line of traders in Oxfordshire going back to the late 17th century. Some of our Burgis ancestors were millers in Benson, and I have a certificate of Indenture of a James Burgess, dated 1761, from his apprenticeship to Henry Goodwin, a Tallow Chandler and Soap Boiler in Benson. … Read more
Now based in Whiteheads Court, Thorburns is Leamington’s oldest independent male outfitters, supplying traditional and modern menswear for all ages. The business was founded by an ambitious young draper and tailor from Scotland, James Thorburn, in 1880. He opened his first shop at 46 Clemens Street, – where at that time £4 would buy you … Read more
Contact the Secretary, Margaret Rushton: secretary@leamingtonhistory.co.uk
September 9, 2026
August 12, 2026