This section of the website is a "work-in-progress" repository for the research results of Nick Collin, your humble webmaster, into his own house, 16 Cloudesley Square, and related historical issues.

 

16 Cloudesley Square - a House Through Time

Immediately in front of Holy Trinity Church, 16 Cloudesley Square is a typical four story Georgian Islington terraced house, built for a middle class family, falling into rack and ruin towards the end of the 19th century, and remaining as a relatively run down, multi-occupancy dwelling until the 1980s when it was reborn as the bijou property it is today through the wonders of gentrification!  It has been home to the Collin family for the past 30 years and I've researched the following "House Through Time" synopsis.  Hope you enjoy it - Nick!

16 Cloudesley Square - a House Through Time - this lists all known occupants of No 16 with a narrative summarising the history of the house; you can click on links to bring up the stories of particular residents (see below) or jump to relevant articles elsewhere in this website.

You can also download below a more detailed "work-in-progress" spreadsheet with additional data in note form:

Download 16 Cloudesley Square Timeline

 

The following residents are sufficiently interesting to merit their own articles:

John Emmett - the original builder who went on to live just across the Square at No 1.

George Snell - a boarder who ended up as a colliery manager in Yorkshire

James Christopher Chesterman - the Chestermans were long time residents of No 16 and many family members lived nearby 

Charles Arthur Holland-Goodwin - born illegitimate in the local workhouse, by 1961 Charles was living at No 16, married and gainfully employed - a truly redemptive tale!

 

Finally, some notes on the "Research Methodology" I used, if that's not too grand a term, in case you're tempted to do something similar!  See here: methodology.

 

The Hoare Family

Mary Ann Blizard Hoare was born and died an infant (probably stillborn) at in 1834 at 21 Cloudesley Square in 1834.  She was buried in the Holy Trinity Church crypt (see Burials records).  The Hoare family tale is one of rags to riches with a dark twist!

Download Hoare Family History

 

19th Century History Timeline

The chart below traces key events and trends throughout the late Georgian and Victorian periods.  It has been created to give a context to the other stories about the Cloudesley Estate in the 19th Century, as presumably reflecting what residents were experiencing and talking about at the time.

Timeline 1

 

Timeline 3

 

The London Fever Hospital

As illustrated above, 19th century London was rife with infectious diseases.  As part of the fight against the waves of epidemics sweeping across the capital, especially in the 1830s and 1840s, the London Fever Hospital was opened on Liverpool Road opposite Cloudesley Square in 1848.  One hundred years later it joined the NHS as the Royal Free Hospital, closing down in 1975.  After staying empty for a few years it was re-opened as the handsome housing development we know today.  This major landmark next to the Cloudesley Estate has a fascinating history described in the attached article:

Download "London Fever Hospital, Liverpool Road"

For more details, including extensive descriptions of the redevelopment, see this LocalLocalHistory website.

Engraving 1848

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