Ellesmere Park
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History of Ellesmere Park
Although the name of Eccles, Greater Manchester did not appear in the Domesday Book, the manor of Barton has had a long history, the lords of this manor having the right of nomination to the benefice of Eccles. The Lordship of Barton passed to the Booth family by marriage and then, again through the female line, to the de Traffords who were lords of the neighbouring manor of Trafford which they held in unbroken succession from Norman times until 1896. Other notable local families were the Worsleys and the Breretons, both of whom figured in the Eccles story.The affluent residential area of Ellesmere Park grew up around the turn of the 20th century, and contemporary views showed pleasant, tree-lined roads, protected from the outside world by gates at the main entrances.
Description of the area
Ellesmere park is an area of approximately 110 acres containing around 450-500 properties. 33% are Victorian in origin comprising large 2 to 3 storey detached or semi-detached houses/villas. Usually these buildings stand in very extensive grounds.[Salford Council] maintains a design guide for Ellesmere Park. This policy was prepared "in response over the decline in the environmental quality of Ellesmere Park which has taken place over recent years".
Retention and enhancement of the Victorian core houses is encouraged. The Victorian Core is easily recognisable and over 75% of the properties were built during of just after the Victorian era and are fine examples of archictecture. Inter war (1918-1939) and post war (1945 onwards) architectecture is also well represented in Ellesmere Park.
Character of the area
The development of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries give the area its character of spaciousness and grandeur. The style and scale of the Victorian properties contrubute greatly. The houses are of generous (large) proportions, compared with the majority of other housing in Salford, set in large grounds with large separations between them. The building possess strong vertical emphasis with intricate detail such as steeply pitched roofs, gables and ornate bargeboards. Similar detail is evident in the Edwardian buildings of which there are many.Recent building has included demolition of large villas, usually ex old peoples homes, rebuilding in a similar scale as expensive one or 2 bed flats (apartments) which are out of character for the area.
There is a strong [residents association] that works with the local council to ensure that any development is within the character of the park and that the design policy is closely followed.
Ellesmere House
In 1881 the Cotton Industry accounted for a third or more of all listed occupations of the residents. A Calico Printer, John H. Worthington lived at Ash Leigh. A Silk Weaver, Henry Barnford lived at Meltham House. He was the son-in-law of the occupier, a Commercial Traveller. At Rose Bank lived a Master Bleacher Thomas G. Watson. A Master Cotton Spinner, Thomas Knowles was the occupant of Ellesmere House. Cotton Spinners were found in Victoria Road. On Sandwich Road, Charlotte Hargreaves' son was a Cotton Merchant. Beechmount was occupied by a Cotton Spinner, William Hall, whose eldest son James was also so employed.By the 1890s the Park was well established. No doubt the deaths of husbands left several widows quite well off. A number of widows are listed as living on independent means. Katherine Edwards of Ellesmere Villa was a widow living with one son, a Merchant and one a Chartered Accountant. At Ellesmere House lived Eliza Murray with her son, Edward, a Bank Cashier and William, an Insurance Clerk. At Granville House Margaret Duncan lived on her own attended by two daughters and two servants. At Fieldhead, Edmund Johnson is one of two men to be described as living on his own income. At East Dene Elizabeth Scott lived on her own income with her daughter, Jame, and her sons, William, a Cotton Salesman, Fred, 19, a Book-keeper, Frank, 16, a Calico Printer's Apprentice and Edward, 14, a Scholar. They kept only one resident servant so perhaps the independent means were not all that extensive.
Another eminent Wesleyan was Edward Graham Wood of 1 Sandwich Road (Ellesmere House), Ellesmere Park, Eccles and owner and founder of the Ocean Ironworks, Salford. The son of the Rev. Thomas Wood he had been born in Leicester in 1854, educated at Kingswood School, Bath and was apprenticed to Messrs. Craven Brothers, tool manufacturers of Manchester. He was a Member of the Manchester Association of Engineers to whom he read a paper on "The Use of Steel in Buildings". He was also a Member of the Iron and Steel Institute. He started business as a manufacturer of constructional iron works in Red Bank Manchester but moved to larger premises in Salford near the Ship Canal Docks in 1889.
His contracts included Manchester Corporation, the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, the Ship Canal Company, Cotton Mills in Lancashire, India, United States of America and Japan. He was involved in the introduction of electric lighting to the principal towns of Lancashire. His business grew so greatly that it became a limited liability company in 1897 under the style of Edward Wood and Co. Ltd. He married Elizabeth Fox, daughter of Edward McKenna of Manchester. He was a Governor of Salford Royal Hospital and Treasurer of the South Salford Liberal Association. Like Alfred Whitworth he was a strong Wesleyan and occupied many official positions in the Church. He was Steward of the Chapel to which he belonged in 1899.
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