Ash House

[Mandem 13]

Just wondering if anyone knows the history of Ash House on Ash House Lane Dore.  it is  beautiful house, but it used to be a care home so has had some unsightly additions to it.

I cant find out what or who it was built for as I'm sure it wasn't built as a care home  It sits in quite a lot of land so I presume it was built for some steel magnate or some such person.

I can't find anything on Sheffield Libraries.  I am just being nosy as I think there are a lot of beautiful houses in Sheffield.

[crookesey 635]

Ash house.. history please ? Thread dated January 2007.

 

[Mandem 13]

1 hour ago, crookesey said:

Ash house.. history please ? Thread dated January 2007.

 

Sorry I can't find it.  Usually when you start a thread it comes up with similar threads, ?

[crookesey 635]

8 minutes ago, Mandem said:

Sorry I can't find it.  Usually when you start a thread it comes up with similar threads, ?

Try putting Ash house Sheffield in a Google search.

[Organgrinder 1,946]

In the 1940's Ash house was a residential nursing home for very ill children where they could recuperate from serious illness.

It gave children  with poor living conditions at home, the chance to live in better surroundings where they could be given time outdoors and breathe cleaner air than they were used to

I don't know how it began life or if it had other uses before or after but it certainly served a sterling purpose at that time.

[TedW 14]

Ash-house Farm had been in the Marsden family for 400 years and passed to Reginald Webster a solicitor and nephew of George Marsden (a skate manufacturer of the Argyll Works).   At his death in July 1912 aged 68, Reginald's father George Edward Webster occupied Ash House (also 452 Glossop Road) - he was a retired solicitor.  Reginald Webster had significant alterations made during 1915. In 1932 due to his wife's health problems, Reginald moved to Worthing, so sold the Ash House estate, about 22 acres of freehold land.  Rose Cottage was occupied by the gardener. Ash House had its own electricity plant, 2 tennis courts and the sale included 2 wood and corrugated bungalows.  Reginald had made preliminary planning application for 117 house and 3 new roads on the estate.

 

In 1934 Reginald was declared bankrupt, the cause being stated as "Depreciation of property, Ash House, Dore, Sheffield, which has cost me about £20,000, and which had recently been sold by the mortgagees for £6,200"  He had been living beyond his means, he had been spending £4,000 a year more than he made from his solicitors practice in Leopold Street.  Several "lady friends" had been the beneficiaries of his extravagance.  He had been dipping into his clients' account for his own use., and continued trading for 12 months after he had known that he was insolvent. In 1912 his father had left him £50,000.  In 1935 he stood trial for stealing funds from several of his clients, and was given a prison sentence and struck off the Solicitors Roll.

 

In 1935 a Compulsory Purchase Order for Ash House estate, was made under Section 111 of the Education Act, 1921, for Ash House with gardens, plantation, greenhouses, tennis courts, Rose Cottage, two bungalows and occupation road, containing 21 acres.  Ash House Hospital School,  a rheumatic diseases hospital for children was opened in May 1940  and closed in August 1959, the premises being handed over to Sheffield Corporation for a geriatric home.  Children with TB at Winter Street hospital were transferred to Ash House Hospital School in 1957.

[Mandem 13]

1 hour ago, TedW said:

Ash-house Farm had been in the Marsden family for 400 years and passed to Reginald Webster a solicitor and nephew of George Marsden (a skate manufacturer of the Argyll Works).   At his death in July 1912 aged 68, Reginald's father George Edward Webster occupied Ash House (also 452 Glossop Road) - he was a retired solicitor.  Reginald Webster had significant alterations made during 1915. In 1932 due to his wife's health problems, Reginald moved to Worthing, so sold the Ash House estate, about 22 acres of freehold land.  Rose Cottage was occupied by the gardener. Ash House had its own electricity plant, 2 tennis courts and the sale included 2 wood and corrugated bungalows.  Reginald had made preliminary planning application for 117 house and 3 new roads on the estate.

 

In 1934 Reginald was declared bankrupt, the cause being stated as "Depreciation of property, Ash House, Dore, Sheffield, which has cost me about £20,000, and which had recently been sold by the mortgagees for £6,200"  He had been living beyond his means, he had been spending £4,000 a year more than he made from his solicitors practice in Leopold Street.  Several "lady friends" had been the beneficiaries of his extravagance.  He had been dipping into his clients' account for his own use., and continued trading for 12 months after he had known that he was insolvent. In 1912 his father had left him £50,000.  In 1935 he stood trial for stealing funds from several of his clients, and was given a prison sentence and struck off the Solicitors Roll.

 

In 1935 a Compulsory Purchase Order for Ash House estate, was made under Section 111 of the Education Act, 1921, for Ash House with gardens, plantation, greenhouses, tennis courts, Rose Cottage, two bungalows and occupation road, containing 21 acres.  Ash House Hospital School,  a rheumatic diseases hospital for children was opened in May 1940  and closed in August 1959, the premises being handed over to Sheffield Corporation for a geriatric home.  Children with TB at Winter Street hospital were transferred to Ash House Hospital School in 1957.

Thank you so much for that  Very interesting 

[chapelblade 0]

hi TedW,  I am very interested in the life of Reginald Webster.  Please let me know if you have any other information.

[TedW 14]

In March 1906 solicitor Reginald, then 31 years old and living at 452 Glossop Road, was found guilty of reckless driving and fined £10. He had entered the Moor from Ellin Street at speed and his wheel hit the kerb of a lamp standard and his passenger was thrown out, and taken to hospital. The wheel was broken off.

 

In 1911 Reginald was living at Woodbourne, 11 Westbourne Road, with his wife Mary, two female servants and three female visitors (one a companion/governess and two actresses).

 

In 1915 Reginald had engaged John Walsh Ltd, electrical plant engineers of High Street, Sheffield to install lighting at his house, at a cost of £588 8s 6d. Disputes arose and in 1916 Walsh entered an action for the recovery of the payment. The High Court referred the matter to arbitration - and the arbitrator found the work to be incomplete and in some respects unsatisfactory. He said that Reginald could either reject it completely or accept it in it current state for £50. Reginald would not accept the work and wanted it removed and for Walsh to pay for any damage to the premises. In 1917 Walsh then took the matter to the Kings Bench, and the matter was referred back to arbitration to decide whether the work was sunstantially incomplete or whether some of the work was badly done. (No outcome of this matter has been found).

 

On 14th August 1927 he was injured in a another motoring accident.

 

As of 31st December 1927 the partnership trading as Webster & Co, solicitors, from 5 Leopold Street was dissolved by mutual agreement. Charles Edward Page left and the partnership was now Reginald and Joseph Ibbotson Keer, trading as Webster & Keer from the Leopold Street premises. This continued until 7th October 1931 when Keer left and was replaced by George Albert Bolsover, the name reverting to Webster & Co.

 

Reginald's wife Mary died in Worthing on 9th December 1932, her cremated ashes were scattered in the graveyard at St Johns, Chapeltown, where her father the Rev. W. Micklethwaite, the first vicar of Chapeltown, was buried.

 

In 1939 Reginald was an unemployed former solicitor living at 9 Fitzwilliam Street with Charles Darwent, a steel examiner.

 

Reginald died at 1 Western Road, Birmingham aged 69 in May 1942 and was buried at Ecclesall on 27th May.

Edited July 26, 2022 by TedW

[chapelblade 0]

Thanks for the quick reply. 

 

Reginald Webster seems to have been a marmite character.  In his earlier years he was a highly regarded solicitor who was charismatic,  generous and very involved with local society.  He was well known in local tennis circles as both a good player and later as an administrator.  (2 tennis courts at Ash House is no surprise).  He was also involved with the local masonic lodge.  It was probably his love for the ladies which caused his downfall.  His subsequent bankruptcy caused a lot of distress to quite a few people who lost money  due to his actions.  I have wondered for many years what became of him so thank you for the information.