No.136-142 High Street
Beaufort House - Rustons & Lloyd solicitors / Rossdales
House History
|
1941 |
Building badly damaged by bomb |
|
1936 |
Beaufort House: Rustons & Lloyd, solicitors - Nkt.37 |
|
1926 |
Rustons & Lloyd, Beauford House |
|
1925 |
Rustons & Lloyd, Ronald Sowerby Ruston, solicitors, &
secretaries to the Ascot Hotel & Stables Co. Ltd. |
|
1916 |
Rustons A.H. & A.,
Ruston, Albert Alexander & Ruston, Alfred Harold, solicitors, |
|
1911 |
Reuben Nurden, caretaker, Beaufort House - Census |
|
1901 |
Rustons A.H. & A., Ruston, Albert Alexander & Ruston, Alfred Harold, solicitors, |
|
1901 |
Elizabeth Swallcorn, housekeeper - Census |
|
1892 |
Rustons A.H. & A., solicitors, High Street, Ruston, Albert Alexander & Ruston, Alfred Harold |
|
1891 |
Beaufort House: Jane Yates, domestic servant |
|
1888 |
Rustons A.H. & A., solicitors, High Street, Ruston, Albert Alexander & Ruston, Alfred Harold |
|
1883 |
Bloss, George, trainer, Cavendish House, High Street - Kelly's Directory |
|
1881 |
Dinah Hobbs, housekeeper |
|
1879 |
Bloss, George, trainer, High Street - Post Office Directory |
|
1871 |
Thomas Ashmall, trainer |
|
1869 |
Ashmall, Thomas, horse trainer, High Street - Post Office Directory |
|
1861 |
Robert Sly, trainer of racehorses |
|
1841 |
Thomas Chapman, independent |
|
1839 |
John Newman, baker - Robson's Directory |
Notes
-
This part of the High Street hasn't always looked as it does today -
between No.136-142 the arrangement of buildings has changed
somewhat. Originally the various parts of Beaufort House, Cottage
and stables occupied just the area between No.140 and No.142 High
Street.
To the right of this on the 1891 census we have another building called Cavendish House, roughly occupying the area of No.136-No.138 High Street.
Referring to various documents relevant to this property the delineation of the various buildings on this site is not at all clear and obvious, but it seems that the building facing onto the High Street is mostly referred to as Beaufort House. Behind this are a multiple buildings variously referred to as Beaufort Cottage and Beaufort Cottage Stables, although some documents also refer to these as Beaufort House Stables.
On the modern-day local authority planning map No.136-140 is Beaufort House, No.142 through the archway into the courtyard is Beaufort Cottage and behind that Beaufort Stables stretching through and onto Fitzroy Street is un-numbered.
On the 12th June 1953 Newmarket UDC re-numbering map No.136 is Beaufort House on the High Street, No.138 is labeled Beaufort House Flat and is the door entered into from inside the archway, No.140 is called Holker House and is the rear section of Beaufort House and finally No.142 is Beaufort Cottage and is the building on the left in the rear courtyard. This numbering scheme pretty much matches the numbers on the doors of the buildings today - so its just goes to show that you have to be careful where you get this type of information from and also that even formal planning maps don't always show the correct details.
-
Duke of Beaufort
- The house seems to be named after Captain Henry Charles FitzRoy
Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort (1 February 1824 – 30 April 1899),
although he doesn't ever seem to have lived here and how or even if he was
involved with its construction is presently unknown.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Somerset,_8th_Duke_of_Beaufort
The Duke of Beaufort was a supporter of the turf for many years and inherited his interest in racing from his father. As a boy often came to Newmarket, though in later years he gave up racing but continued to take a greatest interest in horse breeding. He also took an active part in its government; assisting in the deliberations of the Jockey Club.
The only extremely tenuous link between Beaufort House and the Duke of Beaufort seems to come with the house's main occupiers - the Ruston solicitors.
Norfolk Chronicle
MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE
Saturday 29 February 1868
The Sporting Gazette states that the whole of the Duke of Beaufort's horses in training will be brought to the hammer on Saturday, the 14th of March, at the Ascot Hotel stables, Ascot Heath, by Messrs. Tattersall.
There are twenty-six lots, including eight two-year-olds, and all the well known cracks, - Vauban, Europe, Lord Ronald, Gomera, Viridis, Ceylon, &c. - which will be disposed of without reserve, and under Lord Exeter's conditions as to engagements.
Perhaps it's pure coincidence, but in 1868 the Duke sold all his interests in racehorse training at Ascot Hotel stables ... and as detailed in the history list above the Ruston brothers were secretaries to the Ascot Hotel & Stables Co. Ltd., registered as a hotel leasing company. This business interest continued with the solicitor's until 1952 when the company was dissolved. If anyone knows what the significance of this link is or why Beaufort House is so-called please E-MAIL me.
-
Pre-Beaufort
- From about 1861 until 1881, amongst others, the site seems to have been occupied by
a series of racehorse trainers. Starting with the ex-jockey Robert
Sly, then Thomas Ashmall and finally in 1881 George Algernon Bloss,
who'd previously been employed by Captain James Octavius Machell at Bedford
Cottage Stables. George stayed here until he died on 14th September
1885 and in his will he left his estate to his brother, another
trainer, Charles Linch Bloss. From the trade directories it can be
seen that the brothers were living in the part of this building then
known as Cavendish House. Charles died here on 26th October 1896.
Other notable occupiers on this site were the Newman family. Starting with John Newman, who was born in Newmarket to parents John Newman and Elizabeth (née Lait) in 1786, and was a Baker. Also living with him here was his brother William Newman, born in 1795 who was a cabinet maker & upholsterer. Records seem to suggest that John died in 1842. William and his family stayed here for quite a while after that, and following his death his daughter Sarah Elizabeth Newman can be seen living here until at least 1881. Sarah's brother John Newman, another upholsterer, moved to live in Leicester and from the following article in the London Gazette it can be seen that Sarah had followed him there.
- One thing is quite clear though - the name Beaufort House doesn't
appear on any of the censuses or in any of the trade directories
until at least 1891, which leads you to believe that the house
wasn't built until sometime just before then. The first mention of Cavendish
House is in 1883.
 Arrangement of buildings on this part of the High Street in 1895 |
 Horses in the High Street c.1895 - Beaufort House can be seen in the centre with the two gable ends facing the road |
 Rustons & Lloyd 2015 |
 Beaufort & Cavendish House Map 1901 |
-
Duke of Devonshire
-
As can be seen in the Building Changes section below by 1902 the house
was owned by Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire (23 July
1833 – 24 March 1908).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spencer_Cavendish,_8th_Duke_of_Devonshire
The Duke of Devonshire also took a keen interest in the turf and in 1883 was elected to the Jockey Club. In the year following Queen Victoria's death (1902) he also raced King Edward VII's horses.
If you refer to the page for building next door, the Memorial Hall - No.144 High Street (at that time known as Grafton House) this was acquired by King Edward VII in 1904 - so the association between these two men and their properties in Newmarket was clearly quite strong.
- As with a many other sites in Newmarket High Street Beaufort House
was the
site of the eighth bomb, which struck the town on February 18th
1941.
The above view is looking at the location of the left-hand gable on the High Street, which has been completely blown away. The courtyard entrance into Beaufort Cottage can be seen on the left. The photo on the right is the same view in 2015.
February 18th 1941 - photo courtesy of the Newmarket Local History Society
Beaufort House 2015
-
Beaufort House
- In around 1896 the Cambridge-based Star Brewery purchased the next door
White Hart Hotel - No.134 High
Street. At this time the right-hand side of Cavendish House seems to have already been part of the hotel,
so the new owners subsequently refurbished it in the same style as the rest of the hotel.
Sometime between then and 1930 the left-hand side of Cavendish House was completely subsumed into Beaufort House; with the whole of its frontage being completely re-built in the style of the remainder of Beaufort House. This change created the extent of the High Street building that we can see today.
Then following the damage caused by the bombing in 1941 the White Hart itself was also completely re-built and the last remains of Cavendish House disappeared forever.
Over the years the various buildings on this site seem to have been used by a variety of businesses.
-
Alfred Harold Sowerby Ruston & Albert Alexander Ruston
- Alfred Harold Sowerby Ruston was born in Chatteris in 1856. In the
1911 census he was living in Aylesbury House, East Park Street,
Chatteris. This particular area in Chatteris is known as Wenny End and
appears to have
been the main address of the solicitors from at least around 1879.
- Albert Alexander Ruston was the younger brother of Alfred. He was
born in Chatteris in 1863 and in the 1911 census lived in Grove Cottage,
Exning - so like his
brother he never lived in Newmarket, although at least he was a
little closer.
- It doesn't seem that any of the family ever lived in Newmarket and
particularly not here in Beaufort House, which seems to have always
been just their
business premises. The name Ruston doesn't appear in Newmarket in the directories
until 1888, and then there's also a mention of Alfred on a plaque
of the wall of the Southfield
Pumping Station in 1893.
In later years it was the sons of these two brothers who followed in their father's footsteps and became solicitors.
Born in Chatteris in 1890 Philip Augustus Sowerby Ruston was Alfred's son and was the main beneficiary in his father's will in November 1929. In 1911 he was living with his uncle Reginald Seward Ruston in Killiney, Ireland and at the age of 20 was already a solicitor's articled clerk.
Albert's son Ronald Sowerby Ruston was born on 6th January 1893 in Exning and was the main beneficiary of his father's will when he died at 'The Beeches', Goring, Oxfordshire in March 1944.
Philip carried-on the solicitor's business here at Beaufort House for some years and died in Chatteris on 28th February 1935.
Ronald moved to Reading, Berkshire and can be seen in the phone books for many years living at Suffolk House in Liebenrood Road. He died in March 1974 in Folkestone, Kent.
-
David Howard Lloyd
- Another later member of the fold came with solicitor David Howard
Lloyd, who clearly contributed his surname to the present name of
the business - Rustons & Lloyd. The first mention of him in
Newmarket comes
in Kelly's directory of 1925.
The son of Henry Lloyd and Amelia (née Lewis), David was born in Cwymtillery, Abertillery, Monmouthshire on 1st March 1892.
He joined the solicitors in October 1917, having been discharged from the army due to wounding earlier that same year.
Record of service of solicitors and articled clerks with His Majesty's forces, 1914-1919
RECORD OF SERVICE:-
In the Phone Book between 1922 and 1926 he's listed as a solicitor at 'The Moat' in Sand Street, Soham, this particular location was the premises of another of Newmarket's solicitors - Ennions, whose partnership took over the premises in 1898 and were still solicitors there in the late 1990s.
David seems to have been the only one of the Ruston & Lloyd solicitors that actually lived here and is shown in Beaufort House in the 1936 Newmarket Directory.
- The Ascot Hotel and Stables Company, a leasing company set up by
the Rustons, was eventually 'closed-for-business' by David Lloyd in
1952.
David died on 25th April 1966 at Beech House in Cheveley.
_1966_Probate.jpg)
 Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort |
 Spencer Compton Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire |
-
Joseph Proctor fruiterer & florist
-
As can be seen in the 1926 and 1936 Newmarket Directories and from the 1941
bomb damage photo above, the left-hand side of Beaufort House was occupied
by the fruiterer & florist Joseph Proctor, who in around 1901-1916 had
his shop in Wrexham House - No.94 High
Street.
Joseph was born in North Frodingham, Yorkshire in 1865. His wife Alice Mariah (née Wiles) came from Great Yarmouth, where they were married on 28th February 1898. They must have moved to Newmarket sometime soon after as they first appear here in the 1901 census.
Alice Proctor died in December 1938 and Joseph died three years later on 17th February 1941 having moved to Ecclestone House, High Street, Soham - the curious thing about this date is that his shop was bombed a day later on 18th February 1941(?)
-
Holker House
-
As shown in the 1936 Newmarket Directory, No.140 High Street, the rear of
Beaufort House was then known as Holker House, and was occupied by James
William Challice. James' son Frederick William Challice was one of the
unfortunate casualties of World War I - details about him can be seen on the
Newmarket Remembers web site.
http://newmarket-remembers.info/challice%20frederick.html
-
This part of the building was still called Holker House on the 12th June 1953 Newmarket UDC re-numbering map,
but the name no longer seems to be used.
-
Beaufort Cottage Stables
-
The racehorse Pomme-de-Terre, owned by Lord Zetland, was trained at
Beaufort House, Newmarket by his son, Lord George Teenage Lawrence
Dundas (1882-1969). His successes with Pomme-de-Terre in 1920 include
the Manchester November Handicap and in 1921 the Prix du President de
la Republique in France. Lord George had his first stables at Richmond
in Yorkshire, but in 1912 moved to Newmarket and had several good
horses pass through his hands.
-
'Chamossaire (1942–1964) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and
sire best known for winning the classic St Leger Stakes in 1945 and
siring the Derby winner Santa Claus. As a yearling, the colt was
sold for 2,700 guineas to Walter Earl, acting on behalf of Stanhope
Joel, a member of the influential Joel family. Chamossaire, named
after a mountain in Switzerland was sent into training with Richard
"Dick" Perryman at his Beaufort House stables.'
-
'Airborne (1943–11 September 1962) was an Irish-bred
British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. As a yearling he
was sent to the sales where he was bought for 3,900 guineas by the
British plastics manufacturer and racehorse-breeder John Ferguson.
Ferguson sent the colt to be trained by the former jockey Richard
“Dick” Perryman at his Beaufort House stables.'
Dick Perryman is remembered in Dick Perryman Court in Newmarket.
In 1946, when working at Crisswell's Garage - No.170-176 High Street, my father used to be visited by Airborne, being walked-out along Fitzroy Street - details of this story can be found in the following link:-
http://www.newmarketjournal.co.uk/news/latest-news/george-s-story-stirs-memories-1-546135
-
Rossdales
- In December 1959, veterinarian Peter Rossdale, with the encouragement of some
local trainers and stud owners, set up his own practice at Romney
House in Dullingham Road.
At the end of 1960, Dick Perryman was considering relinquishing his lease of Beaufort Cottage Stables from solicitor David Lloyd. Retiring from training, he was planning to take over Aislabie Stud at Stetchworth. Raymond Elkerton, the land agent for the Ellesmere Estate, had an office here that he leased from Rustons and Lloyd. In preparation for Michael Hunt joining the veterinary practice, Peter had been looking for premises and it was Raymond who put him in touch with the solicitors and helped in negotiating taking over of Perryman's lease.
The property was in somewhat bad repair and a condition of the lease was that at its end the yard should be made good. This could have imposed a heavy financial burden on the practice, but as the lease ran for a further 10 years or more Peter was able to negotiate its completion. Lloyd though was still concerned about the longevity of the practice and requested that Peter use his father; George Rossdale, as a guarantor. This he declined, not wanting to be under his father's protection, and eventually he was successful in having the lease transferred to him on 7th December 1960.
At this time Bill Holden had an arrangement with Dick Perryman to keep horses in the yard and following transfer of the lease Peter allowed him to stay on. The pair formed a good friendship, both personally and with respect to supplying him with veterinary services. Although Bill now lives in Spain Peter still keeps in touch and they meet on occasions.
On David Lloyd's death in April 1966 Peter approached his executors to purchase Beaufort Cottage Stables and on this occasion his father did help in securing this result, though only due to a curious coincidence. George Rossdale practiced as a medical doctor in Montagu Square, Marylebone, London ... actually just a few doors away from David Lloyd's daughter. Though he was not her GP at this time he was assisting in supporting her and her husband who had cancer.
Peter believes that this relationship was fortuitous; as it seems to have secured the purchase of the yard. The conveyance was settled on 5th January 1968, to Messrs Rossdale Hunt & Peace, at the price of £14,000. Though this was an enormous sum for the business at that time, achieved through a mortgage, the practice prospered and the mortgage was paid off within about 4 years.
Since then Rossdales have expanded and now have their equine hospital and diagnostic centre at Cotton End Road, Exning. The site here in Newmarket is their equine practice and laboratories and they also have an office at Weston Barns in Hertfordshire. Their registered address is Beaufort Cottage Stables, 140 High Street - this numbering clearly doesn't agree with the Newmarket UDC re-numbering map - all very confusing.
Airborne's stable at Beaufort Cottage Stables
(many thanks to Peter Rossdale for these photos)
Beaufort Cottage Stables and Laboratories
(with the spire of St Mary's church in the background)
- Many thanks to Peter Rossdale for the above details from his
personal memoirs of his life and times at Beaufort Cottage Stables.
Building Changes
- Held by: Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds Branch
- Saddle room, etc, behind the Duke of Devonshire's residence
(Beaufort House), High St, for the...
NEWMARKET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL RECORDS. NEWMARKET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL: SURVEYOR. New buildings and alterations to buildings. Plans. Saddle room, etc, behind the Duke of Devonshire's residence (Beaufort House), High St, for the Duke of Devonshire (H. Holland)
Date: April 1902
Reference: EF 506/6/1/7/88
- Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds Branch
- Loose boxes etc, behind Beaufort House, High St, for The Duke of
Beaufort (H. Holland & Sons)
NEWMARKET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL RECORDS. NEWMARKET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL: SURVEYOR. New buildings and alterations to buildings. Plans. Loose boxes etc, behind Beaufort House, High St, for The Duke of Beaufort (H. Holland & Sons)
Date: January 1903
Reference: EF 506/6/1/8/126
- Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds Branch
- Beaufort House, High Street, Newmarket
Sale particulars, postcards and printed euphemera. Sale particulars. (Mansion, stabling, lads' quarters and head man's rooms, yards and garden ground)
Date: July 1911
Reference: HD 1325/49
- Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds Branch
- Letter from Duke of Devonshire to Mr. C.E. Hammond accompanying
cheque for poor rate on Beaufort House
NEWMARKET ST. MARY PARISH RECORDS. OVERSEERS OF THE POOR. 12 Dec. 1911
Date: 1911
Reference: FL610/7/1
- Suffolk Record Office, Bury St Edmunds Branch
- Shop front, Beaufort House, for A. & H. Ruston
NEWMARKET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL RECORDS. NEWMARKET URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL: SURVEYOR. New buildings and alterations to buildings. Plans. Shop front, Beaufort House, for A. & H. Ruston
Date: October 1913
Reference: EF 506/6/1/15/463
- Many thanks to Tony Pringle for the photo 'Horses in the High Street
c.1895'
- Many thanks to 'Old
Newmarket' for the photo 'The White Hart c.1960'.
