Click here for a Biography of Gerald Alderson, 1884-1961
23 High Street, Warwick. Currently known as 'Alderson House'
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Alderson House, Warwick is an imposing Georgian style 3 story building standing on the South Side of High Street at it junction with Back Lane, in the centre of the town. The building was purchased in 1961 by Alderson House (Warwick) Ltd., a holding company, which manages and maintains the building on behalf of a number of local Masonic Lodges. It is named Alderson House in honour of Gerald Graham Alderson, a prominent Warwickshire Mason and Benefactor.
Construction of this Grade II listed building commenced in 1695 following the Great Fire of Warwick which occurred on June 22nd that year and which destroyed an existing building. It was probably completed in 1696, the date stamped on a lead rainwater head, which can be seen to the right of the rear entrance door.
The building was given a Grade II listing in January 1953 and forms part of a group with all the buildings on the South side of High Street: Building number: 307475. The listing describes its outstanding features as follows:
“Probably early C18 2 storey plus attic 7 window red brick facade with painted stone or stucco dressings. Sashes in cased frames with key blocks, glazing bars. Moulded plinth, moulded cornice at eaves plain string band at first floor level. Central 6-flush-panel door with good semi-circular fanlight, bolection moulded architrave, keystone, entablature. Roof of old tiles having three dormers with moulded pediments. Staircase post-1694.”
The date of 1696 which can be seen on the rainwater head is therefore probably correct for the completion of the house. This rainwater head was subject to comment by Pevsner (1966), who described High Street from the direction of Castle Street. He states “(from Back Lane) there is then a sequence of nice brick facades” and adds a footnote “No 23, rainwater head 1696”
Whilst constructed in the latter part of the 17th Century its origins can be traced back several hundred years to the mid 14th Century. Records show that Thomas Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick acquired the then existing Tudor property from a John le Boteller.
The Boteller family hailed from Wem in Shropshire but had links to Warwick and the Neville - Earl of Warwick - family through marriage. (John le Boteller’s grandfather, also called John, married Eleanor de Beauchamp of Alcester, Warwickshire) At that time the house was described as having a lane ‘le Breteyne’ (later Black lane and now known as Back Lane) on one side.
In 1352 the Earl let the property to a William Thorp for 10s (50p) p.a. Other records show the continued use of the site in the ownership of several local people (the estate of the Earl having reverted to the crown in 1590)
By 1694 the ownership had passed to a Mr Isaac Tomkys and at the time of the fire is described as having been ‘late built’. It was clearly was not of brick and was probably a large Tudor style building with a brick or stone base, being completely destroyed, along with many other houses in High Street and the surrounding area.
Following the fire Isaac Tomkys received compensation for the loss of his property amounting to £2724 – 7s - 6d approximately £213,000 in today’s values which allowed him to construct a new house, the current number 23. However, the design was strictly regulated and resulted in the brick structure we see today. The standard design of two storeys of 10 feet in height each with cellars and garrets resulted in the facades which can still be seen along High Street and Jury Street to this day.
The regulation of the style of the buildings was instigated by the Fire Commissioners appointed under the Warwick Town Act passed to ensure the effective rebuilding of the town. Many of the commissioners’ decisions were based on the experience of fires in other towns, especially Northampton which occurred in 1675. As a result the High Street – then known as ‘High Pavement’ - was widened and Mr Tomkys received additional compensation for the loss of 12ft 6in (3.8mtrs) from his land.
It is not known who actually built the house but the commissioners employed surveyors to ensure that all conformed to their regulations. Samuel Dunkley, mason, was regularly employed in this work, and was aided at various times by John Phillips of Broadway (Worcs.), carpenter, and William Smith, bricklayer. Whilst the house is built of brick, this was quite new material and was not entirely trusted, hence the employment of carpenter who would ‘strengthen’ the interior walls by inserting wooden beams, evidence of which was found during recent internal alterations.
The carpenter would also make the other fittings for the house including the door frames and door. Some of the original doors are still in place and can be identified by their narrow width and the ‘L’ shaped iron hinges.
By 1707 Isaac Tomkys had died and records for that date show that the 20s (£1) copyhold rent was being paid by Jane Tomkie (= Tomkys), his widow.
The earliest surviving deeds are dated 1722 when the property was described as a capital “messuage” or mansion house and was still occupied by Jane Tomkys, widow. In 1745 it was mortgaged for £400 by William Tomkys and had a coach house, stable, garden, courts, yards, backsides and appurtenances.
In 1752 it was bequeathed by William to his nephew, Hope Tomkys – so he inherited the house – now well complete as a mansion, together with the outbuildings and garden. In 1759 a small piece of land (285 sq. yds.) was sold for £30 and added to the adjoining property and in 1763 the property was purchased by the Earl of Warwick.
The Commoners Rolls (the ownership of the property included the right to graze a cow and a horse on St Marys common) commenced in 1698 and from 1755 they list both the owner and occupier. These show that in 1781 the Earl leased the property to Rev. William Daniel for 99 years at £284-5s-0d (£284-25p) + 2/6d (12.5p)p.a., when it was tenanted by Mary Shuckburgh, widow and was described as a messuage or tenement, “a brewhouse, stable, coach house, garden and appurtenances”
Later occupiers are shown as: 1804 - Rev. and Mrs. W. Daniel, 1824 - Mrs Daniel, 1842 – 1852 - Back (or Buck) and Barker and 1871 - N. G. Fetherston.
It is unclear when the building passed from the ownership of the Earl of Warwick but this may well have been in 1880 at the expiration of the lease, suggesting that a Mr Henry Richards, manufacturer, purchased the property from the Earl, as he is shown as the occupier in 1881
The building had a number of tenants from 1881 until 1914 including;
1881 – 82 Henry Richards, manufacturer
1883 – 84 T B Dickinson Esq.
1885 – Mrs J Lloyd
1887 – 88 Rev. Allan Edward
1889 – 1905 Major W T E Fosbury J.P. and (1904) Captain Paulet
1906 – 1909 Major Edward Burn-Callender
1911 – Venerable Rev. J H F Peile, archdeacon of Warwick
1913 – Honourable B S S Foster and Hon. Mrs Foster
In 1914 it was purchased by The Right Honourable Lord (Balthazar Stephen Sargent) Ilkeston who had been appointed Stipendiary Magistrate of Birmingham in 1910 and succeeded to the title of 2nd Baron Ilkeston on the death of his father on 31st January 1913.
Lord and Lady Ilkeston continued to occupy the property until Lady Ilkeston’s death in 1956, Lord Ilkeston having died in 1952.
At present there are no records available detailing any occupants/owners between 1956 and 1961 apart from a note held by English Heritage, dated August 1950, stating “to be turned into a bank when vacated by Lord Ilkeston”. Whether any alterations to the building took place during this time is uncertain but it was probably then that the outbuildings adjoining Back Lane were removed and the garden redeveloped into a parking area.
There is no doubt that the interior has been altered by various occupants but it can be certain that the main staircase, oak flooring and some panelling are original features.
The exterior of the building has probably remained unchanged since the early 1700’s when it was finally completed following the approval of plans following the Great Fire, as evidenced by recent examination of the structure prior to the installation of a lift in the centre of the building.
The outbuildings, variously listed as a coach house, stable, garden, courts, yards, backsides brewhouse and appurtenances since 1745 continued in existence at least until the 1950’s under Lord Ilkeston’s ownership as they are included in a number of photographs of the interior and exterior taken by J B Marsh at various times between 1942 and 1950. Copies of these photographs are displayed in the entrance hall by kind permission of English Heritage.
In 1961 the building was purchased by Alderson House (Warwick) Ltd. on behalf of a number of Masonic Lodges based in Warwick. It is named Alderson House in honour of Gerald Alderson a prominent Warwickshire Mason and Benefactor.
Alderson House (Warwick) Ltd. takes great care to maintain the building in accordance with the responsibilities placed on it under the terms of the buildings Grade II listing. Whilst normally closed to the public it is available for private functions.
Frank Collier.
Archivist – Greville Lodge 4773 . September 2011
frankcollier@grevillelodge.org.uk
Grateful thanks are extended to English Heritage- National Monuments Records and Warwickshire County Record Office for their assistance in compiling these notes. Special thanks are due to Mr. Steven Wallsgrove of Warwick for allowing access to his extensive records of Warwick Town Buildings. Ref: ‘The Buildings of Warwickshire’, Pevsner, N and Wedgwood, A. Penguin Books, London. (1966)