Ely Villa, Hurst, Milton Road

History of Hurst

For more detailed information about the area see the following web page:

https://hpehistory.wordpress.com/chesterton-before-1927/

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Hurst was built by  by the dentist John Jones in 1848 when it was called Ely Villa. A detailed history of the house can be found here:

https://hpehistory.wordpress.com/the-hurst/

There is detailed information about the Jones family here:

http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~macculloch/genealogy/p77.htm#i4427

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1851

John Jones
Mary Ann Jones
Elizabeth Jones, daughter
Elizabeth Barker, servant

The Jones family are recorded here in the 1861 and 1871 censuses and seem to have remained until John Jones death in 1878.

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Mark Ives Whibley, wife Frances and children move in. The name of the house is changed to Hurst (the name of Frances’s parents farm in Kent)  and a lot of new building and landscaping was carried out. Josiah Chater visited in 1878 on behalf of another potential purchaser and recorded in his diary that it was a ‘very nice place in good condition about 6 acres.’ He later visited the house several times.

Frances Whibley was founder of the Castle End Mission.

Further biographical information:

Mrs Mark Ives Whibley

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1891

The Whibleys sold Hurst to local brewer James McCallan Preston. However it seems likely that the property had been let to Joshua Taylor, the department store owner who was living there in 1891.

Joshua Taylor
Mary
Elizabeth Ann, daughter
Mary Ann, daughter
Joshua, son
Sarah Ann Papworth, servant
Fanny Ashman, cook

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1901 – 1927

James McCallan Preston

Florence Preston

Blanche Preston

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1927

Cambridge Estates Ltd bought Hurst in September

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Bought by Dr George Oakden. Became home and doctor’s surgery. In the 1950s Dr Oakden’s son took over the surgery and sold the house in the early 1960s to property developers R H Wale and son. Nos 5 and 7 Hurst park Avenue were built in the former grounds of  Hurst.