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Lime Villa, 341 Cherry Hinton Road and Ferndale

History of Ferndale and Edendale

1881

Ezra Lofts, 37, manufacturer and inventor, born Suffolk

Emily E, 39, born Herts

David, 12, born Essex

Lewis, 10, born Cambridge

Ruth M, 8, born Cambridge

Emily E, 6, born Cambridge

Laura, 2, born Cambridge

Elizabeth M Young, niece, 23, born Yorks

There is evidence on-line for a number of patent applications applied for by Ezra Lofts.


1881

Frank O’Carr, 23, professor of Music, born Leeds

Eleanor, 23, born Yorks

Elizabeth Plumb, servant, born Cambs


1891

(Ferndale) Two households listed at this address.

James Clark, head, 40, butcher, born Middlesex

Lettitia, 40, born London

Albert Charles Pankhurst, head, 46, clerical supervisor, born Sussex

Elizabeth, 48, born Kent

Reginald Gearing, 16, son, born Chester

May Sturgeon, servant, 14, born Suffolk


1901

(Lime Villa)

Charles James Mapey, 32, commercial traveller, born Hants

Lilian, wife, 30, born London

Agnes E Cornell, servant, 15, born Cherryhinton


1911

(Ferndale)

Henry Leete, 52, manager of University Drag [?], born Chesterton

Katherine Louise, 47, born Cambridge

Jane Leete, mother, widow, 84, born Comberton

Hilda Rayner, servant, 20, born Barton

1911

(Lime Villa)

Sydney Panisset, 33, analytical chemist Portland cement works, born London

Amelia, 40, born Manchester

Theresa, 6, born Kent

Reginald, 4, born Kent

Romola, 2, born Cambridge

Fannie Malling, servant, 16, born Cambs.

1925

Arthur Betram Coulter


By 1891 there were two semi-detached houses at this location, Lime Villa adjoining to the east, Ferndale. There was a further house just to east, Edendale. In the 1891 census both are shown as housing two families.

1891 Ferndale: Mr Pankhurst clerical supervisor

1891 Ferndale: James Clark Butcher

1891 Edendale: Alfred Willis clerk

1891 Edendale John Fynn Tailor

In the 1881 census two households are shown which must have have lived at one or both of these addresses:

1881 Cambridge Road: Ezra Lofts manufacturer and inventor

1881 Cambridge Road: Frank O Carr Professor of Music

However, since the addresses are not named in the 1881 census return it is not possible to work out at the moment which house either lived.

Frank Osmond Carr was director of music at The Leys School, Cambridge, from 1878-94 and had studied music at New College Oxford and went on to further studies at Trinity College where he was also assistant organist.

He became most well-known for his music for burlesques and comic operas:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Osmond_Carr

Sources: UK Census, Wikipedia, Leys School Archivist


In 1938 the two houses at this location were called ‘Ferndale’ and ‘Lime Villa’. In 1941 they were bombed and the families had to move to 107 Blinco Grove. One family was that of Charles James Mapey who owned The Paddocks property; the other was that of Celia Perry, her parents, and grandmother.  After the war the houses were rebuilt as 341 and 343 Cherry Hinton Road and in 1949 the two families moved back in. Celia Perry, who lived in Lime Villa, recalled the circumstances of the move in 2016.

(source – private email)


Michael Bowyer in Air Raid pub. 1986 writes: Presumably it was a Dornier which, just before 23:00 made a fast run towards the south-east over Cambridge, perhaps attempting to bomb the airport or the distinctive Eastern Tank Trap. Almost along the latter it released an unusually assorted bomb load. First to explode was an HE, immediately in front of the two houses whose frontal sections it tore away. Eight occupants escaped without injury and, even more strangely, hardly anyone heard the explosion. Sensing something unusual was going on, Dr Hanton, whose surgery was just across the road – went to investigate and was amazed at what he saw. Also living close by was Alan Wright, author of Ian Allan’s popular Civil Aircraft Markings series who, unusually for such occasions, slept throughout the event! Another ‘silent bomb’ crater was soon discovered on waste ground by Perne Road, while more evident had been incendiaries burning on fields stretching between Queen Edith’s Way and Lime Kiln Road.

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