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9-10 Bateman Street

9 Bateman Street

History of 9 Bateman Street

1901

Catherine J Knowles

Charlotte E, sister, 41,  b Cambridge

Lifford [?] Hewitt, boarder, 19, bank clerk, b Surrey

Edith Filch, 19, servant, b Cambridge

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1911

Catherine J Knowles, 53, single, private means, b Cambridge

Evelyn M Spearing, 25, assistant lecturer on English at Bedford College London, b Cambridge

Elizabeth Langford, 22, general servant, b Cambridge

Evelyn Spearing was educated at the Perse and Newnham College Cambridge. She served as a VAD nurse in France during WWI. Afterwards she became tutor in English at St Hughs Oxford University.

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1913

Miss Knowles

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1962

Wilfred J Ellis

Believed to be a police constable; his wife kept a lodging house for Trinity College. The Flude family bought old furniture from them when they moved in.

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Post 1962 to 1990s:

The Flude family moved here in the 1960s, Henry Thomas, wife Barbara May and two sons, Robert and Michael.

The house was used to take in students for Trinity Hall in term time and as a bed and breakfast in the summer. There were six bedrooms, a bathroom with a huge cast iron bath, a basement with a kitchen area and lounge,  and a huge old style pantry. There were servant calling bells and some rooms had maid call bell pulls. There were still big meat hooks in the basement pantry. There was also a beautiful carved oak stair rail.  (Info supplied by MF in 2020)

MF sent us these anecdotes in 2024:

In the days when 9 Bateman St was ran as a B&B by Henry Thomas & Barbara May Flude, one of the guests every year was an elderly lady from the north of the UK. She was a widowed retired cleaning lady; she did not have wealth. Her name was Winnie, a little lady about 70, small in stature , she absolutely loved Cambridge. Every year she would save up for a week’s holiday by rail to Cambridge. In those days B&B at 9 Bateman St was £5 a night. Once we knew of Winnie’s situation, my mum & dad, Barbara & Tony Flude, (dad liked the name Tony) gave her a  special price. Winnie loved her holiday in Cambridge. On leaving after a week’s holiday my dad would give Winnie £10; my mum would walk Winnie to the railway station & do the same, give Winnie a £10 note. Lovely – all part of the history of 9 Bateman St, Cambridge.

When we lived at number 9 Bateman Street our neighbour at number 8 was Dr Alice Hiamms (hope I’ve spelt it correctly). She was an elderly lady, an authoress who wrote books on dog care training. She would sometimes invite my mum, Robert & I, around for tea. She would give instructions to her dog –  no hand gestures, like, go and get my handbag. The dog immediately did. Then now go to your basket. Only saying it, the dog immediately did it. At this time Alice would always, when she saw me, say “Hello OLLY, how are you?” Olly, because I was often told I was a look-alike as Oliver Reed, but I had not blue eyes. She would insist on calling me Olly. Alice had a couple live in to cook and clean for her. They were into country and western dancing. When they went out, man dressed as cowboy, lady as an ‘Indian.’ The man worked at Drakes cycle scooter shop, Hills Road. Mr Drake was  a man of principles, because Alice Hiamm’s live-in couple where not married, Mr Drake suspended him on full pay until they married. Well he did get married. Alice had a son at university. Another story all part history of Bateman St.

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