Harston House

History of Harston House

Listed Building

House, c.1710 with c.1912 alterations and additions by T.D. Atkinson, F.R.I.B.A. of Cambridge. Red brick with clunch dressings and steeply pitched plain tiled roof. … 

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1891 Greene family move in

For a detailed account of the Greene family, Signe Lavén and many aspects of Harston and Cambridge,  see Mary Greene’s autobiography:

The Joy of Remembering

Mary Greene gallery

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1901

The Greene family don’t appear in the 1901 census as far as can be found.

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1909

Signe Lavén starts treatment of Mary Greene

This marks the arrival of Signe Lavén in the UK. Her own account of her life is to be found in these documents provided by her family. Of particular interest is the account of how she came to Cambridge especially to treat the neuritis of Mary Greene. This treatment was a success. Mary Greene’s sister, Helen, had already founded a Swedish Gymnasium in Cambridge with a partner Mary Willis. In 1910 Signe bought out Helen Greene’s share of the business and became Mary Willis’s partner herself. The Swedish gymnasium building was at that time an old chapel near Addenbrookes [location unknown]. A new gymnasium was built in Union Road in 1911.

Signe lived at Harston House from 1909 until 1925 with Mary Greene. In 1925 she built a house ‘Sunbourn’ in Harston and made a home for two nieces from Sweden.

From 1930-33 she could not afford to live at Sunbourn so rented it out and  lived in Helen Greene’s Orchard Cottage.

Later she rented out Sunbourn again so she could live in a flat in Cambridge.

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1911

Florence Phillips, 55, sister, widow, b London

Mary Charlotte Greene, sister, 50, artist, b Essex

Helen Greene, visitor, 40, Swedish gymnast, b Grantchester

Mary Willis, boarder, 29, Swedish gymnast, b Lancs

Signe Laven, boarder, 26, Swedish gymnast, b Sweden

Marget Sjonstadt, visitor, 18, no occupation, b Sweden

Ethel Northrop, 23, cook, b Harston

Lydia Chandler, 21, parlour maid, b Cambridge

Helen Greene (1870-1960) was the youngest sister of Sir Graham Greene, K.C.B. Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty 1911-1917. Graham Greene the novelist is their nephew. She was the favourite pupil of Madame Bergman-Österberg, the Swede who introduced Swedish gymnastics into England at Hampstead in 1885. Madame Österberg founded the College of Physical Education at dartford and Helen Greene was Principal of the College from 1917-1921. She then returned to Harston Hall where she lived until the end of her life.

Mary Greene wrote a number of short plays about artists with music by Cecily Muggeridge. her play about William Blake is reproduced in full here. The Museum of Cambridge of Cambridge holds the texts of all (MoC218.89A).

 

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1925 – 1937

Signe Lavén’s travel history submitted as part of her application for British citizenship in 1940:

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1939 Harston House

Eva Greene, b 1883, private means

Flora Kohn, b 1889, paid domestic

Margot E Kohn, b 1916, paid domestic

?

Mary C Greene, b 1860, private means

William G Greene, b 1857, JP and County Councillor

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At the outbreak of WWII Signe Lavén seems to have needed to make an application for British citizenship.

Her supporting documentation included testimonials from colleagues, the detailed biography above, and a list of all the times she had left the UK since she first arrived.

See Grove Lodge

12 Bentley Road

21 Barton Road

1 Trumpington Street

 

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1942