H O Meredith

10 Cavendish Avenue, Hollycroft, Cambridge

History of 10 Cavendish Avenue

1901

Louisa Bedwell 58, born Charing Cross London
Clara E. 29, private governess, born Plymouth
Kathleen 36, born Chelsea
Frank 24, student of music, born Cambridge
Douglas 17, music seller’s apprentice, born Cambridge
Alice A Hunt 22, cook, born Little Wilbraham
Eliza M Ayres 19, housemaid, born Bottisham

1911

Hugh Owen Meredith 33, born Wimbledon, University professor of economics
Olive Christabel Margaret 34, born Wolverhampton,  lecturer in education
Ralph Anthony 2, born Lancs
Sidney Lavinia Frances 2, bornLancs
Frances Davies, servant, 50, born Staffs, cook housekeeper
Elizabeth Maud Hollick, servant, 27, born Sawston,  housemaid

Hugh Owen Meredith (1878-1964) wrote a number of books on economics such as ‘Outlines of the Economic History of England’. ‘Protection in France’ and ‘Economic history of England: A Study in social development (1939)’ as well as some verse – ‘Week-Day Poems’.

A perhaps greater claim to celebrity is that Hugh was a close friend of E.M.Forster. Hugh was at Kings College in 1897 and is the H.O.M. to whom ‘A Room with a View’ was dedicated. Forster started writing ‘Maurice’, his candid and at the time unpublishable story of homosexual love, in 1913. It was finished in 1914.  Hugh Meredith was one of the friends he showed the incomplete manuscript to and it is thought that the character of Clive Durham in the book may have been based on Meredith. Meredith’s reaction was apparently disappointing for Forster.

It would not be until 1972 that Maurice would see the light of day[AS1] . Despite celebrating its 50th publication anniversary in 2022, Maurice continues its record of being unpublished longer than it has been available to the public. For now, at least.

For more detailed discussion visit the King’s College web site.

Olive Meredith was also a writer. Her works include ‘History of the Bank of England (1911) and ‘The Psychology of the Free Child (1924).’

1939

Gilbert Stead, b 1888, professor of physics,
Margaret, b 1891, attached to ARP First Aid
Joan, student at Bristol University,
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1941

Michael Bowyer in Air Raid! pub. 1986 notes that incendiary bombs which fell in the raid of 9th May 1941 caused fires at nos 8 and 10 Cavendish Avenue which needed the services of the fire service to put out.