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Brooklands (Brookland House) (English Heritage), Brooklands Avenue

History of Brooklands

In 1825 Richard Foster, a partner in Foster’s Bank of Cambridge, bought Brooklands Farm and its lands from James Burleigh. He built himself a new house called Brooklands House in 1827 and he placed his house in the north-west corner of his estate and enclosed over five acres of land as a garden and parkland. Brooklands Avenue was at this time merely a drive way which had a lodge house at the junction with Hills Road. A second drive ran northwards to Trumpington Road where there was a second lodge (Brooklands Lodge) which still survives within the Botanic Gardens. (taken from Brooklands Avenue – Conservation Area Appraisal Cambridge City Council June 2013)

Pevsner (Cambridgeshire p.329) writes of the house: ‘Sober white brick, with sober extensions to the E, so that the garden front has nine bays including the off-centre bow. In 2002 the stables to the N were converted by van Heyningen & Haward, with a glass-walled link back to the house.’

1841

Richard Foster, 58, brewer

Sophia, 55

Richard S, 33, independent

Edward, 29, brewer

Mary Sophia, 27

Sophia, 19,

Emery Cruchly, 20, servant

Mary Covill, 30, servant

Rebecca Morley, 26, servant

Ann Reeve, 18 servant

1843

Royal Progress to Cambridge

1851

(Trumpington Road Brooklands)

Richard Foster, 68, owner of house and land, b Beds

M S Foster, daughter, 37, b Cambridge

S Foster, daughter, 29, b Cambridge

R S Foster, son, 43, b Cambridge

Elizabeth Foster, visitor, 30, b Cambridge

W Crutchley, servant, 30, b Cambridge

Mary Covill, servant, 38, b Cambridge

Ann Burgess, servant, 23, b Haddenham

Sarah Wright, servant, 33, b Histon

Richard Foster died in 1859. He was the son of Richard Foster of Thompson’s Lane.

1861

Brookland House

George Ebenezer Foster, 49, banker treasurer magistrate, b Cambridge

Elizabeth,45, b Herts

Agnes E, 22, b Cambridge

George Edward, 21, bankers clerk, b Cambridge

Charles K, 19, merchants clerk, b Cambridge

Alfred W, 14, b Cambridge

Walter K, 11, b Cambridge

Arthur G, 7, b Cambridge

Edward Rawlings, visitor, 33, merchant and banker, b London

Ann Turner, servant, 38, b Teversham, cook

Emily Watts, 36, servant, b Cambridge, housemaid

Charlotte Moore, 25, servant, b Grantchester, nursemaid

Sarah Burgess, 27, servant, b Haddenham, ladies maid

Henry Cruchley, footman, 42, b Cambridge, butler

George Ebenezer Foster was the son of Ebenezer Foster and Elizabeth née Finch.
in 1861 the Fosters were living in an unnumbered house on Newnham Road.

1871

Elizabeth Foster, 55, widow, landowner, b Herts

George Edward, 31, banker, b Cambridge

Arthur George, 17, merchant’s clerk, b Cambridge

George Cracknell, 36, footman, b Suffolk

1881

(Brooklands, Avenue Road)

George Foster, 41, banker, born Cambridge

David Norman, servant, 22, butler, born Cambs

Susan Michelson, servant, housekeeper, born Middlesex

Elizabeth Sneath, servant 34, cook, born Hunts

Elizabeth Savill, servant, 22, housemaid, born Beds

Sarah Burgess, 37, maid, b Haddenham

Mary Dace, 32, housemaid, b Essex

Mary Thompson, 30, cook, b Cambridge

1891

George E Foster, 51, banker, b Cambridge

David Norman, 32, butler, b Westwick

Elizabeth Sneath, 45, servant, b Fenstanton

Susan Mickelson. 50, servant, b London

Sarah Rebecca Strawson, 22, servant, b Little Downham

1901

George Edward Foster, 61, banker, b Cambridge

David Norman, 42, butler, b Cambs

Elizabeth Sneath, 55, cook, b Hunts

Harriett Spall, 45, maid, b Suffolk

Sarah A Strawson, 32, housemaid, b Cambs

1911

Percy George Cunliffe Foster, 35, miller and corn merchant, born Cambridge

Nora Elizabeth Mary, 28, born Cambridge

Jane Cole Parnwell, servant, 46, cook, born Hunts

Sarah Rebecca Strawson, servant, 42, maid, born Norfolk

Daisy Pink, 22, housemaid, born Cambs

Clara Selina Starr, 29, house parlour, born Cambs

Lilian Iriene [?] Heath, servant, 18, kitchenmaid, born Cambs

1913

Percy George Cunliffe Foster

Albert Knefer, head gardener

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