We have recently had donated to Rushden Museum a collection of deeds and documents relating to number 34 Robinson Road, Rushden. Thomas Wilmott, the younger, who lived in Newton Road, Rushden owned land in Robinson Road, and in April 1903 he applied for planning permission to build 10 houses.
Thomas Wilmott lived at 28 Newton Road, which was in the row of houses on the left of the picture just past the road junction
The plans for the houses were passed and in October 1903 Thomas sold houses and land to Henietta (Henrietta) Elizabeth Hester for £2,075. Henrietta was the wife of Alfred Hester who was a beer retailer in Alfred Street, Rushden.
Alfred Street showing the beer retailer’s premises with the sign on the wall
By 1910 Henrietta owned 1 house and shop, and 13 cottages in Robinson Road. Henrietta and her husband, Alfred, were now the Licensed Victuallers at the Queens Head in High Street, Higham Ferrers, where they lived with their son, Ernest, and daughters Henrietta and Hilda. They also had a domestic servant, Emily Whitbread.
The Queen’s Head, Higham Ferrers, in 1914
The 1911 census shows that number 34 Robinson Road was occupied by Thomas Percival, his wife, Florence, daughter May and son Sydney. Thomas and his two children worked in the boot and shoe trade. The family had previously lived in Co-operative Row in Rushden. When WWI broke out Sydney enlisted on 10 December 1915 when he was just 19 years old. 514396 Pte. Sydney Percival of the 1st/14th Battalion London Regiment (London Scottish) went to France on 5 March 1917. In July of that year Mrs. Perkins, the secretary of the Newton Road/Robinson Road/Pratt Road Roll of Honour received a letter from Pte. Percival saying he had seen two of the boys from the Newton Road district and they all appreciated the gifts very much. The Street Shrines listed the names of all those serving from the relevant streets, and gifts were sent to the soldiers with money donated or raised by the families.
The Street Shrine for Pratt Road/Newton Road/Robinson Road bearing the names of those serving
Sadly, Sydney was killed in action on 24 November 1917 during the attack on the Cambrai front.
In May 1930 Henrietta sold 34 Robinson Road to Mr. Thomas Percival for £275. By this time Alfred and Henrietta were living at 151 Wellingborough Road and Alfred was a boot operative.
151 Wellingborough Road is in the row of houses on the left of the picture
Henrietta Hester sold No. 34 to Mr. Thomas Percival in May 1930
Thomas Percival died in May 1933 and the property went to his widow Florence. Following her death in December 1952 34 Robinson Road was left to the daughter of Thomas and Florence, May Leach. May had married Sidney George Leach in July 1919 and in 1928 their son Peter was born. The property was gifted to Peter by May in March 1964 and it was then sold to Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Small in September 1965.
No. 34 Robinson Road is marked in red in this map
The house was sold to Mr. E. G. Turney in May 1975 and to Mrs. R. Makeham in 1979. It is an interesting collection of documents and discovering something of the lives of one of the families who lived there brings it all to life.
Some of the other documents