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No. 29 Upton Park
Known as Spring Villa since its build although the current owners
adopted the name 'Woodbriar' after the name of the family tea plantation.
Probably built in 1873, this is the only single (detached)
Victorian Villa built on the
inner circle (on plot 29).
The house is of classic 'double fronted' style ie central door with
a bay window each side. The Spring Villa on nearby Liverpool Rd is to a similar
style.
Households
- In the early 1870s, Tailor & Draper George Roberts lived
in the Park at No:9 -
one of the very first Park properties. He sold no:9 in 1873 probably
to move to his newly built house Spring Villa. The Roberts family are recorded in
the census of 1881 and 1891.
By the 1891 census; George Roberts was still only 52 with their youngest child
14.
- The 1901 census records Timber Merchant Arthur Powell and family
- The earliest Park accounts ledger of 1921 records the name of Mr.
S Davies and a plot size of 2149 sq yds.
- John Griffiths who transfered from South Wales with Pearl Assurance
is named as living in Upton Park in the 1911 & 1921 electoral rolls.
He is not named in the UPPA accounts
until 1925 - possibly on buying the property from his previous tenancy.
Dr John Griffiths was Park chairman from 1926
through 1934. In 1932 he was appointed Chairman & secretary &
Hon treasurer & sole signatory. The Griffiths had 4 daughters
(Clara, Dalzie, Marjorie) and
a son John.
Other Griffiths - no relation - lived at Holly Bank during
this period and a John Griffiths is named as being the mortgagor
- whether this is the same John Griffiths has not been established
but the two families did appear to have an interconnecting gate between their
two pemises.
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John senior is not named in the 1945 electoral roll and by
1950 Mrs Clara Griffiths is named at Park rate payer; presumably after John's death.
Mrs Griffiths death in 1956 is noted in the UPPA Minutes with
recognition of the very long time in which she had resided in the Park.
From 1956 the accounts record daughter Dalzie Comyns. In the early1960s
Dalzie had the new detached
property (no:27) built alongside Spring Villa. Dalzie
moved into
that subsequently selling Spring Villa.
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The next owner was D I Twine and subsequently the Smith family.
They considered adapting the property to a guesthouse - a plan that
was fiercely contested by fellow residents and was eventually dropped.
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