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Summary:

Pair of semi-detached dwellings (9 & 10 Charnham Street) built c1839 by the Gibbons family, for the adjacent iron works.

Photo Gallery:

20151128 img_5699
20151128 img_5699

9-10 Charnham Street, Nov 2015.

1810 charnham st  eddington
1810 charnham st eddington

Map of Charnham Street & Eddington, 1810.

- 9-10 Charnham Street, November 2015.

- Map of Charnham Street & Eddington, 1810.

Timeline:

c1839: After the agricultural "Swing Riots" of 22 Nov 1830, when much damage was done to the Gibbons iron works at 16 Bridge Street, the Gibbons family set about designing and building a new foundry on Bell Mead in Charnham Street (now Somerfield Petrol station and shop), which eventually opened c1839. See Gibbons Iron Works. They also built two semi-detached houses adjacent (now 9 & 10 Charnham Street) for their use, and their foundry manager. [See Reading Museum of Rural Life].

We think that the adjacent Atherton Villas (now numbers 7 & 8 Charnham Street) were built around 1851 (but there is no entry in the 1851 census). Perhaps Gibbons finished his building first!

1851 Census: W H Rowland (26), 1 servant.

1861 Census #101: Theophilus Dance (62), Independant minister, 1 daughter, 1 servant.

1871 Census #97: Sarah Balding (54), retired school mistress, 1 niece, 2 visitors, 1 servant.

1881 Census #96: Arthur Fearon (36), Curate of Hunerford, wife Elizabeth (39), 2 sons, 2 daughters, 2 servants.

1891 Census: "Family gone on holiday"!

1894: Flood report: Mr Wren: 1894 Charnham Street Floods: Marlborough Times of 17th November 1894 reported "... In the houses of Mr. Wren and Mr. Gibbons, the water rose to a great height, and the fire in the grate at Mr. Gibbons's was put out. Mrs. Withers, too, at the Red Lion Inn, had a terrible time of it, and the houses of Mr. Andrews, Mr. Lamsden, Mr. Buxey, and Mr. Joyce were also flooded."
1901 Census: Edward Charles Wren (37), Teacher of Music, widow Clara Harriett Biddin, and maid Sarah Winterbourne.
1903 Kelly: Edward Wren
1906 Cosburn's Dir: E C Wren, LRAM, organist, Charnham Street.

1911 Census: (Property split into main house,with 8 rooms, and an apartment with 2 rooms:
     #112: Henry Gibbons (36), general engineer and iron founder, wife Kate (32), 2 sons, 2 daughters, 8 rooms.
     #111 Caleb Camburn (53), single, Headmaster COuncil School. "Apartment, 2 rooms".

1916 Cosburn's Dir: C Camburn, schoolmaster, Council Schools, Charnham Street.

1920 Kelly Dir: Mrs George Wren, Charnham Street.

20 Jul 1936: 9 & 10 Charnham Street were advertised for sale by auction (A W Neate & Sons). The sale was not completed at the auction, but it sold soon after. Freehold sold. 9 Charnham Street contains six rooms, bathroom and offices, the whole with gardens and large paddock etending to over 3 acres. (Click here for the sale poster). No 9 is let to Mr Ludford.

1939 Blacket's Dir: A E Smith
1940 Blacket's Dir: A E Smith

See also:

- Charnham Street floods, 1894

- Charnham Street floods, 1932