Selby House, Ham

Selby House is a Grade II-listed house facing Ham Common in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. ^{[1] [2]}

Description

Selby House

A three story brick house with five windows. Originally dating from 1683 but modified in the early 18th century and refaced and a porch added in the 19th century. ^{[1] [2]}

History

Selby House dates from the 17th century when in the 1649 Survey of Ham Manor the land was called Three Elm Square Piece. A farmhouse known as Brimsweech Close stood here in 1695 and was replaced or enlarged in the early 18th century as Selby House. ^[3]

There is a story that George III’s wife, Charlotte, visited in 1809 but that is more likely to have been Newman House in Ham. ^[4]

It was the home of the writer and poet Ann Rolfe (1789–1850) from about 1835 to her death in 1850. ^{[5] [6]} She operated a seminary for girls and her husband Edward was schoolmaster at the National School. ^[7]

Frederick Benbow, a perfumer, second son of George Henry Benbow, died here in 1859. ^{[8] [3]}

Miss Copeland advertised her services in teaching French, German and drawing about 1870. It was then the home of Charles Edward Withall and his family until the late 1880s. ^[9]

The Noble family lived in Selby House from 1889 to 1953. ^[10] Archibald Francis Noble (1886–1916) was a captain in the 10th Cheshire Regiment who was killed in World War I fighting in France. There is a memorial to him in St Andrew's Church, Ham. ^[11] Elizabeth Mary Noble had married Kenneth Douglas Field (1880–1917) from Latchmere House; he was killed in 1917. ^[12] They are both commemorated on Ham's War Memorial. Her son-in-law, RAF pilot Arthur David Watson, was killed in 1940 in World War II and is commemorated on Petersham's War Memorial. ^[13]

References

1. Historic England. "Selby House (1358075)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 4 July 2023.
2. Groombridge, Garth (2008). The changing face of Richmond, Petersham and Ham. The History Press.
3. Lang, Paul Howard (2018). Ham and Petersham through time. Amberley. p. 17.
4. Pritchard, Evelyn (1994). "Queen Charlotte visits Ham". Richmond History: Journal of the Richmond Local History Society. 15: 27–28.
5. Bassett, Troy J. (31 December 2024). "Author: Ann Rolfe". At the Circulating Library: A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837—1901. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
6. "Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries". Bury and Norwich Post. 21 August 1850 – via British Library Newspapers.
7. Pritchard, Evelyn (1999). A portrait of Ham in Early Victorian times 1840–1860. Alma Publishers. pp. 46–47. ISBN   0951749757.
8. "Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries". Morning Post. 15 July 1859. p. 8 – via British Library Newspapers.
9. "Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries". Morning Post. 25 March 1886. p. 1 – via British Library Newspapers.
10. Frood, Margaret (26 September 2018). "Archibald Francis Noble (1886–1916)". Ham Remembers. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
11. "Captain Archibald Francis Noble". Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
12. "Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Douglas Field". Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
13. "Flight Lieutenant Athur David Watson". Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

51°26′11″N0°18′39″W / 51.43626°N 0.31097°W / 51.43626; -0.31097