There’s quite a bit of history in the streets around Blyth Street, Staples Street and Querneby Road. Names that represent the families who held land in the ‘Maperley Closes’ going back 400 years. These families were also reported to be related to Lord Byron. One on the oldest on Blyth Steet (c 1880) has an unusual feature too, a glass tower in the roof that offers a 360 degree view.
Does anyone know the history of this unusual property at 16 Blyth St, Mapperley?
Family Connection
Laura at the Hearth & History in Nottingham who researches and compiles the unique stories of properties was first to help us out.
I’d have to look a bit deeper but from what I can make out, it is called Tower House and in the late 19th century belonged to John Gear, a local fishmonger, prominent businessman, and nominee for Councillor of St Mary’s parish in 1894. In the 30s, the house belonged to the Clarke family and in the 50s, it belonged to the Seymours. I’ll see what else I can find
More information followed
Dean Sandra West – I can’t remember exactly who, but I lived in Staples Street in the 80s. Next door to me was Mr and Mrs Dale, an elderly couple who had lived there the whole of their married life, they knew the history, apparently it was a well known businessman in the area who used to watch his workers come up the Wells Road in horse and carts from the tower. Half a story I know but it was years ago I was told about it.
Baden Cocker Harrison – My dad grew up around there in the 1930s – 1950’s he lived on Caunton Avenue. He used to tell me stories of a strange shadow of a person in there at night and the kids said it was haunted. I take that story as someone star gazing at night. It must have been an amazing view point. I always drive by when I’m up that way as it’s always interesting to me.
Rosemary Napthine – I read on one of the history threads in this group, some years back, that it was built for a wealthy spinster or widow who was a keen astronomer. I have been trying to trace more of the history of Blyth Street. Does anyone have maps between 1880 and 1901? The above house is one of the few showing on an 1880 map of the area.
The Gear Family
There seems to have been several members and generations of the Gear (or Gears) family who were fishmongers in Nottingham. So much so that Gears’ Yard was named after William Gears, a well-known fishmonger operating in a small alleyway off Nottingham’s Market Place. Since widened and renamed Exchange Walk, this is now the busy pedestrian route from The Old Market Square towards Broad Marsh.
Another of these fishmongers who made a name for himself in the early 1800s was Samuel Gear, who took a step away from his family’s profession and achieved historical notoriety by exhibiting a remarkably 7-foot tall Newark woman, Frances Flower at fairs in the country under the title of The Nottinghamshire Giantess.