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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Essex => Topic started by: yvoeliz2 on Wednesday 07 December 11 20:59 GMT (UK)
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Can anyone shed some light on a large house in this area named 'Rackets' around about the 1900's. I am looking for a girl who worked there named Kathleen Haynes born in London in 1897.
Was there such a house, or a house with a similar name? Any information would be great.
Thanks
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Hi,
Southend library or Essex Archives http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/ might be able to help.
Do you have a street name or just "Rackets"? There is a possibility that the house is still there but under a new name.
Nanny Jan
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hi
for what it,s worth i,ve just looked through the 1901/1911 cen address search for leigh on sea and the nearest that comes up is a house called ROCKLEY in sea view rd the person search gives a mary hannah widow 39 occ taking boarders b spoorle norfolk .
if kathleen haynes was born 1897 when did she work at this rackets ?!
regards
trevor
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Many thanks for your prompt replies. I am trying to help an elderly lady locate Kathleen Haynes. She has been told that she worked in a large house called Rackets in Leigh on sea from about 1914-25, which was associated with Lord Leigh (Lee or Lea?). Apparently he also had property in Hampstead. Unfortunately how much of this is fact and how much is mis-remembered information I have no idea, although she is sure about Kathleen being born in 1897 in London. Unfortunately the informants are now deceased so it is impossible to verify any of the information about the house.
Looking at the archives link it would seem that there was no such Lord in the area. I have looked for a marriage of Kathleen and also a death, but unfortunately nothing fits with the information I have been given.
Many thanks for your time.
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hi
the only birth i can find using both london and middlesex as a search is for this one for kathleen annie e haynes reg dist holborn vol 1b p 634 year 1897 , the nearest after that appears to be for kathleen doris haynes reg dist st giles vol 1b p 556 year 1900
i did also find a death reg for a kathleen a haynes age 33 reg dist brentford vol 3a p 165 .
but i must stress this info is pure speculation and should be taken on face value only not fact until investigated further .
so far i can,t find any more definate info for the dear lady your helping and as nanny jan has said it looks like you need a look either in southend library or essex archives or even essex family history soc for more detailed info ,but it,s like the needle and haystack scenario .
regards
trevor
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There was a Lord Rayleigh which may have been misremembered but he was in Witham (the family seat, don't ya know!) in 1911. Of course there may have been a "seaside house" in Leigh with separate staff. But all speculation again!
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hi ss
you mean lord rayleigh he of the dairies fame , i wonder did he do a round himself do you think ;D ;D ;D ;D
regards
trevor
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Hi there
I have since discovered that on a birth certificate in 1925 an occupation was given as housemaid in The Racquet, Duke of Manchester Drive, Leigh-on-sea. It would appear that this is the name of a house in what is now Manchester Drive. Does this ring any bells with anyone please? I could not find any reference to this in the Essex archives.
Many thanks
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I'm not too sure what you actually want to know now? Are you looking for a photo of the house if it still exists? Manchester Drive is now quite a long road and it wouldn't be easy to drive down looking for a house name! However if you can wait until the weather improves I could stroll down one day and see if it's still there (of course it may not have a name now)
Sue
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Many thanks for your reply. If you are going down that way sometime it would be nice to know if there is 'The Racquet', but somehow, looking at Google street view, I would be surprised if any of the houses there are that old, ie early 1900s. When it was called Duke of Manchester's Drive, it did not extend as far as it does today. According to a 1923 map of the area it went between Kingswood Chase and Cricketfield Grove. As far as I can see the 1911 Census of this area does not have a house with this name.
Probably a dead end as far as finding the tenants of this house, however I will keep looking.
Once again many thanks, I appreciate your help.
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Hi,
I've just checked the postcode finder on Royal Mail website but all properties on Manchester Drive have numbers!
Woo
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That was a concern of mine too, Woo! Sometimes though an old name is on a plaque somewhere and I must admit to being intrigued now so I expect I'll wander down there one day (and I need the exercise!). My son lives nearby so I can pop in for a cuppa to warm up after...
Sue
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I have contacted the Essex Records Office and they have said that there was a property named Racquets on the south side of Duke of Manchester's Drive recorded in the 1923 Kelly's Directory. James Edwards was the person living there at the time and in 1928 a Mrs Baldwin was the occupier. I have no idea whether these people are relevant to the person I am looking for, but at least I know that the house existed.
I can only assume that over the years the name Racquets has disappeared and been replaced by a number, although it would be nice to know if it retained its name.
Maybe this will help someone else who is searching in the area.
Many thanks to all who replied.
Yvonne
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I have contacted the Essex Records Office and they have said that there was a property named Racquets on the south side of Duke of Manchester's Drive recorded in the 1923 Kelly's Directory.
..
I can only assume that over the years the name Racquets has disappeared and been replaced by a number, although it would be nice to know if it retained its name.
Maybe this will help someone else who is searching in the area.
Many thanks to all who replied.
Yvonne
A tip which may also help - if you look at the surrounding entries in Kelly's Directories, you can sometimes narrow down a search as neighbouring properties sometimes remain and are still named the same - it's not infallible but sometimes works! Good luck