Nos. 46 and 48, Hoxton Street

VI.—Nos. 46 and 48 HOXTON STREET.

Ground landlord, leaseholders, etc.

The freehold belongs to the Trustees of the late William West, and the premises are occupied chiefly by the London County Council as an Infant Welfare Centre.

General description and date of structure.

These premises consist of two storeys over a basement, with attics lighted by dormer windows. The exterior is of brick, with a plain brick band at the first-floor level. The windows have deal frames flush with the wall, with the glass divided into small panes. The roof is tiled and has a blocked cornice to the eaves, the modillions being omitted over the windows and recesses. The entrance doorway has a flat moulded hood supported on carved deal brackets (Plate 60), with a wrought-iron, semi-circular grille to the fanlight. The premises are "L" shaped on plan, the wing on the south side being now utilised as a shop on the ground floor, with the north windows bricked up and a passageway formed on the opposite side affording access to Windsor Place in the rear.

Within, the walls are lined with square deal panelling with moulded chair rail, and a cornice of good proportions. In the front room on the ground floor is an interesting china cupboard, which has a semicircularheaded deal front fitted with doors. The staircase has twisted deal balusters, panelled square newels and moulded close strings (Plate 61).

The site of these premises was originally included in Star Close. (fn. 1) On 24th November, 1659, William Wall, then owner of the close, allocated to his wife's jointure, (fn. 2) inter alia, a messuage, garden, orchard, stable and coachhouse, late in the tenure of Widow Bolton, (fn. 3) and three cottages adjoining. In 1676, we meet again with the property, when Wall mortgaged (fn. 4) "all the messuage, garden, orchard, stable, hayloft, and coachhouse, then in occupacion of — Clarke . . . . and three cottages lying neer the messuage in Hogsden." In 1680 the property was sold to John Clarke. (fn. 5) An indenture (fn. 6) dated 7th November, 1732, has reference to "all that messuage . . . with garden, orchard, stable, hayloft, coachhouse, outhouses . . . heretofore in the occupation of John Clarke and afterwards of Mary Clarke, his widow, both deceased, and since . . . of Sarah Waxham, and now of Thomas Waxham, of Hoxton, brickmaker," and also "all that messuage now or late in the occupation of — Verey, with outhouses, gardens and appurtenances, which last-mentioned house was sometime since erected on the toft, soil or ground whereon three cottages or tenements near adjoyning to the said first-mentioned messuage . . . sometime heretofore stood." The house in occupation of Verey was sold by the assignees of Thos. Waxham on 13th March, 1738–9, (fn. 8) to Richard Goode, who on 6th January, 1756, resold (fn. 7) to Jonathan Miles, the owner of the Hoxton House Asylum.

The last document mentions that the house of John Clarke, afterwards of Mary Clarke, and Sarah and Thomas Waxham, was on the south side of Verey's house.

On 17th December, 1747, the assignees of Waxham sold the Waxham messuage, as well as another messuage on the south side of it, with garden, orchard, outhouses, etc., heretofore in the occupation of Mr. Castlefrank, to James Atkinson. The order of the three houses from south to north was therefore: Castlefrank house, Waxham house, Verey house. The Waxham house remained in possession of the Atkinson family until 1894, at which time it was in use as part of the asylum, and was known, or had been known, as The White House, and plans of the property in the possession of the London County Council show that the site is now occupied by the Council's Medical Divisional Offices. It is, therefore, evident that the Verey house occupied the site of the southern portion of the present school keeper's house, and that the modern Nos. 46–48 correspond with the Castlefrank house. The date of erection of the latter cannot be ascertained, but was certainly later than 1680. The great probability is, therefore, that the present premises, the details of which are quite compatible with their having been erected in the late 17th or early 18th century, are the actual premises occupied by Castlefrank.

Condition of repair.

Good.

In the Council's collection are:

(fn. 9) Plans of ground and first floors (measured drawing).

(fn. 9) Exterior, general view (photograph).

(fn. 9) Entrance doorway do.

(fn. 9) Door brackets, detail (measured drawing).

(fn. 9) Staircase, general view (photograph).

(fn. 9) Stair balusters, detail (measured drawing).