'Welford House' Formerly 3 Merstham Terrace

Built late in 1868, this mid-terrace house was first owned by James Hall, probably James Hall of the Hall brothers who founded Hall & Co. Ltd. They were originally Building Material Contractors and up until 1864 were based at the Merstham Chalk Pit. Their father, George Hall supplied the 'Merstham stone' used in the new London Bridge . This house was known as 3 Merstham Terrace.

This is James Hall (1814-1890) reproduced from a portrait by Ethel Hall

In 1872 the estimated maximum annual rental for the property for taxation purposes was £28 per year and the property had a rateable value of £21. It also attracted a 'Lighting Rate 'of nine shillings and foupence halfpenny!

1878-1879: Miss Hook was the first known resident of the house.

1881: The house was empty.

In 1882 the terrace of 5 was owned by J Tressider who also owned all 25 houses in Pellatt Road , Sutton.

In 1884 the rateable value was reduced to £20.

1887-1893:The house was owned and occupied by Hugh and Rose Taylor (nee Swallow) with their son, two daughters and a boarder. Mr Taylor had purchased the freehold from J Tressider and this was the the first of the terrace to be sold to an individual. In 1893 the moved to 'Heatherfield' on the Brighton Road which would have been a large house to accommodate the Hugh family, his mother in law aged 71, brother in law, cook and a 19 year old Nurse. They had another son, Norman who was born in 1898.

1891 Residents: Hugh Taylor age 32, Commercial Clerk b.1859 City of London; Rose Taylor age 27, Wife b.1864 Ewell; Mast. Hugh M Y Taylor age 7, b.1884 Brighton; Audrey J Taylor age 5, b.1886 Brighton . Elsie Mary Taylor age 1, b.1890 Sutton; Mr H Griffiths age 29, Engineer b.1862.

1893-1898: C Hall. The property is now called 'Welford House' and its rateable value had increased to £24.

On 12th July 1898 the house along with the other 4 in the terrace was connected to the mains sewerage system. At this time the Cess pits in the gardens of both number 28 and 30 were drained and filled.

1899: Kealy

1901-1906: Mary Isabel Churchill, a 47 year old widow living on her own means resided in the house with her daughter, two sons and a Servant. She had moved from 26 Victoria Road when that property was bought by the new tennant, Mr Hardwick. Mary was married in 1870 to George Fleetwood Churchill, son of Fleetwood Churchill who was a renowned Physician and medical author publishing a variety of titles including " Diseases of Children" in 1850. Her husband, an Army Surgeon with a rank of Major, died when she was just 28. Her eldest son Brooke Churchill, seemed to be following the family tradition, being a medical student. Her other son Fleetwood, following an education at Christ's Hospital School in London , was an African Merchants Buyer. The house is still owned by Hugh Taylor.

1901 Residents: Mary Isabel Churchill age 47, living on own means b.1854 Jamaica; Evelyn Churchill age 26, High School Mistress b.1875 India; Brooke Churchill age 23, Medical Student b.1878 Birmingham; Fleetwood Churchill age 22,African Merchants Buyer b.1879 Birmingham; Eliza Hook age 19, Domestic Servant b.1882 Sutton.

1907: Mrs Sandeman

1908-1914: Mrs Florence Hare. The house is still being called 'Welford House'

1915-1929: Henry Wren was the tennant and both this house and No. 32 were now owned by R Stables.

1930-1936: L Spencer

1936-1938: A Seal and A Stokes lived here but the house was owned by Mrs E A Burrage of 65 West Street sutton. The rateable value of the house was now £23.

1939-1952: Bitton and Moore. The rateable value of the house in 1943 was £23 (which it stayed at at least until 1952) and the local rate paid was £12 5s 4d. This house and number 34 had now been bought by Mr L C Bushby of The Close Carshalton.