These five houses at the top of the Green were once owned by the Earls of Lanesborough. They owned 8000 acres of land in County Cavan, Ireland. They also owned estates in England and Wales including property in Mountsorrel.
The 4th Earl of Lanesborough, Brinsley Butler,died in 1847. His estates in England and Wales were passed onto his cousin George John Danvers.His father had married the only daughter and heiress of Sir John Danvers of Swithland.
George John Danvers died in 1866.His English and Welsh estates were passed onto his nephew John Vansittart Danvers. However there was insufficient money to pay his debts of £9100. The deficit was paid by Viscount Burke. Property in Leicestershire was mortgaged,although lands in Mountsorrel were expressly excluded.
John Vansittart Danvers died in 1905. His estates included twenty cottages in Mountsorrel with an annual rent of £47-16-0.They were inherited by his son, Charles John Brinsley Butler (Lord Newtown Butler).
In August 1910 he sold the the five houses at the top of the Green to Arthur Seaton, carter and coal merchant for £150.
The following month Arthur Seaton sold on three of the houses to James Bampton, gardener, for £100.
And in 1912 he sold the other two for £140 to William Job Spence, a grocer living at 91 Loughborough Road. William died aged 97 in 1957. The two cottages, No 50 and 52, were later sold, in 1971, by his daughters, Clara Lily and Edith Jane to to Ingeborg Little for £1500.
At some point the other three cottages were demolished and two bungalows built in their place.
Here are two more images, the first one was posted in 1913, by her Gran, to a Miss Bradshaw,Co-op Stores, Rothley
The gallery of pictures below show the end cottage before its granite walls were painted white
The two images below show the end house with its walls painted white
In the next three pictures the thatched roof on the left hand house has been replaced by tiles and on the right hand house by a tin roof
The final gallery shows a few more images of the houses at the top of the Green. It includes one image where the middle cottage has been demolished and replaced by a bungalow
These images of houses at the top of the Green are mostly from Postcards collected by Martin and Sheila Powell. They were left to Mrs Ann Ekin who has kindly given permission for them to be shown on our website. Also thanks to Ann for providing the information on the history of these houses.
fascinating. love the history and the photo’s,
Great pictures, takes me back to my childhood, and teens. From the scout hut at the top of the green (1st Mountsorrel) and other adventures including getting conkers from the big tree by Caveners? shop. and my first woodbines from Underhill at the bottom of the “Green”
Happy days NO VERY happy days
Yes can remember picking conkers from the green. And Caverners shop. Wasn’t it Underwoods shop at the bottom of the green. great sweets. Can remember the houses on the green where the court is now, and Dodsons the baker round the corner. Did you play at the Rocks and Sillies on the hills by the church.? lots of memories.
I remember getting my Coronation mug on the green in 1953. My brother Bernard Mills was a scout around 1959. We spent many happy times up on the hills & climbing on the rocks. We only knew the time by blasts from the quarry & the hooter at Clarks Boxes on Linkfield Road.
Helen Burnside nee Mills