Worple Lodge, latterly Swail House, Ashley Road, Epsom.

Worple Lodge on the 1932 OS Map

The site of this property on the 1843 Tithe map was a meadow in excess of one acre owned and occupied by Henry Richards. Mr Richards, a surgeon, son of Revd. Edward Richards, died on 5 March 1865 [LINK Monument 377 ] and his estate was administered by Executors including a brother, Rev. William Steward Richards of The Rectory, Ternick, Sussex.

The Epsom Grand Stand Association controlled only the stand itself. Organisation of the races was in the hands of the clerk of the course, appointed by the lord of the manor of Epsom, and the stewards of the course. In 1839 Henry Dorling was appointed clerk of the course and in 1845 he leased the grandstand from the Association for 21 years. From this time, the races were developed so as to enhance the value of the grandstand.

In 1866 Dorling did not renew his lease but became, with Francis Knowles, joint managing director of the Association.

The Knowles

Mr Knowles had been born 3 December 1819, a son of Francis James Knowles & Sophia Anne, nee Bannister, and was baptised at St Mary le Strand, Westminster, on 19 December in that year.

Knowles is presumed to have acquired this parcel of land for development at a public auction of Henry Richard’s real estate held in the King’s Head public house on 16 February 1866. His main residence was then and remained 7 Sussex Place, Regents Park, where he was enumerated in 1871 aged 51, describing himself as a Managing Director [of The Epsom Grand Stand Association ?]. His daughter Emily, born in Lambeth, was also in that census listed as an Annuitant. Worple Lodge did not appear in the local Street Directory for 1867 but Francis Knowles appeared at his country residence there for 1875.

The marriage of Charles Henry Denton (born Waltham Abbey, 7 February 1809) to Lucy Judd (baptised at Basingstoke on 2 September 1813 as the daughter of Charles and Ann Judd, although other records suggest that she had been born during 1815 or 1819) had been celebrated at St Bride, Fleet Street, on 2 September 1832. At the 1841 Census Charles Denton was occupied as a ‘Paper Stainer’.

Emily Knowles birth came to be registered at Lambeth, 9/1845: her parents apparently were Francis Knowles and Lucy Denton. Charles Henry Denton of Webber Street, New Cut, Lambeth did not die , however, until a year later, when he was interred in the churchyard of St John the Evangelist, 9 July 1846. His will proved on 7 September 1848, ‘by oath of Lucy Knowles, wife of Francis Knowles, widow’ bequeathed all his worldly goods to ‘my dear wife Lucy Denton’. Francis Knowles, Gentleman, a bachelor then a resident of St George’s in the Field, had married Lucy Denton, Widow, 27 September 1847, at St Katherine Cree Church, London EC3.

His parish as registered on marriage places Mr Knowles residence in Southwark at that time. By 1861, however, he had become a ‘man of property’ living at 2 Ulster Terrace, Portland Place, Marylebone – ‘Landed P[roprietor[ and House P[roprietor]’.

Mrs Lucy Knowles died, 23 November 1876 to be interred in Plot B46A of Epsom Cemetery six days later, [LINK www.findagrave.com] stated to have been aged 61.

For the 1881 Census, Francis Knowles, Widower 61, ‘Freeholder of House Property’, and his unmarried daughter Emily, aged 36, were enumerated at 7 Sussex Place, Regents Park.

Francis died on 10 June 1889 and followed his wife to the grave, in his 70th year.

Emily survived until 14 August 1910, re-joining her parents in Epsom Cemetery on 19 August 1910. Newspapers reported: –

‘ £57,000 TO CHARITIES. LADY’S BIG BEQUESTS. Miss Emily Knowles,of Sussex Place, Regent’s Park, London, and Worple Lodge, Epsom, left £465,740. The testatrix left: £5000 to Charing Cross Hospital. £5000 to Middlesex Hospital. £5000 to St Mary’s Hospital, [also The British Home for Incurables, the Royal Free Hospital, the London Hospital and five other hospitals]’.

Her estate derived from wealth inheried from Francis Knowles could have been worth over 50 million pounds in 2018: the residue went to cousins in the United States of America. The leasehold of 7 Sussex Place, Regents Park had been offered for sale ‘with vacant possession’ during 1911.

The Eaglands

On 24 June 1809, Francis William Eagland, the deceased 15 year old son of William F. Eagland was taken from Oakwood Lodge for burial in plot A331 of Epsom cemetery.

During 1911 William Francis (Frank) Eagland remained the tenant of Oakwood Lodge, the Parade, Epsom, but had taken possession of Worple Lodge by 1913.

He was an alumnus of Giggleswick School as recorded in its entrance list: –

‘Eagland,William Francis. 24th December, 1866. Son of Dr. W. H. Eagland, Bankfield, Burley, Leeds. Left December, 1884. 1st. XI Cricket. Newspaper Proprietor. 165, Strand, London, W.C., and Worple Lodge, Epsom.’

The marriage of William Francis Eagland to Gertrude Hutchings came to be registered in Strand 6/1893.

The Foundry Trade Journal, Volume 36, announced:-

‘We regret to announce that Mr. W. F. Eagland, one of the original proprietors of The Foundry Trade Journal, The Iron and Coal Trades Review, and Rylands Directory, and a director of Industrial Newspapers, Limited, the present proprietors [has died at Epsom, aged 60, 1 July 1927]’. He was interred next to his late son in Plot 330 at Epsom cemetery, leaving a Gross estate of £117258:13:6.

Mrs. Gertrude Anne Eagland, widow of W. F. Eagland, joined her late husband on 7 January 1944, aged 78, after a Mass at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Heathcote Road. She left £98,588 (net personalty £93,550), bequeathing £500 and 2,000 preference shares in Industrial Newspapers, Ltd., to Sir Gilfrid Gordon Craig, solicitor.

Swail House

Swail House, Epsom, 1952
Image Source Britain From Above

As reported in The Times, 18 May 1952, Worple Lodge was purchased in 1944 with a legacy of more than £34,000 from the late Miss Martha Swail of 22 Bath Street, Rugby, who had died on 9 February 1942, to the London Association for the Blind (now Action for Blind People).

During July 1944 the Police Station in Ashley Road was hit by a German V1 Flying Bomb. In November of that year a temporary station was set up at Worple Lodge, Ashley Road, until February 1946. Subsequently the Victorian house was adapted and extended, with fifty-one flats in long wings on either side to accommodate 81 residents. Guest rooms and a communal dining room were provided, with gardens laid out for the convenience of the tenants, who are treated as guests. These premises were completed in June 1951 to be opened during 1952 as Swail House, the world’s first purpose-built homes for blind people.

Brian Bouchard © 2019