43 and 45 New Road Linslade

43 and 45 New Road October 2008

43 and 45 New Road were listed by the former Department of Environment as Grade II, of special interest. They were built in the 1830s or 1840s as the town expanded due to the arrival of the Grand Junction Canal (1800) and the London and North Western Railway (1838). They are built of red brick with some stucco dressing and have Welsh slated roofs with an eaves cornice.

Numbers 43 and 45 New Road were sold by auction in 1863 [BML10/44/4] at which time they were described as: "…Two Substantially Built semi-detached Brick and Slated VILLA RESIDENCES, Each containing, on the basement, good Kitchen and Cellar, on the ground floor, Parlour, Sitting Room and Scullery, and four excellent Bed Rooms over, with convenient Yards, Outbuildings, and Gardens in the rear thereof, pleasantly situate, fronting the New Road, Linslade, and having a frontage thereto of 47 feet and enclosed by a neat iron Pallisading, as now in the respective occupations of Mr.John Fleck, at the low rental of £30 per annum, and Mrs.Dorman, at the low rental of £26 per annum.

There is a convenient Stable and Coachhouse attached to the House in Mr.Fleck's occupation.

The Fixtures on this Lot to be paid for by the Purchaser, as per Valuation, to be produced at the time of Sale.

The whole of this Lot has been recently erected in a most substantial manner, and is well worthy the attention of capitalists".

A building plot adjoining 43 and 45, with a frontage of 27 feet to New Road, was also up for sale and occupied by John Greenway.

The 1901 censes lists Miss Maria Dorman living at 45 New Road, daughter of the Mrs.Dorman [Frances Sarah] mentioned in the sale particular, who had kept a private school in New Road from at least 1854 to 1871.The site of the school within New Road is not ascertainable from records held at Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service. Full details on the 1901 census are:

43 New Road:

• George Freeman, 62, brewery agent, born in Woburn;
• Mary Freeman, wife, 65, born in Yelvertoft [Northamptonshire];
• Louisa L.Freeman, daughter, 33, born in Leighton Buzzard;
• Jessie A.Freeman, daughter, 22, born in Woburn;
• Florence Baker, servant, 18, general domestic servant, born in Eggington

45 New Road:

• Maria Dorman, 65, retired schoolmistress, born in Southwark [Surrey];
• Alice Fountain, servant, 14, general domestic servant, born in Burcott [Buckinghamshire]

Kelly's Directory records that in 1915 Number 45 New Road was occupied by Ezra Halsey.