More on Northumberland House - Harringay online2024-03-29T08:31:17Zhttps://harringayonline.com/forum/topics/more-on-northumberland-house?groupUrl=historyofharringay&commentId=844301%3AComment%3A1040348&groupId=844301%3AGroup%3A10&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI've just found another well-…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-29:844301:Comment:10462842017-12-29T23:46:43.950ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>I've just found another well-connected guest at Northumberland House. Whilst William Rutherford Benn was not well known himself, two of his relatives most certainly were.</p>
<p>William Rutherford Benn was the son of the Reverend Julius Benn, the grandfather of politician Tony Benn. </p>
<p>William moved his family to India, where he worked as a merchant or “shipping clerk” and sometime journalist. Little is known of what happened during these years other than the suggestion (from Tony Benn)…</p>
<p>I've just found another well-connected guest at Northumberland House. Whilst William Rutherford Benn was not well known himself, two of his relatives most certainly were.</p>
<p>William Rutherford Benn was the son of the Reverend Julius Benn, the grandfather of politician Tony Benn. </p>
<p>William moved his family to India, where he worked as a merchant or “shipping clerk” and sometime journalist. Little is known of what happened during these years other than the suggestion (from Tony Benn) that William was deeply moved by the poverty he encountered and dedicated his time to helping those in direst need.</p>
<p>During their time together in India, Florence became pregnant. At some point during her pregnancy, Florence fell into a deep depression and exhibited signs of severe mental illness. Aware of his wife’s deteriorating condition, William made plans to move back to England. It came too late. Florence committed suicide. Her body was discovered one morning hanging from a tree in the garden.</p>
<p>The daughter became the well-known Miss Marple from the mid-twentieth century movies.</p>
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<p>In 1895, William and his daughter Margaret returned to England. He handed her over to his wife’s remaining sister Bessie to raise. William then suffered a series of severe mental breakdowns that led to his incarceration at the Northumberland House Asylum in 1903.</p>
<p>William was later admitted to Broadmoor where he was incarcerated until his death in 1921.</p>
<p></p> Thank you for sharing that fa…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-29:844301:Comment:10457422017-12-29T12:48:19.341ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>Thank you for sharing that family story, Jo. Sadly, I fear, it was all too common that those who offended against society's moral code were committed to places like Northumberland House. </p>
<p>Your great grandmother must have been left the home shortly before it was closed and the remaining residents transferred to another facility. </p>
<p>Thank you for sharing that family story, Jo. Sadly, I fear, it was all too common that those who offended against society's moral code were committed to places like Northumberland House. </p>
<p>Your great grandmother must have been left the home shortly before it was closed and the remaining residents transferred to another facility. </p> I'm not sure whether my earli…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-29:844301:Comment:10460592017-12-29T12:39:11.572ZJo Chttps://harringayonline.com/profile/JoC
<p>I'm not sure whether my earlier reply to this managed to get online so i'm trying again. Apologies if it does appear twice.</p>
<p>The 6th Duke of Northumberland, Henry Percy, was a local landowner in the C16th. He owned Brooke House which was in the North East corner of Newington Greeen. He was engaged to Anne Boleyn before Henry VIII decided he'd like her for his own.</p>
<p>It may be that he owned the land on which Northumberland House was built. He certainly had royal connections and…</p>
<p>I'm not sure whether my earlier reply to this managed to get online so i'm trying again. Apologies if it does appear twice.</p>
<p>The 6th Duke of Northumberland, Henry Percy, was a local landowner in the C16th. He owned Brooke House which was in the North East corner of Newington Greeen. He was engaged to Anne Boleyn before Henry VIII decided he'd like her for his own.</p>
<p>It may be that he owned the land on which Northumberland House was built. He certainly had royal connections and maybe the land was once part of the royal hunting ground of Finsbury Park. </p>
<p>My great grandmother was a 'resident' at Northumberland House. She'd been sent away by her family c1910 to avoid a scandal. She'd had an affair and been divorced and sent away from her 3 young children. Understandably, she fell apart and we suspect may have turned to alcohol. Going on her paternal uncle for help, he sent her away where she remained for 40 years until she was rescued by her youngest daughter who was then a grown woman of about 45. All their lives they had been told to stay away from her as it would be bad for her to see them. It is a tragic tale. She was found quite well but in a run down room in Northumberland House, with a threadbare carpet over old floorboards. There was very little wrong with her. Goodness knows what torment she had gone through from 1910-1950 or what she would have witnessed there. </p> Sad to think how far literacy…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-03:844301:Comment:10403912017-12-03T22:58:20.375ZGeraldinehttps://harringayonline.com/profile/GeraldineTaylorThomas
<p>Sad to think how far literacy has deteriorated since this was written. The skill would not have been confined to books and journals; even the Parr family had a degree unseen today.</p>
<p>To die at 47 was considered 'early' even in those far off days.</p>
<p>Sad to think how far literacy has deteriorated since this was written. The skill would not have been confined to books and journals; even the Parr family had a degree unseen today.</p>
<p>To die at 47 was considered 'early' even in those far off days.</p> Another clipping for the scra…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-03:844301:Comment:10404622017-12-03T15:29:24.234ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>Another clipping for the scrapbook from The Proceedings of the Royal Medical & Chirurgical Society of London, Vol V 1864-1867.</p>
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<p>According to the Evening Mail of 15th Oct 1858, George's father, Richard Birkett died of apoplexy on 11th Oct that year. He was…</p>
<p>Another clipping for the scrapbook from The Proceedings of the Royal Medical & Chirurgical Society of London, Vol V 1864-1867.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2162867182?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2162867182?profile=original" width="518" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<p>According to the Evening Mail of 15th Oct 1858, George's father, Richard Birkett died of apoplexy on 11th Oct that year. He was 71.</p> Thanks. It's something that i…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-03:844301:Comment:10402922017-12-03T07:45:29.142ZJohn Dhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/JohnD
<p>Thanks. It's something that is perhaps clearer when spoken, with the emphasis on the " quite ", rather than when written. Anyway, his work was quite satisfactory <img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/></p>
<p>Thanks. It's something that is perhaps clearer when spoken, with the emphasis on the " quite ", rather than when written. Anyway, his work was quite satisfactory <img src="http://www.bkserv.net/images/Smile.gif"/></p> You were quite right, John D.…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-03:844301:Comment:10402342017-12-03T07:29:51.950ZGeraldinehttps://harringayonline.com/profile/GeraldineTaylorThomas
<p><span class="dbox-pg"><span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">You were quite right, John D. My online dictionary gives the following definitions:</span></span></span></p>
<div class="def-set"><span class="def-number"><span><span class="oneClick-link">1.</span></span></span><div class="def-content"><span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">completely,</span> <span class="oneClick-link">wholly,</span> <span class="oneClick-link">or…</span></span></div>
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<p><span class="dbox-pg"><span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">You were quite right, John D. My online dictionary gives the following definitions:</span></span></span></p>
<div class="def-set"><span class="def-number"><span><span class="oneClick-link">1.</span></span></span><div class="def-content"><span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">completely,</span> <span class="oneClick-link">wholly,</span> <span class="oneClick-link">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link">entirely:</span></span><div class="def-block def-inline-example"><span class="dbox-example"><span><span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">quite</span> <span class="oneClick-link">the</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">reverse;</span> <span class="oneClick-link">not</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">quite</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">finished.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="def-set"><span class="def-number"><span><span class="oneClick-link">2.</span></span></span><div class="def-content"><span><span class="oneClick-link">actually,</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">really,</span> <span class="oneClick-link">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link">truly:</span></span><div class="def-block def-inline-example"><span class="dbox-example"><span><span class="oneClick-link">quite</span> <span class="oneClick-link">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link">sudden</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">change.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="def-set"><span class="def-number"><span><span class="oneClick-link">3.</span></span></span><div class="def-content"><span><span class="oneClick-link">to</span> <span class="oneClick-link">a</span> <span class="oneClick-link">considerable</span> <span class="oneClick-link">extent</span> <span class="oneClick-link">or</span> <span class="oneClick-link oneClick-available">degree:</span></span><div class="def-block def-inline-example"><span class="dbox-example"><span><span class="oneClick-link">quite</span> <span class="oneClick-link">small;</span> <span class="oneClick-link">quite</span> <span class="oneClick-link">objectionable.</span></span></span></div>
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</div> I once had to recommend one o…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-03:844301:Comment:10403482017-12-03T07:07:04.531ZJohn Dhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/JohnD
<p>I once had to recommend one of my juniors for a particular project. I wrote " I think you will find that he is quite competent " meaning that the task was well within his capabilities. The junior in question was offended, reading it as saying that he wasn't all that good.</p>
<p>I once had to recommend one of my juniors for a particular project. I wrote " I think you will find that he is quite competent " meaning that the task was well within his capabilities. The junior in question was offended, reading it as saying that he wasn't all that good.</p> I've read that adverbs like '…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-03:844301:Comment:10402332017-12-03T03:58:12.862ZGeraldinehttps://harringayonline.com/profile/GeraldineTaylorThomas
<p>I've read that adverbs like 'very' and 'quite' are out of fashion these days while in times past they were used quite liberally. Here, in an 1841 example, the man was said to have been 'quite dead'.</p>
<p>I've read that adverbs like 'very' and 'quite' are out of fashion these days while in times past they were used quite liberally. Here, in an 1841 example, the man was said to have been 'quite dead'.</p> Another little snippet on Nor…tag:harringayonline.com,2017-12-03:844301:Comment:10402852017-12-03T02:13:23.400ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>Another little snippet on Northumberland House from Bell's Weekly Messenger 27 Nov 1841.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2162867146?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2162867146?profile=original" width="469" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Another little snippet on Northumberland House from Bell's Weekly Messenger 27 Nov 1841.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2162867146?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2162867146?profile=original" width="469" class="align-center"/></a></p>