Morshead Mansions

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History

In 1914 Morshead Mansions became involved in British politics. A notice appeared in the Times newspaper that 78 Morshead Mansions was one of many places where women - but not it seems men - could sign The British Covenant for Ulster, opposing Irish Home Rule.

In 1921 farms in South African and Rhodesia were advertised for sale in the Times by the resident of 22 Morshead Mansions who offered a free catalogue.

Morshead Mansions has seen a wide variety of residents ranging from Sir John Haslam, MP, who lived at 18 Morshead Mansions until his death in 1940, to some 'colourful' characters. For example, in 1938 the Times reported a court case about gamblers trying to cheat Ladbrokes by sending telegrams after the end of races and changing the time on them to before the races started. Albert Simmond of Morshead Mansions was a witness: he had backed horses for 40 years and in 1936 he 'did over £30,000 betting by telegram'. The bookies closed his account and he had to use the Tote.

Other residents have included shipping agents, showbusiness agents and producers, property specialists, interpreters, and, for many years, a contract bridge tutor at 19 Morshead Mansions.

The controversial author David Irving lived at 23 Morshead Mansions in the 1960s. In 1962 he advertised in the Times for wartime PQ.17 Arctic convoy (1942) survivors in the Merchant and Royal Navy for research for a book he was writing.

The name Morshead comes from Sir John Morshead who married Elizabeth, the eldest daughter and co-heiress of Sir John Frederick of the Frederick family who leased from the Bishops of London much of the land that Maida Vale is built on.

We Know Mansion Blocks

The first mansion blocks were built in the early 19th Century, providing luxurious residences for the growing urban upper middle classes. As the Industrial Revolution spread throughout Europe it brought about a population boom in the major cities, and mansion blocks were devised to provide luxurious housing for wealthy white collar workers. As the centre of the cities became increasingly crowded the blocks provided this growing class with housing that boasted impressive entrances, generous elevations and balconies reminiscent of mansions. They were a particularly popular innovation in polite Parisian society.

In spite of their popularity on the continent, Londoners were initially sceptical about this new style of accommodation. In the 1850s a spacious mansion flat would set back the buyer somewhere in the order of £50-200 per annum, but the idea of living in such a communal manner was entirely contradictory to the dominant Victorian social ideals of the age. Firstly, and most importantly, apartment dwellings were simply not considered ‘proper’, but it was not just a case of old English snobbery. There was also widely held fear that this new type of residence would increase the risk of burglary and the spread of infection and disease.

By the 1880s London society had gradually warmed to the idea and the decade was marked by a flurry of mansion block construction across the city.

We Know Maida Vale

Starting life as an indistinguishable section of the Middlesex Forest in 1086, Maida Vale has certainly developed from the small hamlet, which in those days was not even significant enough to merit a mention.

The name Maida Vale can be traced back to an impressive military victory against the French army in Sicily in 1806. In recognition of his role in the attack General John Stuart, commander of the British forces, was ennobled Count of Maida. Three years later a tavern on the Edgware Road was named the Hero of Maida tavern and by 1810 maps designated the area surrounding the tavern as Maida.

The canal system linking Maida Vale to the Thames was completed in the early 19th Century and in 1827 plans requested by the Bishop of London were designed for the layout of roads now recognised as Maida Vale. As the centre of the city became overcrowded with an ever increasing population and new roadways developed, improvements to public transport enabled the middle classes to move outwards to new suburbs. By 1832 ninety buses were operating on route between Paddington Green and the Bank, each carrying up to twelve passengers inside and three outside. By 1839 thirteen omnibuses were licensed to carry passengers from Maida Hill into London, dramatically speeding up the pace of building in the district.

Today Maida Vale offers an enormous range of vistas, from the canal and the predominantly stuccoed houses in the south to the park and the predominantly red brick flats in the north. As stated by John Julius Norwich, Writer, Broadcaster and Resident of Maida Vale, “though obviously changed beyond recognition, it remains, in all London, the most agreeable place to live”.