Addiscombe - History

History

Three hundred years ago Addiscombe was a rural area. Its main industries were farming and brick-making. Clay deposits at Woodside provided the raw materials for the latter.

In 1702, 'Addiscombe Place' was built to John Vanbrugh's design. He was best known for Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard and was a prime exponent of the English Baroque style. The house was built on a site which is now the corner of Outram Road and Mulberry Lane. It replaced a fine Elizabethan mansion. Which was once the seat of Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool.

Sir John Evelyn recorded in his Diary "I went to Adscomb on 11 July 1703 to see my son-in-law’s new house. It has excellent brickwork and Portland stone features, that I pronounced it good solid architecture, and one of the very best gentlemen's houses in Surrey." Distinguished guests who stayed at the mansion include George III, William Pitt and Peter the Great of Russia. Peter the Great was reputed to have planted a cedar tree in Mulberry Lane to record his visit.

This was one of three great houses which once stood in the area, the others being 'Ashburton House' (see later notes) and 'Stroud Green House'.

In 1809, Emelius Ratcliffe sold Addiscombe Place to the British East India Company, whereupon it became a military academy - the Addiscombe Military Seminary. The company dealt in the importation of tea, coffee, silk, cotton and spices, and maintained its own private army. The officers of this army were trained at Addiscombe before setting off for India. In 1858, after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also called the First War of Indian Independence), the British East India Company went out of existence.

The college closed in 1861 and was sold to developers in 1863 for £33,600. They razed it to the ground with dynamite. All that is left are the two buildings 'Ashleigh' and 'India' on the corner of Clyde Road/Addiscombe Road and the former gymnasium on Havelock Road, now private apartments.

Five parallel roads were laid out, to the south of the former college site – Outram, Havelock, Elgin, Clyde and Canning Roads. They were all named after individuals who were prominent in either the military or civil governance of British India.

• Lt General Sir James Outram, 1st Baronet Outram
• Major General Henry Havelock
• James Bruce, 8th_Earl of Elgin - Viceroy of India 1861-1863
• Field Marshal Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde
• Charles Canning, 1st Earl Canning - Governor General of India 1856-1862 and first Viceroy 1858-1862

In addition many roads in the vicinity haves names of similar relevance. Nearby Nicholson Road was presumably named after Brigadier General John Nicholson, who played a prominent part in the storming of Delhi. Grant Road is probably named after General Sir James Hope Grant who commanded a cavalry division at the relief of Lucknow, but a Private P Grant and a Sergeant R Grant both won VCs in the mutiny, as did a Lieutenant C Grant, so further research is needed. Inglis Road is almost certainly named after Colonel John Inglis who played a major part in the relief of Lucknow, as did James Outram and Henry Havelock. Hastings Road and its neighbour Warren Road are named after Warren Hastings the first Governor-General of India.

In 1870, the church of St Paul’s (built by E. Buckton Lamb) was opened and then rededicated in 1874 to St Mary Magdalene.

The parish of Addiscombe was formed in 1879. Literary figures such as Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Thomas Carlyle and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow were entertained by Lady Ashburton at Ashburton House. This was later demolished between 1912–13.