A Long Lost Dorchester property - “ Westfield “ in Cornwall Road
I first came across “ Westfield “ which was located on the corner of Cornwall Road
and Albert Road ( later it was No. 24 ) when researching the CHADWICKs, an
Army family at Chetnole, and it must have been quite an imposing property. Sale
particulars by Henry Duke and Sons for an auction in 1918 ( a copy at the History
Centre under ref : D/HDS/SP/1918/12 which sadly lacks a photograph ) say that it
had three reception rooms, ten bedrooms plus two dressing rooms, and numerous
other support rooms, and a substantial garden.
Thomas Strange BIGGS ( born Devizes, Wiltshire in 1838 ) appeared in the 1881
census in Dorchester as a Wine Merchant and Importer at No. 3 High West Street,
Dorchester with his wife Annie, but in the 1891 census they were living in “
Westfield. “
I suspect “ Westfield “ was built at the start of the 1880’s as Thomas in a Jury List
for 1884 was still listed at 3 High West Street, but in 1885 he had moved to
Cornwall Terrace. I suspect this was actually the site of “ Westfield “ as Jury lists
through to 1893 still list him living at Cornwall Terrace, even though the 1891
census refers to his property as “ Westfield .”
Jury lists to 1899 confirm they were still living in Cornwall Road, but by 1901,
Thomas was away at a clinic in Bristol, and his wife Annie and daughter Marian had
moved to No. 4 Cornwall Road.
Living at “ Westfield “ in the 1901 census were Wellesley L. H. PAGET ( 1857 -
1918 ), a Major in the Royal Artillery and his wife Isabella, with their daughter Mary,
along with four servants. Then in the Electoral Register for 1904, his place of
abode was listed as No. 31 Cornwall Road, but his qualifying address was No. 24
Cornwall Road, which was “ Westfield “ - so did that mean that he owned the latter -
I don’t know, but their stay there was brief ?
Electoral Registers for Dorchester then show that by 1907 “ Westfield “ was
occupied by the CHADWICK family. Edward CHADWICK, aged 78, his wife Amy
with daughters Ellen then 20 and Norah 17 had moved from Chetnole.
Edward Frederick CHADWICK had been born at Ipplepen, Devon in March 1829,
son of James CHADWICK and Anne Isabella MARKHAM who had married at
Ightham, Kent in 1825. Both Edward, who in 1901 was a retired Colonel, and his
father James had long careers in the Army. Edward died at “ Westfield “ on 6th
February 1915 and was buried back at Chetnole. His probate shows his estate was
worth £16,660.
One of the children of Edward and Amy was Edward William CHADWICK who was
born at Chetnole in 1884, and was educated at Winchester College. He also joined
the Army - in 1911 he was a Lieutenant serving in India. Electoral Registers for
Dorchester for 1918 / 19 still gave his address as “ Westfield “ in Cornwall Road. He
married Joan ABBOTT ( 1900 - 1965 ) at Bengal, India, continued serving in the
Army in India and Iraq, and he died aged 99 and was buried back at Chetnole on
5th January 1984.
The sale particulars I mentioned at the start for “ Westfield “ were for an auction to
be held on 2nd November 1918. It does not say when the house was built, nor who
owned the house and was selling it, but it did say that the property was currently let
to Mrs. CHADWICK at a rent of £80 per annum, with notice of six months, if
required for freehold possession. So if the CHADWICKs did not own the house,
then who did and I do not know the answer.
Kelly’s Trade Directories in 1920 and 1927 then show that a Miss FFOOKS was
living at the house, but I cannot establish her identity, and she did not appear in
Kelly’s in 1931 - in fact I could find no resident at “ Westfield “ in 1931 nor 1935.
Brian Bates’ book Dorchester Remembers the Great War was where I first read
about the CHADWICK family at Chetnole. In his book, he lists two of the other sons
of Edward and Amy CHADWICK who both died within one month of each other in
1915. At the end of their entry he quotes “ the house Westfield was later used as a
Catholic school for girls, run by nuns. It was then demolished and replaced by an
ugly office block.” The office block was built about 1960 and, despite a number of
enquiries, I have failed to find out details to confirm the Catholic school theory, or
for how long the girls school occupied the house if true, or when the house was
demolished prior to 1960.
I have failed to find a photo of “ Westfield “ - I am told there may be one on a
website called Bygone Dorset, but this is a private site, which one has to join to get
access, via Facebook, which I do not use - so cannot check it out. The History
Centre and Historic England have no such photo.
Richard Smith
29. 9. 2024
With thanks - Dorchester Remembers the Great War by Brian Bates
|