Grafton House
In not too long a time-span, this
article will be enhanced in terms of its layout (which
dates back to 2009) and some references to some new information to be provided
by
the new owners who, in 2011/12, have done much to refurbish the house.
This crude drawing has been attributed to George Clark of Scaldwell. It
shows the
Grafton arms c. 1857, the West Bridge in a hump-back form before the 1865
improvements to the bridge. It also shows the Wharfinger's
Cottage.
As it is so poor
a drawing compared to the architectural quality of his finished work, there was
for a
while, some doubt as to its attribution. The original is an extremely
light pencil draw-
ing and Geo Freeston went over it in a heavy pencil or pen and then enhanced the
contrast by photocopying. The original is genuine!
In 1793, Simon Stubbs applied to the Duke of Grafton to build a
coaching inn near
the bridge. He named it the Duke's Arms, a name which migrated to The
Grafton
Arms. The road from Oxford to Cotton End in Northampton was made up to
turn-
pike standard at about the same time. The inn probably flourished owing to
the trade
at the canal and the increase traffic on the turnpike. Simon Stubbs leased
the inn from
the Duke for 21 years initially. Thanks to Ian Markie who has contacted us
with his
research of his ancestors we know more of the Stubbs and the Worsters family
which
followed in occupation at the Duke's Arms. For details it will be best to
consult his
website, http://www.btinternet.com/~drewsankie/,
which is under development.
For now, this is what Ian Markie has told us:
"My five times great aunt
Mary Stubbs, daughter of James Stubbs of Braunston, married a Simon Stubbs 4 Feb
1814 at Braunston son of Simon Stubbs of Grafton House, Blisworth.
Simon Stubbs (Snr) of Grafton House married Susannah Simcock, the daughter of
Samuel Simcock the famous Canal Engineer who helped James Brindley.
Also Samuel Simcock's wife was Esther Brindley, the sister to James Brindley.
Simon Stubbs, probably Junior, was also involved with William Worster and set up
their own company (Worster, Stubbs and Bland) to operate fly boats from Long
Buckby and Braunston (possibly from Blisworth also) to places such as London and
Leicester. This carried on until about 1850 when it was taken over by the Grand
Junction Canal Co."
This picture was taken at a time when the Westleys rented the house - long
after the
inn had ceased to trade. Joseph Westley lived at the house from
approximately 1880
and died in 1895 to leave his sons in charge of the corn mill nearby. The
date of this
image is unknown but note what appears to be Westley covered-wagons in the yard.
As tenants in 1919, the Westleys opted to purchase the house in the Grafton
estate sale.
The Westleys owned about 70 acres of farm
land at the west end of the village. The
fields surrounding Ramwell Spring was theirs and in a map associated with the
farm
deeds it was obvious that Westleys had installed a large tank at the site of the
spring
(quite near the undulating part of the
field) and laid a pipe all the way down to their
house, crossing the Towcester Road at the bottom corner of the field. The
household
enjoyed high pressure spring water c1900 as a result.
The purchase price as indicated in NRO G4318 was £4000 (incl. 91 acres of land)
The green in front of the house is now well covered by a large oak tree planted
in
1935 at the time of the George V Jubilee celebrations (see
images 23-07,08,09).
getting a broad view of the house is
now not
so
easy. The building is a listed
one.
Photo. T Marsh 2006
An unusual view, presently impossible due to scrub, of the rear of Grafton House
and
the barns to the north of the house.