Nos 3 - 9 BELLE VALE ROAD (continued)

Turning to the occupants of this group, we think that in 1841 the widowed owner Mrs Mary Greenough (born c.1791) lived at No.3; a Greenough whose Christian name has been lost through burning of the bottom edge of the returns of that date - so we refer to him as "Burnt" Greenough (born c.1786 ??) at No.4; John Greenough (born c.1821, Tailor) at No.5 (?); James Greenough (born c.1816) at No.6 and John Greenough (born c.1815) at No.7 and Nos 8 & 9 were not yet built and occupied (?).

By 1845 we have Mrs Barbara Greenough, widow, (born c.1786 in L.W.) - whose age suggests that she could have been the widow of "Burnt" Greenough - living at No.3; Mrs Mary Greenough owner occupier at No.4; Miss Ann (born c.1780 in L.W.) and Miss Alice Greenough (born c.1787 in L.W.) at No.5 ( in 1841 they had been living and keeping shop at 10 Gateacre Brow); Anne Tarbock and Isaac Helsby at Nos 6 & 7; John Walker at No.8, and John Greenough (born c.1815) at No.9.

In 1851 we have the widow Mrs Barbara and Mrs Mary Greenough, also a widow, sharing No.3; No.4 occupied by Joseph Smith; Miss Ann & Miss Alice Greenough at No.5; John Greenough (born c.1826 in M.W.) at No.6; Isaac Helsby at No.7; John Walker at No.8; and John Greenough (born c.1815 in L.W.) owner occupier at No.9.

In the light of our present knowledge we interpret the history of the buildings in this group to show :-

Nos 1 & 2, owned and occupied by an older generation of Greenough men, were built as family houses as a first venture.

Nos 3 & 4 followed on a more modest scale, financed by the widow Mary Greenough as an investment.

Nos 5, 6 & 7 were beyond the immediate financial resources of the family and were built by them for William Berry - but the family link was strong enough for him to lease No.5 to the older sisters later.

Nos 8 & 9 were built by young John Greenough (born c.1815) about 1841 for himself, and by 1851 he was mortgaging them to William Lee, the bread baker, possibly to finance a further enterprise.

continued . . .