12 Sydney Buildings: a history

An Abstract of Title prepared in 1884 throws light on the history of the plot of land on which the house was built. The first document it refers to was dated May 1844 and seems to reflect a tidying-up exercise necessitated by the death, two years earlier, of William Harry 3rd Earl of Darlington and 1st Duke of Cleveland.

May 1844 Henry Lord Brougham and Vaux (lawyer, former Lord Chancellor, probably acting for William Harry’s estate), William John Frederick Powlett (later, very briefly in 1864, 3rd Duke of Cleveland), and two lawyers (?trustees for the 1st Duke’s estate) conveyed to John Pinch the Younger and his brother William the plot of land on which No. 10 already stood and Nos. 12 to 16 were to be built. The houses were to be built at John Pinch’s expense, were subject to various restrictions and to a dead rent of £1 12s 6d p.a.

(A smaller version of today’s No. 10 appears on the 1840 Tithe Map. John Pinch’s title to the land clearly goes back some years before that date. The plot concerned was probably first released for development in June 1812 or shortly after that. The title deeds of No.10 might clarify this – if they survive).

May 1845 John Pinch borrowed £800 at 4.5% p.a. from Harry Hayman, gent., and William Urban Buée of Slough, surgeon, against the security of any and all buildings on the plot.

May 1847 John Pinch borrowed a further £300 from the same two on the same security, the money apparently coming from trust funds of William Buée’s late wife Elizabeth.

March 1849 Harry Hayman died. His right to repayment by John Pinch seems to have died with him or been left to his co-creditor.

January 1851 John Pinch had died in December 1849 without repaying either loan and while still owing “a considerable amount of interest”. His house at 21 Henrietta Street and the premises known as Bathwick Tavern were put up for sale by public auction. The former was sold to Thomas Parry for £455 while the latter was “bought in”.

“After the sale the said William Buée entered into the receipt of the rent and profits of the said Bathwick Tavern, which have not been sufficient to pay the interest from time to time becoming due on the balance of the mortgage money”.

In 1853 William Buée made all income from the Tavern and the plot generally over to his three daughters Amelia, Margaret and Catherine. The first two died in 1879 and 1880 respectively, and their interests in the plot and its buildings seem to have passed to the remaining daughter Catherine. Meanwhile, in 1877, Bathwick Tavern lost its licence and seems to have become tenantless for a while.

June 1881 Catherine Buée sold the land on which today’s Nos. 12-16 were built to Richard Martin of Abbey View Villa, fishmonger, for £530. Martin also had to pay an annual dead rent of £1 12s 6d required by the 1844 indenture.

Martin sub-divided the land, built a terrace of five houses on it, and by the end of 1884 had sold them all off. Ownership of today’s No. 12, originally Guindy Lodge, has passed as follows:
Date: To: Price paid, £:
December 1884 Emily Louise Trotter 570
October 1923 Reginald Pearson 650
January 1930 Emilie Constance Clarke 850
May 1943 Major General Percy Commings Bequest
CB CMG DSO
April 1948 William Winsor 2,425
May 1951 Hugh Bridgeman 3,250
September 1953 Marjorie Hix 2,790
December 1959 Geoffrey Tucker 3,150
March 1967 Jeremy & Phyllida Hemming 4,500
April 1970 Mark Rutherford 7,500
January 1998 Christopher & Jacqueline Morrissey 292,000