M is for the Mayor of Mountfields House

Following the Incorporation of the Borough of Loughborough in 1888, the town elected its first mayor. Thus, Alderman Joseph Griggs was duly chosen, and remained in office for two years, from 1888-9, and from 1889-10.

Giggs had been born around 1832 in Burton-on-Trent, in Staffordshire, and had married Isabella Batts in 1859. By 1871, they had moved to Evington Street in Leicester, and Griggs’ occupation was listed on the census returns as a commercial traveller, by which time they had two children, 10-year-old Mary, and 6-year-old Frank. The family then moved to Loughborough, and in 1881 were living on Forest Road, and Griggs was now a timber merchant.

In 1891 the family were living at Mountfields House. Both Joseph, a Justice of the Peace, and son Frank were listed on the census returns as timber importers. Isabella died in 1899, and so in 1901 Joseph is found at his daughter’s residence in Kings Norton, Worcestershire. Meanwhile, son Frank, still a timber importer, is living on Forest Road with his family: it is unclear whether this property is Mountfields House. When Joseph dies in 1909, he is living in Sherwood, and in 1911, son Frank and his family are now living at the Holt on Forest Road.

Mountfields House, which is constructed of mellow-coloured brick, sits behind Mountfields School, and faces onto the Forest Green Belt. The view presented here is the rear of the property, with its unusual shape, although the front consists of two large ground-floor bay windows. The building appears to be about four rooms deep.

The railings seen in the picture, which are made of galvanised steel, were created by Christopher Cambell in 1998, in conjunction with schoolchildren.

The building now houses a ‘Compass Community School’.       

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This post is one in a series of posts in the ‘April A-Z Blogging Challenge’

 

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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