Selwood (originally Tamara)

Selwood is a wonderful house, well preserved today. We have not been able to locate any old prints or images of the house, but the above recent image suggests that little has been done by way of external alteration to the building. It has a striking cupola over the entrance porch, and a fine window on the half-landing. It is suggested that the house was designed by George Somers Leigh Clarke, who also designed Kemnal Wood, next door, but to date it has not been possible to confirm this from any primary source. The house, originally named Timara, was originally set in grounds of 3.5 acres and set well back from the road. There was no lodge.

A plaque at the rear of the house indicates that the house was built in 1878, but David Clarkson was the first resident we can find, in 1884. He was to stay until 1891, when Charles Speyer (68), a retired merchant from Germany moved into the house. Charles’ wife, Joanne, was also German, and born in 1834, was eleven years his junior. There were five children still living with them, all grown up, all single, and all born in Highgate, Middlesex: Henry (34), a merchant’s assistant; Maria (29), Arthur (25) a stockbrokers agent; Willie (23), and Helen (21). Charles died in January 1893, aged 70, and was buried at the Church of the Annunciation in Chislehurst. His wife stayed on for a while at Timara, but by 1896 the house was vacant, and in the following year Robert Payne was resident at the house. It is at this point that the name of the house was changed to Selwood.
Robert Payne was a solicitor from Little Linford, Bucks, aged 60 at the time he moved into the house. He had retired by the time of the census in 1901. His wife, Alice, born in 1845, was also born in Buckinghamshire. They had a son and two daughters living with them in 1901, all of whom were born in Frome, Somerset: Henry (28), Edith (25) and Mary (23). They would appear to be an economical family, having only two servants. Robert Payne died in 1904, though we have no record of his burial. His family stayed on at Selwood after his death. His middle daughter, Edith, married Bertie Murton of Meadowcroft in 1906. Sir Walter Murton recalled in his memoirs: ‘Mrs Payne, who had been for some time a resident at Chislehurst, came out with her two daughters to Alassio. Unfortunately Mrs Payne became seriously, even dangerously ill with pneumonia and pleurisy, but, thanks to the skill and care of our friend Dr Boon, a resident doctor, she ultimately recovered. It seemed, though I had not known it, that my eldest son, Walter Herbert, had become much attached to the elder daughter of Mrs Payne and he came out to Alassio on a visit to us. They became engaged while there. In October that year (1906) Bertie was married to Miss Edith Alice Payne’. The couple lived and died in Chislehurst, and are both buried in St Nicholas churchyard. Mary was still single and lived with her mother until the latter’s death in 1921.
Jean Percy names the occupants of Selwood at the time she was living at Inglewood as Sir Hugh and Lady Fraser.

They moved into Selwood in 1921, and lived there until Hugh’s death in 1944. In 1946 Harry and Ivy Groom moved into the house with their children, who included Peter and Anne Groom. They were to stay here until 1951. The property was then transferred to the Government in lieu of death duties, and then sold to Hyde Housing, who let the property as apartments until 2019, when it was acquired privately for conversion into larger apartments to be sold as individual residences. The exterior of the house appears to be substantially in its original state, and the detail of much of the interior, panelling, ceilings etc., was well preserved when owned by Hyde Housing.
Selwood Stables
There was no separate lodge at Selwood, but in 1901 there were residents at Selwood Stables. These would be the buildings at the north-west side, attached to the house. The head of household was Richard Tolhurst (51) a coachman from Hawkhurst, Kent. Rebecca, his wife was 50. She and their two children were also born in Hawkhurst. The children were Alice (21) and Fanny (11). The family was to stay on here while Mrs Payne was in residence in the main house. They left in 1919. The stables were occupied from 1921 until 1927 by Charles and Dorothy Tiffen. For a few years after the war the stables were renamed Selwood Cottage, and were occupied by Charlotte Farrant. They were incorporated into the house when it was converted into apartments.
In the 1960s the plot in front of the house was developed and a care home built on it. This was later acquired by Bromley Council, who have redeveloped it as Willett House, a care home for the elderly, now run by Mission Care. The garden behind the house was retained for a time, but eventually, in the 1980s, it was sold for development. Pickwick Way was extended onto that land, and a further 6 houses were built there.
Domestic servants at Selwood
There were five servants in the house in 1891: two housemaids, Jane Gurney (23) from Gloucester; and Phoebe Cooling (28) from Woolwich; a parlour-maid, Susannah Francis (30) from Ware; May Hopcroft (32) a cook from Oxfordshire; and Lavinia Treadwell (19) a kitchen-maid from Oxfordshire. There were only two servants in 1901: Kathleen Griffiths (25) a cook from Gloucestershire; and Rosetta Cook (28) a housemaid from Canterbury. In 1911 there were three house servants, Ellen Cornell (34), cook, from Soho, London Ada Riches (29), parlour-maid from Bromley, and Margaret Wraight (28), housemaid, also from Bromley. In addition, there was a coachman from Hawkhurst, Kent, 61 year-old Richard Tolhurst. His wife Rebecca, aged 60, is reported as living with him, so we can assume they were living above the stables. They had two surviving children, though not living with them at this time. The Frasers kept a small and loyal group of three servants; one, Winifred Stroude, was to stay with the family from at least 1934 until Lady Fraser left in 1946.