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==History== |
==History and ownership== |
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===Joseph Brittan (1857–1867)=== |
===Joseph Brittan (1857–1867)=== |
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[[File:Joseph Brittan portrait.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Portrait of Joseph Brittan]] |
[[File:Joseph Brittan portrait.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Portrait of Joseph Brittan]] |
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===Frank Brittan (1877–1889)=== |
===Frank Brittan (1877–1889)=== |
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Sophia Brittan died in August 1877.{{sfn|Rolleston|1971|p=74}} Whilst the Rollestons had carried the Brittan family financially over the last decade, their contributions went practically unrecognised.<ref name="Registration Report" /> Mary Rolleston inherited £400 and the piano, her oldest brother received an [[Life annuity|annual annuity]] of £20, and Frank Brittan was given the farm, the house and all its contents.{{sfn|Rolleston|1971|p=74}} William Rolleston was "shocked, hurt and astonished" by the unfairness of this distribution. Contact between the Rollestons and Frank Brittan all but ceased. Much later in life, Mary Rolleston would see her brother briefly once a year on [[New Year's Day]] at his home, and that was all the contact that they had.{{sfn|Rolleston|1971|pp=74–75}} |
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Sophia Brittan died in August 1877.{{sfn|Rolleston|1971|p=74}} |
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| Linwood House | |
|---|---|
Linwood House in 2003
| |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | late Georgian / Regency style house |
| Location | Linwood |
| Address | 30 Linwood Avenue |
| Town or city | Christchurch |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Completed | 1857 |
| Demolished | 2011 |
| Client | Joseph Brittan |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | unreinforced masonry |
| Floor count | two |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Charles Fooks |
| Official name | Linwood House |
| Designated | 24 June 2005 |
| Reference no. | 3119 |
| References | |
New Zealand Historic Places Trust (30 May 2005), Registration Report, Christchurch: New Zealand Historic Places Trust {{citation}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help) | |
Linwood House was built as the homestead for Joseph Brittan, who as surgeon, newspaper editor, and provincial councillor, was one of the dominant figures in early Christchurch, New Zealand. The suburb of Linwood was named after Brittan's farm and homestead. Brittan's daughter Mary married William Rolleston, and they lived at Linwood House following Joseph Brittan's death. During that time, Rolleston was the 4th (and last) Superintendent of the Canterbury Province, and Linwood House served for many important political and public functions.
Linwood House was be located at 30 Linwood Avenue in Linwood, Christchurch. Originally located on 50 acres (20 ha) of rural section (RS) 300, the size of the section was 2,013 square metres (21,670 sq ft) after several subdivisions.[1]
Brothers Guise and Joseph Brittan, and their friend Charles Fooks had in common that they all married one of the four Chandler daughters.[2] The Brittans were surgeons, whilst Fooks was an architect. Guise Brittan joined the Canterbury Association, despite being of much lower class than most of its members.[3] When a Society of Canterbury Colonists form in 1850, with the objective of representing land purchasers, Brittan was called to the chair for the first meeting on 25 April 1850. Brittan impressed Edward Gibbon Wakefield, one of the instigators of the Canterbury Association. Wakefield wrote to John Robert Godley, the other driving force behind the colonisation scheme who was already in New Zealand, and suggested that Brittan be given a role of responsibility.[4] Brittan came to Christchurch on the Sir George Seymour in December 1850, and his wife and four children travelled with him. Fooks went with them, but left his family behind in England.[4]
Joseph Brittan's wife Elizabeth Mary had died in 1849. He remarried in a manner that was illegal at the time, socially unacceptable and causing a scandal—he took Elizabeth's sister Sophia, the fourth Chandler daughter, as his second wife. As was not unusual at the time, having caused such a scandal was responded to by emigrating, which the newly-weds did a month after the ceremony.[5] They sailed for Christchurch on the William Hyde, which left Deal, Kent on 21 October 1851 and arrived in Lyttelton on 5 February 1852.[6] Mrs Fooks and her two daughters came to New Zealand with Joseph Brittan's family.[7] By mid 1852, Joseph Brittan purchased RS 300, rural land some 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of Cathedral Square.[8]
Guise Brittan first lived on Oxford Terrace; his house later became part of the Clarendon Hotel. In 1855/56, he had Englefield Lodge built on land alongside the Avon River just outside the initial town area (these days the area to the east of Fitzgerald Avenue).[9] Joseph Brittan chose land a short distance downstream along the Avon River and had his homestead, Linwood House, built in 1857.[1] Fooks was the architect for Linwood House,[1] and it is believed that he also designed Englefield Lodge.[9] Joseph Brittan called his property and farm Linwood after his home in Linwood, Hampshire.[10][11]
Joseph Brittan had varied interests and immediately upon arrival in Christchurch, joined others in various activities. He played cricketinHagley Park within a fortnight of reaching Christchurch, and later helped improve the grounds and raised money for fencing the area. He was into horse racing, later bred horses, and Canterbury's first steeplechase was held on his Linwood farm. The Brittans were into music and his wife Sophia Brittan brought her piano from England. Joseph Brittan had a portable harmonium and as in the early years, Lyttelton was culturally more important than Christchurch, he joined a musical group in the port town. For performances, he walked over the Bridle Path with the instrument strapped to his back. Musical evenings were also held at the Brittan home.[12]
About half way between Englefield and Linwood was Holy Trinity Avonside, at the time a cob church.[13] Guise Brittan was its churchwarden. The whole Brittan family had a close connection to the church, with Joseph Brittan helping to raise money for its construction, and his daughter Mary singing in the church choir. They faithfully attended church on Sundays.[13]
Tragedy struck on 1 January 1862, when his son Arthur drowned in the Avon River while learning to swim. He got entangled in watercress, which the Brittans themselves had introduced to the Avon, and his body was only found after a good half hour.[14][15] Arthur had left school by then and was helping his father on the farm. Joseph Brittan was heartbroken and signs were that he had a period of depression.[16] Soon after the drowning, he advertised for both a Dairyman and a farmworker.[17] He even put Linwood House up for sale, but no property transaction was recorded.[16][1]
William Rolleston, at the time Provincial Secretary, proposed to Mary Brittan in early 1865. He was 34 at the time, and she was 19. Both Joseph and Sophia Brittan were opposed to a marriage, which is surprising, given that Rolleston was intelligent, well educated, successful, and if anything, of higher social standing. They thought him too old for their daughter, her too young to marry. Maybe Sophia Brittan did not want to lose her daughter, who was in effect running the household and entertained guests, as she was often too ill to look after these tasks herself. But Rolleston was offered and accepted the role of Under Secretary for Native Affairs, which required moving to Wellington. Hence, the wedding went ahead on 24 May 1865 at Avonside Trinity Church, before the newly-weds moved to the capital.[18][19]
Joseph Brittan's health declined during 1867. Of distress for the family were the financial affairs, with various debts that only Joseph knew about. Rolleston tried to give financial advice to both Sophia and her son Frank, but he was ignored.[20] Joseph Brittan died on 27 October 1867 at Linwood House.[21]
Sophia Brittan inherited the house and land from her late husband. Initially, it was left to her son Frank to run the farm.[22] In 1868, there were rumours that William Sefton Moorhouse would resign as Canterbury Superintendent, and Rolleston was encouraged to make himself available. He returned to Christchurch, whilst his wife Mary and their then two children remained in Wellington. Rolleston was elected unopposed on 22 May 1868.[23][24] And on 8 June, he was elected to Parliament in the 1868 by-election in the Avon electorate.[25] Late in 1868, the Rollestons moved back to Christchurch to live at Linwood House.[26] This was a delicate affair, as this made conditions cramped (Sophia, her sons Joe and Frank, the Rollestons with their two children, plus servants made for cramped living in the eight rooms), and there has always been tension between William Rolleston and Frank Brittan. Mary Rolleston arranged for her oldest brother Joe, who had some disability, to live with his aunt, Mrs Fooks. Charles Fooks was imprisoned at that time, and it was good for Mrs Fooks to have a male live with her.[22] The Rollestons paid rent, which helped Sophia Brittan service the mortgage.[1] With Rolleston Superintendent until the abolition of Provincial Government at the end of 1876,[24][4] Linwood House hosted many important social and political functions.[1]
Linwood farm was used for sporting events. In July 1876, the Christchurch rugby team met their South Canterbury counterparts from Timaru (Christchurch won the game),[27] and in May 1877, the Canterbury Hunt Club met for a steeplechase in the sand hills of the farm.[28]
Sophia Brittan died in August 1877.[29] Whilst the Rollestons had carried the Brittan family financially over the last decade, their contributions went practically unrecognised.[1] Mary Rolleston inherited £400 and the piano, her oldest brother received an annual annuity of £20, and Frank Brittan was given the farm, the house and all its contents.[29] William Rolleston was "shocked, hurt and astonished" by the unfairness of this distribution. Contact between the Rollestons and Frank Brittan all but ceased. Much later in life, Mary Rolleston would see her brother briefly once a year on New Year's Day at his home, and that was all the contact that they had.[30]
It was demolished in 2011.[31]
Category II.[1]
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