| 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), 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 in New Zealand 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]
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).[8] 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, and it is believed that he also designed Englefield Lodge.[1][8] Joseph Brittan called his property and farm Linwood after his home in Linwood, Hampshire.[9][10]
Category II.[1]
It was demolished in 2011.[11]
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