Wednesday 5 June 2013

(45) Addis of Woodside

Sir Charles Stewart Addis KCMG (1861-1945), a banker with the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank and later a director of the Bank of England and Government advisor on international monetary policy, purchased the late 18th century house called Woodside after 1898.  At his death it passed to his third son, Sir William Addis (1901-78), a Colonial administrator, who lived mainly abroad until 1958 and sold the house in 1951 to Michael Warr and two members of the Addis family. One share descended to Sir Clive Lawrence, 4th bt, who sold it to George Warr, son of Michael Warr, in 1995.

Woodside, Frant, Sussex
Woodside: entrance front
The house, originally called Delvidere House (the name was changed after 1851), built between 1831 and 1837 for Capt. George Lewis Minet (d. 1837).  


Woodside from the Ordnance Survey 6" map of 1873.
When the property was advertised for sale in 1836 it was described as "a very complete Ferme Ornée, surrounding a modern Cottage Residence, but recently finished, placed on the margin of a small lake, its banks embellished by plantations and varied walks... There are farm buildings of every description, bailiff's and gardener's cottages, and a handsome entrance lodge upon the Hastings Turnpike Road".  

The house is known to have been extended for Sir Charles Addis in 1932, when the west wing was built, but appears to have developed in a piecemeal fashion during the 19th century, with little regard for an overall consistency of style. The house is still surrounded by gardens, further developed in Victorian times, which trace their origin to grounds known as Slutsbridge Shaw in 1830 before Minet's house was built.


Woodside: south front. The three-storey block on the left represents the addition of 1932.
Descent: sold 1830 to Capt. George Lewis Minet (né Mason) (d. 1837); sold to John Pryce of Greenwich; sold 1851 to Miss Peyton; sold 1862 to Thomas Russell; sold 1882 to Maj-Gen. Sir Andrew Aldcorn Munro (c.1826-1898); sold to Sir Charles Stewart Addis (1861-1945); to son, Sir William Addis (1901-78); sold 1951 to (George) Michael Warr (1915-89) and two members of the Addis family; to George Warr (b. 1951).

Addis family of Woodside

Addis, Sir Charles Stewart (1861-1945), kt. of Woodside.  Third son of Rev. Dr. Thomas Addis (1813-99) of Morningside, Edinburgh and his wife Robina Scott Thorburn, born 23 November 1861.  Educated at Edinburgh Academy.  Banker with HSBC 1880-1933; Dir. of Bank of England 1918-32; Pres of Inst of Bankers 1921-23; Vice-Chair Bank for International Settlements 1929-32; member of various Gov committees on national debt and international finance, 1918-33; Lieutenant of City of London; member of court of London University.  Appointed Knight Bachelor, 1913 and KCMG, 1921; Hon LL.D Edinburgh, Hongkong and Kingston, Ontario; awarded Order of the Sacred Treasure of Japan, 2nd class; Order of Chiao Ho of China, 2nd class.  He married 6 June 1894 Elizabeth Jane (1871-1952) daughter of Provost James McIsaac of Parkend, Saltcoats, Ayrshire and had issue:
(1) Thomas Addis (1895-1952), born 3 April 1895; educated at Haileybury and Exeter College, Oxford; judge; m. Constance Louise (known as Nina) (d. 1967), daughter of Mr Wallis of Solihull (Warks) and had issue two sons; died of heat stroke in Djibouti, 8 October 1952;
(2) Elizabeth (known as Betty) Addis (1897-1980), born in China, 1897; m. 16 November 1922, Sir Dallas Gerald Mercer Bernard, 1st bt (1888-1975) and had issue one son and two daughters; died 5 October 1980
(3) Capt. Charles Thorburn Addis DSO RN (1898-1962), born 2 July 1898; educated at Royal Naval Colleges, Osborne and Dartmouth; served in Royal Navy in WW1 and WW2; m. 8 December 1933, Pamela (1913-96), daughter of Vice-Adm. Allan Poland CBE DSO of Berins Hill, Ipsden (Oxon) and had issue two sons and three daughters; died 20 December 1962;
(4) Robina Scott Addis OBE (1900-86); born in Edinburgh, 20 April 1900; psychiatric social worker; died 2 September 1986;
(5) Sir William Addis (1901-78) (q.v.); 
(6) Susan Addis (1903-87), born in Shanghai, China, 2 February 1903; m. 3 October 1925 Sir Percy Roland Bradford Lawrence MC, 2nd bt (d. 1950) and had issue three sons and two daughters; died August 1987
(7) George Herbert Addis (1904-36), born 22 October 1904; educated at Rugby and Magdalene College, Cambridge; died unmarried and without issue, 5 August 1936; 
(8) Henrietta Mary Addis (1906-87), born 25 July and baptised 18 November 1906; m. 28 July 1933, Edmund Booth, son of Sir Alfred Allen Booth, 1st bt and had issue four sons and one daughter; died 28 July 1987
(9) Margaret Kathleen Addis (1908-92), born 7 October 1908; m. 1 August 1934 (div. 1964), Hon. Alexander Campbell Geddes OBE MC TD, 2nd son of 1st Baron Geddes, and had issue; died November 1992;
(10) Jean Ellison Addis (1910-2000), born 5 July 1910; m. 28 December 1940 (div. 1952), George Henry Pownall, son of G.H. Pownall of Chester and had issue one son and one daughter; died April 2000;
(11) Rachael Forrester Addis (1912-2002), born 3 February 1912; m. 12 June 1937 John Frederick Cornes (1910-2001), son of Julian Cornes JP of Layston Ho, Buntingford (Herts) and had issue; died February 2002;
(12) Sir John Mansfield Addis (1914-83), born 4 June 1914; educated at Rugby and Christ Church, Oxford; served in HM Diplomatic Service, 1938-74 (postings in China, 1948-50, 1954-57; Ambassador to Philippines, 1963-69; Ambassador to China 1972-74); Senior Research Fellow in Contemporary Chinese Studies at Wolfson College, Oxford, 1975-83; member of Advisory Council of Victoria & Albert Museum; Trustee of British Museum; member of the Board of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank; died unmarried, 31 July 1983; 
(13) Richard Graham Addis DSC (1916-44), born 1 December 1916; educated at Rugby and Corpus Christi College, Oxford; Lieutenant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve; m. 9 December 1941 Gillian (who m.2, 1950, George Michael Warr CBE), daughter of Rev. Percy Dearmer DD, Canon of Westminster and had issue one son; killed in action, 30 March 1944;
He purchased Woodside, Frant, Sussex in about 1898.
He died 14 December 1945, aged 84, and was buried at Frant (Sussex).  His will was proved 16 March 1946 (estate £114,299).  His widow died 17 April 1952 and is buried with him at Frant.  Her will was proved 25 June 1952 (estate £34,850).

Addis, Sir William (1901-78), kt., of Woodside.  Third son of Sir Charles Stewart Addis (1861-1945) and his wife Elizabeth Jane, daughter of James McIsaac of Parkend, Saltcoats, Ayrshire, born 5 September 1901.  Educated at Rugby and Magdalene College, Cambridge (BA 1923; MA 1924).  Employed in Colonial Service, 1924-66; private secretary to Sultan of Zanzibar, 1939-45; Colonial Secretary, Bermuda, 1945-50; Deputy Commissioner General for Colonial Affairs in SE Asia 1950-53; Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Seychelles, 1953-58; Foreign Office, 1958-66; appointed CMG 1948; KBE 1955; Order of Brilliant Star of Zanzibar.  He married, 14 July 1929, Rosemary (d. 1964), daughter of Rev. Richard Titley Gardner of Abbey House, Chertsey (Surrey) and had issue:
(1) Richard Thomas Addis (1931-2008), born 7 March 1931; educated at Rugby and Corpus Christi College, Oxford; served in Colonial Service; m. 28 June 1955, Jennifer Mary Cheetham (1934-2018), daughter of Geoffrey Gerald Cheetham Taylor FRCS of Old Mill House, Barford (Warks) and had issue one son and one daughter; died 3 March 2008; will proved 13 November 2008;
(2) William Stewart Addis (1934-95), born 22 March 1934; educated at Rugby; m. 7 May 1960, Diana Evelyn, daughter of Sir John Kinloch, 4th bt. and had issue one son and two daughters; died April 1995
(3) Graham Humphrey Addis (b. 1942), born 23 December 1942; educated at Rugby and Magdalene College, Cambridge; m. 5 April 1968 Karen Elizabeth, daughter of Arthur Vincent Timmins of Tunbridge Wells; 
(4) Robert Cameron Addis (b. 1944), born 23 October 1944; educated at Rugby.
He inherited Woodside, Frant, Sussex from his father in 1945.  At his death it was bequeathed or sold to his nephew, Sir David Lawrence, 3rd bt. (d. 2002).
He died in December 1978.

Sources

Burke's Landed Gentry, successive editions; Sussex Advertiser, 31 March 1836; Henry S. Eeles, Frant - a parish history, 1947, p. 176; http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/38334?docPos=1.


Location of archives


Addis family of Woodside: diaries, correspondence and papers of Sir C.S. Addis and family, 1881-1945 (SOAS PP MS 14; Bank of England Archive ADM16); 
Addis, Sir John Mansfield (1914-83): diaries, corresp and papers of Sir John Mansfield Addis, 1920-82 (SOAS PP MS 25); 
Addis, Robina Scott (1900-86)corresp and papers of Robina Scott Addis, psychiatric social worker, 1932-86 (Wellcome Lib PP/ADD)


Revision and acknowledgements

This post was first published on 5 June 2013 and was updated 3 June and 7 August 2015, 28 January 2018 and 9 March 2020. I am grateful to Prof. Bev Hooper, Campbell Mason and Chris Whittick for additional information.

2 comments:

  1. Woodside was bought by Michael Warr and 2 Addis brothers in 1951.
    George Warr son of Michael Warr has lived at Woodside since 1951.
    Clive Lawrence sold his share to George Warr in 1995. No Addis has lived at Woodside since then

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for this correction, which I have done my best to incorporate above.

      Delete

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