Spenceley Street, Woodhouse

The origins and history of placenames, nicknames, local slang, etc.
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Honest John
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Post by Honest John »

Does anyone know how Spenceley Street got it's name ? An ancestor of mine, Simeon Spenceley, (1784-1859) lived in Woodhouse and was involved in the buying, selling and renting of properties. Rather fanciful, perhaps, but I would love to think that the street was named after him.

Carona
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Post by Carona »

The 1837 Whites Directory names him as a farmer, Woodhouse. Maybe he sold the land and the street was named after him?

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chemimike
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Post by chemimike »

There seems to have been two Simeon Spenceleys around woodhouse, possibly a father and son. One was a churchwarden for the parish church, one was a farmer, and one was a superintendent of highways for the western division of Leeds and seems to have been the same one who was a stone mason by trade.

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uncle mick
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Post by uncle mick »

Land owned or occupied by a Simeon Spenceley in The Leeds Tithe Maps http://tinyurl.com/prrpj4tThis is the land & houses he owned    http://tinyurl.com/qhk5arj which today ishttp://goo.gl/maps/RBPUk probably the same houseLooking at the 1851 Census he was living at Victoria Road and was "proprietor of houses" Spenceley Street was on the 1850 town plans (attached) , who it was named after I don't know        
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Honest John
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Post by Honest John »

Many thanks for all this. There was only one Simeon Spenceley. He came from Reeth to Leeds to make his fortune and progressed from mason to farmer to landlord. He was frequently mentioned in the Leeds Times and Leeds Intelligencer in the 1830's and 1840's. Got a strong feeling that the street was named after him, but may never really know.

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uncle mick
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Post by uncle mick »

National Probate Calender 19th Feb 1859 (click on the image to enlarge)    
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cnosni
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Post by cnosni »

I would say that it is named after him.Woodhouse has a number of streets and courts (basically ramshackle quadrangles of houses centred around an open inner court yard) named after families who had live for some generations in Woodhouse, especially on the 1850 map.I have family who lived there for some time, actually in Woodhouse Carr, called Pickard.There is a street called Pickard Street in Woodhouse Carr itself.There is also a Midgeley Court, the Leeds PR through the years (prior to St Marks church) showing that there was a high concentration of people with this surname in Woodhouse during the 18th century and up to and after St Marks was built.It seems that the quarry attracted people from all over to come and live/ work in and around the quarry at Woodhouse as Delvers and Stonemasons.
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Honest John
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Post by Honest John »

Thank you for all your responses. I had already obtained Simeon Spenceley's will. He owned properties in Woodhouse Lane, Cemetery Street, Woodhouse and, of course, Victoria Road, Headingley.

redmire
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Re: Spenceley Street, Woodhouse

Post by redmire »

Hi,
Do you know with any degree of certainty who Simeon's parents were?
thx

redmire
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Re: Spenceley Street, Woodhouse

Post by redmire »

Hi,
Do you know with any degree of certainty who Simeon's parents were?
thx

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