54 St John Street

▪ Grade II listed building dating to the mid-18th century

▪ Named St John’s House

▪ Owned/occupied by various prominent Ashbourne families:

➢ Goodwins 1766-95

➢ Bainbrigges 1796-1866

➢ William Richard Holland of Holland, Rigby & Williams solicitors, 1867-1901

➢ Lewis Rose, Managing Director of Richard Cooper & Co. Ltd., and his wife 1902-61

▪ Remained private residence until 1981 when it became business premises

Number 54, St John’s House, is on the south side of the street towards its eastern end.

The Building

Grade II listed building thought to date to the early 1760s. It is of red brick, in three bays/parts, and has a stucco plinth and cornice. It is three storeys high with five sashe windows on the first and second floors. On the ground floor there are four sashe windows with a central stuccoed doorcase with six panelled door and pilastered sidelights all contained beneath a moulded pediment. The central bay which contains the doorcase is slightly advanced. All windows have key blocks within flat gauged brick arches and plain lintels. All sashes have glazing bars with those on the ground and first floors having 12 panes while those on the second floor have six panes.

The History of its Occupation and Use

St John’s House was built in the mid-1760s by John Gresley of Netherseal and then purchased by the attorney John Goodwin in 1766 (Adrian Henstock, A GeorgianCountry Town Ashbourne 1725-1825).

John Goodwin lived in the house until 1786 when he died and then house passed to his son also named John who probably also took up residence. John Goodwin Junior probably passed away in 1788 but he died intestate and the house then came into the possession of Francis Goodwin, the younger son of John Goodwin Senior.

In 1789 and 1790 the house was occupied by Mr Leigh retired legal counsel. From 1791-93, a Mr Goodwin is again listed in the Land Tax records as the occupier and this could have been Francis who also built and occupied Hinchleywood House in Mappleton. However, the actual occupier could have also perhaps been Frances Ridgway, the sister of John Goodwin Senior’s wife, who was included in John Goodwin Senior’s will

By1795, the occupier is listed as Mr. (William) Webster who had married Dorothy Goodwin, John Goodwin Senior’s daughter, in 1794. William Webster (Brunt) was the heir to Dr.John Taylor of The Mansion on Church St.

The house together with the adjacent property, 56 St John St, were advertised for sale in 1795 with the occupants being William Webster and Thomas Pidcock respectively (see below).

Both properties were acquired by Phillip Bainbrigge, the youngest son of Thomas Bainbrigge of Woodseat Hall in Rocester. He was an officer in the Infantry and was a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 20^th Foot when he was killed in the battle of Egmont-op-Zee during the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland. There is a memorial to Phillip in St Oswald’s Church.

Phillip’s wife, Rachel, lived in the house until 1811 after which she moved next door to 56 while renting out 54. first to Rev W. Heathcote 1812-18, and then to John Brittlebank, solicitor, 1819-27. After Rachel Bainbrigge sold 56 St John St to Joseph Bradley in 1828, she moved back to 54.

The 1841 census shows Rachel, her daughter also named Rachel, her grandson Joseph Henry, and her son Peter living at the house. After Rachel passed away in 1842, Peter continued living at the house. Peter assumed the additional name of Le Hunt in 1832 on inheriting an estate from that family in Burgh (Lincolnshire). He was a solicitor and became a JP for Staffordshire and Derbyshire and also Deputy Lieutenant for Derbyshire (1855).

Peter did not marry and when he passed away in 1866, the house was then advertised for sale:

The advertisement described the house as follows:

“…comprising outer and inner entrance halls, library or breakfast room, dining-room, and drawing-room (all on the ground floor), eight bedrooms, dressing-room, closets, water-closets; also large kitchen, scullery, pantry, large dry cellars, wash-house, laundry, and other convenient out-offices; together with coach house, yard, large garden, and other appurtenances.”

The purchaser was William Richard Holland (see photograph below) who was a solicitor, clerk to the Local and Union Board, and Superintendent Registrar. William Richard was the founding partner in the solicitors Holland & Rigby/Holland, Rigby & Williams which would be absorbed into Flint Bishop (& Barnett).

The house was advertised again in 1902 (see below) after William Richard Holland’s wife, Sarah Martha, died in 1901. The house was then simply described as having three reception rooms, 10 bedrooms, gardens, stabling etc.:

Lewis Rose the managing director of Richard Cooper & Co. Ltd., the corset manufacturers bought the house. He was also a member of Ashbourne Urban Council, a representative for Ashbourne of Derbyshire County Council, and a magistrate. Lewis Rose passed away in 1958 but his wife continued to live in the house until her death in 1961.

St John’s House would remain a private residence until 1981 with first John Frederick Wain living there (1962-66) followed by Francis Arthur Goodall (1967-81). Thereafter, it became business premises, first for Thornhill’s Country Produce Ltd (1981-88), then for the solicitors Holland, Rigby &Williams/Flint Bishop & Barnett and the accountants Smith Cooper & Associates (1988-2021), and, since 2021, for the Amos Group.

© Paul Thompson 2025