The auction sale of large houses and estates seems to have been commonplace in the nineteenth century. Such a sale would require the production of a prospectus in which the estate is described in detail, and which would have been accompanied by a detailed plan or plans. Often such plans have become separated from their accompanying booklet, but the Local Studies Library has a collection of intact prospectuses, an example being this one from 1864.

The house called Mannville had been originally built (in the 1820s I believe) by textile men Thomas and John Mann. Cudworth called it ‘a mansion of some pretension’ and explained that the Mann family were the first Bradford stuff merchants, having originated from Spen Hall, Cleckheaton. Surprisingly Thomas Mann senior made artificial ‘cork legs’ as well as worsteds and it is possible that a noted peer was a customer. Lord Uxbridge was a distinguished cavalry officer who had the misfortune to lose a leg at the battle of Waterloo. He survived a field amputation but thereafter needed a number of artificial limbs. Famously one came from James Potts of Chelsea, but I have heard that he came to Bradford to have another limb, of a different design, fitted by Thomas Mann. Be that as it may Mann had three sons: Thomas, John and Joshua.

John Rawson (of Rawson & George), was a Bradford solicitor who according to Cudworth later lived in this stone built mansion. The end of gracious living came in 1864 when the Mannville ‘mansion house’ in Horton for put up for sale, along with 22 acres of building land. In the plan the adjacent property owners (in Claremont for example) are identified by name. These houses are unchanged 50 years later, but terraced housing covers the sold land: Mannville Terrace, Grove Terrace and Southbrook Terrace. The third Ebenezer New Connection Methodist Chapel was constructed opposite, and later incorporated into, Bradford College. The famous Mannville Arms was at the corner of Great Horton Road and Southbrook Terrace but is long gone (1995). I gather there are many with fond memories of this hostelry.

A similar process took place in 1904 with the sale of Trinity House (then 17 Trinity Terrace). Evidently the Talbot Hotel in Kirkgate was still being used for property auctions. On this occasion it is likely that the executors of William Firth are the vendors.

The property plan shows a substantial house. Significant space is given for the ‘servants hall’ although the institution of domestic service was in its last generation. I imagine that Lot 2 in Russell Street was a desirable piece of development land. What has happened since? Trinity House is still present, and a house has been built on Lot 2. If you leave this lot from the bottom left you are in Russell Street. The short terrace mapped is still present and beyond them is Back Russell Street. In the space between the two thoroughfares, bottom centre of the plan, is an empty location. Today this surrounds the building used by the Bradford Movie Makers Club who became famous after the release of a documentary made about them entitled ‘A Bunch of Amateurs’. I’ve spent some time trying to date their clubhouse and establish what function the building fulfilled before the film-makers moved. My best guess is that it was a joiners and undertakers until shortly before the Second World War, but that is another story!