Swindon in the Past Lane

Although he died in 1894, examples of William Affleck's Work can still be seen on the streets of Swindon today. William was born in Gateshead in 1816, the son of engineer Robert Affleck.  He served his apprenticeship at Hawkes & Son, a large engineering works and iron foundry at Gateshead before joining the prestigious Lambeth based engineering firm of Maudsley & Field.  He left Maudsley's to take up an appointment with the GWR in Paddington and in 1842 moved to 33 Exeter Street and a job at the Swindon Works. In 1853 William struck out on his own, establishing a foundry and engineering works in Prospect, Old Swindon on land previously owned by James Strange.  The business flourished and the 1861 census records William 45, a machinist and coal merchant, employing 17 men and 3 boys.  William and his wife lived alongside the works in Prospect Place with their growing family - Ann 16, Robert 15, William J. 6, Frederick 2 and four month old Frank. Willi...

The front page of the Swindon Advertiser dated Friday May 4,1900 described the event as “one of the most attractive Sales of this class of Property ever Held in Swindon." Twenty two houses and a shop in Birch Street were among other town centre properties to come under the hammer of auctioneer Mr Ernest Bishop at the Regent Circus Sale Room of Bishop and Pritchett on May 21, 1900. With a yearly income of over £945 in rents (worth about £73,300 today) it was anticipated that the properties would sell easily. Birch Street was named after Henry James Birch, an accountant at the GWR Works during the late 19th century and was built in several phases during the 1890s by at least three builders, including Arthur Colborne. Arthur Joseph, born in Midsomer Norton in 1870, was the son of Thomas Colborne, also a builder and timber merchant who by 1873 was established at the Cross Roads, Stratton St. Margaret. From 1876-1940 the Colborne family built a staggering number of propertie...