Grade II Listed Building:
List Entry Number 1047263
This house probably dates from the seventeenth century but was re-cased in the late eighteenth century.
Owned by Merton College.
The 1876 OS map (left) shows how vast this house was, with its enormous pleasure gardens, complete with two fountains, stretching to the north west.
The large extra square of garden incorporated to the north was the former Holywell Bowling Green.
In about 1800 Samuel Wilson Bishop, a London merchant, retired to this house. His fourth son, Charles Joseph Bishop (1794–1838), obtained his D.Med. from the University of Oxford in 1826 and practised as a physician from this house until his untimely death from a cerebral haemorrhage on 9 December 1838. His widow appears to have gone with her children to live with her father, Charles Tawney, in Paradise Street, and was still there at the time of the 1841 census.
Soon after this Mrs Elizabeth Bishop married the surgeon Thomas Richard Fisher, Surgeon to the Radcliffe Infirmary, and they appear to have spent some time at this house and some at his practice in Cornmarket. After the suicide of her second husband on 4 November 1846, Mrs Fisher remained here with her children from both marriages. She is listed as the occupant of the house in Gardner’s Oxford Directory of 1852, and remained here until her death on 20 February 1898, aged 89.
1 Holywell Street in the censuses
1841
No listing. Mrs Bishop was staying with her father in Paradise Street.
1851
Mrs Elizabeth C. Fisher (40), a widow (formerly Mrs Bishop), was living here with three daughters from her first marriage (Ann, Mary and Grace Bishop, aged respectively 18, 15 and 11) and three from her second marriage (Arthur, Emily, and Frances Fisher, aged respectively 7, 6, and 4). The family had a governess and three servants.
1861
Mrs Elizabeth C. Fisher (51), a widow (formerly Mrs Bishop), was living here with three of her daughters from her first marriage (Anne, Mary, and Martha Bishop, aged respectively 37, 25, and 21) and two of the children from her second marriage (Arthur and Emily Fisher,aged 17 and 16). Also living with them were a governess and four domestic servants.
1881
Elizabeth C. Fisher (71), widow, was still living here, this time with her unmarried daughter Mary Bishop (45): both are described as stock & share holders. Also living with her was her grandson Walter E. B. Walton (16), who was at school; her widowed sister Martha C. Tannard (67), who was also a stock & share holder; and her unmarried companion Elizabeth A. Collins (55). They have three servants (a cook, a housemaid, and a butler).
1901
Sir Charles Roe (59), a widower retired from the Indian Civil Service, lived here with his married daughter Margaret Langworthy (29). He had four servants (a cook, parlourmaid, housemaid, and kitchenmaid).
1911
Charles Arthur Roe (69) still lived here, this time with his unmarried niece Florence Penny and three servants.
Occupants of 1 Holywell Street listed in directories etc. |
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1772 |
Frontage: 13 yds 0 ft 9 in |
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1830 |
Charles Bishop |
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1846 |
No listing |
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1851–1896 |
Mrs Elizabeth Fisher (formerly Mrs Bishop) |
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1899 |
No listing |
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1901–1926 |
Sir Charles Arthur Roe, M.A., LL.D. |
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1935–1936 |
Michael Holroyd, M.A. |
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1945 |
St Hugh’s College House |
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1947–1976 |
Holywell House (Private Hotel) Later simply the Holywell Hotel |
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1974 |
Planning application 74/00256/A_H |
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At 1 Holywell today |
Merton College annexe |
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