BROOKVALE

The Department's description

Historical information

A house matching the plan and location of the present is shown on the OS map of 1834. In the valuation of the following year this is recorded as a ‘new’ building in the possession Robert Fivey, measuring 39ft x 26 x 21 with return of 17 x 16½ x 16 and offices (ie outbuildings) of 46½ x 16 x 15 and 14 x 16 x 7, and rated at a very respectable £16-19-4, (increased to £24 in 1838.) The date of construction is not known, but the evidence of the valuations, as well as the appearance of the building, suggests it was built not long before 1835. The house is likely to have been one of the ‘3 good private houses’ noted in Water Street in the 1836 OS Memoirs (see below.)

Robert Fivey may have moved into the house around the time of his wedding to Elizabeth Taylor of Dublin in 1829. He is noted as still living in Rostrevor in 1842, although it is not certain whether he was still at this particular address. From a later newspaper advertisements we know the property was later occupied by a Mrs. Johnston up until c.1856-57 and a Dr.Massey up until c.1860, and by the time of the second valuation of 1861, James Wiseman is listed as the occupant. Mr. Wiseman may have been the cabinetmaker of that name, who had premises in Newry (initially in High Street, later Hill Street) from around 1830 to 1852, and who also appears to have acted as an auctioneer.

The aforementioned 1861 valuation describes the property as a ‘very neat private house [with] new painted front palisading’, but with a ‘rather backward site…good gateway and yard to offices’, measuring 12 ? x 8 ? x 2[storeys] with return of 5 x 5 x 2 and outbuildings of 5 x 5? x 1, 14 x 5? x 2 and 8 x 3½ x 1. In November of that same year the house, ‘that beautiful summer residence know as “Riverside”*’ was offered for sale, the notice stating that the building contained a ‘drawing room, parlour and study and four bedrooms…[and] servants’ apartments’, as well as a ‘neat well-stocked garden’, with all in ‘a thorough state of repair, not requiring one shilling of outlay’.

By c.1866, according to the valuation books, Sarah A. McNeill had taken up the lease, followed in 1872 by John Scott, Mrs. Vesey in 1874, J. Admondesham Vesey in 1876, [?William] [?Blayney] in 1877, Anne [?Blayney] 1879, Popham Wrixon 1881, Mathilda Wrixon 1890, [?M] Harbison 1896, Richard Linton 1903, and Mary Earby 1918, who was joined there as co-tenant by William E. Lyons in 1921. Mr. Lyons is named as sole tenant in 1923, but had sublet the house to Lilly Cupple by 1936, followed by Eva Chadwick in 1937, John Sinclair in 1941, with William A. Lyons living here (and also named as freeholder) from 1963 until at least 1972.

The house appears to have retained its original form until 2016, when a flat-roofed extension was added to the rear.

[*The name ‘Riverside’ appears to have been applied not only to this particular house, but also to this stretch of Water Street in general. By at least the 1960s, the neighbouring no.38 Bridge St had also become known as ‘Riverside’ / ‘Riverside House’ - see HB16.06.028]

WATER STREET The L-shaped Water Street is depicted with an approximately similar extent of development as today on the OS map of 1834. The Rostrevor Conservation booklet of 1979 identifies the street as the town’s earliest place of settlement; however, it is not indicated on any map prior to that of 1834. It appears more likely that the that the Bridge Street - Mary Street crossroads was the original nucleus of the town, with Water Street developing off the former at the end of the 18th / beginning of the 19th century when Rostrevor began to develop as a popular resort for the gentry. Referred to as ‘The Back Lane’, the OS Memoirs of 1836 provides perhaps the earliest description of the street, describing it as running ‘at right angles to the main street, a little above the church in a south easterly direction to the Rostrevor or Kilbroney River’ and linking to ‘the lower end of Post Office Street by a short street on the northern side of the river. It is 155 yards long and 300 feet broad. The houses and cottages in this lane are in good order. On the communication between the Back Lane and Post Office Street are 3 good private houses’. These three properties are still in place - nos.31, 33 and 37 (see HB16.06.29, 30 and 31)

References - Primary sources
1 ‘Newry Telegraph’, 15 October 1830, p.3
2 ‘Newry Telegraph’, 2 November 1829, p.3
3 OS map, Co. Down sheet 54, 1834
4 PRONI VAL1B/361 (1835-36)
5 Day, Angelique and McWilliams, Patrick ed. ‘Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland…vol.3’ (QUB, 1990), p.33 (1835-36)
6 ‘Northern Whig’, 25 August 1842, p.1
7 ‘Newry Telegraph’, 22 November 1849, p.2
8 ‘Newry Telegraph’, 13 March 1852, p.1
9 ‘Newry Telegraph’, 14 March 1857, p.1
10 OS map, Co. Down sheet 54, 1860
11 ‘Newry Telegraph’,, 23 June 1860, p.2
12 VAL2B/3/61C (1861)
13 ‘Armagh Guardian’, 15 November 1861, p.1
14 PRONI VAL12B/19/21A-F (1865-1929)
15 ‘Belfast Morning News’, 20 June 1866, p.2
16 Census of Ireland, 1901, 1911 [http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie, accessed 2020.05.19]
17 OS map, Co. Down sheet 54, 1902
18 OS map, Co. Down sheet 54, 1919
19 PRONI VAL3C/4/23, 1936-57
20 OS map, Co. Down sheet 54, 1950
21 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 5 September 1955, p.2
22 PRONI VAL4B/3/81, 1956-72
23 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 22 May 1963, p.17
24 ‘Belfast Telegraph’, 5 May 1967, p.21
25 OS map, 1979