Park House Carlton

A Memory of Carlton.

My Gt Grandfather John Godfrey had Park House, Carlton, built for his family in the early 1900's. The house was on the corner of Main Street and Burton Road. After John died in 1921 my Gt Grandmother lived there for a few years before moving to a smaller house. Park House eventually became a Clinic and in more recent years it was knocked down and a new Health Centre stands in its place. The original Park House had some stained glass windows, some of which are to be found on show in the new Clinic. I have many photos of Park House and my Gt Grandparents. John Godfrey was a Liberal Councillor and a JP. He was also a lay preacher at Main Street Chapel on Carlton Hill. John and his brother Samuel had a Lace Manufacturing Business in the Lace Market, Godfrey Bros. John was a popular and well respected person and when he died local people lined the streets to show their respect. In 1921, John had to go to London to a meeting. It was a bitterly cold day and he wore a very thick overcoat. While John was in the meeting sombody swapped his coat for a poor quality thin one which John had to wear to travel home to Nottingham. John caught the flu which turned to pneumonia and he died. John was to receive the MBE but died before he received it. So, some scoundrel did me out of a Sir Gt Grandpa! John and his brother Samuel bought the land where Burton Road Recreation field stands, known locally as the Cricket Field. John and Samuel sold the land to the Council with a proviso that it would be used for recreational purposes for the people of Carlton. Just think how many executive homes I could have built on there! John and Samuel also bought land where Carlton Library stands. Again they sold the land to the Council with a similar proviso that it be used to build a free library for the people of Carlton. There was a lot of opposition to this but obviously John got his way and the library still stands today.
Samuel Godfrey's house stood opposite Park House on the corner of Burton Road/Manor Road. It is now a block of flats. Does anybody have a photo of this house? I did once see one on an internet site but sadly I can't find the site! I am at present helping to transcribe John Godfrey's diaries from 1894 to 1919, they are extremely interesting. A combination of personal family memories and local stories and characters. My Grandpa's brother Cecil was a Captain in the Army in the first world war and I have copies of letters he wrote from the front. My own Grandpa John Harold AKA Harold died when Mum was only one year old, Harold was only 37. He died in 1918 in the flu epidemic. It is mentioned in the diaries, very sad. I hope one day to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and write the Godfrey story. Who knows!