The Patten family of Goole

This is a fairly brief piece in response to a facebook post. I prefer to write as blog posts as facebook posts tend to get submerged quite quickly  on the busy All about Goole page and also I know several Goole local historians at least do not 'do' facebook  and so cannot  read the interesting threads which come up.

A couple of weeks ago a post appeared asking where Abysinnia Terrace was in Goole. It came with a picture, to which I have added a little colour.

Abyssinia Terrace was behind Boothferry Road and stood where the Wesley Square development is today. In the background of the picture is the rear of quite a large building which fronted Boothferry Road adjacent to the old Goole Times building..  The query several people have asked is what was it? Members Chris and Dave have, with the aid of maps, identified it as a property called Westholme.

It stood back a little from the building which was once the Wesleyan manse [hence Wesley Square] and in later years had shops on the front of it such as Clarksons and then the Lyceum cafe. At some point, as yet unknown, it was demolished and the YEB showrooms stood on the site.

The picture below shows it standing back next to the Goole Times building.

I have found a little bit about the house in earlier years. It was the home of Mrs Mary Ann Patten and was for a time run as a school by her daughters.

Goole Times Jan 1889

Mrs Patten, who died in 1895 at Westholme, was born Mary Ann Duckels and was the widow of Henry Dalton Patten. Mary Ann came from a long established Goole family and her father Thomas owned the North Street brewery. She was his only child and when he died she became the owner of the brewery. She married her father's brewer, Henry Dalton Patten in 1852 and they had a family of 5 daughters.

But sadly Henry drowned in the docks in 1864 leaving Mary Ann to bring up  Mary, Minnie, Emily, Kate,  and Edith.  She sold the brewery around 1877 and by 1881 the family were living in Boothferry Road and taking young lady boarders.  The daughters who were not teaching in Goole worked as governesses.

Minnie died in late 1895 in a London hospital but the school advertised  in 1896.  Presumably at some point the remaining daughters sold the property.

The Patten sisters later lived at 9 Clifton Gardens and when the last, Emily, died in 1941 aged 82 she left  over £5000 and an interesting will.

 After certain family bequests, she left £300 to the vicar of Goole for providing coal. etc.. for the aged poor, her residence to Sheffield Diocesan Trust for the use of the priest in-charge of St. Paul's Church. Goole; £250 each Arthur J. Weddall and Harold Weddall; £100 to May Robinson: £100 each to Rosamond M. Joseph and Lucy A. Marris: £50 each to Harry Raffles and Mabel Farrow; £20 to Robert A. Heptonstall: annuities of £26 10s each to Annie and Sarah Chantry, or an annuity of £53 to the survivor, and the remainder equally between the Church Missionary Society, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Missionary Fund of the Girls' Friendly Society, the Royal United Kingdom Beneficent Association, the Church Army, Lord Roberts' Memorial Workshop's. Dr Barnardo's, and Goole Bartholomew Hospital. 

Does anyone know any more of the Miss Pattens? Or more of Westholme?