Cheltenham
By the 1850's Lucy Frerichs' father Johan had prospered and was looking for a home where his family could grow up. They seem to have already had a house in Landsdown Place in Cheltenham and it was here he chose to build his new house.
Cheltenham was the perfect spot. Though it had been an insignificant market town up to the Eighteenth Century, in 1716 spa waters were discovered legend has it by residents watching how pigeons health improved when they drank from a particular spring. The Frerichs were accustomed to visiting spas in Europe and so living in a town where George III had made the spa fashionable suited hem admirably.
Johan had his new home, Thirlestaine Hall, built in the 1850's, on the eastern outskirts of town. When his daughter married Count Stenbock in 1859 they used the house as their English residence while the Count was refurbishing his Italian castle. They were both in residence when their son Eric was born - unusually the Count registered the birth which may mean that Lucy was ill.
When the Count died in 1861 his young widow stayed at her family home to bring up her son. By tradition she would have been in mourning for at least twelve months. When she met and married Francis Mowatt they continued to live at Thirlestaine Hall and after Johan's death in 1866 Mowatt bought the house.
As leading lights in Cheltenham society the Mowatt's social life was well reported in local papers and they remained at the Hall until 1874 when they moved to Withdeane Hall in Brighton.
Thirlestaine Hall is now GradeII listed and is the Headquarters of the Chelsea Building Society. Unfortunately the house is hidden from the road and the occupants are unwilling to allow photography.
