Room 13 Miller's Court

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

Jane,

I don't know about you, but I feel a graphic reconstruction coming on. Or...?

All the best

[John Casey]

Jane,

I don't know about you, but I feel a graphic reconstruction coming on. Or...?

All the best

Something like this Glenn? As far as I understand the discussion thus far this ought to make sense.....maybe!

[Stephen Thomas]

Nice graphics, John

I think, though, that the ground floor of #26 before the partition and new staircase was built would have looked like this...

[John Casey]

Hi Stephen, your graphic would answer one question but pose another one, the way I'm looking at it (which may of course be totally wrong! ). The hallway running the length of the house would explain the smaller window in Kelly's room, but with your stairs being where they are, I wonder would they need to knock a door through the outside wall? It seems to me it'd be easier for Liz Prater to just come in the front door and walk up the stairs that way.....which of course would eliminate the need to build a set of stairs for the upstairs flats. Hm.....if only we had access to the original planning application, or whatever official paperwork was needed to alter the premises.

[Sam Flynn]

I wonder would they need to knock a door through the outside wall? Hi John,

but with your stairs being where they are, I wonder would they need to knock a door through the outside wall? It seems to me it'd be easier for Liz Prater to just come in the front door and walk up the stairs that way...

...however, as the front room on the ground floor was McCarthy's "shed", it is unlikely to have been accessible to residents.

I wonder would they need to knock a door through the outside wall?

They might not have had to. It's possible that the side entrances - "Prater's" in the passage, and "Mary's" just beyond the end of the passage - had been there all along.

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

Something like this Glenn? As far as I understand the discussion thus far this ought to make sense.....maybe!

Hi John,

Yes, that looks about right, according to the picture I have in my head from Jane's possible description. There most certainly may have existed a second doorway or entrance in the passageway, before Kelly's door.

All the best

[Rob Clack]

This is my best guess at the layout of the ground and first floors of 26 Dorset Street.

Ground Floor:



First Floor:



Rob

[perrymason]

Some fine illustrations Rob and others, thanks. I do think that there is almost no chance that the door inside the archway led only to stairs however, as Marys partition "wall" is actually nothing of the sort. If you review the wall where the blood splashes are, you will see that an old door, with a faded #26 on it, is actually fixed... plastered in place in an old doorway, that led from the room to the hallway and stairs, and the door exiting the building inside the archway.

The door would never have led directly to only stairs, it was the only door that allowed access into the parlour as well, as I believe Marys door to "13" was added when the room was converted to a single occupancy room. I dont believe you will find an entrance directly to that room from the courtyard until the conversion took place. That is why there is no window on that same wall, it wasnt needed, with two on the existing wall facing the alcove and court. So they only added the door, far too close to the corner actually. Where Marys bed and night table is was likely the place a chaise, couch, or chairs faced the fireplace.

Originally, to have the only door facing Dorset leading to the shed only, and the only other door leading only to stairs, the parlour would have been inaccessible.

I realize that many variations would be possible, but this dwelling was built as a house, not a Lodging House, and at least one door had to access the parlour originally.

Best regards all.

[Stephen Thomas]

It's possible that the side entrances - "Prater's" in the passage, and "Mary's" just beyond the end of the passage - had been there all along.

No way, Sam, absolutely no way. The wonky partition was an 'add on'.

[Sam Flynn]

No way, Sam, absolutely no way. The wonky partition was an 'add on'.

I was referring to the side doors in line with the passage, Stephen - not the wonky partition.

[Glenn Lauritz Andersson]

Rob,

Yes, that's it! Exactly.

All the best

[Sam Flynn]

Rob,

Yes, that's it! Exactly.

Agreed, apart from... best not mention it

I reckon Stephen's drawing was darned close, too. Perhaps something halfway between his and Rob's would be a pretty good reconstruction.

[Stephen Thomas]

I was referring to the side doors in line with the passage, Stephen - not the wonky partition.

Sam

Why would those Georgian architects have two doors leading to the same place?

[perrymason]

Since no one seems to like a logical conclusion, Ill try this only once more....

How many doors would access the Parlor, which became #13, when the building was constructed?

The answer is one. From inside the house, inside the hall, inside the door, beside the stairs, inside the archway.

How many doors existed to the parlour when it became Marys room? One again. The NEW doorway, created inside the courtyard, making Marys room effectively a standalone room. She could no longer enter or exit her room via the doorway leading to the stairs and the archway door. Why? Because it was sealed by using an old door.

The ONLY door on that wall that accessed the house and the staircase is inside the archway. Its not just a possibility. That door would have been the only one on that wall to the house, so why would you need a separate door to access the parlour separately, when by entering the archway door puts you right in front of the doorway to the Parlour that became Marys room. Generally speaking, it would be more expensive and serve no pupose to have one door leading into the parlour from the archway door entrance...and 15 feet further into the court, another one to enter the parlour.

I would think anyone with any construction knowledge could follow that logic.

You dont build 2 doors to access a Parlour within a home, nor can I ever imagine a need for 2, since the one that leads in from the house is ample.

Best regards.

[Jane Coram]

Hiya,

I think that Rob's is pretty much as I visualize it.......

I just wondered with Stephen's how you would get through from the scullery to the other room. Would there be a door leading through connecting the two hallways? If so, then I could see that could work. The only other thing that struck me is that if 26 and 27 were the same style, (only reversed of course) Then 27 was used as a shop, which would mean that the front door led straight into the room/shop, rather than into a hallway. I just wondered if 26 would be the same.


Hugs

Jane

xxxx