Somerset Crescent – formerly Somerset Street. Named after Lady Henry Somerset, née Isabella Caroline SomersCocks, (1851- 1921). Lady Henry Somerset was the eldest daughter of Charles, Somers-Cocks, 3rd Earl Somers. She was an English philanthropist and temperance leader. One of two streets named after the two leading temperance women of the world at the time. Named by the Spreydon Road Board in 1895. Somerset Street appears in street directories in 1902. Becomes Somerset Crescent in 1977.
A reasonable amount of information from the library website and this street name is more interesting that I was expecting. Looked at Papers Past and on 7th December 1895 there was a report about a special meeting by Spreydon Road Board where they agreed to name two streets after leading temperance women. Lady Henry Somerset of England.and Frances Willard of America.
There were lots of ads for the sale of houses in 1900. In 1897 there was a request to kerb the footpath. The Addington School is mentioned a lot and this school seems to have been around long before this street was formed.
There are houses on this street built in every decade and the earliest date I could find was 1890.
The Brougham Street end looks rundown. There is a dairy here plus empty shops that are waiting for earthquake repairs.Then you cross Selwyn St and there is a church. Opposite the church there is a green space between the street and Brougham St. The houses seem to get nicer the further you walk around it. There is a back entrance to Addington School on the bend and there more houses until you get to Rosewarne St. There were some really lovely older wooden villas here.Loved the unusual letterbox.
There was an article n Papers Past dated 1916 about a fire that was on the corner of Crescent Rd and Somerset St and I was wondering if the two streets were combined to become Somerset Crescent but couldn’t find any information about this.
Lytteltonwitch's Walking the streets of Christchurch Project 