Tiptree Villa
Tiptree Villa is a handsome Victorian property in established gardens. The building is set back from the road having a front garden enclosed by wrought iron gates. The railings, gatepost and nameplate protecting 20-26 Newland Street are inscribed “Davey, Paxman and co. Colchester”. Janet Gyford, A History of Witham, reports they date from 1876. There were two Davey brothers from Witham who helped James Paxman set up his engineering firm in Colchester; one of them left in 1871. Three sets of their railings survive in Witham, more than the total known elsewhere.
It was built 1876 and has initials of Edward Harvey and wife Amelia Charlotte (of Tiptree). They inherited the site from Edward's distant relative Miss Charlote King (of No 24) heiress who 'lived a long life in extreme penury scarcely Allowing herself common necessities’. She also left him the next three house (22-26). The department of the Environment upheld the decision of the Braintree District Council to refuse permission for this house to be turned into offices with a car park at the rear, in 1986.
Sources: Janet Gyford; Witham & Countryside Society; Fenn Wright.
