An early use was a boarding
school for young ladies run by a Mrs. Zinks, and afterwards Miss Mary Brundrett
continued its educational use as a school for little children until 1870.
The extended Brundrett family were farmers and provision dealers in Chorlton-cum-Hardy.
[ see Post Office Directory 1870 ]. There is
a road off High Lane named after them which used to part of their farm
land. Shortly afterwards William Batty and his family moved in and they
stayed until 1883. [ Read about Alderman Batty
- Mayor of Manchester ]. For a while after it was used as 'Reading
Rooms'.
Early Library
The Chorlton Reading Rooms were established in 1874
and this institution rented the property when the Batty family left. This
would have been Chorlton's first library, though not a free facility. Around
forty pounds was spent on furnishings - including a bagatelle table, chess
and draughts. Financially the institution was nearly always in debt. In
1879 a sum of one hundred and twenty pounds was raised to purchase books.
Over 700 volumes of an 'educational character' and the best works of the
popular novelists. The 'Reading Rooms' certainly existed in 1886, but by
1891 the house was occupied by Thomas Stanbank.
Thereafter the premises became the offices of The
Grange Laundry, which was built onto the side of the house. These were
one of numerous laundries in the area and had horse drawn delivery vans
and later motorised ones. In the 1960's T.G.Nuttal Ltd called it the Grange
Works and carried out box making. The old laundry has been converted into
a workshop for making shop fittings - shelving etc.. |
