Post Office, Wexham Road, Wexham, near Slough

HOUSE AND SHOP AT WEXHAM, NEAR SLOUGH - This house and shop was lately erected for Mr. Edward Brooke, of Wexham-park, from the designs of Messrs. Salomons and Wornum, 39b, Old Bond-street, W. Several other works have been erected in the village, the whole being carried out by Messrs. Kinninmont and Sons, contractors, 26, Chilworth-street, W., under the personal superintendence of the above architects. [Building News 27 April 1883 page 548 and illustration]

Edward Brooke (1832-1892) was born in Manchester but moved to London, in 1869, purchasing Lord Dufferin’s estate at Highgate. Shortly afterwards, he had the house, originally named Caen Wood Towers, and built to the designs of Edward Salomons and J P Jones erected on the site. Brooke was a partner in the firm of Brooke, Simpson and Spiller, aniline dye manufacturers in London. He became a Justice of the Peace for the County of Middlesex, for the City of London and for the County of Carnarvon where he owned Pabo Hall, Conway. He was also one of Her Majesty’s Commissioners for the Lieutenancy of the City of London. Newspaper reports indicate that he was widely expected to be elected one of the sheriffs for London and Middlesex, but this did not occur. Following the death of his first wife, on 19 December 1877 he married Frances Amyand, the third daughter of the Rev Henry Wallard Bellairs, vicar of Nuneaton. By 1882 they had moved to Wexford Park where their first daughter, Amyand Veronica  was born in 1883. By 1891the family had moved to Torquay.

Reference           Building News 27 April 1883 page 548