Place Name
Crofton Ross inherited Clarence House and other property around Richmond when widow Anne Patten died in 1771 – interestingly an Anne Cross (Cross – Crofton Ross?), of St Mary le Strand, married a John Patten in 1748 at St George’s Chapel, Hyde Park Corner. John described as “of the Parish of St George’s, Hanover Square, Gentleman” – bought what became known as Clarence House from a Mrs Elizabeth Arbor in 1745 – he died nine years later. John Cloake in the Richmond History Journal quotes a local source from around the time following a fire at the Duke of Clarence’s then-home Cardigan House: “Mr Ross has accommodated His Royal Highness with his house at Richmond, in consequence of the above incident.” As it has been dryly noted: “The house has been known as Clarence House ever since though Clarence himself was probably only there a few weeks.” In 1805 the Reverend Edward Patterson bought Clarence House from Mrs Ross who had inherited it on the death of her husband. He also owned the adjoining land. The sale of the house does not appear to have ended the Ross family’s connection with the area. Crofton Terrace was back to back with Ross Villas in neighbouring Sheendale Road. From 1936 the street was being knocked down until by 1958 only one small factory remained.
