Fassett Road, KT1

Place Name

This road was laid out sometime after 1861. Mary Fassett (1800 – 1861) was the daughter of Thomas Fassett who bought Surbiton Place from the executors of its first owner, the wealthy distiller William Roffee. Her father enlarged both the house and the grounds “under the tasteful direction of the elder Lapidge (who was a pupil of Capability Brown)”, according to George Frederick Prosser. “This gentleman materially added to the beauty of the gardens and pleasure grounds; by which he was enabled the better to indulge his predilection for al Fresco amusements, by the frequent assemblage of rural parties on this delightful spot.” The property was later sold to the Earl of Uxbridge.  Miss Fassett went on to live at The Grove estate, comprising of 23 acres, on which this road was laid out. It was put on the market as a development opportunity five days after her death by Nightingale Page and Phillips auctioneers. However her home and a portion of its garden remained for another 90 years or so. Similarly nearby Bloomfield Road was named after Mary’s half sister, Dorothy Blomfield (nee Cox). Hugo Blomfield writes to explain: “It was one of the sisters – Mary Fassett – who owned the estate and they lived there for 20 – 30 years. Her father purchased Surbiton Lodge, but he died before they moved to The Grove. Mary lived there with her half sister Isabella Cox and another woman, Fanny Lee. They are all buried in the churchyard in Kingston, although only the inscription to Isabella can now be seen. The other sister was Dorothy Blomfield, nee Cox, my great-great-great granny, married to Bishop Blomfield, but I’m not aware of him having a direct link with the area.”