St. PETER'S HOSPITAL, BRISTOL. (Part 1)

The Millers collected two cards of St. Peter's Hospital in 1906. The colour version here is a card published by M.J. Ridley (1903-1921) of Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, England.

"A photographer and publisher of hand colored postcards of regional views. Their cards are often only marked M.J.R. B."
http://www.metropostcard.com/publishersr1.html

In this case it is marked M.J.R. - B 2762.

What a lovely "Old English Building"!
Jacobean?

No it was even earlier!

A merchant Thomas Norton was the first to build on the site near St Peter's Church down a narrow laneway in the 14th century. It was a mansion even then. A frontage of over 130 feet. Three normal building blocks at the time. This guy was a very successful merchant who exported through the port of Bristol to France, Spain and Portugal.

Two centuries later it was renovated in the Jacobean style that you see in the photo. Again this was the work of a wealthy merchant, Robert Aldworth. He had made his money with trade to the New World!

Sugar!

" .... he played a part in the exploration of northern Virginia. Aldworth was prominent in the Society of Merchant Venturers, whose coat of arms he placed on a fireplace of his new mansion. On the river front he proudly displayed his own monogram and merchant's mark, with the date 1612.

The façade facing the church was embellished with the satyrs of Greek and Roman mythology. The effect is far from Classical though. Jacobean builders liked to graft hints of the Renaissance onto sturdy vernacular stock. Inside the house pagan imagery gave way to Christian in a frieze carved with Biblical scenes.

Beside all this domestic display, Aldworth built himself a workshop. He bought adjoining properties, which he rebuilt in a simpler style than his house. He or his heir used this wing as a sugar refinery, so the whole building became known as the Sugar House."

http://www.buildinghistory.org/bristol/stpetershospital.shtml

But there is more to tell! ..............