Fern Place, Saltaire

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The streets of Saltaire were usually named after members of the family of the township’s founder Sir Titus Salt. Some exceptions exist, notably with streets named after royalty, and the architects Lockwood and Mawson. What then can be said of Daisy, Fern and Myrtle Place? Were they named after family members, other people, or did their naming come from some other source?

Building of the three Places and their surrounding streets was largely completed in 1868, towards the end of the village’s development. By this time the supply of names of all Salt’s children, and of existing grandchildren, had been exhausted. The names of Salt’s three daughters-in-law provided another source, but further names were still required.

It has been suggested that the names Daisy, Fern and Myrtle were the names of Lady Caroline Salt’s maids. There is no evidence to support this theory.

It seems clear that the names are those of three flowers popular in Victorian times. Evidence abounds in Victorian literature that Daisy, Fern and Myrtle were flowers which, like many other flowers at that time, had particular associations. Collier’s Cyclopedia of 1882, in dealing with the Language of Flowers equates Daisy, Fern and Myrtle with Innocence, Fascination and Love respectively. Designed for executives and overlookers, the Places’ three-bedroomed houses, complete with garden and cellar, had yearly rentals in 1868 ranging from approximately £9 to £13. A glance in a local estate agent’s window reminds us that in recent years the price of Innocence, Fascination and Love has increased greatly.

© Barlo & Shaw