Ancestor’s letters unlock secret to Ilford mansion

More than 150 years of the history at Valentines Mansion will be explored thanks to letters donated by an ancestor of the house’s Victorian owner.

Henry Stevens visited the historic home, in Emerson Road, Ilford, last week to present letters and documents written by his ancestor, Clement Ingleby to staff from the Redbridge local studies archive.

The papers document Mr Ingleby’s tenure at Valentines Mansion during the 19th century.

Clement returned to the mansion in 1860 with his wife Sarah and their four children.

The house passed to council ownership in 1912, six year’s after Mrs Ingleby’s death and is now run by Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure.

Mr Stevens was given a guided tour of the extensive building and its gardens, which recently featured in hit BBC2 cookery show, The Great British Bake Off.