History of Frimhurst Family House

Frimhurst family house has a fascinating history. First shown on tithe map of 1847 the house was part of a large estate of some 80 acres owned by John Bimie. It was the site of a brewery which supplied beer to the Rose and Thistle Pub in Frimley Green.

It was home to several notable historial figures including Major General Lord Paget Commander of the Cavalry in Aldershot 1860-62. Also the Smyth family, Major General Smyth Commander of the Artillery in Aldershot ( 1867-97 resident). One of his daughters was Ethel Smyth a noted composer and suffragette. Ethel was the first woman in Frimley Green to be spotted riding a bicycle and regularly cycled across the Hatches to visit her friend Empress Eugenie at Farnborough Mount. Ethel was sent to Holloway Prison for 3 months for throwing a stone at a Cabinet minister’s window. She wrote the music to accompany the Women’s March in London and reportedly conducted the suffragettes in song with a toothbrush from her window in Holloway prison. Ethel was made a Dame in recognition of her work as a writer and composer in 1922.

In the 1940’s Frimhurst was a Country Club Hotel and Rita Hayworth stayed there for the Ascot season, with a 9 hole putting course,tennis and croquet facilities, billiard room and library it was quite the place to relax in at £2 2s per night.

In the 1950’3 Frimhurst was brought by the inspirational Mrs Goodman and it became Frimhurst Family House where families in extreme poverty could stay and learn how to take control over their own life plans. The house was left in trust to ATD Fourth World in the late 1970’s who carry on this valuable work today. ATD Fourth World’s philosophy of working alongside families to give them a voice and enable them to be heard is unique in today’s commercially driven world.