East Melbourne, Hotham Street 115, Amorique

A large weatherboard house with a cedar shingle roof (later covered by iron).

Robert Elwall Jacomb, the first owner of the house, was the official assignee. It was to him that an insolvent's assets were transfered, or assigned, for distribution to creditors. Jacomb built this house as an investment while he, himself, lived in Powlett Street. In 1861 Mrs. Shiels moved her school, established by her in 1857, from Grey Street to this address where it operated until 1874. At this time the house was known as Yelverton Cottage. T.A. Inglis bought the house from Jacomb in 1880 and in 1883 extended the building at the rear to create a fine room with a bow window, coved ceiling and bracketted cornice. During his ownership the house was called The Oaks. Ambrose Lamande, manager of Prunier & Co., cognac importers, and his daughter, Alix, music teacher, lived there between 1906 and 1919. The site is now occupied by a block of five townhouses named "Amourique" (note the changed spelling).

1854-1860: Frederick Wilkinson, Master-in-Equity 1861-1874: Mrs. Shiels' school. Mrs. Margaret Shiels was the widow of Alexander Shiels, merchant, from East Lothian, Scotland. The couple arrived in 1853 with their eight children, William, Margaret, Alexander, John (bank manager, d. 1920), Ellen, Isabella, Mary and Francis Martin (bank clerk, d. 1881) Alexander Snr. died in 1854. 1878: R.S. Groom 1880-1892: T.A. Inglis, manager of the Universal Permanent Building and Investment Society 1906-1919: Ambrose Lamandé, manager of Prunier & Co., cognac importers, and his daughter, Alix, music teacher. 1919-c.1948: Abraham Gillies -c.1979: Lance Carlson