On the 12th day of January 1876, by Deed 737/1876 H.S. Mitchell conveyed 36 First East Street in the town of Port of Spain unto John Mitchell and his heirs. No less than fourteen changes of Conveyance followed by ten Supplemental Notes of Title preceded Deed No 3918 of 1935 by which Samuel Arthur Walke purchased the property at what was re-named No 55 Dundonald Street around the same time. By a strange twist of fate, the property at No 55 Dundonald Street, first owned by H.S. Mitchell, was sold by the heirs of Samuel Walke to Dr Bruno Mitchell on the 13th of October 2001.
The existing dwelling house built one hundred years ago in 1902 by Fred Herrera then owner of the property, with Mora wood from his Moruga estate, a lot of which has remained in perfect condition, is being renovated by the new owner, an ophthalmologist, who has maintained the original facade with its oldfashioned fretwork, remodelled the back portion of the building with no additional height, and plans basically to run his practice there.
Herrera's six-bedroom house suited Samuel, his wife Anella, and their six children, the late Olive Walke L.R.A.M. H.B.M., ex Senator and founder of La Petite Musicale, Ivy, Errol and Elaine (both deceased) and Grace and Hugh. Although Olive did not really live with the family as she had been adopted by her aunt Edith and uncle-in-law Dr Simeon Hayes, who were childless.
The two Walke heirs, Ivy and Grace, had for sometime been toying with the idea of selling the property, a difficult decision having lived there for more than sixty years of their lives, but it was after two robberies last year February and March when they were tied up and threatened that they knew the time had come to move. "We were living here so long that we did not realise the place was not secure" they explained.
In order to keep his family, Samuel Walke, worked at three jobs, says Ivy and Grace. He started his working life as a book-keeper at the firm of Arnott Lambie and Co on Frederick Street which later became Hardware & Electric Supplies, furthered his studies through overseas courses in Accounting, and joined the Trinidad Co-operative Bank, or the Penny Bank as it was then called, where at the end of 25 years he retired as Managing Director. He added to the inadequate salary by earnings as the organist at three churches -Holy Trinity Cathedral where his outstanding tenor voice was also an asset to the choir, Hanover Methodist from 1909-1915 and Greyfriars Presbyterian for 55 years from 1915 to his death in 1970. And also as secretary of the Good Samaritan Friendly Society, founded by his father in 1890, for fifty years. It was the monetary gift received on his retirement from the Society which paid the last instalment on 55 Dundonald Street.
Walke also received the Member of the British Empire award for community work.
It was out of 55 Dundonald Street that Ivy Walke carried on her duties as Honorary Consul for Mexico for 25 years, receiving the highest award from the Mexican government - the Azteca Award. And it was also out of 55 Dundonald Street that she pioneered the distribution of orthopedic equipment for home health care through her agency, Modern Supplies, up to the time of moving on 17 October 2001. During the sixty years that the Walkes resided at 55 Dundonald Street, the highly residential neighbourhood with the then serene Queen's Park Savannah adding to its quiet charm became a busy commercial district, and it was with nostalgia that the two sisters spoke of neighbours who moved away, such as, the Coussements, Boucauds, Ambards, de Verteuils, and says Ivy "with them faded the life-style that was leisurely and even-paced. Sounds were less strident, the staccato clip-clop of the horse and buggy was replaced by the roar of the motor-car engine."
Strangely enough, one of the first non-residential units to be built in the area was the Specialist Centre opposite to the Walke's residence housing several medical practitioners of different disciplines. Ivy refers to it as "a Harley Street" as other nearby offices provide a variety of medical services.
Needless to say, the move to a high rise apartment in the west was traumatic for the two sisters. They miss the high ceilings and Demerara windows, 'choice' mango julie and other fruit trees, and beautiful plants at 55 Dundonald Street which I am sure they will be happy to hear the new owner has said he will keep. However, sudden retirement has not fazed Ivy Walke as she is still organising following the move, happy with her new found security, "one of the best things in our new home after the two burglaries so that we are able to relax."
The two sisters agreed that "the burglars really changed things for us, if we did not have that we might have been more clinging to 55 Dundonald Street."