Helensburgh House, Spurgeon's Home, Nightingale Lane (1857-1880)
In 1869, Spurgeon needed a bigger house, so his home in Nightingale Lane was knocked down and rebuilt - his friends got together to pay for most of this. He was a very generous man, always donating to different projects, so he was left with very little.
Both Spurgeeon and his wife suffered from general poor health. One time she had an operation from an eminent surgeon who was asked how much the operation was. He said, 1,000 guineas, which Spurgeon could pay once he became Archbishop of Canterbury; until then it was settled by love. On one occasion, when his wife was ill, he asked her if she needed anything. She jokingly replied, "an opal ring and a piping bullfinch." This caused some amusement between them for a few days, but not long afterwards, an old lady sent a small box to Spurgeon and in it was an opal ring. A few weeks later, he was visiting a friend whose husband was dying and she gave him a piping bullfinch to give to his wife. Doesn't the Lord give us the desires of our hearts!