Hillock Cottages 1-4
From Lacey Green History
Researchers Dennis Claydon and Joan West
The photograph to the right shows the 4 cottages. No 1 is the leftmost and was the largest. The people from left to right are - (Arthur Tilbury, Reg Tilbury, boys),Mrs Owen Smith. Mrs Alfred Smith, Eldred Tilbury, (Dorothy Tilbury, Alice Tilbury, girls), Mary Tilbury, (Daisy Smith, Flo Smith, girls), (Wilf and Liz, boy & girl from Dr. Barnardos), Mrs Saunders, Archibald Tilbury (boy)
THE ENCLOSURES of PRINCES RISBOROUGH 1823
Four adjoining cottages are clearly shown on the Enclosures map. They are the only properties there. The area was sometimes called ‘Hillock’ or ‘Scrubwood’ and later known as ‘Parslows Hillock’
THE COTTAGES
In the 1823 Enclosures Act the Hillock Cottages' at 'Scrubwood' or 'Parslows Hillock', are already established on adjoining plots virtually parallel to Lily Bottom Lane, numbered 630 to 633 from north to south. are all freehold and listed as follows :-
Plot 630 allotted to John Capel Esq, plot 631 John Capel Esq, plot 632 James Capel Esq, plot 633 Stephen Bennett.
PRINCES RISBOROUGH CHARITY LAND
Plot 634 consists of all the land surrounding the cottages and is in the hands of the Princes Risborough Church officials for charity for the 'poor'. It has a little strip between the cottages and Lily Bottom Lane. Plot 630 is sideways to the road to Lacey Green (the Pink & Lily has not yet been built) so no land there. (click The Pink and Lily). To the west plot 634 is bordered on its north by Windmill Road (later renamed Pink Road) and stretches about one third of the way to the pond of Widmere (Widmer Farm is not yet built here). To the south it stretches down Lily Bottom Lane as far as the bridleway at the start of Kings Wood, where it travels down the side of the wood. The whole of the charity land is broadly rectangular narrowing slightly at the southern end.
Charles Brown of Stocken Farm died in 1881, by now had retired to Gracefield. In his will, among other things, he left '4 freehold cottages with gardens and an adjoining close of pasture at Parslows Hillock'.
Researchers note. Documentary evidence of when Charles Brown acquired these cottages and land has not yet been found.
In accordance with his will all his cottages, of which he had 14, were valued and sold.
Frederick Aldridge Clark was married to Charles Brown's niece Sarah who had inherited 'Gracefield' and Charles Brown had made him his executor. Frederick Aldridge Clark purchased all the cottages for the valued price, and all concerned were satisfied.
Frederick put them all in trust for himself for his lifetime then in trust for his daughter Margaret Emma Clark for her sole use (click Margaret Emma Marchioness of ElyIn 1895 Margaret Emma married the Marquis of Ely. Frederick Aldridge Clark died 21st November 1895.
Harold Edward Carter of Grymsdyke purchased 'Gracefield' and all 14 cottages from Margaret Emma the Marchioness of Ely on 17 February 1921. (click Harold Edward & Eliza Carter for more about Harold Edward)
Death. Harold Carter died on 21st June 1941. His will directs all his property to be sold, the proceeds to be invested for his widow. (Research by Laurence Rostron)
SALE ???
DOUG TILBURY tells the history of the 4 cottages.
I was born in 1934 at Parslows Hillock Cottages no 1, but years before my time there was just one communal toilet shared by all four cottages, which was outside Hillock Cottage no 4.
There was a seat with a large hole for use by adults and a smaller one for children, with a large pit underneath.
When it was time for this to be emptied, usually about twice a year, the men from the four cottages would bring a horse and cart into the garden. With a scoop on a long pole they would extract the contents and fill up the cart. They always tried to ensure the cart was down wind if at all possible! This was another task that could only be done on a Saturday afternoon, when the men were not usually required to work.
The only one with an oven was in Hillock Cottages no 1 on the south end of the four
All four cottages relied on rainwater from a tank which was outside Hillock Cottages no 2.
Originally all built with flints collected from the fields and mortar and indoor plaster made with lime. With no foundations and no damp course they were very damp and the plaster was continually falling off.
They were built with just one up and one down rooms. At some point in time the fronts of the cottages were added, facing on to Lily Bottom Lane, using brick, now becoming two up, two down.
In 1927 Reg Tilbury, Doug’s father, bought all four cottages for £270. He sold Hillock Cottages no 4 to Owen Smith, Hillock Cottages no 3 to his mother and father Eldred & Mary Ann Tilbury, but kept nos.1 and 2 himself. (click Reg & Lucy Tilbury for more about Reg and his parents and click Owen & Minnie Smith for more about Owen.)
Hillock Cottage no 4 was the smallest, then 3, 2, 1 increasing in size, Hillock Cottaged no 1 being the largest.
All four cottages had gardens, but number 1 had extra land as well.
Doug Tilbury, born in 1934 continues the story :-
By 1934 all four cottages at had their own toilets, built like “sentry boxes”, down the garden. Usually there was a hazelnut tree growing just behind them.
In 1934 mains water was laid down Lily Bottom Lane, but it was not connected to the cottages. I do recall a solitary “stand pipe” being put in by my father in 1937 which served all four cottages in times of drought.
Water from all the roofs was collected in one tank underground. On one occasion, during a very hot spell of weather, the water level became so desperately low that my father organised the men from the four cottages one Saturday afternoon. He went down into the tank on a ladder and scooped out the thick greyish sludge from the bottom of the tank into buckets, which the other men then emptied onto the cottage gardens.
I enquired as to what the sludge was, and was told that the flocks of house sparrows that were around in those days, perched on, and did what comes naturally into the gutters. To this day I can recall the distinct sweet taste of our rather cloudy water.
The toilets were very cold in winter and I can still see the frost on the seat. In the very severe winter of 1947 the rest of the family would try to wait until father had been. Then, at least, the ice on the seat would have been melted, but it was still damp and cold.
In the summer it was terrible with the flies buzzing all over you and the awful pong. Later we used a chemical called “Elsan”, this smelled a bit like Jeyes Fluid and it was bad luck if you got splashed, it could burn you. However, we survived.
In those days we had no such thing as toilet rolls, we had to use torn up pieces of newspaper. The “Bucks Free Press” was to be avoided at all costs as it was so hard and scrubby. In addition its ink came off on our little bottoms.
I think this account of my younger days was fairly typical of the majority of cottagers in Lacey Green and Loosley Row at that time.
CENSUS RESEARCH on cottages at Parslows Hillock (or Scrubwood) by Joan West
1841 CENSUS
Cottage Solomon Janes 26 agricultual labourer, Sophia Janes (wife) 26, Ann Janes 4, John Janes 1, Leah Janes (mother) 50
Cottage. Elizabeth Jipkins 64 lacemaker, Thomas Jipkins 25 agricultural labourer
Cottage. William Chilton 66 agricultural labourer, Hannah Chilton (wife) 59 lacemaker, Levi Chilton 22 agricultural labourer, Solomon Chilton 20 agricultural labourer Joseph Chilton 20 agricultural labourer, Rachell Chilton 18 lacemaker, Ann Chilton 1.
1851 CENSUS
Cottage. Hannah Chilton widow 66 lacemaker born Lacey Green, Joseph Chilton 29 labourer, Rachael Chilton 28 lacemaker, Ann Chilton (granddaughter) 11 born Pink Hillock.
Cottage. Solomon Janes 35 sawer born Lacey Green, Sophia Janes (wife) 37 born Speen, Ann Janes 11 born Pink Hillock, John Chilton 5 born Pink Hillock, Elizabeth Chilton 5 born Pink Hillock, Fanny Chilton 3 born Pink Hillock.
1861 CENSUS
Cottage. Solomon Janes 46 sawyer born Lacey Greeen, Sophia Janes (wife) 46 lacemaker born Speen, John Janes 21 labourer born Speen, Elizabeth Janes 14 lacemaker born Speen, Sarah Janes 7 lacemaker born Speen
Cottage. Jonathon Janes 31 sawyer born Loosley Row, Mary Janes (wife) 33 dressmaker born Haddenham, Lucy Janes 2 born Hillock, Hannah Steel (stepmother-in-law) widow 60 lacemaker born Ford.
Cottage. Richard Loosley 45 labourer born Summerleys, Jane Loosley (wife) 44 lacemaker born Saunderton, Joseph Loosley 19 labourer born Summerleys, Sarah Loosley 17 labourer born summerleys, Rebecca Loosley 15 lacemaker born Summerleys, Fanny Loosley 11 lacemaker born Summerleys, Mary Loosley 10 lacemaker born Summerleys, Jane Loosley 4 lacemaker born Summerleys.
1871 CENSUS
Cottage. Solomon Janes 61 sawyer, Sophia Janes (wife) lacemaker, Sarah Janes 18 lacemake/
Cottage. Thomas Easton widower 76 agricultural labourer
Cottage. Amos Chilton 26 sawyer, Ann Chilton (wife) 26 lacemaker, Ellen Chilton 3 months
Cottage. John Saunders 48 sawyer. Caroline Saunders (wife) 49 lacemaker, Thomas Saunders 24 sawyer, George Saunders 18 sawyer, Arthur Saunders 15
1881 CENSUS
1-4 SCRUBWOOD COTTAGES
Cottage. William Weller 30 agricultural labourer born Saunderton, Sarah Weller (wife) 30, Annie Weller 9 scholar, Rose Weller 6 scholar, Ruth Weller 4 scholar, Mary Weller 2, Eva Weller 1 month.
Cottage. John Chilton 29 agricultural labourer born Monks Risborough, Kezihiah Chilton (wife) 26 lacemaker.
Cottage. John Saunders 58 sawyer, Caroline Saunders (wife) 59 lacemaker, Alfred Saunders 24 sawyer
Cottage. Solomon Janes 66 agricultural labourer, Sophia Janes (wife) 66 lace maker, George Saunders (lodger) 28 sawyer, Sarah Saunders (wife) (lodger) 27 lacemaker, Minnie Saunders (lodger) 3, Lily Saunders (lodger) 5 months.
1901 CENSUS
No 1 Hillock Cottages. Eldred Tilbury 35 flint contractor, Mary Tilbury 45, Dorothy Tilbury 6, Arthur Tilbury 4, Reginald Tilbury 2
No 2 Hillock Cottages. Alfred Smith 47 wood turner (bodger), Elizabeth Smith 45, Elizabeth M Beverige 2 (boarder), William Beverige 1 (boarder)
No 3 Hillock Cottages. Owen Smith 24 turner (bodger), Winnie Smith 23, Florence B Smith 3, Daisy M Smith ? months
No 4 Hillock Cottages. George Saunders 48 general lab, Sarah Saunders 47, Minnie Saunders 23 parlour maid, Sidney Saunders 17 benchman (chair making), Harry Saunders benchman (chair making).
1911 CENSUS
No 1 Hillock Cottages with 5 rooms. Eldred Tilbury 44 flint contractor born Hughenden, Mary Tilbury 55, Arthur Tilbury 14, Reginald Tilbury 12, Alice Tilbury 9.
No 2 Hillock Cottages with 4 rooms. Alfred Smith 56 turner (bodger) born Hughenden. Elizabeth Smith (wife) 55.
No 3 Hillock Cottages with 4 rooms. Owen Smith 34 turner (bodger), Minnie Smith (wife) 33, Daisy Smith 11, Elsie Smith 9, Harold Smith 2, Jesse Smith 4 months.
No 4 Hillock Cottages with 4 rooms. George Saunders 58 agricultural labourer, Harry Saunders (son) 25 estate office clerk.
1939 REGISTER (CENSUS)
No 1 Hillock Cottages. Reginald G Tilbury 41 fruit, vegetable and poultry farmer. Lucy Rosetta Tilbury (wife) 31, Joan Tilbury 9 at school, 2 accounts closed (war)
No 2 Hillock Cottages. William S Humphries 76 farm carter retired, Ruth Humphries 76
No 3 Hillock Cottages. Eldred Tilbury 73 farm carter assisting son, Mary Ann Tilbury 84
No 4 Hillock Cottages. Ivan Sidney Plumb 41 farm carter, milker & tractor driver, Lottie Plumb 37, Audrey Plumb 39.
RECALLED BY DOUG TILBURY - RESIDENTS at PARSLOWS HILLOCK from mid-1950's
PARSLOWS HOUSE. Laidler, Chance, Moggs, Koclam.
PINK AND LILY PUBLIC HOUSE. Benskins, Fairbrother, Fletcher, Prestwood? Mason, Egfield, O’Connor.
WOODLANDS. General Pritchard, Colin Clark, Giles, Cropper Williams, Andrew Clark.
HAMPDEN LODGE. Sir Lidsay Scott, Col. Bomiem, cupitt, Geoff Baker, Penny Baker, Wareham Cunninghand
BETHANY COTTAGE. Clark-Halliday, Andrew Clark, Zettie Taylor.
WHITE HOUSE. Van-Hook, Dr. Connoly, Beaulies, Elkins, Creak.
1 and 2 HILLOCK COTTAGES. Owner Carter (Grymsdyke) Reg Tilbury, Doug Tilbury, Robins.
3 HILLOCK COTTAGES. Owner Carter (Grymsdyke) Reg Tilbury, Alice Tilbury, Eldred Tilbury, English, Prunier, Creak, Thompson
4 HILLOCK COTTAGES. Reg Tilbury, Smith, Sculley, Lea, Sladden, Diamond, Gaylor