Malmsmead
From Lacey Green History
click Kiln Lane for
also click Kiln Farm and Lavender Cottage for earlier details.
The following Research was by Joan West.
Lease of the old Kiln Farmhouse to George Smithson, burglar.
Early in 1913 George Smithson ‘Gentleman George’ and his friend ‘Sikes’, freshly out of Borstal, both 21, rented a quiet little house in Lacey Green from which to set up a business as burglars, posing as American medical students. They paid three months’ rent in advance of kept on the old gardener and housekeeper.
This description of the cottage is by George Smithson, burglar, taken from his autobiography.
Early in 1913 George Smithson ‘Gentleman George’ and his friend ‘Sikes’, freshly out of Borstal, both 21, rented a quiet little house in Lacey Green from which to set up a business as burglars, posing as American medical students. They paid three months’ rent in advance of kept on the old gardener and housekeeper.
"The house itself was an old-fashioned little affair standing in a few acres of its own grounds and well away from the beaten track. Let the reader visualize a stone-paved study and parlour, one of those great open fireplaces and ingle-nooks supported by ancient oak beams. It was picturesque, low ceilinged, but very draughty. Everything about the place reeked of times gone by. It had a serving-maid’s kitchen over the top of a deep well with a pump in the corner, a dark little buttery, a narrow winding staircase leading to half a dozen quaint little bedrooms, and half panelled walls dating back to the seventeenth century. But is suited us very well. Here we were at last in a place of our own where we could sit down quietly at night and work out our schemes for the future, unseen, unheard, unmolested, with only a dimly burning oil lamp by way of illumination”
Starting as Kiln Farm house, the house was later called Lavender Cottage, then in 1942 was changed to "Malmsmead" by Kay Sampson
July 21st 1923 Conveyance. Dr Charles Herbert Fagge sold to Martin Robert de Selincourt
November 26th 1942 Conveyance.
Arnold Stafford Clark, formerly of Hedgehope, 85 Mount Nod Road, Streatham, London, now of Lavender Cottage, Lacey Green, sold to Miss Helen May Sampson of Harrow, and Miss Kathleen Sampson of Tynyglog, Brynmor Road.
Aberystwith, university lecturer in botany, for £2,250, joint tenants.
“Lavender Cottage" Changed to "Malmsmead"
Freehold cottage, known as Lavender Cottage, henceforth to be known as "Malmsmead", fronting onto Kiln Lane, with other outbuildings near thereto and garden with meadow of 2 acres, 34 poles.
February 21st 1980. Death of Miss K. Sampson. Miss H.M. Sampson had predeceased her.
January 7th 1981. Executors of Miss Kay Sampson sold to Michael and Candy Piercy
Lot 1. Malmsmead Cottage, garden and part meadow, to Michael and Candy Piercy. The meadow tenanted by R.M. West and Son. Lot 2. Part of meadow, to John Richard West and Joan West, his wife, of Stocken Farm, for £6,600 as joint tenants.
Hallmark June 1986. Planning Application for two storey extension at Malmsmead, Kiln Lane.
Dennis Claydon published a booklet called "Tarmac and Beyond". Much was known about Kiln Lane, but Dennis Claydon researched and wrote about it so brilliantly that the history of the lane written here will include extracts from his booklet leaving nothing out. A few later facts have been added.
“Malmsmead”
At the time of the Enclosures ‘Malmsmead’ was the only dwelling in Kiln Lane. Even at this stage the building was a mature one, reputedly dating from the seventeenth century. Over the course of time the dwelling has varied between being one main residence or two cottages. It is, today, composed of two cottages, ‘Malmsmead’ and ‘Walnut Cottage’, which together form one of the seven listed buildings of special architectural or historic interest in Lacey Green.
The building consists of a seventeenth century bay to the west, rebuilt in brick and flint during the nineteenth century. An early eighteenth century chequered brick range to the east, featuring glazed bricks, with 20" century brick extensions to the north end of the east range. The structure certainly has a long and fascinating history.
Scratched into a brick, on the east side of the building, is the date 1499. This appears rather early to be genuine. Perhaps this is the work of some mischievous youth in times past?
Possibly the earliest surviving records of the building, date from the middle of the nineteenth century. On the 31* December 1855, William Woods, a Miller, of Loosley Row purchased the property from a group of gentlemen residing in Norfolk and Essex. These gentlemen are known to have represented the Mortgagees of the Duke of Buckingham who had become a landowner in the Parish. Could it be that the Duke was the former owner of the property and that these gentlemen were trying to recoup some of their lost asset
William Woods, who was no doubt working at the Windmill, then known as Loosley Row Windmill, was possibly a tenant of the Duke, for the Duke owned a considerable amount of land to the north-west of Kiln Lane, extending as far as the Windmill. Indeed, it is the Duke who is reputedly credited with having the Windmill removed from Chesham and placed in its present position in 1821.
Whether William Woods was a shrewd businessman who had an eye for making a quick “buck” is not known, but after barely two months he sold the property.
(Research by Joan West later revealed that William Woods was the mortgagee, 'owning' Malmsmead in that capacity only, he was also one of the many mortgagees of John Cheshire of Windmill Farm.)
William Woods, sold the property to Joshua Dell born 1801, described as a Timber Dealer, a resident of Lacey Green. Joshua Dell’s Father and Grandfather, both named Thomas, had farmed at Speen Farm.
Research reveals that Joshua purchased two cottages and four acres of land situated around the centre of the village in 1838, (Vine Cottage, Idle Corner, plus land now occupied by the Village Hall and Roundlands.) This property had been in Joshua’s family over several generations, dating back to the eighteenth century. In February 1856 he sold all this property to Mary Grace.
By an Indenture dated 8" March 1856 Joshua Dell contracted with William Woods for the purchase of property in Kiln Lane. The property (‘Malmsmead’) is described thus :-
‘All that messuage or farmhouse and Homestead with the Barn Stable and other outbuildings thereto belonging situate and being at Lacey Green in the parish of Princes Risborough aforesaid And also All that two closes of pasture land adjoining and belonging to said Farmhouse and Homestead called or known by the name of Brick Kiln Closes All which said Farmhouse Homestead Closes and premises contain together by admeasurement four acres and twenty eight perches (be the same more or less) and are part of a farm called ‘Kiln Farm’ late in the occupation of George Webster and now of William Floyd and which comprise a certain Old Inclosure heretofore belonging to John Grubb Esquire distinguished upon the Map or Plan annexed to the Award of the Commissioners for enclosing the said Parish of Princes Risborough by the Number 729...’
A right of way is also established to the property, ‘...particularly a general and unlimited right of road or way with or without horses carts and carriages at all times thereafter over and along so much of a certain road or way leading out of Lacey Green Road...’.
The Plans accompanying the ‘Abstracts of Title’ date from the time of the Enclosure. The earliest of these indicates only the house, not showing any outbuildings. In the vicinity of where ‘Highwood’ now stands some buildings are indicated, which would have been the site of the Kiln.
The before mentioned report on Grim’s Ditch states that in the survey area near Stocken Farm ‘an alignment of positive anomalies may indicate the foundations of a former farm building’. It continues by making the point that their orientation is not consistent with any of the existing buildings at Stocken Farm.
As these positive anomalies lie towards the north-east corner of the survey area, it is a matter of conjecture whether they could be associated with ‘Malmsmead’, in the days when it was ‘Kiln Farm’, rather than with Stocken Farm. There is a tradition that the nearby timbered building, now known as ‘Kiln Barn’, once served as the barn and outbuildings to ‘Kiln Farm’. There is no positive proof of this, however, it is possible that Joshua Dell was perhaps responsible for the erection of this building. Certainly two wooden cottages, with a range of attached farm buildings, existed on the site at the time of his death in 1865.
The 1861 Census records Joshua Dell, a bachelor, at Vine Cottage living with his younger married sister, Anne, and her family. (click John & Ann Claydon)
Following his death, Joshua, by his Will, bequeathed his property equally between his two nephews, Jabez and Joseph. Jabez was a young man of twenty-six years of age at the time of his Uncle’s death. Joseph, however, was still a minor, an eleven year old school boy, and thus could not officially inherit the Estate until he attained the age of twenty-one years.
(click Joseph & Charlotte Claydon and click Jabez & Annie Claydon for their life stories).
Upon reaching the age of majority in 1875, a Plan was drawn up of ‘Kiln Farm Cottages’, detailing the equal amounts of two acres, thirty-four poles, allotted to each brother. The brothers, accepting their respective portions, under the terms of their late Uncle’s Will, signed the Plan. The Vicar of Lacey Green, Reverend William Johnston Burgess and William Ralph Burgess, both of Lacey Green Vicarage, witnessed the signatures, as was the custom of the day.
The Plan clearly indicates that ‘Malmsmead’ consisted of two cottages at this time. Jabez’s portion consisted of ‘Malmsmead’, together with adjacent meadowland. Also included were some farm buildings, comprising a cow shed and a pigsty. Part of a barn was to be shared with Joseph.
These buildings, on land belonging to ‘Malmsmead’, have long since disappeared, but were in fact attached to what is now known as ‘Kiln Barn’. Joseph’s portion consisted of two timbered cottages (‘Kiln Barn’), plus an attached range of farm buildings, including the shared barn. In addition he was to receive meadowland, to the north-east, further along Kiln Lane.
It is almost certain that Jabez Claydon availed himself of the occupancy of ‘Malmsmead’ shortly after gaining his inheritance. In 1867 he married Annie Smith, a young lady of twenty-six years of age, whom he met whilst they were both working at Lacey Green Vicarage.
Annie was born in London, but had spent time working in other parts of the country. However, the couple spent the whole of their married life at ‘Malmsmead’, then known as ‘Kiln House’. During their forty years of marriage it seems likely that Jabez converted the property back into one dwelling.
They had three daughters, Catherine, Susannah and Elizabeth. Catherine was a teacher at Lacey Green School, whilst the youngest daughter, Elizabeth, married the Headmaster of the School, Albert Phillips. Catherine, with her husband Owen Biggs, immigrated to Australia, where their descendents still reside. Susannah married and lived locally, as some of her descendants continue to do.
A bizarre and rather sad occurrence befell Annie in October 1907. Rising as normal around six in the morning she went about her usual household duties. As the morning progressed she partook of her ‘elevenses’, then, with the aid of her daughter, Elizabeth, began to prepare lunch. Feeling a little unwell and complaining of neuralgia she declined her lunch, retiring upstairs to bed to rest for a short period. Around a quarter to two she arose, went downstairs, requested a cup of tea and proceeded to the backhouse, passing through the kitchen to get there.
On preparing the cup of tea, Elizabeth went to the backhouse to inform her mother, only to find her lying on the floor. The floor onto which Annie had fallen was of brick construction. Elizabeth noticed that her mother had sustained bruises to her forehead and nose. Following assistance it was discovered that Annie was dead and a Doctor was summoned.
The Doctor concluded that Annie had died through shock caused by falling upon the floor. As she had previously been reasonably hale and hearty an Inquest was necessary. The Jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
Jabez continued to reside at ‘Malmsmead’ until his death in 1910.
Following the death of Jabez the property was sold, the purchaser being a Mrs. Hyde of London. Then followed what can only be described as one of the more colourful periods in the history of the building. Mrs. Hyde did not wish to take up residence but decided to let the property, and the exploits of the two young men who took up the tenancy will be revealed in the next chapter.
During the 1920/30’s Mrs. Mabel de Selincourt was the owner of the property, then known as ‘Lavender Cottage’. Mrs. de Selincourt was either the Mother or the Aunt of Elizabeth Dorothy de Selincourt. In 1913, Dorothy, known as ‘Daphne’, had married Alan Alexander Milne at St Margaret’s, Westminster. Milne had been a young assistant editor of ‘Punch’. It was during the course of his work that he met Daphne. Returning from active service after the Great War, Milne found his services at the magazine were no longer required. Encouraged by his wife, he began to write books, poems and plays on his own account.
The birth of a son, Christopher Robin, in 1920, brought much rejoicing. Milne wrote ‘Winnie the Pooh’ stories and other poems for his son. Again, encouraged by Daphne, these stories were published. It is chiefly because of the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ and ‘Christopher Robin’ stories, which have become so popular with children, that Milne is remembered.
Mrs. de Selincourt is known to have had a revolving summerhouse in the large garden at ‘Lavender Cottage’, in which she spent many hours sunning herself.
Another owner of the property was Dr. Charles Fagg, an eminent Physician of Guys Hospital in London. Mrs Fagg suffered with ill health, but was fortunate enough to have a ‘live in’ resident nurse. The couple had two children, a son, who followed in his Father’s footsteps as a Doctor, and a daughter, Beatrice, who remained in the village for the remainder of her life.
click Charles & Beatrice Fagge and also click Beatrice Fagge (their daughter) for their life stories
Bessie Currell, the daughter of George Currell of Lime Tree Cottages, Kiln Lane, was employed in the Fagg household. Bessie’s niece, Daphne Bristow, a young girl living in the village, suffered an accident in the garden of her home. On admission to hospital in Aylesbury, it was found she had broken her arm at the elbow joint.
At the instigation of Dr. Fagg she was transferred to Guy’s Hospital. Unfortunately, whilst there she fell from a wheelchair, breaking the same joint again, thus necessitating several months stay in hospital. By a strange coincidence, at the same time, Daphne’s father was diagnosed with appendicitis. The cure for this was still in its infancy, thus the condition was considered to be of a fairly serious nature. Once again Dr. Fagge arranged for the patient to be admitted to Guy’s Hospital, where the treatment provided proved to be a complete success. For a short time father and daughter were in adjoining wards. Daphne, at the time, a pretty blonde haired child, recalls that Dr. Fagg always addressed her as ‘Flower’. Sometimes he would allow her to accompany him as he toured the wards.
Another recollection is of the Fagg’s nurse taking Daphne and her sister on a walk to Lacey Green Windmill. The owner of the Windmill must have been friendly with the nurse, for the party were provided with tea before the return journey.
The next Purchaser was Mr Arnold S. Clark, a London businessman in the glass industry. Mr Clark moved his wife, Zettie, and young family, to ‘Lavender Cottage’, following the evacuation of London in 1939. A distinguished Baptist Local Preacher, it was whilst resident at ‘Lavender Cottage’ that Mr Clark first established his long association of almost forty years with Lacey Green Methodist Church and Loosley Row Baptist Church.
Regularly supplying the pulpits of each respective Church, he is known to have delivered approximately one thousand two hundred sermons in Lacey Green Methodist Church, probably the greatest number of sermons ever delivered by one man in that Church. For more than a quarter of a century he conducted a combined Christmas Day service between the two Churches, held alternately in each Church. Both Churches closed in 2001.
In 1942 Mr Clark moved to nearby Parslow’s Hillock and ‘Lavender Cottage’ was purchased by the Misses Helen Mary and Kathleen Sampson. The situation of the property at the time is described as ‘approached from a quiet lane on the outskirts of a hill-top Village, amid rural surroundings but handy for the Village amenities’. Obviously only one dwelling at this time, the accommodation comprised Verandah, Lounge Hall, Lounge, Study, Lobby, Kitchen, Large Larder, five Bedrooms and a Bathroom.
The grounds consisted of ‘a pretty ornamental garden with brick paths, fine trees and shrubs, tennis lawn, large well planted kitchen garden, greenhouse, small orchard and a paddock, in all about two and a half acres’. Probably this description of the grounds attracted the two maiden sisters to the property, for they were very keen gardeners.
Renaming the property ‘Malmsmead’, the retired schoolteachers spent numerous happy hours, for well over thirty years, tending and nurturing many exotic and unusual plants in the gardens. They cultivated a vine, which produced some fine grapes. Kathleen was also an enthusiastic beekeeper. Following the death of Helen Sampson, the house was once again converted back into two dwellings, the western end of the building forming the conversion, hence its renaming ‘Malmsmead West’.
When Kathleen Sampson died in 1980, the property and adjacent meadowland, which from the days of Jabez Claydon had remained intact, was divided up. ‘Malmsmead West’, with a sitting tenant, remained as part of the Estate of Miss Sampson. ‘Malmsmead’ and the meadowland were offered for sale by auction in two Lots.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Piercy purchased the house and R. M. West and Son of Stocken Farm acquired the meadowland. Several years elapsed before ‘Malmsmead West’ was finally sold. The property was brought by Mr. R. Davidson and renamed ‘Walnut Cottage’.
Chapter 7 of Tarmac and Beyond also refers to Malmsmead.