Miss Elin, Gracefield, Lacey Green
From Lacey Green History
Research by Laurence Rostron
Miss Annie Gertrude Elin – owner of Gracefield – 1911 to 1942. See Annie Gertrude Elin for her life story
Miss Elin was born in 1859 in St. John’s Wood, then in Middlesex. Her father was John Elin who appears to have been born in Jamaica and described himself as a West India Merchant. They lived in 12 Cavendish Road, Marylebone and his family consisted of himself, his wife, 2 sons and 2 daughters. They had 4 servants – a cook, a housemaid, a nurse maid and an under nursemaid.
25th September 1907. The Marchioness of Ely sold the contents of "Gracefield", Lacey Green, in a public auction in September 1907 having already "disposed of the residence". See 1907 Sale Gracefield Contents
It is known that Miss Elin leased Gracefield from Marchioness of Ely on the 3rd October 1907 for 14 years, shortly after the sale of the house contents, but it is not known if she bought furniture in the sale.
On the 28th of February 1911 Miss Elin purchased the freehold of the Gracefield “estate” for £3000 less a sum of £211.5s.0d paid to Angelique Gertrude Strangeways to redeem the loan (mortgage) and interest and obviously rescinded her leasehold. At the time the “estate” consisted of Gracefield, a cottage, a coach-house with stables and the land measured four acres and thirty poles.
The sale documents describe Miss Elin as being “of Gracefield Princes Risborough” which appears to confirm that she was living at Gracefield at the time that she purchased the property. A photograph, exact date unknown, shows Miss Elin standing outside Gracefield with, it is assumed, her brother Major John Edward Elin, plus 3 dogs!
In the 1911 Census Miss Elin is shown as the lone family member “living on her own means” at 25 Chesham Place, London.
The Census also shows that at the same time there were 2 staff living in Gracefield - Jane Elphick a domestic cook and Bessie Currall (a well known village surname) a domestic housemaid and the house is shown as comprising of 11 rooms.
However, the 1911 Census does not appear to show anyone living in the cottage.
Electoral Register for Lacey Green
- Miss Elin is shown as the sole occupant from 1912 through to 1927 for the reasons stated earlier.
- However, in 1927 things started to change and occupants of Garden Cottage, now Grace Cottage also started to be identified.
The entry for Gracefield reads as follows:
Elin Annie G – no occupation.
Hussey Bessie – domestic duties.
Hussey James – gardener.
Shepperd Catherine – domestic duties.
Bristow Daphne – domestic duties.
The reason why these domestic servants were included in the Electoral Register remains a mystery and it has to be assumed they did not live in Gracefield but were surveyed for the National Register from their place of work. It is also noticeable that she appears to have employed a man!
Miss Elin died in 1942 and she is buried in St John’s Church, Lacey Green
