Turnip End Cottage
From Lacey Green History
Research by Joan West
15th April 1808 SALE TO STEPHEN CLINCH
INDENTURE
William Williams of High Wycombe, bricklayer, of the first part, John Wade of Darvills Hill of the second part, sold to Stephen Clinch vintner of Cornhill, London for £140
SCHEDULE
Cottage, closes of grass ground and hereditaments at Turnip End.
1823 ENCLOSURES of PRINCES RISBOROUGH
Plot no 804 Stephen Clinch, garden and paddock at Turnip End, Freehold. This was an old enclosure.
Plot no 805 Stephen Clinch, cottage, garden and pightle at Turnip End. Freehold. This was an old enclosure.
27th March 1829 INDENTURE
Between Stephen Clinch of Green Terrace, Islington, Mddx, gentleman and Ann his wife sold to William Lacey of Catherine Wheel Alley, St Botolph without Bishopsgate, London, bricklayer.
The cottage wherein John Biggs formerly dwelt now in the occupation of Caleb West at a place called Darvills Hill, Princes Risborough, together with a close of grass ground adjoining to the cottage containing by estimate 1 acre, adjoining on the south and west the wood-ground (grove)of the Reverend Edward Stone and on the north and east the land of the late Richard Wade containing about a rood and a half.
26th July 1857 WILLIAM LACEY DIED
.William Lacey returned from Bishopsgate to die at Turnip End and is buried in Lacey Green graveyard. His parents were William Lacey 1747-1816 and Rebecca Lacey, nee Floyd, died 1789, son William 1772-1857 was married in 1811 to Mary Ann Love of Bishopsgate. All their children were born in London. William had three sisters all married in Princes Risborough.
WILLIAM LACEY’s WILL was long and very detailed but unfortunately it ran into difficulties due to problems with executors and deaths therefore but by a judgement of the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice it was ordered that the real and personal estate of the Testator should be administered under the direction of the Court. In a second action on 26 April 1893 the judge was of the opinion that according to the will of the Testator the surviving issue of the three grandsons originally named to inherit, however remotely, should inherit equally between the three families of William, James and Jesse Lacey.
28th May 1913 NEW TRUSTEES of the estate (10 in all) appointed by the Court
9th Aug 1913 The Court ceased it’s power over the estate
7th November 1913 THE TEN TRUSTEES SOLD TO WILLIAM LACEY
7th November 1913. The Trustees of the above mentioned property for £150 to William Lacey, 32 Argyle Road SE London, stationer, one of the 10 trustees.
SCHEDULE
2 pieces of land at Darvills Hill, formerly occupied by Benjamin Smith, then Mrs. Casbeard, now unoccupied, together with the cottage, now falling down with outbuildings erected on one of the pieces of land.
NEW COTTAGE CALLED “Sweeps or Matchbox Cottage”. Later Turnip End Cottage. Report by Sandra Jenkins
A new house was built on the site of the derelict Cottage, possibly using material from the same. It was built by a local Anderson, who let it to Albert Hickman. It consisted of one bedroom and a landing bedroom, the stairs going up through the middle of the house. A well (tank) in the garden collected the rainwater. It was known locally as Sweeps Cottage (because Albert Hickman a chimney sweep lived there) or Matchbox Cottage, because of its shape. It had no official name at the time
click Albert & Sarah Hickman for their life story.
THE ONLY ACCESS
The only access to the house was across Darvills Cottage garden (next door) on a public footpath.
ALBERT HICKMAN
Albert Hickman was a chimneysweep and was said to be a wood turner (Bodger) which he practised inside a crude shelter in the garden. He made an unofficial footpath over a stile next to the house. He owned a donkey and cart which enabled him to conduct his business as a sweep.
1939 CENSUS
Albert Hickman 72 chimney sweep, Sarah Hickman 63, Ivy Hickman 30 incapacitated, 1 person absent, Stella Mary Hunt 6 at school. (Married Strother 1963)
THE MEDICINE RUN by Gordon May
From the age of twelve in 1945, until I left school, one of my jobs was known as the “Medicine Run”. I had to miss a bit of school to carry out this job. Every Thursday evening, after school, I would travel to some of the outlying districts of the village to collect empty medicine bottles. One of the homes I visited was the Hickman family at Turnip End. I had permission from the school to take time off on Friday mornings to catch the Mr. Farmer’s bus, which ran from the Church end of Lacey Green to Princes Risborough, where I went to Dr Edward’s surgery (Old Cross Keys). Then on Friday evenings or Saturday mornings, I would have to go round to deliver the medicines to the families concerned. I did this job until I left school.
1947 WINTER. By Gordon May, born 1933 at Darvills Hill
I was a boy scout. In 1947, which was a particularly bad winter, I was detailed to help and sleep at Tom Hickman's House, at Turnip End. The house was 500 yards down a woody stony lane.
MY HOT WATER BOTTLE FROZE
There was no electricity then and my hot water bottle froze. I had to get up very early to break the ice, and feed the chickens and rabbits before running home for breakfast, then to school.
LIVE IN NURSE By Sandra Jenkins
In the very late 1940’s the Hickmans were forced by ill health to have a nurse, Miss Kinsham from London. She stayed on for a while after they died. When she left she moved into a caravan at the end of the lane.
1950’s ANDERSON SOLD TO MR and MRS MILLER
In the early 1950’s Anderson conveyed Turnip End Cottage to Mr & Mrs Miller for £400. Mr Miller was a retired bank manager and owned property in London
MODERNISED IN 1950’s
The Millers added an extension to the property (on the right side when facing the house), giving a further bedroom, reception room and lean-to kitchen with bathroom off it. The kitchen had a pump to draw water from the water tank. They built a path which led up the field to the front of the property, possible buying extra land to do so. They were keen gardeners. She was a weaver so they built a summerhouse for her use.
About 1963 MR & Mrs MILLER SOLD to MR AND MRS SKINNER
click Lacey for others in this family
| Turnip End Cottage | |
|---|---|
| Construction Era | 1700-1822, 1823 Enclosures Record |
| Type of Property | House, Cottage, Land |
| Use of Property | Residential |
| Locations | Turnip End |