Turnip End Cottage

click Lacey for others in this family

click Families for other local families

Research by Joan West

Water pipe laid to Turnip End Cottage in 1968. see report below

15^th 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.

27^th 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.  

26^th 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.

28^th May 1913 NEW TRUSTEES of the estate (10 in all) appointed by the Court

7th November 1913. The Trustees sold the estate of William Lacey (died 1857) 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 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.

ALBERT HICKMAN

Albert Hickman was a chimneysweep and was said to also be a wood turner (Bodger) which he practised inside a crude shelter in the garden.

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)

click 1947 Jobs for a War Time Boy by Gordon May when Gordon was detailed as a boy scout to help the elderly Hickmans at Turnip End Cottage.

also click 1945 The Medicine Run by Gordon May in which he describes collecting medicine for the Hickmans and others from Princes Risborough

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 John Eric and Elsie 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.

6th November 1968. GRANT By Richard Montague West of Stocken Farm to John Eric & Elsie Miller, owners of an adjoining property. - the right of laying a water pipe from Highwood Bottom to connect to and use the mains water supply to the owner's property, Turnip End Cottage

November 1978 MR & Mrs MILLER SOLD to MR AND MRS SKINNER