Idle Corner

PART OF UP GREEN

Idle Corner was an area opposite The Black Horse. It was part of Up Green.   From the late 1700’s it was simply a small part of the whole area.   See “Up Green”. The whole area was documented as freehold, therefore it no longer belonged to the Manor of Princes Risborough.

HISTORY OF IDLE CORNER (The Name 'Idle Corner' is said to derive from being the place where men gathered when they were hoping to get work).

Soon after Thomas Dell purchased Vine Cottage in 1775 he split it into two, making the south side into a two bedroom cottage. He then built two cottages attached to the south side of it.   See “Vine Cottage”. The new cottages had their access from Idle Corner.

THE LAST OWNER of VINE COTTAGE, its LAND and IDLE CORNER as ONE UNIT.

In 1939 Harry George Floyd inherited 4 cottages and land from his father.   One was Vine Cottage.  The other 3 cottages, attached to it were those accessed from “Idle Corner”

Harry Floyd sold all of them on December 6th 1946 to SEPARATE OWNERS, acting as mortgagee for Harold George Janes of White Lodge, Speen who bought Vine Cottage. He also was mortgagee for Henry John Turney who purchased the two middle adjoining cottages, one known as 'Cosy Cot'. (the Insurance documents are archived in Lacey Green Village Hall)

COTTAGE 1. VINE COTTAGE. On the north end of the four. Sold to Harold George Janes, who renamed it 'Clivden'. Insured for £1,000. See Vine Cottage

COTTAGE 2. COSY COT. Conveyed to Henry John Turney who also bought the adjoining cottage (no.3). Insured for £250. Premium 3 shillings and 13 pence per annum

PREVIOUS TENANTS

1939. Tenant.  Henry J Turney, 33, ag. Lab, Annie F , 24.

1911.  Tenant.  Rupert James Rixon, 31, turner, Beatrice May, 30, married 10 years, Elsie May, 3, Gladys Ethel, 2, Clara Bell, adopted, 9.

1901.  Robert Janes 66, born LG, Bethsheba, 65, sister, born LG, lacemaker.

1891. Tenant.  Robert Janes, 57, Bethsheba, 59, sister.

1881. Tenant.  Robert Janes, 46, ag.lab, Bethsheba, 48, sister.

1871  Tenant.  Robert Janes  36. ag lab, Rebecca Janes, mother. 69, Bathsheba, 38, lacemaker.

1861. Tenant.  Rebecca Janes, widow, 62, lacemaker, Bathsheba, 28, lacemaker, Robert 26, ag. Lab.

1851. Tenant. Thomas Janes 54, ag lab, born Lacey Green. Rebecca Janes, 50, lacemaker, born Lacey Green, Bethsheba Janes, 18, lacemaker.

1841.  Tenant. Rebecca Janes 39, Jesse Janes 11, Bethsheba Janes, 8, Robert Janes, 6, Mary Ginger 75, John Attaway 16,

COTTAGE 3. (Not named). Conveyed to Henry John Turney who also bought cottage no 2 and a detached piece of garden ground. Insured for £250.  Premium 3 shillings and 13 pence per annum.

PREVIOUS TENANTS

1939.  Tenant.  Ethel Ginger, 45, Cyril G. 16, house painter.

C. 1920 – 26.   Tenant. William John Saunders, 23, Bertha Saunders, Edward ‘Ted’, born 1921, Millicent and Maurice ‘Mosh’, twins, born 1923.   Mosh referred to Idle Corner as the ‘Black Horse Yard.’

1911.   Tenant.  Lucy Rixon, 72, widow, born Beds, Arthur Rixon, 50, son, born Princes Risborough, Beatrice Mary Rixon, 49, wife, married 29 years born Benson

1901.  Tenant.   William Rixon, 71, born Saunderton, Lucy 67.

1891.  Tenant.   William Rixon, 66, ag.lab. born Saunderton, Lucy, 54, born Chalfont.

1881.  Tenant.   William Rixon, 56, ag.lab, Lucy, 45, straw platter, Arthur, 20, ag.lab.

1871    Tenant.  Jabez Claydon, 33, gardener of 4 acres, Annie 30, dressmaker, Catherine, 3.

1861.  Tenant.   Thomas Gomme, 22, gardener, Jane Gomme, 25, lacemaker, Mary, 6 mths, Ebenezer, brother, 15, labourer.

1851  Tenant.   John Attaway 26, sawyer, born LG, Fanny Attaway, 20, born Speen, lacemaker, Ellen dau

1841 John Claydon, 25, Ann Claydon 20, Jabez 3, Eliza 1.

COTTAGE 4. (not named). Conveyed to Leslie Jonah Ginger - cottage and garden, with right of way thereto from the road at Idle Corner/ Black Horse Yard Insured for £400.  Premium 3 shillings per annum

PREVIOUS TENANTS

1939.  Tenant.   Clara Ginger, 75, Leslie, 36.

1911.  Tenant.   George Ginger, 49, ag. Lab., Clara, 47.   Married 24 years, 8 children.   Walter 20, ag. Lab, (died 1919 in Flanders). Cecil 17 turner, Albert 14, turner, Susie 12, Leslie 7, Mable 6. Lucy Rixon, 72, widow, Arthur Rixon 50, son, born Princes Risborough, Mary Rixon 49, wife of 29 years, born at Benson.

1901.  Tenant.   George Ginger, 40, ag.  Lab, Clara 37, born LG, Rupert, 16, shepherd, Walter, 10, Cecil 7, Albert 5, Susie, 2, Ethel 10 mths.

1891.  Tenant.   Francis Darvill, 53, platelayer, born Henley on Thames, Sarah, 53, born Wiggington,  Alfred F., 9.

1881.  Tenant.   Francis Darvill, 43, platelayer, Sarah 43, lacemaker, James 17, ag.lab, Benjamin, 15, ag.lab, Albert 9, Mary J. 7.

1871.Benjamin Smith 31, ag lab. Sarah Smith,38, lace maker. Kate, 21, lacemaker, Bertha, 7, lacemaker, Benjamin, 3, Jane, 1.

1861.  Tenant.   Levi Parslow, 42, worked on road, born Lacey Green, Sarah , 30, straw platter, born Hyde Heath, George, 6, born Lg, John, 3, born LG, James, 1 mth. Born LG.

1851 Tenant.   William Janes 46, ag lab. Sophia Janes, 44, lacemaker, Jabez Janes, 18, sawyer, Ann 18, lacemaker, Caroline, 14, lacemaker.

1841. John Floyd 40, Sarah Floyd, 35, Ann Floyd 13, Peter Floyd,11, John Floyd, 7

Photo

1912 Walt and Ruth Ginger's Wedding taken at Idle Corner

1960’s A NEW HOUSE

A new house was built in the 1960’s for Randall Evans, architect, off to the east end of Idle Corner, behind the little barn, which had been there before the enclosures of 1823.   This house looked strangely modern at the time.   He called it “Idle Corner”

(Research note. Leslie Jonah Ginger continued to live in his little cottage.   He liked to stand down by the Main Road and chat to those passing by.  He lived to be 91).

2020 UPDATE

BARN COTTAGE. By 2020 the little barn, which had been used as a coach house for ‘Gracefield’, then a garage for Fred, then, Harry Floyd, of Floyds Farm, had become a house called “Barn Cottage”

IDLE CORNER COTTAGE. Another Cottage had been built.   First on the right on entering the close.    This was called “Idle Corner Cottage”.

Mrs Janet Carter now living there.   She and her husband had run the Black Horse pub.

WHITE COTTAGE. The original little cottages had been altered.   Two were merged then called “White Cottage”