Chownes Cottages
Chownes Cottages by Gill Selley
Opposite Christchurch in Woodbury are two sets of cottages, the first comprises three dwellings and the other set a pair of thatched cottages. The first cottage dwellings bear the names of Home Croft, Chownes House, and Charlcote, and the second dwelling houses 1 and 2 Chownes Cottages. Both sets of cottages were part of the Manor of Woodbury, known as the Rolle Estate, and now as Clinton Devon Estate.
Braddicks
Though the thatched cottages are known as Chowns, they only acquired this name in the 20th century, and up till that time the whole house was known as Braddicks, a family of that name having held the lease from the middle of the 17th century for the next 100 years. The family leased several tenements in the parish so it is probable that unnamed tenant farmers were installed in most of the properties.
The first record of Braddicks is in 1605 when it was described as a cottage with 12 acres of land in Rydon and Sowell [Southill]. This was already an established cottage and tenement so it would have been built sometime in the 16th century. The property was held on a 99 year term, the rent paid was 4s per annum and in 1729 the whole estate was valued at £9. Surveys of the Manor, and various documents, record the lease holders of the small farm throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In 1798 the land was divided up and leased separately, and from that date the estate consisted of a house and orchard. By 1859 the house was divided into two separate dwellings and occupied by farm labourers. The census returns name the occupants of the cottages, but there tended to be quite a rapid turnover of tenants as farm labourers were often obliged to look for work out of the parish. In 1911 one cottage was occupied by Mrs Jarman of independent means, and the other by Sarah Davey (a lacemaker) and her son (a labourer). How the property lost its name of Braddicks and acquired the name of Chownes is not known. The cottage is still divided into two dwellings and there have been many alterations and additions (especially in No 1), and there is evidence that there were two doors from each cottage opening out on to the road at an earlier period. Though considerably altered it is still possible to identify many of the old features of the ancient farmhouse.
Opposite Christchurch in Woodbury are two sets of cottages, the first comprises three dwellings and the other set a pair of thatched cottages. The first cottage dwellings bear the names of Home Croft, Chownes House, and Charlcote, and the second dwelling houses 1 and 2 Chownes Cottages. Both sets of cottages were part of the Manor of Woodbury, known as the Rolle Estate, and now as Clinton Devon Estate.
Braddicks
Though the thatched cottages are known as Chowns, they only acquired this name in the 20th century, and up till that time the whole house was known as Braddicks, a family of that name having held the lease from the middle of the 17th century for the next 100 years. The family leased several tenements in the parish so it is probable that unnamed tenant farmers were installed in most of the properties.
The first record of Braddicks is in 1605 when it was described as a cottage with 12 acres of land in Rydon and Sowell [Southill]. This was already an established cottage and tenement so it would have been built sometime in the 16th century. The property was held on a 99 year term, the rent paid was 4s per annum and in 1729 the whole estate was valued at £9. Surveys of the Manor, and various documents, record the lease holders of the small farm throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. In 1798 the land was divided up and leased separately, and from that date the estate consisted of a house and orchard. By 1859 the house was divided into two separate dwellings and occupied by farm labourers. The census returns name the occupants of the cottages, but there tended to be quite a rapid turnover of tenants as farm labourers were often obliged to look for work out of the parish. In 1911 one cottage was occupied by Mrs Jarman of independent means, and the other by Sarah Davey (a lacemaker) and her son (a labourer). How the property lost its name of Braddicks and acquired the name of Chownes is not known. The cottage is still divided into two dwellings and there have been many alterations and additions (especially in No 1), and there is evidence that there were two doors from each cottage opening out on to the road at an earlier period. Though considerably altered it is still possible to identify many of the old features of the ancient farmhouse.
Chownes
The earliest recorded date for the house seems to be in 1720, so it was probably built at the turn of the 17th century. It was described as a house with a garden and two orchards, held on a 99 year term, and in 1729 was valued at £3. The annual rent paid by the leaseholder was 4s 6d. In a survey of 1798 Richard Chowne is recorded as the leaseholder of the estate of a house and courtlage, garden, and two orchards. It is not recorded how many dwellings there were in the original house since only the leaseholder is named and there is no record of the names of any tenants at this earlier period. It is not until the census of the inhabitants of the village are recorded that we begin to know who lived in the houses and what there occupations were.
In 1832 the property was leased by Samuel Lindsey, but by 1839 it was in the hands of Ann White, a shopkeeper, who was left the house in her husband’s will. In 1851 one of Ann White’s sisters, Elizabeth Gregory, ran a shop from the premises. By 1859 another sister, Margaret Morgan, who was a grocer, was the occupant of the house. The three tenements were occupied by James Marks (farm labourer), Thomas Hooper (carpenter and headstone cutter) and the third by John Lockyer (labourer in the tannery). It seems that the property was now divided into four dwellings.
Margaret Morgan was described as a lacemaker in the 1861 census but the premises appear to have still been a shop. John Lockyer’s daughter, Caroline, married Thomas Hooper (who started the bell-hanging business with Harry Stokes) who was her neighbour, and lived with him in the cottage. By 1881 Caroline was a widow still living in the house and grocer’s shop with her widowed mother and two daughters – one helped her in the shop and the other was a dressmaker. In an insurance document of 1881 Caroline was described as a shopkeeper leasing the shop and three tenements all under one roof – one tenement was empty and the other two were rented to James Marks and James Batstone, both labourers. The annual rent on the whole property was £10.9s and it was valued at £300 for insurance purposes.
A directory of 1890 describes Caroline as a grocer and draper, but by 1911 Bessie Hooper, who had run the grocer’s shop with her mother, was still occupying the house and recorded as a lodging house keeper. The tenements were occupied by Frederick Newbery (a miller’s labourer) and James Henley (a market gardener).
There have obviously been many repairs to the cottages over time, but I am sure that part of the original structure can still be seen. One of the changes must have been when one of the tenements was enlarged to provide the shop. Though described as a grocer’s shop the contents normally included sewing and knitting materials as well as small items of clothing and general household goods, so the premises must have been large enough to store and display the stock. The cottage now known as Home Croft was probably where the grocery business was carried on as there is a bay window and the traces of another door between that and Chownes House. The middle cottage also has a bay window added at some point which is perhaps where Thomas Hooper carried on his business as a carpenter and stone cutter. As with the previous cottages there is no record as to why these cottages lost their original name of Chownes and were given their present titles. It seems strange that the house where the Chowne family lived for many years should lose its name and the adjoining cottages, with no connection to that family, should adopt it.
The earliest recorded date for the house seems to be in 1720, so it was probably built at the turn of the 17th century. It was described as a house with a garden and two orchards, held on a 99 year term, and in 1729 was valued at £3. The annual rent paid by the leaseholder was 4s 6d. In a survey of 1798 Richard Chowne is recorded as the leaseholder of the estate of a house and courtlage, garden, and two orchards. It is not recorded how many dwellings there were in the original house since only the leaseholder is named and there is no record of the names of any tenants at this earlier period. It is not until the census of the inhabitants of the village are recorded that we begin to know who lived in the houses and what there occupations were.
In 1832 the property was leased by Samuel Lindsey, but by 1839 it was in the hands of Ann White, a shopkeeper, who was left the house in her husband’s will. In 1851 one of Ann White’s sisters, Elizabeth Gregory, ran a shop from the premises. By 1859 another sister, Margaret Morgan, who was a grocer, was the occupant of the house. The three tenements were occupied by James Marks (farm labourer), Thomas Hooper (carpenter and headstone cutter) and the third by John Lockyer (labourer in the tannery). It seems that the property was now divided into four dwellings.
Margaret Morgan was described as a lacemaker in the 1861 census but the premises appear to have still been a shop. John Lockyer’s daughter, Caroline, married Thomas Hooper (who started the bell-hanging business with Harry Stokes) who was her neighbour, and lived with him in the cottage. By 1881 Caroline was a widow still living in the house and grocer’s shop with her widowed mother and two daughters – one helped her in the shop and the other was a dressmaker. In an insurance document of 1881 Caroline was described as a shopkeeper leasing the shop and three tenements all under one roof – one tenement was empty and the other two were rented to James Marks and James Batstone, both labourers. The annual rent on the whole property was £10.9s and it was valued at £300 for insurance purposes.
A directory of 1890 describes Caroline as a grocer and draper, but by 1911 Bessie Hooper, who had run the grocer’s shop with her mother, was still occupying the house and recorded as a lodging house keeper. The tenements were occupied by Frederick Newbery (a miller’s labourer) and James Henley (a market gardener).
There have obviously been many repairs to the cottages over time, but I am sure that part of the original structure can still be seen. One of the changes must have been when one of the tenements was enlarged to provide the shop. Though described as a grocer’s shop the contents normally included sewing and knitting materials as well as small items of clothing and general household goods, so the premises must have been large enough to store and display the stock. The cottage now known as Home Croft was probably where the grocery business was carried on as there is a bay window and the traces of another door between that and Chownes House. The middle cottage also has a bay window added at some point which is perhaps where Thomas Hooper carried on his business as a carpenter and stone cutter. As with the previous cottages there is no record as to why these cottages lost their original name of Chownes and were given their present titles. It seems strange that the house where the Chowne family lived for many years should lose its name and the adjoining cottages, with no connection to that family, should adopt it.