The Transformation of a Rowhook
Farm
Introduction
Many members will be aware that Stan Smith, our President, was taken to Honeywood House
Nursing Home when he really could not cope with being cared for at home any more, and so
he died there some days later. Apparently he asked the staff on his arrival why such a
wonderful building had not been listed. A good question! Perhaps you too have known a
relative or friend who has been or is a resident at this beautiful care home, and wondered
what its history is. Honeywood House is located right on the Surrey-Sussex border in the
north east corner of the parish, part of Rowhook. Until the matter was corrected in the 1990s
the parish/county border went right through the present house from the middle of the drive!
Before the demolition of the old farmhouse and farm buildings, the house was in Rudgwick,
the farm buildings in Wotton parish.
Left, Honeywood House 2006. The old
farmhouse was to the right of the post
Hedgecock’s (old name Hitchcocks)
has a relatively ordinary history prior
to 1871. Its origins are in the manor of
Denne in Warnham, later Stroud. The
name ‘Hitchcock’ (and its variants)
means ‘son of Hick/Hitch, i.e.,
nickname of Richard’ (with ‘cock’ as
in ‘the lad’), especially common in
Kent. Possibly, like many others in
Rudgwick, this farm was named after
an early occupant. It was “East
Hitchcocks” in Land Tax documents.
There are two other Hitchcocks/Hedgecocks and a Hencocks in Rudgwick parish.
Chapter 1 - Nash of Hedgecock’s, and others
My interest is also very personal, as I believe my grandfather’s older siblings were born at
Hedgecock’s (or Hitchcocks). George and Betsey Nash lived in what was then Hedgecock’s
Farm at the time of the 1871 census, whilst George’s parents John and Sarah were at Ridge
Farm on the opposite side of the Horsham Road. They had lived at Ridge (or Rudge, its older
name) since before the 1841 census, and another John and Sarah Nash before them certainly
back to the 1780s (source: Land Tax Returns). However, the link between the two John’s is
tenuous and unproven – that is another story. It is however the case that George Nash, my
great grandfather, was farm steward at Hedgecock’s in the 1870s. I believe he was farming at
least three holdings, Hedgecock’s, 98 acres, Ridge, 75 acres and Millfield House, 180 acres
(300 in all). His father, John, was an elderly man who died in February 1881 aged 82, so I
assume he was not actively farming. A gentleman farmer named Timothy Coleman Johnson
of London Irish ancestry and formerly a property developer in Shoreditch lived at Millfield
House (to which he gave the title of ‘House’ – it had been referred to as Great Millfields in
the past to distinguish it from Little Millfields) in 1871 and 1881. Johnson seems to have
been a law-abiding fellow as there are two cases heard at The Old Bailey where he or his
father are witnesses for the prosecution for miscreants who were convicted. One case saw
petty thieves transported for seven years on his evidence.
He had acquired Millfields from another incomer, John Hack who was born near
Berkhamstead, had a Canadian wife, Matelina and a string of Canadian-born children. His
origins are otherwise rather obscure. He farmed only 100 acres in 1861 as did the Stanfords
who preceded him in 1851.
My grandfather was baptised Timothy Coleman George Johnson Nash in 1878. Was this in
deference or gratitude to the fact that his parents were employed by Johnson? By the way,
grandfather, was never known as anything other than George! The family moved into Ridge
immediately after John’s death, as they are located there in the 81 census, the elder George
now described as Farm Bailiff. His mother Sarah had moved to Hoopwick, in Surrey, on the
other side of Furzen Lane, which I believe she farmed separately, helped by sons William and
John, who had previously also been at Ridge. Significantly, Johnson, at Millfield House, had
increased his acreage in 1881 to 300 acres (now describing himself as landowner, not
farmer). In 1874, Kelly’s Directory lists Johnson at Millfields and John Nash at Ridge, both
farmers. But in 1878, Johnson is listed at Millfield House and George Nash as his farm bailiff
at Hedgecock’s, John Nash having dropped out of the list. In 1882, the year Johnson died,
Kelly’s Directory again listed George Nash as Farm Bailiff to the executors of JC Johnson
Esq, but George was now at Ridge.
Now, the size of these holdings in the Tithe Apportionment Schedule were: Hedgecock’s 25
acres, with a further 40 acres of copse and shaw (and further land in Surrey, 98 acres all
told), Ridge 59 acres, with a further 21 of ‘underwoods’, Millfields 106 acres. One may
speculate but the difficulty is that land was constantly shifting ownership, tenancy and
occupation, and better evidence is just not available.
Hedgecock’s has a relatively ordinary history prior to 1871 when I have shown it was in the
Johnson-Nash holdings. Way back, the published West Sussex Land Tax 1785, ed A
Readman et al, SRC Vol 82, 1997/8 shows Hedgecock’s in the hands of James Woolven,
occupied by Thomas Chennell (written as Channol), and paying a tax of £9, which was not a
very high amount.
In 1830, the same tax list has Richard Gates, a farmer and timber merchant, owning and
occupying Hedgecock’s.
The next evidence is the 1841 census, when the house was occupied by Michael Jay, 40, a
journeyman carpenter, his wife Ann, & his mother in law, 75 year-old Ann Chennell lived
there. Jay was born in Ewhurst, his wife in Abinger. Are Ann Chennell and Thomas Chennell
related? This surname was widespread in neighbouring Surrey parishes at the time.
In 1844 the Rudgwick Tithe Apportionment tells us Hedgecock’s, Honeybush and Godleys
were owned by Richard Gates Esq, of Bramley, a yeoman farmer in Thorncombe Street, and
Hedgecock’s occupied by Daniel Mann, as below:
2365
Apple field
Arable
2313
Garden field
Shaw
2314
Garden field
Arable
2315
Garden field
Shaw
Great stable field
Arable
Great stable field
Shaw
Great stable field
Shaw
1
20
Great stable field
Shaw
1
33
2316
Hanger
Shaw
3
1
35
2367
Honeybush
Meadow
1
2
38
2368
Honeybush
Meadow
2
0
34
2317
Kiln field
Arable
2
2
2318
Kiln field
Shaw
Meadow
Meadow
Orchard
Orchard
2360
Stable
Meadow
2361
Yard and Building
2362
2362
½
2363
2363
½
2319
2360
½
3
2
3
20
1
5
2
15
24
2
0
23
20
1
23
2
1
1
3
2
13
3
35
1
1
25
0
23
2366
Copse
Wood
37
0
19
2354
New piece
Shaw
2
2
22
2373
New piece
Shaw
2
2
8
The 41 acre woodland/shaw at the foot of the table was listed with Godley’s underwoods,
retained by Gates for his own use for timber. The tenant of the farmland may be Daniel
Mann, 70, a carrier living in Church Street, whose son James was next door at Honey Lane in
1841, probably farming it for him. Richard Gates brother John was married to Mary
Wooolven, daughter of Richard Woolven, possibly indicating a connection between Gates
and his predecessor at Hedgecock’s. The Woolvens have been in the area for centuries, as
there is a Woolven Farm not far away in Oakwood Hill.
Subsequent censuses give:
1851, John Nye, farm labourer, 52, b Duncton, wife Mary and 4 children, eldest also farm
labourer; assumed to be still owned by Gates. Gates sold Hitchcocks, with Douce Ryde on
the Surrey side, to Sarah Marshall in 1855.
1861, William Walker, farmer, 64, b Worth, wife Ann, 2 sons, one labourer living in. Sarah
Marshall may have installed Walker as her tenant. She was the wife of well-off timber
merchant George Marshall, They lived at Farncombe near Godalming. George owned Ridge
Farm opposite Hedgecock’s, but she was widowed by 1861, though she remained in the
Farncombe property. George and Richard Gates are known to have done land deals together,
for example at Godleys in Rudgwick. Their interest was undoubtedly the timber on these
farms. The Marshalls daughter Sarah, married to Charles Fairclough (1859) and soon
widowed, by 1861, at some point inherited Hitchcocks and other contiguous land in Wotton,
Surrey, and Ridge, Rudgwick, comprising the Broadstone Estate. They were copyhold of
different manors: Ridge of Dedisham manor, Broadstone of Wotton and Westland manors,
and Hedgecock’s of Stroud manor.
1871, George Nash, farm steward, 29, b Rudgwick, new wife Betsy, a son, Walter, and
George’s niece. Walter was born at Hedgecock’s. We may assume George was steward to his
elderly father John at Ridge Farm, and that the two holdings were farmed together. Further
children, Emily in 1873 and Elizabeth in 1876 were also born at Hedgecock’s. Hence, the last
child to be born in ‘old Hedgecock’s farmhouse’ was Elizabeth Nash, born 9 February 1876
(below). The next child of George and Betsey Nash was George, the author’s grandfather,
born 27 October 1878 at Ridge Farm on the opposite side of the turnpike road. It is in this
window that the next buyer acquires the property.
Sale particulars survive in Surrey History Centre: on 27 March 1876, John Nash (grandfather
of the above children) was given notice to quit both Ridge and Hedgecock’s at Michaelmas
next by the owner of the copyholds, Mrs Emily Fairclough (daughter of George Marshall, as
described above). The Marshalls had been owners of Hedgecock’s since 1837. On 27 June,
1876, the whole of her estates, comprising Hedgecock’s, Ridge, Douce Ryde and Broadstone
(including Pound), known as “The Broadstone Estate”, 675 acres, was to be auctioned in 4
Lots, one page of which appears below [the other two lots, which do not concern us here,
were Leigh Fields, Ockley, 224 acres, and Pond Head in Abinger & Ockley, 115 acres, Add
Mss 19879].
Lot 3 was a freehold estate known as “Broadstone” (including Sketchers, Frenches,
Hitchcocks or Hedgecock’s). On Hitchcocks, using its older name, was a “small” brick and
noggin-built and Horsham slate and tile-roofed Farm House, and Agricultural Buildings
consisting of barn, capital stabling, cattle sheds, cart lodges, granary, and lewins, all of which
would have been on the front lawns of the present-day house, only the well surviving. The
total area of Lot 3 was 228 acres 2 rods 25 perches. The greater part (Broadstone) was let to
Mr William Etherington, a yearly tenant, together with Lot 4. The remainder, Hedgecock’s,
98 acres in total, of which 24 acres were in Rudgwick parish (and 40 acres of woods in hand)
was let to Mr [John] Nash (who was under notice to quit at Michaelmas next), a yearly
tenant, at a yearly rent of £35, free of land tax, paying all outgoings except property tax.
Hedgecock’s was subject to 2 heriots and a quit rent of 2/6, payable to the Manor of Stroud
and comprised 98a 3r 39p. Shooting and sporting rights over the whole was let to Mr Lintott,
as it was to Richard Gates in 1844.
The size of Hedgecock’s raises a question. If the Rudgwick acreage was 24 acres of farmland
and 40 acres of woodland, 64 acres in total, then another 34 acres was in Wotton parish in
Surrey, not an uncommon thing in the border farms. What was less common, was that as
stated in the opening remarks above the farm buildings, despite being adjacent to the
farmhouse, were in Wotton, Surrey! The total holding in Wotton was 117 acres of farmland
and 45 acres of woodland. Etherington farmed 92 acres at Broadstone in 1881, so assuming
the woodland can be discounted as ‘in hand’, that leaves 25 acres unaccounted for. Later in
1911, Pound Farm, 20 acres and a grocer’s shop adjacent to Broadstone, was included in the
Oakwood Estate, successor to Hedgecock’s, so this is as close as we are likely to get solving
this riddle.
George & Betsy Nash, a later photo
Handwritten acreages noted on the sale particulars for
Broadstone/Hedgecock’s are in the same hand as for Ridge,
signed by TC Johnson Esq, who is confirmed as owner of
Ridge by a conveyance of 3 November 1876. The 1878
edition of the Kelly’s Post Office Directory lists Johnson at
his home Millfields Farm, George Nash at Hedgecock’s,
“bailiff to Timothy Johnson”, and William Etherington,
farmer, still at Broadstone. This suggests that a) Johnson
bought Lot 3, Broadstone/Hedgecock’s and b) kept tenants
Nash and Etherington on, promoting Nash to farm his estate
centred on his home at Millfields, whilst leaving Etherington
farming as tenant at Broadstone. Etherington and his wife
Rachel continued to farm Broadstone until his death, and
then Rachel continued for a while, assisted by her son James
(aged 19 in the 1891 census). Curiously, Broadstone was
enumerated in Abinger in 1881, but in Wotton in1891!
On 2 June 1877, The Times advertised 229 acres (the same as Lot 3 above) for auction on 14
June, presumably Johnson as vendor, broken down further into 3 Lots (as shown in The
Times advertisement: Honeywood was now comprised of 144 acres. The buyer of
Hedgecock’s was William Renton. He created his stable block and walled gardens on the
Surrey side. By 27 October 1878 (possibly at Michaelmas, 29 September 1877), the Nashes
had moved out as we know from the birth certificate. George Nash will have had notice to
quit, but was still engaged as Johnson’s bailiff, now residing at Ridge, where he was in 1881.
This tangled web of ownership is by no means proven, but seems to be the likely time line.