click to enlarge

THE MYSTERY OF IVY COTTAGES

by Valerie Martin 2010

At the end of December 2008 I came upon the above photograph which was suspected as being Ivy Cottages at North End in Findon c. 1905.    

At first the picture did not look anything like Ivy Cottages to me and I had very scant clues about this pair of homesteads which are of flint with brick facings situated to the north of the secondary Muntham driveway.

I looked at each property in turn....

Cottage No. 1     In the very early 1900s this cottage was occupied by a Harry Merritt.   (His name was later on the Valuation List for 1914).    Could these two little girls be his..... and his son is maybe drawing the water from the well?  This is only a mere guess on my part.

At the end of October 2010 I heard from Pamela Green...."Dear Valerie Martin, What a wonderful site Findon is! I have enjoyed looking at it. I have a special place in my heart for Findon as my mother's family lived there for nearly 100 years..... in Ivy Cottage on the Washington Bypass. I have a photo' of my family taken in the back garden of the house in 1900 ?? . My family were the Merritts. John Frederick, my Great Grandfather, my Grandmother etc. celebrating a daughter's wedding. Would you like me to send it to you?
Moses Merritt was my two times Great Grandfather. A Sussex family since .......

Alas, my family have moved on now and we mostly live in Woking in Surrey which is not lovely Sussex. Sincerely, Pamela Green"    

Of course, I told Pamela we would love to see a photograph of an old Findon wedding and the next day it arrived. 

        click to enlarge Pamela's photographs

"Thank you for your e.mail. I attach hereto the photo image of the family taken about 1900 I think. Looking at the picture - Front row-seated-left to right:-

Charles Gardiner- Elizabeth Merritt- (my grandparents) - John Frederick Merritt - Elizabeth Merritt- nee Fuller(I think) - my G/Grandparents - Bride - Annie Merritt
(I think). Grooms family - unknown.

Back row-standing -left to right:- Henry Gardiner (brother to Charles- his wife?  Henry Merritt (brother) (standing behind John) - all others unknown.

I afraid I can't be sure of dates because Elizabeth Merritt (Fuller) died 4 days before my grandparents marriage of 6.4. 1901 so this must be taken in 1900 I think. Poor Elizabeth spent most of her married life in Chichester Asylum so I'm not completely sure this is her at all. Maybe she came out for her daughter's wedding - she has creases in her dress which implies it hadn't been worn much. I haven't been able to find the wedding date at all which doesn't help. My mother remembered Ivy Cottage with affection in her day.

I am a little old lady of 80 and I don't know what a Jpeg picture is so I trust this picture will do! Every good wish for your site.

Regards, Pamela Green"
 

A Mr. Maple also lived at Cottage No. 1 at an undetermined date (perhaps after Harry Merritt)... and he worked on the Muntham Estate as a handyman.   His daughter, Sallie,  married a John Hartstone and they lived at No. 2.   So perhaps this is too late a date for the old fashioned children's dresses.

Cottage No. 1 has been described in the past as comprising a comprised a small Sitting Room and Living Room with old exposed beams.    There was a kitchen, larder and bathroom.   There was an "easy" staircase from the said Living Room leading to two double and one single Bedroom in those days.   

Outside there was a brick and tiled range, Coal House, Potting Shed and Store Room. 

Just as a matter of interest, I would mention that some years ago the cottage was altered in an attempt to modernise the place "with disastrous results".    The ancient beams and fireplace were covered in and the doors faced with hardboard.    Later it was more tastefully restored and once again one could peer up the chimney and again see the original old chimney sweep's ladder firmly fixed to the chimney wall.    This had survived many attempts by more modern chimney sweeps to knock out the rungs and take them away as trophies.  

Cottage No. 2 is purported to have comprised of a Sitting Room, Kitchen and Bathroom/W.C. in the past.  Upstairs were three bedrooms and a Box Room.    

The butler, George William Allpress lived here (That's definite because his name is on the Valuation List for 1914 also).

Ivy Cottages were sold for £2,700 for the pair when the Muntham Court Estate was auctioned after Colonel Thynne's death.   The cottages were purchased at the auction by a Mrs Mariner.    She lived in No. 1 and sold No. 2 to the Misses Garside and Allcock.   This does not help me much because it is too late for them to be anything to do with the little girls dressed in the old fashioned garb in the photograph.    Ivy Cottage came up for sale again about 20 years ago when Mrs Mariner died and the two ladies in No. 2 went to Nightingales in Findon.

These were the only clues I could muster and the mystery remained for a couple of weeks until 9th January 2009 when I heard from Pam Stepney in Findon....

"Dear Valerie .....Photograph of Ivy Cottages.....I have heard that the picture IS the back view of Ivy Cottages.

There has been quite a bit of alteration over the years but the roof of number one on the left is still just as low and the position of the well is also a telling point. It must have been divided into two sometime after the picture was taken."
 

Thanks for putting an end to The Mystery of Ivy Cottages for us, Pam.     It is interesting to think that the present busy A24 now runs straight passed the front of this property in the photograph c. 1905.

Continue if you would like to read about the Colonel's wife.....Marjory

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE —  a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life in Findon.