Felbridge & District History Group

 

The Later History of Hedgecourt Manor and Farm  

This is the un-illustrated version of this handout, please contact us to purchase an illustrated copy.

We have previously covered the history of Hedgecourt Manor from its creation in 1290 through to 1700 (see Handout, Hedgecourt Manor and Farm Pt. I, JIC/SJC 11/11 for further details). The original site of the manor house was the moated site, now part of Beaver Fisheries; by 1562, a new manor house had been constructed on a drier site at what is now Hedgecourt Farm. In 1700, the Gage family, seated at Firle, were lord of the manor of Hedgecourt, but all of its lands were rented out to tenant farmers with only the woodlands kept ‘in hand’. The latest rental included within the previous paper was for 1678 when Mr John Wakeman held ‘manor house and farm’ at the rent of £65/a[1].

 

John Wakeman, gent, renewed his lease in September 1695 for a further 11 years at £65/a[2]. The lease identified the property as;

The site and capital messuage of the manor of Hedgecourt, with barns and buildings in Horne and the following lands:-

Lesser Millbrook           13a 1r 8p

the Bigger Millbrookes 16a 0r 32p

the Kents Bush             15a 3r 2p

Ledgers brookes            12a 0r 27p

Sheep Pound Brookes   14a 1r 28p

Lesser Rayles                13a 1r 14p

the Bigger Rayles          18a 3r 26p

the Moat Crofts            22a 3r 22p

the Mill Mede               16a 1r 3p

Middle Roomes            9a 2r 20p

Barly Close                   2a 2r 3p

the Pond Side               8a 1r 19p

Barley Field                  12a 1r 12p

Sheep leases                  10a 3r 16p

Sheeplease                     8a 2r 17p

the Bigger Barnefeld    14a 2r 5p

Littel Cuttings               12a 1r 28p

Densheir Cutting           15a 0r 20p

Charts Gill                     12a 3r 0p

Total                             250a 1r 22p

The lands being all in Godstone and Horne.

There was also a clause for maintenance of Hedgecourt pond bay ‘the tenant should yearly carry six loads of clay or cinder down to Hedgecourt millpond for repairing the bay’.  This list of field names leased as Hedgecourt Farm had remained unchanged since 1656[3].

 

Some of the field names listed provide information about the land. The mill brook is the stream from Hedgecourt Mill, and we have Ledgers and a sheep pound that must be close to running water. Rayles (rails) refers to a field which has a fence on at least one side. ‘leases’ is derived from the old English lǣs meaning pasture or meadow land[4]. ‘cuttings’ refer to land that has been cleared, whilst Densheir (Denshire) refers to a practice that was believed to originate in Devonshire where grass land that is wearing out is pared thin, and the turf sod is dried and burnt in a heap. The ashes are then spread on the field such that it can be used for up to three years of corn, and this is followed by roughly laying it to grass and pasturing it for 8 to 9 years before repeating the cycle[5]. Gill is derived from Old Norse gil meaning ravine and describes a landscape with steep slopes down to a stream.

 

Despite the above lease expiring in 1706, Mr John Wakeman only paid half a year’s rent for the ‘manor house and farm’ in 1701 and was allowed a £15 reduction ‘towards his great expense’ in ‘repairing Hedgecourt House’[6]. John Wakeman was succeeded by ‘Mr Marchant’ who paid the rent from Michaelmas 1701. It is possible that this is Joseph Marchant the miller who had taken out a 21 year lease of Hedgecourt water mill in September 1700[7]. However in 1723, Joseph Marchant is said to be living in Godstone[8], whilst Hedgecourt Farm is in Horne, thus he is not living in the manor house by that date. There is a rental for the manor house and farm collected from Mrs Jefferson in 1730[9] but the next surviving lease for the manor house is granted in 1736 to Thomas Holcombe of Horne, yeoman for 7 years (using the same description of the property as above) at the rent of £71/a[10].

 

As there are only fragmentary surviving leases and rentals for this period it is difficult to determine a chronology of the tenants of Hedgecourt Farm, or to positively identify ‘Mrs Jefferson’. The only contemporary parish register entry for the surname is a burial of Richard Jefferson at HorneChurch in August 1730[11], but no other references can be found locally. Thomas Holcombe is still residing at the principle property of Hedgecourt House in 1744[12] although no lease has survived to extend his tenure past 1743 when his earlier lease would have expired. In an undated rental of c1745, Thomas Holcombe is recorded paying the rent of ‘Hedgecourt Manor Farm’[13].

 

On 1^st March 1747, Edward Evelyn purchased from the estate of Sir William Gage, deceased;

‘All the manor or reputed manor called Hedge Court in the parishes of Godstone and Horne and all those two farms called Hedge Court in the said parishes and all that mill & mill land being about 11 acres & all that farm called Chappel Farm and all that forge called Woodcock Hammer & the Thorny Park Roughfield Park Denshire Cuttings Stile Woods Mill Wood Chapel Park & Gold Hords all which are in the said parishes of Horne & Godstone and all that farm called Smithford and those two woods called the Warren & Cuttingleys in the parish of Worth & county of Sussex and three ponds called Furnace Pond Mill Pond & Forge Pond in the parishes aforesaid’.[14]

 

This fundamentally changed the status of Hedgecourt House as George Evelyn of Nutfield had purchased 70 acres of land at Felbridge Heath in 1588, his great grandson George Evelyn settled these 70 acres and a newly built house called Heath Hatch on his youngest son William. In 1719, William Evelyn sold the house and land to his brother Edward. In 1741, Edward Evelyn of Felbridge purchased 107 acres of Hedgecourt manor from Sir William Gage being the two farms, Park Corner and Harmans, at the south eastern extent of Hedgecourt, bounding onto Felbridge Heath. Thus when Edward Evelyn purchased the manor of Hedgecourt, he was already residing at his house on what had been Felbridge Heath, now the site of WhittingtonCollege. His annexation of Hedgecourt Manor onto his Felbridge lands meant that the dominant property was now Evelyn’s house at Felbridge and not Hedgecourt House. The collective lands, in excess of 1536 acres, ceased being called the manor of Hedgecourt and were now known as the Felbridge Estate.

 

In 1748, Edward Evelyn commissioned John Bourd to produce a map of his new estate; the Bourd map[15] provides us with considerable details relating to Hedgecourt Farm. Each land holding is outlined thus we can identify which fields form Hedgecourt Farm in 1748. The bounds are shown below overlaid onto the 1878 1^st edition Ordnance Survey map. The land is split into two areas one north of HedgecourtLake and the mill stream, the other being to the south of Hedgecourt Mill and the sluice. This southern area is titled on the map ‘Brokes part of Hedgecourt’ [the earlier field names are ‘brookes’] and these separate parcels of land may be why the 1747 sale refers to the ‘two farms called Hedge Court’. 

 

The field names on the Bourd map also enable comparison to the 1695 list of fields (above) indicating the extent of the farm at that date, and thus back to 1656 when the earlier lease specifies the same extents. This shows that the 17^th century farm bounds were very similar, with three increases in land holding by 1748, one at the west end of Hedgecourt Lake, a small piece in the south east corner at what is now Park Farm and the largest section being two fields towards Woodcock Bridge in the east totalling about 16 acres, called ‘Moll Arnolds’ on the Bourd map. This demonstrates that the land holding of the farm had remained relatively unchanged over the 90 years up to 1748.

 

The Bourd map is also coloured to indicate the land use, unfortunately the ink colours for meadow and pasture have aged and are now indistinguishable across large sections of the map, thus it is only possible with certainty to differentiate between arable, meadow/pasture and woodland. In 1748 the farm is 50% arable, 46% meadow/pasture and 4% woodland; this is indicative of a mixed farm with both livestock herds and arable crops. This level of arable land is most probably being supported by the use of lime on the fields which was becoming widespread during the 18^th century. The physical evidence of a lime kiln is still visible on the east side of Stubpond lane north of the entrance drive to the farmhouse, this is on the boundary of what was called ‘kiln field’ on the Bourd map and thus we can identify that this kiln site was in use in the mid 18^th century. The limekiln site is still shown on the 1870 Ordnance Survey map sheet below.

  

The Bourd map also provides a depiction of the farm complex (below); although the map depictions are stylised, comparison between other depictions on the map and surviving buildings has shown that they are representative of the buildings positions and orientation. The map shows a chimney house and ‘garden’ to the south of the yard. The two large buildings on the north of the yard are both shown as barns, there are also a scatter of smaller buildings.

 

There is also an interesting building shown in Mill mead, it has a red roof which depicts a dwelling but it has no chimney. This is the only ‘domestic’ building on the whole map that is shown without a chimney. There is a possibility that it is a private chapel, the Gage’s had a Catholic chapel at Hedgecourt where Father Henry Molyneux began his ministry in 1724 and remained there until 1735 when he left for Bury St Edmunds. He was allowed £30 a year to maintain the faith there. He was succeeded by Father Henry Foley[16]. There is a building shown in this location on the 1793 Lindley and Crossley map, but it is not shown on the 1809 draft Ordnance Survey map[17].

 

Edward Evelyn died in November 1751 and his son James Evelyn inherited the estate and continued to live at Felbridge House. In 1760, James Evelyn held his first manorial Court Baron to administer the freeholds that had been held by the manor of Hedgecourt, and now owed their services to James Evelyn. This court was held at ‘Hedgecourt House’[18] and thus Hedgecourt Farmhouse continued its role as the site of the manorial court even after the principle dwelling had become Felbridge House.

 

It is unclear when Thomas Holcombe left Hedgecourt Farm, but the next clear evidence for a tenant is in 1796 when Edward Stenning is recorded as the occupier for ‘Heghcourt & late Neals’ in the Horne land tax[19]. The farm ‘late Neals’ is located in West Park Road behind what is now Perry Farm (see the 1842 farm boundary below). This Edward Stenning was the son of William Stenning and his wife Elizabeth Browne. Edward had been born in Godstone in 1771, and he was still living there in 1795 when he was married to Elizabeth Coomber at Crowhurst church[20].

 

Whilst Edward Stenning appears continuously from 1798 to 1815 as the occupier of Hedgecourt and ‘late Neals’ in the land tax, there is a surviving rental of 1801 for the Felbridge Estate and that lists William Stenning as the tenant paying £82 for Hedgecourt in the parishes of Horne and Godstone and £42/16s for ‘part of Neals’ in Horne[21]. This William could be either Edward’s father or his brother.

 

Edward Stenning died in November 1815, being buried at Lingfield. His will written in February 1814 titles him as ‘Edward Stenning of Hedge Court Farm in the parish of Horne, farmer’, and bequests all his estate and belongings to his daughter Sarah[22]. Sarah Stenning was the only child of Edward Stenning and Elizabeth, being baptised in Lingfield in January 1797. Sarah had married Stephen Searle on 1^st February 1815 at Horne church, and thus in November 1815 upon the death of Edward Stenning, Stephen Searle took over the tenancy at Hedgecourt in the right of his wife.

 

In August 1803, ‘Hedge Court House’ was once again used to accommodate the manorial court[23], this being the last recorded time as the next, and last ever, recorded court was in October 1841 and this was held in the ‘Star Public House’.

 

Stephen Searle continued at Hedgecourt Farm until October 1820[24] when he took a 6 year lease on Wootten Farm, which consisted of 364 acres in Folkington Parish, Sussex, at a rent of £700[25]. He was succeeded by Abraham Hale who was previously farming in Lingfield. He was born in 1786 in Lingfield and married Mary Dives at Lingfield in 1808. They had 13 children baptised at Lingfield, the register helpfully stating whether they were living in Lingfield or Horne at the time. The last child baptised at Lingfield was Henry baptised in May 1833[26]; Abraham and his family moved to Withyham, Sussex[27] between 1833 and 1837.

 

The next tenant of Hedgecourt Farm was William Agate, who was at the farm in 1837[28]. William was born 28^th October 1794 in Warnham, Sussex, the son of Thomas Agate and Elizabeth née Wood. William married Susannah Penfold on 3^rd January 1824 at Fletching and they had at least 8 children; Peter William born about 1825 in Cuckfield, Emma Ann born about 1827 in Cuckfield, Susannah born about 1829 in East Grinstead, Stephen born about 1830 in East Grinstead, William Marchant born about 1833 in East Grinstead, Ann Elizabeth born about 1834 in East Grinstead, Thomas born about 1837 in Horne and John born about 1839 in Horne[29].  Sadly, Susannah died in 1841, being buried at Horne church on 8^th February 1841 aged 45.

 

William Agate was later married to Diana King, who was born in 1824 in Lingfield, daughter of James King, a higgler [itinerant peddler] and his wife Lucy née Leney, on 25^th April 1844 at St John the Evangelist, Lambeth. William and Diana had at least 9 children; Marian born in 1844 in Horne, George Anthony born about 1848 in Horne, Frances Eliza born about 1848 in Horne, Henry born about 1851 in Bosham, James born about 1853 in Bosham, Maria born about 1855 in Bosham, William born about 1858 in Bosham, Walter Hurst born in 1861 in Bosham and Amelia Georgina born about 1864 in Hayling. The children’s birthplaces showing William Agate moving to Bosham, Sussex by 1851 where he is recorded as a miller in the 1861 census and by the 1871 census he is a miller in North Hayling, Hampshire.

 

The Hedgecourt farmland that William Agate was working in the Tithe records of 1842 was considerably different from the 1748 land holding and is mapped above. The separate land holding south of Hedgecourt Mill has been removed but the land ‘late Neals’ around ThornyPark (now Domewood) has been added to the holding which now totals 347 acres. With all the fields on south facing slopes, it is predominantly an arable farm with 67% of the worked land being used for arable and 19% pasture, 11% meadow the balance being orchard. There is also 45 acres of woodland included within the holding. The increase in arable is also apparent in the construction of another barn (location A on map above) to the northeast of the main farm complex. There is also a barn at ‘late Neals’, but that farm complex will not be discussed further in this paper.

 

The 1842 Horne Tithe map (right) provides the next depiction of the farm complex. What had been the garden in 1748 (part of plot 719) is now a meadow and the garden is plot 721 to the south of the house. All of the farm yard buildings shown on the 1748 map appear to still exist (although they may have been rebuilt on or near their earlier locations). There are two new buildings immediately right of the number 723 on the map, there is also an extension at the rear of the farmhouse.

 

Between 1848 and 1851, William Wells has taken over Hedgecourt Farm which is recorded as ‘Hedgecourt House’ in the 1851 census. William was born about 1805 in Slauham, Sussex and was the farmer at Mill Farm, Slaugham in the 1841 census. William was married to Elizabeth who was born in Cuckfield about 1806. They had at least 3 children; Henry born about 1831 in Crawley, Ellen Wells born about 1843 in Slaugham and Charles born about 1845 who died in June 1849.

 

In the 1851 census, William Wells is listed as employing 5 labourers on the farm, two of which are living in the house with him, James Howard aged 19 and James Smith aged 21, there are also two female house servants living in the house. William Wells does not stay at Hedgecourt for very long as James Winchester is listed in the 1855 Kelly’s Directory as the farmer at Hedgecourt. James Winchester had been farming at South Park Farm, Bletchingley and was to become the longest resident at Hedgecourt Farm during the 19^th century, staying there at least 20 years.

 

In 1855, the descendants of the Evelyn family decide to sell the Felbridge Park Estate and it is advertised for sale by an auction to be held on 18^th May 1855. The auction catalogue entry is;

 

Hedge Court Manor Farm,

(In the occupation of Mr John Winchester)

 

With the reputed Manor of Hedge Court,

In the Parishes of Godstone and Horne

And embracing about 324 Acres.

 

It comprises a neat Brick and Tiled Farm House, pleasantly situated in the Home Pasture, containing 2 Attics, 2 large Bed Rooms and 1 smaller ditto, a Parlour, Kitchen, large Wash-house with Man’s Sleeping Room over, 2 Pantries, Dairy and underground Cellars, Pump, &c

 

The Outbuildings, which are placed in Yards conveniently divided, consist of Chaff and Implements Sheds, with Granary over; a Stable for 8 horses, and Loft – all New, Boarded (tarred), and Tiled, with Stone Foundations; 2 Cow and Calf Sheds, 3 Bullock ditto, 2 Barns, Cart Shed, 3 Brick and Tiled Piggeries, &c.

 

Despite the entry stating that the area is ‘about 324 acres’, the fields comprising the farm and their sizes are exactly the same as the 1842 Tithe which adds up to 347 acres. It also has to be noted that John Winchester is stated as the tenant farmer in the sale catalogue and therefore he has taken occupation before the Estate sale. The description of the outbuildings includes at least a new stable block, although the ‘all New’ could also apply to the chaff and implements sheds with granary over.

 

The Felbridge Park Estate was purchased by George Gatty Esquire of Crowhurst Place, his purchase being completed in March 1856 although he appears to have lived at Felbridge Place before the completion date so he may have taken a lease prior to purchase.

 

As stated above, the land holding in the 1855 sale was identical to the 1842 tithe, as was the stated use of each field. Thus no material change had taken place during this period except the construction of at least one new outbuilding. The map accompanying the 1855 sale catalogue was a poor representation of the relevant areas of the Horne, Godstone, Tandridge and Worth tithe maps, utilising the same plot numbers as the tithes. Thus we do not get another detailed map of the farm complex until the 1870 1^st edition of the Ordnance Survey (see below).

 

In the 1861 census, John Winchester is listed as a farmer of 280 acres, employing 5 men. Whilst the 1855 sale area did not agree with the tithe acreage, the loss of 70 acres by 1861 is unlikely to be an error and it is plausible that some of the lands have been removed from Hedgecourt farm. John Winchester was born about 1804 in Horne and married Mary Winchester 27^th December 1838 at St. Saviour, Southwark.  John was the son of Thomas Winchester and Mary was the daughter of Richard Winchester both fathers being farmers. Mary had been born in 1800 in Horne, and John is born about 1804 in Horne, but no record of his baptism can be found. John and Mary had at least two children; John born about 1840 in Bletchingley and Sarah born about 1843 in Bletchingley. The household in the 1861 census includes James Harling ‘a carter’ aged 15, ‘2^nd carter’ Daniel Bradford aged 19 and Eliza Bourne a general servant aged 16. It is not known who the 5 men are that John Winchester was employing as they are not living on the farm and neither of the carters in the household would be counted as men.

 

On the 1870 Ordnance Survey map (right), the farmhouse and its rear extension are depicted the same as the 1842 tithe; however, there have been considerable changes in the outbuildings. The three piggeries are still to the north west of the house and there is still an outbuilding to the north of the house, although this appears to have additions the west and north by 1870. The small building at the entrance to the yard from Stubpond Lane is still depicted but the rest of the outbuildings depicted in the yard in 1842 have all gone. Overlaying of the maps demonstrates that even the large east-west building (immediately above the number 685) does not coincide with the earlier buildings and must have been constructed between 1842 and 1870. The 1855 description of the outbuildings will also contain any structures elsewhere on the farm such as the barn (A on the earlier map, and still shown in 1870) and any structures standing at ‘late Neals’ in 1855, although there is only one structure depicted there in 1870. This map also shows the location of the limekiln on Stubpond Lane that was mentioned above, and a saw pit slightly further to the north.

 

In the 1871 census, John Winchester is stated to be a farmer of 275 acres employing 4 men and 3 boys. Within the household are his wife Mary, son John and four agricultural labourers; George Stretfield aged 22, Fred Ward aged 20, Joseph Webb aged 16, Alfred Deacon aged 12 along with a general servant, Sarah Hapgood. John is still listed at Hedgecourt in the 1874 Kelly’s Directory, but has moved to Hook House Farm, Outwood by 1878[30] and is succeeded at Hedgecourt by George Jupp.

 

George Jupp is recorded on the 1881 census as a farmer employing 4 men and 2 boys living at Hedge Court Farm. George had been born c1825 in Horne, the son of George Jupp and Mary Winchester, Mary being the sister of John Winchester, the prior tenant at Hedgecourt Farm. George Jupp junior married Mary Buckland 29^th September 1852 at Bletchingley. After the marriage they moved to Crab Hill, Nutfield and had a daughter Alice Mary in 1859. George’s wife Mary died aged 42 in 1864 and was buried at Blindley Heath church, although her last abode was listed as Nutfield. George remarried in 1867 to Sarah Buckland (no immediate relationship to his first wife, Mary Buckland, has been identified). They continued to live at Crab Hill and had at least 3 children; Amy born about 1868, William born about 1870 and George John born about 1873.

 

George moved to Hedgecourt Farm in 1878, remaining there until 1884/5 when he moved to Gatehouse Farm, Newchapel, George died at Gatehouse Farm 29^th April 1891[31]. It was during George Jupp’s tenure at Hedgecourt that a fire was started in the granary. It was reported in the papers locally;

 

11^th December 1883, Sussex Agricultural Express.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT FELBRIDGE

A very destructive fire broke out at Hedgecourt Farm, Felbridge, late on Friday night. It appears that about half-past ten o’clock, a labourer’s wife observing smoke issuing from the granary of the homestead, gave an alarm, when it was ascertained that the building was on fire. A messenger was quickly despatched to East Grinstead, and the fire brigade, with their engine, under the command of Captain Cooper, proceeded to the spot with commendable promptitude, but by the time they arrived on the scene the conflagration had gained such a hold that the sides of the granary had fallen in. The engine was, however, quickly got to work, and an adjoining well quickly drained. Water was then obtained from a neighbouring pond, but as the length of hose in possession of the brigade was insufficient to reach the pond, some delay occurred in having to bring the water to the engine, and the flames continuing, it was deemed advisable to obtain additional assistance. Accordingly P.S. Tobutt, who was in attendance with P.C. Elphinstone and P.C. Smith, was despatched for the Forest Row Brigade and fire engine about 4.30am on Saturday. They quickly responded, and in a short time that brigade under the command of Captain Morris, arrived, and the two engines being brought into play, their united efforts succeeded in extinguishing the fire, so that they were able to return about four o’clock on Saturday afternoon. The owner of the farm C. H. Gatty, Esq., of FelbridgePark, has thus sustained very serious loss. About 64 sacks of thrashed corn, in addition to a large quantity of corn in straw, Swedes etc, together with several valuable agricultural machines and implements, have been destroyed, and it is estimated that the damage done will probably be from £1,500 to £2,000. Had the wind been south-east, the amount of property destroyed would have been far greater, as there were seven large stacks of corn in rows in the yard, one of which was within six yards of the burning granary, whilst there were four others on the other side of the hedge, and the firemen state that the heat was terrific on the side where these stacks were, so that great fears were entertained for their safety for some considerable time.

 

It was determined that the granary fire was arson and a reward of £50 was offered for information leading to the conviction of the perpetrator.

 

After George Jupp left Hedgecourt, James West moved to the property first appearing in the electoral roll for 1886. James West was born about 1834 in East Grinstead and married Mary Lambert in December 1853. By 1861, James was living with his family at what became known as Warren Farm, Felbridge (where Warren Close now stands), he was listed as a farm labourer. He continued at Warren Farm until his move to Hedgecourt as ‘farm bailiff’. 

 

The 1891 census shows ‘Hedge Court Farm’ as two separate dwellings, one being occupied by John and Fanny Creasey and their family, the other is occupied by James West, a widow, and two of his sons. John Creasey is a farm labourer and James West is the farm bailiff to the Gatty family and therefore it is most likely that James West is living in the farmhouse and John Creasey is living in another building within the extent of the farm. This is the first time the census records a second dwelling within Hedgecourt Farm.

 

The 1895 Ordnance Survey map (below) shows that several of the buildings around the yard depicted on the 1870 map have changed. The building at the east entrance to the yard has gone, the large building to the north of the yard has also changed shape considerably although its east and west extents match the earlier building, it also now has another building running south from the east end. The small building in the south west corner of the yard has increased in size but is still in the same location. The house, pig sties and the building north of the house have remained unchanged. The description of the fire with a hedge adjacent would imply that the granary with chaff and implements sheds below (1855 description) was most probably the building set at an angle at the eastern extent of the yard on the 1870 map and gone by 1890. Thus the east-west building contained the stables, described as ‘new’ in 1855.

 

James West is last listed at Hedgecourt in the 1895 electoral roll, having moved back to Warren Farm in 1896. He is immediately succeeded by George Edward Smeed at Hedgecourt Farm; George was born 11^th November 1861 the son of Thomas Smeed and Sarah Smeed née Dray at Islington, Middlesex. By 1891, Thomas and Sarah Smeed and some of their children had moved to Kingswood, Horne, which Thomas was farming. Thomas was still at Kingswood in 1898[32] but had retired and moved into his son George’s house at Hedgecourt by the 1901 census.

 

Although Thomas Smeed has retired, the census enumeration records him as the head of the household, a ‘retired farmer’ and his son Edward who is actually farming the land is listed below his mother Sarah and sister Ellen. Sarah Smeed died 16^th December 1902 aged 82, Thomas Smeed died on 2^nd February 1905 aged 85, both died at Hedgecourt Farm and were buried at Felbridge. George Smeed continued at Hedgecourt Farm until late in 1910/early 1911, being recorded at Hedgecourt in the electoral roll for voting in 1911; he had left Hedgecourt to farm Horne Park, Lingfield, by the census taken on 2^nd April 1911.

 

The earliest image of Hedgecourt Farm is in the background of a photograph taken in 1894 looking across the corner of Hedgecourt Lake towards the farm complex, unfortunately the farm house is obscured by a tree but the building to the north, a tall two storey building with an external stair to the first floor and a catslide roof down to the west is clearly visible. It is also possible to make out the building in the south east corner of the farmyard which is single storey with a hipped roof. The range to the north of the farmyard is difficult to make out, but at its eastern end is a bock of four long single storey buildings orientated east-west.

 

There is also an image from c1900 showing Thomas Smeed leaning over the white picket fence at the front of the farmhouse. A 1950’s photograph of the farmhouse (cover illustration) also shows the picket fence but provides more information that can help date the building. The picture shows Venetian style sash windows on the ground floor either side of the front door, the door has a square leaded light above it with a flat hood over the top supported on Georgian/Regency style brackets. The first floor windows are smaller than the ground floor and those at the sides consist of three panes of square leaded lights, the centre pane being a casement. The central window is only two panes of square leaded glass. The house has a pair of end stacks each serving two hearths, it is tile hung on the upper storey above brick walls. The tiled roof appears to have a ridgeboard as there is no deflection along the length of the ridge tiles. The rear extension, has a lower ridge height with a stack on the south side.

 

Venetian style sash windows became popular c1830 and in a rural area are more likely to date to nearer 1850. These post-date the first floor square leaded lights which match the light over the front door, it therefore seems likely that there were earlier windows on the ground floor matching those surviving on the first floor and these were replaced in the early Victorian period with the Venetian style sash windows that provided greater illumination.  The earlier window design and the hood brackets would stylistically date the building to about 1800. This building is definitely not the hall house described in the will of John Thorpe written in October 1605[33], although it is possible that the cellar mentioned in the 1855 description predates the surviving house.

 

In 1903, Charles Henry Gatty, who had succeeded his father George Gatty as owner of the FelbridgePark estate on his death in 1865, also died and the estate passed to two cousins, Charles Lane Sayer and Alfred Leighton Sayer. The Sayers retained the FelbridgePark estate until 11^th February 1911 when it was sold to Mrs Emma Harvey and the East Grinstead Estate Company. At the time of sale, Hedgecourt Farm was still held by George Edward Smeed whose tenancy was due to expire on 29^th September 1911[34]. However, by 2^nd April 1911 the census entry records Stephen William Dean living at Hedgecourt Farm being listed as a carter on the farm. Stephen was born about 1870 in Crowhurst and married Fanny Pettitt in June 1905 at Tandridge. In 1911, the farmhouse consisted of seven rooms.

 

The February 1911 sale details the lands of Hedgecourt Farm totalling 284 acres (illustrated below), which have not changed significantly since 1856 but the land usage split has changed. Of the useable land, arable has fallen to 45%, rough grass is 25%, grass is 16%, pasture is only 9% and marsh (at the west end of Hedgecourt Lake) is 5%. The quality of the land appears to have declined as indicated by the large proportion of rough grass and marsh.

  

Whilst the Felbridge Estate went up for sale by auction in May 1911, Hedgecourt Farm was not included in that sale. Hedgecourt Farm including 102 acres of land (illustrated below) was purchased by Eyre Crowe and the Felbridge Fruit Farm Company on 4^th January 1912 from the East Grinstead Estate Company[35]. The Felbridge Fruit Farm Company had been formed on 31^st August 1911 with Eyre Crowe and Henry Hooper as joint managing directors, but Eyre held 940 shares compared to Henry’s 10. It would appear that the Felbridge Fruit Farm was then used as the address for Hedgecourt Farm. Felmere was constructed within the lands to the north west of HedgecourtLake and accessed by a road cut through Pondtail Wood. In October 1912, Eyre Crowe listed his address as Felmere, Felbridge, confirming that the house was built during 1912. A mortgage of 1912 refers to Felmere and ‘one acre of freehold land upon which it stands’ indicating that Felmere was only a dwelling for Eyre Crowe at this time and did not have any directly associated land beyond the immediate garden.

 

The large area of land that had previously been part of Hedgecourt Farm had been split off and sold in the 1911 and 1914 sales. The land to the east of Stubpond Lane became part of Park Farm.

   

The depiction of the Hedgecourt farm complex on the 1910 Ordnance Survey map (right) shows no changes to any of the buildings since the 1895 map, just minor alterations to the enclosures of the farm yard.

 

The electoral roll records two residents at Hedgecourt Farm immediately after the First World War; William John Robinson 1918-1919 and William Jarrod Durrant 1919-1920. With such short stays at the property, it would appear these were farm workers for the Felbridge Fruit Farm who were living at Hedgecourt.

 

Eyre Crowe and Beatrice, his wife, remained at Felmere until 1921 when they sold Felmere house and the adjacent fields consisting of plots 529, 530 and 541, a holding totalling just over thirty-two acres, and in 1922, they finally dissolved Felbridge Fruit Farm, of which they were now the joint managing directors.

 

Frederick Napper and Ethel Florenza, his wife, are recorded in the Spring 1921 electoral roll living at ‘Hedge Court’ and they continued at the property until they sold it c1946, thus whilst no record has surfaced regarding the sale of Hedgecourt Farm by Eyre Crowe, it is most likely that it was sold in 1921 at the same time as he sold Felmere with a portion of the lands and he left the area.

 

Frederick Napper was born about 1888 and married Ethel Florenza Cook in July 1914 at St. Barnabus, Dulwich. When he married, Frederick stated his occupation as leather merchant, the same as his deceased father who was also called Frederick. Frederick and Ethel had at least 3 children; David Frederick born in 1915, Joan Mary born in 1917 and Pauline H born in 1920 all registered in Richmond South District. In 1921, when Frederick purchased Hedgecourt Farm it consisted of only 63 acres (illustrated below).

  

The 1938 Ordnance Survey (below) shows Felmere and the fields 529, 530 as orchards. Field 532, which is still part of Hedgecourt, is also an orchard. The farm complex has altered since 1910, a pair of farm workers cottages have been constructed close to Stubpond Lane; within the yard, there is a new building orientated north-south. There is also a new building to the north west of the farm house, and a sun dial is shown in the garden to the south of the house.

 

1946 is the last record of Frederick Napper being at Hedgecourt[36], the following year the electoral roll lists Francis L and Dorothy J Luxmoore living there. Francis Logan Luxmoore was born in 1897 and married Dorothy Jane Johnstone in 1926, they are still recorded there in 1961, and the property is put up for sale at auction in July 1969[37], the bounds remaining unchanged since the 1921 transfer.

 

This study shows how the principle dwelling for Hedgecourt Manor in 1700 and the extensive lands that it held has dramatically reduced in size such that it went from over 350 acres down to just over 60. During the late 20^th century it has reduced further with much of the land being transferred to Churchill Farm, the farm workers cottages have also been sold off; leaving only the farmhouse, farmyard area and the land to the south of the house as a domestic property of about 8 acres. The greatest influence upon the decline of Hedgecourt has to be the relocation of the principle dwelling from Hedgecourt House to Felbridge House when Hedgecourt was annexed to the smaller Evelyn landholding at Felbridge. A new home farm was then created immediately north of Felbridge House, later known as Park Farm.

 

 

Texts of all Handouts referred to in this document can be found on FHG website: www.felbridge.org.uk

 

JIC 03/18