Norton Farm Cottages - (Norton Court Estate cottages Nos 4 & 5)
Whilst this is now two cottages, historically it was just the one, and even later it is often difficult to separate who lived in each cottage so they have been recorded here under a single entry.
This site appears to have originally been a single property along with an orchard and it was possibly in the 1850/60s when a lot of building work took place at Norton that it became the two farm labourer’s cottages that are here today.
The earliest identified reference to this property dates from 6 August 1685 when Nathaniel Earl of Parsons Green, Middlesex, and Jane his wife, sold the site to Richard Merry, yeoman of Sandhurst for £15. It was described as; “all that one little messuage or tenement with its appurtenances lying and being in a place called Stretend in the said parish of Bishops Norton, in the said County of Gloucester, near unto Norton Farm”.
The next reference is dated 9 August 1783 with a mortgage between Thomas Merry of Evington and Anne Hill of Lye, widow, whereby Thomas “did devise, grant, and to form let and set unto Anne Hill … all that messuage or tenement situate lying and being in a place called Stretend in the said parish of Bishops Norton, in the said County of Gloucester, near unto Norton Farm together with the garden, orchard and appurtenances thereunto belonging which were purchased in fee simple by Richard Merry, grandfather of the said Thomas Merry, of and from Nathaniel Earl, gentleman, and Jane his wife”.
There is an indenture dated 21 July 1787 between “John Toms of Tewkesbury … gentleman … Samuel Trueman of the same place, gentleman … James Lewis of Gloucester, coffin maker … John Tovey the younger … Gloucester, ironmonger” that appears to detail a mortgage on the property.
On 19 October 1799 James Lewis, gentleman of Gloucester, sold the property to Thomas Leach for £183.
Thomas Leach. On 11 September 1757 Mary Hawker of The Leigh married Richard Leach of Staverton at The Leigh, they settled at The Leigh and had at least 7 children, one of whom was Thomas, baptised there on 23 August 1772. The first record of the family at Norton was on 14 November 1797 when Thomas, who was still living at The Leigh, married Deborah Ralph of Norton at St Mary’s. Thomas and Deborah were to have at least 5 children at Norton, most likely in the property here opposite Norton Farm.
At the time of the Inclosures arriving at Norton in 1807, this was still the site of a single dwelling in Plot No 154 on the following map, almost opposite Norton Farm at Plot No 158.
Plot No 154 was described as being a house and garden of 0a 1r 8p with Plot No 155 an orchard of 0a 3r 38p and they were both in the possession of Thomas Leach.
On 7 June 1820 Thomas Leach and Robert Barnard, both yeoman of Norton, were “held and firmly bound unto William Dipper of Apperley in the parish of Deerhurst … in the sum of five hundred and forty pounds …”. Robert Barnard died just a few years later in October 1823 naming Thomas Leach as one of the executors of his Will. Robert has a memorial at St Mary’s, Norton, along with his wife Hannah who predeceased him.
"In memory of Robert Barnard of this parish who died Octr 9th 1823 aged 65 years. In action prudent and in word sincere In friendship faithful and in honour dear Thro lifes vain scenes the same in every part A steady judgement and an honest heart. Also of Hannah his wife who died May 11th 1817 aged 63 years. Meek was her temper pious was her life A tender mother and a faithful wife Alas ! shes gone dear object of my love To increase the number of the Saints above".
On 9 April 1829 Thomas Leach mortgaged the property to Miss Elizabeth Dipper for £110 with Thomas continuing to live here “for the rent of one pepper corn only on the Feast Day of St Michael the Archangel”.
Thomas Leach was still here when he died, aged 60 years, in 1833. The following has been extracted from his Will. Thomas, “residing in that part of the parish of Norton called Bishops Norton in the County of Gloucestershire, yeoman” wrote his Will in 1832 stating that he was “of sound mind but weak in constitution”. He left “all and singular the freehold and personal property that I am possessed of at the time of my decease” to his wife Deborah. As was normal at this time, as well as making provision that his wife should enjoy the bequest until her death and then making other provisions he also stated that she should only enjoy the bequest for “as long as she shall remain a widow”, not wanting his possessions to fall into the hands of another man. Should she die or remarry then the property was to be divided equally between his five sons. Thomas also made a special request for “my third son Thomas Leach” who was “of a weakly constitution”. He stated that each of his four other sons were to pay Thomas £2 10s from their own share of the sold property. We do not know what happened to Thomas but in 1871 he was recorded as a 67 year old farm labourer and was living with his brother Samuel and wife at Norton.
Thomas senior died on 8th March 1833 and his two sons, “Samuel Leach and Charles Leach both of the parish of Norton in the County and Diocese of Gloucester labourers” swore “that they are the executors named and appointed in the said Will that they will well and faithfully perform the same and tender an inventory and account &c”. The following is the inventory that was recorded giving an insight into what a respectable villager might have owned at this time; “Kitchen and Cellar :- Clock, warming pan, plate and dishes, square table, 3 round tables, 4 chairs, corner cupboard, 2 hogsheads, 3 barrels, 1 half barrel. Bedroom :- 2 stumps(?) bedstead, 2 beds, 2 pairs sheets, 2 blankets, chest”. The total valuation of the above came to £5 17s 6d.
By 1838 the property was in the occupation of a Thomas’ 65 year old widow, Deborah Leach, and was described as being “nr Norton Farm, cider house, garden and orchard”. The full schedule of the property recorded; “Cider house and garden, 0-1-8; Orchard, 0-3-38; Total: 1-1-16; Gross estimated rental or annual value of each holding, £10; Rateable value or net annual value of each holding, £8”. Several of the items listed in Thomas’ inventory, above, might suggest an association with a ‘cider house’ or something similar but the final listed item is more specific; “36 gallon cider”. This ‘cider house’ is discussed at; https://5d8c121799c58.site123.me/property/beer-and-alehouses
In 1841 Deborah Leach is listed as a farmer, living with son Thomas and John Juggins who were both agricultural labourers. Next door we find John Hughes, also an agricultural labourer, living with his wife Elizabeth and two children all employed in farm work.
From December 1842 there is a document that appears to mortgage the property to Mrs Hannah Fluck of Apperley for £110. Deborah’s sons Richard, Henry, Samuel and Charles each receiving £10, son Thomas £15, and Deborah £57 14s 9d. The name Mrs Dipper still appears on this document.
From 8 May 1843 is a conveyance from Deborah Leach and others to Elizabeth Frances Webb "of a messuage in a place called Street End in Bishops Norton together with the garden and orchard and a piece of pasture ground containing ½ an acre and making part of the orchard" for the sum of £260. The sale was completed on 11 May.
At this time Edward Wrensford Herbert was at Norton Farm and this appears to be when the cottage became directly associated with that farm.
On 12 May 1843, just the day after the sale to Miss Webb, when the property became a part of the Norton Court Estate, an agreement was reached between Edward Herbert and Deborah Leach; “the said Edward W Herbert agrees in consideration of three pounds to let, and the said Deborah Leach to take, from the present time until the 29th day of September next, the cottage and garden now occupied by the said Deborah Leach, at Norton aforesaid, excepting and receiving thereby for the use of the said Edward Herbert, or his servants, one room upstairs and another room downstairs in the said cottage and two patches of ground in the garden. And the said Deborah Leach hereby agrees to give up the possession of the said cottage and garden on the 29th day of September next without any previous notice and also to pay the said rent of three pounds”.
A document that appears to date from around this time, when Miss Elizabeth Frances Webb still held the manor and Norton Court Estate, records who occupied each of the farms and who and how many people lived in the cottages that were located on each of the farms. There are two cottages listed with Mr Herbert’s Farm and presumably they are those two that can now be found located almost opposite the farm house along Wainlode Lane today. In the first was Deborah Leach and two sons and in the second John Hughes was living alone. Perhaps this cottage had become two by this date or perhaps there were two families living in the original cottage.
In 1851 Deborah Leach was living in a cottage on Norton Lane with sons Henry and Thomas. Deborah was described as being a pauper and all three were agricultural labourers. Listed next door, or possibly in the same cottage, was John Hughes, also an agricultural labourer, with his wife Ann and infant daughters Comfort and Helen. Deborah Leach died, aged 89 years, in 1861.
By the time the OS 1st Edition map for Norton was published in 1883 the layout of properties on this site more readily reflected that of today with the two farm labourer's cottages in Plot No 219.
It is not known when the farm cottages were first constructed but in the 1860s the Norton Court Estate, which owned Norton Farm and many of the properties in Bishops Norton at that time, was responsible for the demolition and renovation of many properties around the village so it is certainly possible that they date from this period.
Throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century it is nearly impossible to identify the properties in surviving records as they were not named. There are farm labourers on the Census’ adjacent to the entry for Norton Farm but it is not possible to say for certain they were living in these properties. There are schedules for the Norton Court Estate from this period which may provide more details and these will be checked at some time. A sale notice from June 1986 suggests that they were built circa 1920 but if correct then should probably read rebuilt.
The properties appear to have left the Norton Court Estate on Saturday July 28th 1923 at 3 o’clock punctually when Bruton Knowles & Co were instructed by Capt G N Walker to sell Norton Farm by auction at The Bell Hotel, Gloucester. The two farm labourer's cottages associated with the farm formed part of the auction and were referred to as Estate Nos 4 and 5;
“In No 219 on plan are a pair of modern cottages substantially built of brick with tiled roofs, each containing living room, scullery and 3 bedrooms. The farmhouse, buildings, and cottages are in an excellent state of repair”.
This gives us the property numbers that identified the cottages to the Norton Court Estate. So whilst they were later Nos 1 & 2 Norton Farm Cottages they were previously Estate Nos 4 and 5 and later again the two cottages were renamed Nos 1 & 2 Cold Elm Cottages.
Whilst it can’t be said which family was in which house we can identify the residents in 1939. In the one cottage was Henry, a cowman, and Maria Teakle and in the other Edwin, a horseman on a farm, and Elizabeth Smith. It seems likely that they would both have been employed at Norton Farm, almost opposite.
Henry was born Walter Harry Teakle in 1887 at Bisley, the son of Walter James Teakle and Esther Ann nee Newman. By 1911 the family had come to Norton and were living at Cold Elm. Henry married Florence Marion nee Lawrence, known as Florrie, in 1924 at Gloucester Register Office. During their few years here Harry Wilks, of The Leigh, can remember going to this cottage to collect his grandfather’s medicine when Dr Foster briefly held his surgeries here. Henry died in 1942 and was buried at Norton where he has a churchyard memorial. As the cottage was likely tied to his job his widow would have had to leave at this time.
Edwin Robert Smith was born in 1886 at Chorlton, Lancashire, and married Elizabeth Jane nee Trigg of Norton in 1907 at St Mary’s, Norton. Edwin died in 1945 and like the Teakles it is expected that his widow would have had to move. Elizabeth died in 1965 and was buried with her husband at St Mary’s where they have a churchyard memorial.
In 1948 No 2 Cold Elm Cottages was occupied by Alfred C and Kathleen E Waite. In 1954/55 No 1 Cold Elm Cottages was occupied by Granville William and Phyllis Violet Daniels and No 2 by William Donald Probyn and Jean Mary Walker. In 1956 No 1 Cold Elm Cottages was occupied by Peter John Terrence Wilks and No 2 Cold Elm Cottages by Pearl Dolores Molnar. In 1960 No 2 Cold Elm Cottages was occupied by Ernest Thomas (Ernie) and Kathleen Mary (Kitty) Prosser who were still there in at least 1966.
Norton Farm came up for auction again when Bruton, Knowles & Co were instructed by the trustees of Mr Alfred Minett dec’d and Mrs M E Marston to sell by auction at Agriculture House, Tewkesbury Road, Gloucester on Thursday 20th July 1961 at 3.0pm. The cottages were then described as;
“The two cottages are built of brick with tiled roof. Each contains a sitting room with glazed fireplace, kitchen, lean-to scullery and three bedrooms. Garden and EC”.
In 1962, when still known as No 1 Cold Elm Cottages, it was occupied by Gwyneth Elizabeth Maud Longney. In 1963 No 1 Cold Elm Cottages was occupied by Kenneth George Arthur and Gladys Beatrice Lee.
In 1965, and then known as No 1 Norton Farm Cottages, Raymond and Isobel Johnson were in residence with their children and they were to remain in the village for approximately the following 4 years. They had five children, one of whom has shared some of her memories and photographs of their time in the village. Tina Leverton (nee Johnson) tells us that when her father, Raymond, left the army at Robinswood Camp, Gloucester, they came to Norton where he worked for George Whittaker at Norton Farm milking the cows. Tina remembers that next door at No 2 was a lady called Kitty who had a son named Gary. This would have been the Prossers.
These photos show the back of the cottages and also the brick building up the garden at No 1 which was the toilet at the time in the late 1960s.
When George Whittaker retired from Norton Farm in 1984, No 2 Norton Farm Cottages was still occupied by Ernie Prosser. Kitty died in 1979, Ernie in 1986 and both have a memorial at St Mary's, Norton.
The Gloucester Citizen newspaper of 12 June 1986 advertised No 2; “Bishops Norton. A superb example of a superior semi-detached property, situate in this delightful village only 4/5 miles north of Gloucester. The property was built circa 1920 and has been tastefully extended and modernised throughout, to an excellent overall standard. Quite simply, this is in our opinion, one of the best houses we have been privileged to offer in a long time. 3 double bedrooms and a large garden adjoining open farmland and spectacular views are features to name just a few. £62,950”. [The property seems to have sold quickly]
In 2002 No 1 Norton Farm Cottages was known as 'Elm Rise' and was occupied by Robert and Elisabeth J Biruls with their children Jonathan, Matthew and Alex. No 2 Norton Farm Cottages was occupied by Alan David and Amanda Jane Pickering with their children Claire, Katie, Alice and Annie.
[2002]
The following has been shared by Ruby Bebbington who, in 2021, was living at No 1 Norton Farm Cottages which is still known as ‘Elm Rise’;
“Both cottages fell into disrepair and I think were actually derelict. They were each bought by different buyers in the early 80’s around 1982, number 2 by the current owners (I think) and number 1 by a Mr M Hulme. Both cottages were renovated and extended in different ways to each other and, at that time, the back to back outside toilets were demolished and removed. There have been at least 2 owners of Elm Rise as well as us since then. My husband David and I bought Elm Rise in 2006 as a ‘project’. Nothing much appeared to have been done to improve it since the work in the early 80’s. We carried out extensive improvements and building works”.
Alan and Mandy Pickering bought No 2 in 1982 and after extensive renovations started to live there from 1985. The following photos have been shared by Mandy from No 2 and show the cottages from the early 1980s.
