Park Cottage
The following is an extract from the Inclosure Awards of 1807 and shows the location of a piece of land then known as Kents. The piece of land in question is Plot Nos 186, 187, 188 and 189 in the top right hand corner of the plan.
It is difficult to identify ownership of lands prior to 1807 but quite often a name used at this time gives an indication as to its previous occupants. In the mid to late 1700s there was a family living at Norton who were called Kent and it is quite likely that they lived here. William and Mary Kent had a daughter Esther baptised at St Mary’s, Norton, on 23rd May 1756. Mary was buried at Norton on 7th October 1767 and was followed shortly afterwards by her husband William on 21st July 1770. An allegation survives from 12th October 1772 in which Hester (Esther) Kent alleged that she was the daughter of William Kent late of Norton yeoman deceased and that her father and mother were both dead. “…but being in her minority to witt of the age of sixteen years or thereabouts and therefore incapable of managing her own affairs … wheretofore she prayed that William Poole of the parish of Norton … carpenter might be recognised as her guardian…”
This was granted and William was charged with making an inventory of the “…goods rights and credits belonging to the said Hester Kent…”. Unfortunately there is no trace of this inventory or any definite record that she was living at the plot of land then known as ‘Kents’.
In 1807 ‘Kents’ had been divided into two parts with two owners. Plot No 186 is described as an orchard (0a-1r-38p), No 187 as a house and garden (0a-0r-30p) and both were owned by Robert Marston. These later became what we now know as The Lodge and will be discussed in a seperate aricle.
No 188 was another orchard (0a-3r-10p) and No 189 another house and garden (0a-1r-26p) both owned by Henry Butt. This later became Park Cottage.
Baptised at Norton in 1750, Henry was the son of Henry and Prudence Butt. It would appear that the property at Plot Nos 188 and 189 was passed to Henry as settlement upon his marriage to Hannah Long in January 1781 and in March 1789 Prudence Butt surrendered her life claim on the premises then known as Little Orchard or Kents to Henry Butt. The Butt family owned a lot of land in Norton around this time but also maintained connections with Standish and it was there that Prudence was living when she died in November 1807 but no mention is made of the property in her Will.
In 1838 Plot Nos 188 and 189 were owned by Richard Butt, presumably a son of Henry. The cottage and garden at Plot No 189 was under the tenancy of John Hughes and had a gross estimated rental or annual value of £5 and a rateable value or net annual value of £4. The orchard at Plot No 188 was assigned to Richard Taylor, tenant of Green Farm. It had a gross estimated rental or annual value of £4 and a rateable value or net annual value of £3. In November 1843 a Mrs Deborah Butt took out a mortgage on the premises known as Kents with a Rev Edward Hawkins and in December 1865 Rev Hawkins took receipt of a conveyance and sale contract from Deborah Butt and her children and became the owner. He was not to hold the property for long, however, selling on to Charles Walker in March 1873 when it became part of the Norton Court Estate.
The tenant of Plot Nos 188 and 189 was for many years William Simmons and upon his death it passed to his son, also William, who was still tenant at the time of the 1873 sale.
It is not clear what happened to either of the premises (Plots 188 & 189 and Plots 186 & 187) after becoming part of the Norton Court Estate and it is not always easy to identify which of the two properties are being referred to by later documents.
In 1910 Emma Smith was living at Plot No 189 in what had become known as Park Cottage, the name that remains today. Plot No 188 had become a part of The Park or the gardens of Norton Court and remains devoid of buildings still.
In 1921 William Longney, his wife Edith and children Thomas, William, Walter, Edith, Florence and James were living in the five roomed property at Park Cottage and they were to remain here for many years. Wife Edith and all of their children were born at Norton. Father William was employed as a bricklayer working on the Norton Court Estate and their three eldest sons were all farm labourers.
When the Norton Court Estate was sold off at auction in 1952 the owner was recorded as the executors of the late Mrs Longney who had been paying a rent of £10 per annum and described as follows :- “Lot 22, a very attractive detached cottage known as Park Cottage, situate in a delightful position within the perimeter of The Park. It is built of brick, has a tiled roof and contains: Hall, sitting room with cupboard, dining room with two cupboards, back kitchen and two bedrooms, each having a fireplace. Outbuildings include a lean-to shed, EC and two pigscots. Well of water, garden and orchard”. It is believed that after her death the house was occupied for a time by Mrs Longney’s daughter Florence, her husband and family.
In 1985, Park Cottage was the home of Brian and Doreen Thomas and Doris Tomblinson. Doreen Thomas was still here in 2002.
[2002]
