We are very grateful to the owners of Forge Cottage for their generosity in allowing us to make over 70 images from numerous documents relating primarily to the history of the property and its occupants.
Below is the first lot of documents dated 17th February 1860, an Absolute Surrender by Radcliffe Pearl Todd & others to James Haiden regarding the contents of the Will of Ann Jackson nee Guyver, late of Sturmer Hall in Essex, dated the 9 October 1829. She died on the 27th November 1831 leaving all of her property in Henham (a cottage, buildings and land) and Sturmer to Radcliffe (also of Sturmer Hall) for him to rent out and managed the monies until her grandniece Mary Todd either reached 25 years of age or married. Mary reached her 25th on the 25th February 1854 and was now the wife of Henry Wyld Jackson of Haverhill, Suffolk, gentleman. James Haiden (nb the spelling), blacksmith of Henham had contracted with Mary and Henry to buy a cottage and land for £ 140. The cottage was formerly occupied by Mary Dennison, widow whilst the other buildings, which included a blacksmith’s shop, stables and outbuildings were formerly the estate of Mary Meade and for many years past had been occupied by William Haiden, then lately deceased. And so the cottage became known as ‘Forge Cottage’.
The documents can be accessed by selecting one of the dates below –