Tithe Cottage - 55 Chapel Road

After we published the article about 84 Chapel Road about it having been a shop, were contacted by a lady who lives in a cottage (No 55) on the other side of Chapel Road asking what we might know about the history of her house.

The property is now a combination of cottages opposite the bottom of Fern Hill. At the time we knew nothing but have since discovered a little about its time and here is the story we unfolded. We look first at the 1839 Tithe Schedule.

The Schedule that accompanies the Tithe map records the property as Schedule and on the map below as number 206, being cottages and gardens in the ownership of Elizabeth Rouse and in the occupation of David Robinson and others.

Photographed at a time when the cottages were still separated, at least at roof level.

Photographed in 2021

Elizabeth Rouse
The property was part of the assets owned by Elizabeth Rouse. She was born in 1777 the daughter of Robert Goulty, (Golty) in Dersingham in 1750. He was a substantial member of the community owning much property here. His name is mentioned frequently in the distribution of land after the Acts of Enclosure. His father, Elizabeth’s grandfather, also Robert Goulty was born in 1687 in Elsing but married and settled here. He was a prominent church member, a church warden, who died in 1752. His tombstone can be found at the back of the church hidden under carpets.

Elizabeth married Peter Rouse in 1807 and subsequently left the village. Peter’s father, Richard, was the Miller at Letheringsett Mill. Elizabeth inherited her property when her father died in 1828; she died in 1862 and was buried in Holt.

The only definite information about who lived here is David Robinson who occupied one of the cottages that make up the present home just before 1839; he remained in the village until at least 1871. He died in 1873 and was buried here on 5th September.

The family recorded immediately before David’s in the 1841 census is one Sam Skinner (c70) , carpenter and his wife Ann (c69). The census entry after David's is at Stanton's, Ling farm at the top of Ling House Road. As enumerators did not always record in a sequentially the connection cannot be guaranteed. However, it is very possible that David and Sam were immediate neighbours in one of the cottages now number 55.

Ten years later, in the 1851 Census, Samuel is aged 82, a Widow and a pauper. However, he is still head of a household with a son and daughter and their children living with him. We will continue to look to see if we can identify any other occupants at later dates.

A page about the Robinson family, and perhaps another for the Skinners, will appear on this web site in due course.
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A letter from Dick Melton
March 2021
A bit about the tithe cottage no 55 Chapel Road I used to go past there most days as my wife’s father and mother lived up the top of Fern Hill in Hill House Lodge. I can never remember it being a row of cottages. In 1968 it was one long cottage called ‘’Inveresk ‘’ and in it lived a Mr Henry Jacobs and his family, I think he was a retired army officer. Then by 1975 a Mr John Woode lived there and I think it was then called Rose Cottage.
Well that’s all for now , keep safe all the best
Dick in 'Sunny Hunny'