Nanny Ede's Cottage
An enquiry: Ian Davidson
I am hoping to find information on a cottage formerly known as 105 London Road, Hadleigh and which faced Hadleigh Methodist Church in Church Lane. This would have been in the early 1960s and was occupied by Mrs Elizabeth Ede, my step-grandmother.
Adjoining at 107 London Road was a family by the name of Allen, spelling unsure, who had perhaps 5 or 6 children. The other side at 103 lived an elderly man known to us only as Henry.
On the pretext of planned road widening of the London Road at that time, cottages 103, 105 and 107 were demolished, I believe, in 1962. Mrs Ede had been moved to a Wiggins retirement bungalow at 3 or 5 Florence Close, Hadleigh, where she lived unhappily until her death in 1965.
Also, I would like to know if I can find an article in the archives of the Southend & County Pictorial. The short article was about Mrs Ede’s cottage which had the façade rendered to mimic “crazy paving”; the newspaper thought it was worthy of mention so included it in the paper around 1959 or 1960.
{Ed: Eileen Gamble has kindly located a picture of the area and an Electoral Register from 1937 which shows Elizabeth Ede residing in 1 Pleasant Row, London Road.
On another page in the same document also living at number 1 is a gentleman by the name of Thomas William Davidson.}
Comments about this page
Add your own comment
Thanks Ian. That would be great to see the photos. I’m going to be doing some research myself and I’ll make sure I look at any info for 105 and Ede when I do and I’ll pass it on to you. Thanks again.
Hello Mary, I have a few pics you may find of interest plus one of your house when it included a shop. I believe the shop was still there in the 1960s when my step-Nan lived in a cottage a few doors up from you at 105 where Runwood House now stands. Sometime ago your next door-but-one neighbour (Mrs Marshall, I believe) contacted me regarding my enquiries about my Nan; I tell you this as she may be able to help you more than myself. If you should wish to contact me again please feel free to do so.
Incidentally, should you know or hear anything about Mrs Elizabeth Ede of 105 London Road I would be eternally grateful to hear it as I have come up against a brick wall with my own enquiries about my Nan!
We now live in 93 and 95 London Road. Were they the sweet shops/newsagents people are mentioning? If I could see that west facing photo from the Waggon and Horses it would be great. Is there a link? Mary Noble
Eileen: Yes please to the photo looking west from Waggon & Horses; do you have a date for it?
Also, have you any idea when the other picture “Along the Causeway…” dates from? It shows a large property standing where my nan’s cottage would have stood. The character in the middle of the road with a bicycle appears to be a WWI soldier.
Ian
Firstly, thanks to all for responses which are being looked into.
Matt: yes I recall the sweet shop and from what I can remember it was shored up with a couple of timbers on the side to stop it collapsing! It was more like a converted weatherboarded shed with the entrance door and large window facing south. Wasn’t it in the same grounds as the little red brick ‘school’ which I think is still there?
Eileen: thank you so much for that info. It came as quite a shock to read of this ‘gentleman’ staying there as that was my dad! Why was he there, I ask?? “…On another page in the same document…” suggests this was 1937 – mum and dad got married in 1935 across the road at the Methodist Church in Chapel Lane so maybe there is the link?
Ian
I have a photo taken from opposite where the Waggon & Horses stood, looking west towards London and the cottages are just visible. Happy to share this with you.
That was one of the few food shops open on Sunday. A bit dodgy parking on the dual carriageway, though.
This would be on the site of where Runwood Homes offices now stand. It’s a long shot, but if you can find any old pics of the now demolished Waggon & Horses pub, there may be a chance of her old cottage being captured.
Incidentally, does anyone remember the small sweet/ convenience shop a couple of doors along from there?
Add a comment about this page