Derrick Rowe of 23 Manor Rise, Bearsted, ME14 4DB is trying to find a house in Wadhurst that for a few years either side of 1920, certainly up to 1928, was called 'Hill Crest'; this house was owned by James & Annie Cockburn. James was a keen wireless enthusiast and Annie participated quite a lot in village activities - starting a sale of her work on the 5th Dec 1918 (probably paintings). She also had successful entries in the Village flower show. The house was where his father Esmond, and his brother Ronald and sister Mary, spent a great deal of their time: one diary entry dated 23rd February 1924 says "went to social with Mary at Wadhurst". Annie was the sister of his grandfather, Ernest Arthur Rowe, a successful watercolour artist of gardens. He painted at least two paintings of Wadhurst, one called 'Sheep Street Wadhurst' - a sepia copy of which is owned by Stan Cosham.
The postcard was sent to his father in 1921; the address has a mention of Mrs J Cockburn, which should be a clue as to the location of 'Hill Crest'.
Any ideas can either be sent to the editor
or to Derrick direct by e-mail.
Excerpts from The Diaries of the Reverend Coker Egerton [of Burwash] (edited by Roger Wells) - sent in by Gwyn Skae
24.01.1877 Penny Reading. Mr. Eley read a 27 minute piece called "The autobiography of an umbrella", the dreariest thing I ever heard.
01.04.1877 Miss Hughes made two journeys to the Rectory merely to set tight some numbers of the Parish Magazine which the boy who delivers had dirtied; she also secured the said boy a whipping at his mother's hand, and having lectured the mother herself on her "multitude of words which is sin", retired home conscious of having done her duty. She is a vigorous old lady of about 77.
29.04.1877 W. Coppard complained about the sheep in the Church yard. 1 don't like them but as the Parish does nothing to help me in keeping the church yard in good order, I do not think I am called upon to spend £4-10-0 in mowing ....
02.06.1877 Etty called to say that the doctor in London, Lawson, calls his eye ailment "Apoplesey of the retinue"! at any rate he has to back off any work he can, and keep quiet, not play cricket or the like.
06.07.1877 A Netherfield man who sold milk accused of propagating typhoid fever by means of his foul well, argued that it couldn't be in any way his well that was in fault, as his wife's sister had sent a letter to say that "they'd had titus fever in Liverpool and they hadn't had never to to wi' he's well down there, dat was very certain". The fever was as a fact almost demonstrably traceable to the milk sent out by this man; the vessels in his dairy being cleaned with water from the foul well and some of the milk possibly diluted before sale with water from the same source ...
21.07.1877 At about ¼ before ten was sent for to see poor G who being in liquor had fallen into the water cistern in the yard. I pulled him out, laid him down, sent to Mr. Taylor, then got G into a chair and so to bed. I spoke to him two months ago as seriously as I could ....
10.08.1877 Called and had talk with old Mrs. T. Vigor. She was not very sensible, and as Mrs. Leaney remarked my talking was little more than "casting parables before swine" ....
06.11.1877 Signed J. Ellis' papers for candidate for police employ in London. A curious change of life for one who began life as a farm lad in Burwash, and then shipped as an apprentice on a collier between Shoreham and Shilds; then went to Africa, was for 18 months employed in elephant and ostrich hunting, and then returned to England
10.1 1.1877 Miss Press told me Miss Emily Trowers accident and broken rib, and I talking about wounds and mentioned the value of the skin of the egg for broken skins, and never thinking, calmly pulled up my trouser and shewed Miss Press the bruise on my shin. I hope she wasn't scandalized ....
24.12.1877 I took a wedding at 10. a Charles Clout and Harriet Collins. The best man W. Britt reminded me that when he married the bride's sister 9 years ago tomorrow he paid me partly in farthings.