Hilden and Fogleigh Cottages Alan Payne Date
Hilden at the foot of Beech Road (courtesy Carol Payne)
There is no obvious meaning for the name Hilden at the foot of Beech Road, Box Hill. It sounds like a derivative of hidden but that is pure speculation. However, that idea suits the location of the cottage as a hidden gem. Hilden is a Grade II listed property stated by Historic England to have features from the 1600s incorporated into a Victorian rebuilding. It is adjacent to Fogleigh Cottage (not listed) and both are marked, but not named, on the 1840 Tithe Apportionment map. At that time, they were owned by the Trustees of the estate of Peter Drewett, one cottage and garden tenanted by John Neat and the other tenanted by Jacob Milsom. Peter Drewett was probably a Colerne gentleman, of considerable wealth and social standing, who may have died in 1833. If so, the houses were an investment by him.
Jacob Milsom (1813-) was a labourer listed as living at Box Hill in 1841 with his wife Elizabeth (1806-) and their three young children. Jacob’s wife appears to have died shortly thereafter and he married again to Charlotte (1814-) and set himself up as a shopkeeper / grocer in the centre of Box Village. Ten years later, he had changed employment again and in 1861 was recorded as a haulier (stone quarry). It isn’t possible to be certain who John Neat was; in 1841 one person of that name (born 1781-) was the publican of the Tunnel Inn, another (born 1812-) lived at Millsplatt.
Jacob Milsom (1813-) was a labourer listed as living at Box Hill in 1841 with his wife Elizabeth (1806-) and their three young children. Jacob’s wife appears to have died shortly thereafter and he married again to Charlotte (1814-) and set himself up as a shopkeeper / grocer in the centre of Box Village. Ten years later, he had changed employment again and in 1861 was recorded as a haulier (stone quarry). It isn’t possible to be certain who John Neat was; in 1841 one person of that name (born 1781-) was the publican of the Tunnel Inn, another (born 1812-) lived at Millsplatt.
Extract of 1923 Northey Sales map (courtesy Bernard Ainsworth)
Cottages in 1923
Because the cottages were not named, it is difficult to trace the owners or tenants. This situation altered when the Northey family auctioned their land at Beech Road in 1923 and listed the tenants of the properties as:
Thomas Henry Tinson: 17 semi-detached cottage and garden (Hilden) and 21 garden land behind the Primitive Chapel
Herbert Mumford: 16 semi-detached cottage (one bedroom) and garden (Fogleigh Cottage) and 20 garden land behind Upway Cottages.
Tinson Family at Hilden Cottage
The Tinson family were steeped in the quarrying industry and in military service to crown and country. William Tinson (1843-1916) served 22 years in the Royal Navy as a Bombardier Royal Marine Artillery and his eldest son, Arthur George (1881-1964), was born at Southsea, near Portsmouth, where the family were then living.[1] When William retired from the services, the family came to Box, closer to where his parents lived at Corsham. William and his wife Susan (1851-1932) took a tenanted property at 6 Boxfields in 1891, where William was described as a quarryman.
Arthur George Tinson (19 February 1881-15 January 1964) married Melinda Georgina Dancey (14 May 1880-31 January 1961) on 20 May 1906. He was a quarryman all his working life, called a quarryman picker in 1911 and retired ganger in 1961.[2] Notwithstanding his young wife and four infant children, Arthur enlisted aged 33 in February 1915 and served as a rifleman in the Kings Royal Rifles in France, Egypt and Salonika. He contracted malaria whilst serving but made a good recovery and was demobbed in 1919 as an Acting Corporal. Arthur and Melinda had at least one tragedy in their lives when their son, William David Tinson, was drowned aged 8 in 1919. After Arthur’s return from war, the boy went swimming at a deep point of Box Brook near Box Mill, got out of his depth and drowned.[3] Arthur and Melinda had one other child David George in 1920.
By 1939 they were identifiably living at Rose Cottage, The Green, Box Hill (presumed to be the cottage now known as
The Roses, Box Hill on the hill) with their younger children. Despite being nearly 60 at the outbreak of the Second World War, Arthur served his country again, this time commissioned to work for the War Department. He had a knowledge of more than 40 years in the underground tunnels as a Free Stone Quarry Worker Under Ground (Heavy Worker), which was invaluable to the military effort of using the tunnels for ammunitions storage. He continued to work for the Ministry of Defence until 1951 and he and Melinda still lived at Rose Cottage in 1956, when they celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary. Melinda died there on 31 January 1961 and Arthur died in 1964, having moved to his eldest daughter Kathleen in Gloucester.[4]
Tinson Connection with Quarryman’s Arms
Herbert (Bert) Ernest Tinson (29 February 1914-1990) was a stone sawyer in 1939, living with his parents at Rose Cottage. On 18 May 1940, he married Gladys Winifred Stevens, daughter of William Arthur Stevens (23 October 1883-1954) who ran The Quarryman’s Arms from July 1917 until February 1953.[5] William had been a banker mason who married Florence E Hancock (22 July 1883-) and lived at Washwells before they took over the tenancy of the pub. Florence’s father Thomas Hancock had run the pub for nearly 30 years before then.
Before Bert Tinson married Gladys, he had been a freestone sawyer and Gladys worked for J&G Browning, motor retailers.[6]
The pair honeymooned in Leicester with relatives. Herbert and Gladys took over the tenancy of the pub in 1953 and ran it for a further eleven years until 1964.[7] Hilden was later owned by Herbie Smith, who sold off part of the land in 1978.
Other Tinson Family Members
Thomas Henry Tinson (21 August 1886-), was a farm carter living with his parents at 6 Boxfields in 1911 until he was conscripted in the Army Service Corps during the Great War. He served overseas but was honourably discharged in January 1919 unfit for military duty due to illness (possibly gassed) and awarded a Silver Medal. He married Violetta M Dancey (25 February 1876-) in 1920 and they lived at Fogleigh Cottage in 1939, where Thomas was working in a mason’s yard.
Arthur’s younger brother Ernest Reginald Tinson (1890-) had a distinguished military career. He served in the Royal Marines for 26 years from 1909, including 16 years on the royal yacht Victoria and Albert before taking up an appointment at Kensington Palace.[8] He married Rosine Margherita Gregori on 4 June 1921 at Portsmouth, where Arthur Courtenay Stewart of Box Manor acted as witness. King George V personally awarded him the Naval Long Service Award. He also had a local reputation as an important player for Box Hill Football Club and later a regional football referee who officiated at the 1934 Hampshire Senior Cup Final at The Dell, Southampton, watched by a crowd of 20,000 people. He and Rosine were buried at Putney, London.
Because the cottages were not named, it is difficult to trace the owners or tenants. This situation altered when the Northey family auctioned their land at Beech Road in 1923 and listed the tenants of the properties as:
Thomas Henry Tinson: 17 semi-detached cottage and garden (Hilden) and 21 garden land behind the Primitive Chapel
Herbert Mumford: 16 semi-detached cottage (one bedroom) and garden (Fogleigh Cottage) and 20 garden land behind Upway Cottages.
Tinson Family at Hilden Cottage
The Tinson family were steeped in the quarrying industry and in military service to crown and country. William Tinson (1843-1916) served 22 years in the Royal Navy as a Bombardier Royal Marine Artillery and his eldest son, Arthur George (1881-1964), was born at Southsea, near Portsmouth, where the family were then living.[1] When William retired from the services, the family came to Box, closer to where his parents lived at Corsham. William and his wife Susan (1851-1932) took a tenanted property at 6 Boxfields in 1891, where William was described as a quarryman.
Arthur George Tinson (19 February 1881-15 January 1964) married Melinda Georgina Dancey (14 May 1880-31 January 1961) on 20 May 1906. He was a quarryman all his working life, called a quarryman picker in 1911 and retired ganger in 1961.[2] Notwithstanding his young wife and four infant children, Arthur enlisted aged 33 in February 1915 and served as a rifleman in the Kings Royal Rifles in France, Egypt and Salonika. He contracted malaria whilst serving but made a good recovery and was demobbed in 1919 as an Acting Corporal. Arthur and Melinda had at least one tragedy in their lives when their son, William David Tinson, was drowned aged 8 in 1919. After Arthur’s return from war, the boy went swimming at a deep point of Box Brook near Box Mill, got out of his depth and drowned.[3] Arthur and Melinda had one other child David George in 1920.
By 1939 they were identifiably living at Rose Cottage, The Green, Box Hill (presumed to be the cottage now known as
The Roses, Box Hill on the hill) with their younger children. Despite being nearly 60 at the outbreak of the Second World War, Arthur served his country again, this time commissioned to work for the War Department. He had a knowledge of more than 40 years in the underground tunnels as a Free Stone Quarry Worker Under Ground (Heavy Worker), which was invaluable to the military effort of using the tunnels for ammunitions storage. He continued to work for the Ministry of Defence until 1951 and he and Melinda still lived at Rose Cottage in 1956, when they celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary. Melinda died there on 31 January 1961 and Arthur died in 1964, having moved to his eldest daughter Kathleen in Gloucester.[4]
Tinson Connection with Quarryman’s Arms
Herbert (Bert) Ernest Tinson (29 February 1914-1990) was a stone sawyer in 1939, living with his parents at Rose Cottage. On 18 May 1940, he married Gladys Winifred Stevens, daughter of William Arthur Stevens (23 October 1883-1954) who ran The Quarryman’s Arms from July 1917 until February 1953.[5] William had been a banker mason who married Florence E Hancock (22 July 1883-) and lived at Washwells before they took over the tenancy of the pub. Florence’s father Thomas Hancock had run the pub for nearly 30 years before then.
Before Bert Tinson married Gladys, he had been a freestone sawyer and Gladys worked for J&G Browning, motor retailers.[6]
The pair honeymooned in Leicester with relatives. Herbert and Gladys took over the tenancy of the pub in 1953 and ran it for a further eleven years until 1964.[7] Hilden was later owned by Herbie Smith, who sold off part of the land in 1978.
Other Tinson Family Members
Thomas Henry Tinson (21 August 1886-), was a farm carter living with his parents at 6 Boxfields in 1911 until he was conscripted in the Army Service Corps during the Great War. He served overseas but was honourably discharged in January 1919 unfit for military duty due to illness (possibly gassed) and awarded a Silver Medal. He married Violetta M Dancey (25 February 1876-) in 1920 and they lived at Fogleigh Cottage in 1939, where Thomas was working in a mason’s yard.
Arthur’s younger brother Ernest Reginald Tinson (1890-) had a distinguished military career. He served in the Royal Marines for 26 years from 1909, including 16 years on the royal yacht Victoria and Albert before taking up an appointment at Kensington Palace.[8] He married Rosine Margherita Gregori on 4 June 1921 at Portsmouth, where Arthur Courtenay Stewart of Box Manor acted as witness. King George V personally awarded him the Naval Long Service Award. He also had a local reputation as an important player for Box Hill Football Club and later a regional football referee who officiated at the 1934 Hampshire Senior Cup Final at The Dell, Southampton, watched by a crowd of 20,000 people. He and Rosine were buried at Putney, London.
Fogleigh Cottages (courtesy Carol Payne)
Fogleigh Cottages
It seems curious that Fogleigh House and Fogleigh Cottages are on different sides of the busy main A4 road. Probably they were separated by just a rural track before the new turnpike road was built between Magna and the Box Railway Bridge. In 1911 Edmund Wootten (1875-) was a stone sawyer at 2 Fogleigh Cottages. In 1939 the census reported that Fogleigh Cottage was occupied by residents: number 1 occupied by Thomas H Tinson (21 August 1886-) and his wife Violetta Maud (25 February 1876-1947) and number 2 by Herbert H Smith (26 March 1908-1988) and his wife Dorothy M (10 August 1910-). But the names and addresses of the properties was vague and at other times the Herbie Smith was recorded in Hilden, sometimes called 1 Fogleigh Cottages.[10a] Both Thomas and Herbie were quarrymen in 1939; Thomas was a Stone sawyer (masons’ yard) and Herbert was Banker mason (soft stone). Thomas Tinson married Violetta Dancey on 18 December 1920.
Urban Rogers (1884-1962) and his wife Barbara lived at Fogleigh Cottage in the 1950s. Urban, usually known as Urvin, was a staunch supporter of the British Legion in the inter-war period.[9] The family suffered several tragedies on Box Hill. Their son Ernest John died after a short illness in 1953, having been a Chief submarine detector in the Second World War, torpedoed three times and serving all over the world.[10] After the war, Ernest was employed by Frank Oliver Wills of Fogleigh House as a bailiff. It was the first of two tragedies which affected the family in the 1950s as Ernest’s widow Barbara was sleeping in the Rising Sun Inn on the night of the gas explosion in December 1957.[11] Barbara and her two children were asleep in a different part of the building and survived the tragedy along with Barbara's niece Jane Griffin, although Jane's parents and brother were killed in the disaster.
Jean Diffell was the next door neighbour to Herbert Smith for a while and Sid Rowles and his family lived in no 2 for a while.
It seems curious that Fogleigh House and Fogleigh Cottages are on different sides of the busy main A4 road. Probably they were separated by just a rural track before the new turnpike road was built between Magna and the Box Railway Bridge. In 1911 Edmund Wootten (1875-) was a stone sawyer at 2 Fogleigh Cottages. In 1939 the census reported that Fogleigh Cottage was occupied by residents: number 1 occupied by Thomas H Tinson (21 August 1886-) and his wife Violetta Maud (25 February 1876-1947) and number 2 by Herbert H Smith (26 March 1908-1988) and his wife Dorothy M (10 August 1910-). But the names and addresses of the properties was vague and at other times the Herbie Smith was recorded in Hilden, sometimes called 1 Fogleigh Cottages.[10a] Both Thomas and Herbie were quarrymen in 1939; Thomas was a Stone sawyer (masons’ yard) and Herbert was Banker mason (soft stone). Thomas Tinson married Violetta Dancey on 18 December 1920.
Urban Rogers (1884-1962) and his wife Barbara lived at Fogleigh Cottage in the 1950s. Urban, usually known as Urvin, was a staunch supporter of the British Legion in the inter-war period.[9] The family suffered several tragedies on Box Hill. Their son Ernest John died after a short illness in 1953, having been a Chief submarine detector in the Second World War, torpedoed three times and serving all over the world.[10] After the war, Ernest was employed by Frank Oliver Wills of Fogleigh House as a bailiff. It was the first of two tragedies which affected the family in the 1950s as Ernest’s widow Barbara was sleeping in the Rising Sun Inn on the night of the gas explosion in December 1957.[11] Barbara and her two children were asleep in a different part of the building and survived the tragedy along with Barbara's niece Jane Griffin, although Jane's parents and brother were killed in the disaster.
Jean Diffell was the next door neighbour to Herbert Smith for a while and Sid Rowles and his family lived in no 2 for a while.
Fogleigh Cottages and Hilden are some of the gems of properties on Box Hill. Because they are tucked away at the foot of Beech Road in what is now a blocked private road, they rarely received the recognition they deserve. This article tries to remedy that ignorance and we should be delighted to add to the knowledge of the properties if readers can assist.
Tinson Family Tree
William Tinson (1843-1916), quarryman and ex-Royal Marine, lived with his wife Susan Ford (1851-) at 6 Boxfields from at least 1891, where they had four sons and a daughter. Children:
Arthur George Tinson (19 February 1881-15 January 1964) and Melinda Georgina Dancey (14 May 1880-31 January 1961) on 20 May 1906. Children:
William Tinson (1843-1916), quarryman and ex-Royal Marine, lived with his wife Susan Ford (1851-) at 6 Boxfields from at least 1891, where they had four sons and a daughter. Children:
- Arthur George (19 February 1881-15 January 1964) married Melinda Georgina Dancey (14 May 1880-31 January 1961) on 20 May 1906). She was the granddaughter of Hannah Dancey from Rustic Cottage;
- Lilian (1883-);
- William Edward (1885-);
- Thomas Henry (21 August 1886-), a sometimes farm carter later stonesawyer, married Violetta Maud Dancey (25 February 1876-1947) on 18 December 1920; and
- Ernest Reginald (5 February 1890-2 February 1974) who married Rosine Margherita Gregori (1886-6 June 1975).
Arthur George Tinson (19 February 1881-15 January 1964) and Melinda Georgina Dancey (14 May 1880-31 January 1961) on 20 May 1906. Children:
- Sidney Arthur (1907-);
- Kathleen Hilda (1908-1998) who married Mr Quinn;
- William David (1911-1919) drowned, and
- Herbert Ernest (29 February 1914-1990) who married Gladys Winifred Stevens who worked for J&G Browning and whose family ran the Quarryman’s Arms.[12] They honeymooned in Leicester with relatives.
- David George (8 November 1920-1981).
References
[1] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 12 March 1932,
[2] The Wiltshire Times, 19 May 1956
[3] The Wiltshire Times, 14 June 1919
[4] The Wiltshire Times, 19 May 1956
[5] The Wiltshire Times, 18 May 1940
[6] The Wiltshire Times, 18 May 1940
[7] Courtesy Claire Dimond Mills
[8] The Wiltshire Times, 7 December 1935
[9] The Wiltshire Times, 3 April 1926
[10a] Courtesy Rick Smith
[10] The Wiltshire Times, 14 August 1954
[11] Bath & Wilts Chronicle and Herald, 4 December 1957
[12] The Wiltshire Times, 18 May 1940
[1] Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, 12 March 1932,
[2] The Wiltshire Times, 19 May 1956
[3] The Wiltshire Times, 14 June 1919
[4] The Wiltshire Times, 19 May 1956
[5] The Wiltshire Times, 18 May 1940
[6] The Wiltshire Times, 18 May 1940
[7] Courtesy Claire Dimond Mills
[8] The Wiltshire Times, 7 December 1935
[9] The Wiltshire Times, 3 April 1926
[10a] Courtesy Rick Smith
[10] The Wiltshire Times, 14 August 1954
[11] Bath & Wilts Chronicle and Herald, 4 December 1957
[12] The Wiltshire Times, 18 May 1940