Chipperfield. Baldersley Cottage.

 

Baldersley Cottage was built in the late 17th or early 18th centuries. The original two dwellings, now privately owned, have since been combined to make a single dwelling. They still exist and were listed as grade II by Historic England in 1986, with a reference of 1173027.

Henry Day of Sarratt Hall died in 1818 during the Regency period, only 3 years after the Battle of Waterloo. His memorial plaque is in Sarratt church; his brothers and other members of the family are buried in a tomb just outside the church. In a codicil to his will he left £300 for the benefit of the parish of Sarratt, nominating his brothers Thomas and Ralph as his executors.

In 1828 his trustees paid £200 (according to Victoria County History, or £20 according to Historic England) to purchase the 2 copyhold tenements and gardens from Thomas Darvell for use as two almshouses. As Thomas Day died in 1827, the assumption would be that Ralph Day actioned the purchase of the property. The estate produced no income but was appropriated to the free use of the poor parishioners of Sarratt. The balance of the legacy was applied in the cost of enfranchisement and repairs and improvements. These almshouses were sold in 1888, hence in use for 60 years. The net proceeds were invested in £100 5s. consols.

Ralph Day had previously rebuilt Baldwin’s almshouses (in 1821) opposite Sarratt Church. Part of his legacy was used to provide clothing and bedding for the almspeople at Chipperfield (known as The Dell almshouses).

Not all neighbours live in harmony. A report in the Hertford Mercury and Reformer for 1865 mentions that Philip & Maria Climson of Chipperfield Dell were charged with assaulting an old woman, Sarah East, in consequence of an ‘old malice’. They were neighbours who lived in almshouses. Darvill said she was present and saw all that passed. No blow was struck, nor any assault committed. Mrs. Ann Brownell said that no blows were struck, and that the complainant was always disturbing the neighbours. The Bench found against the female defendant, fined her 1s. and costs, and bound her over to keep the peace.

Location

Dunny Lane, Chipperfield
Georef:      503673 201376
Grid Ref:   51^o 42′ 06″N 0^o 30′ 05″W

References

History of Hertfordshire, by John Edwin Cussans
p118
Originally published Stephen Austin & Sons 1870-81
Republished E P Publishing in collaboration with Hertfordshire County Library 1972

The Victoria County History of the County of Hertford ed. William Page
Vol 2 p443
Issued Archibald Constable & Co. 1908. Reprint by Dawsons of Pall Mall 1971 (ISBN 0 7129 0476 X)
This publication is available online at https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/herts/vol2/pp438-443

Hertfordshire Memorial Inscriptions vol 63 Sarratt
Herts Family and Population History Society 1998
C10 painted brass plaque notes that Henry Day died Dec 1818 aged 70 years

Websites

Historic England (accessed Dec 2019
https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1173027 (site accessed May 2020)

Henry Day’s will and codicil can be viewed on-line at https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/5111/40611_310847-00196?pid=544096&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D5111%26h%3D544096%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DzNI33%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=zNI33&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.154468088.1792547099.1581513316-914537116.1525435375#?imageId=40611_310847-00196 (accessed Feb 2020)

Newspapers can be viewed on the British Newspaper Archive website

Hertford Mercury and Reformer 19 August 1865 Page: 3 col 5. Philip and Maria Climson

Herts Advertiser 23 June 1866 page 2 col 7 mentions Henry and Ralph Day’s legacies.