In the second of the two houses on the south side, the Rev. G. B. Twining
lived when he first came to Tottenham. The next estate belonged to the
Rev. Richard Momford Wood; it consisted of 22 acres of meadow land,
rented by Mr. Thomas King; the fields reached to the Hale. It was
afterwards rented by Mr. Goddard’s father, who lived at the High Gross,
on the opposite side to where they now live. He kept a quantity of
geese, and every morning, at 10 o’clock, they left the yard and went to
the fields; all alone they crossed the road, walking two by two, like
school children. At 4 o’clock they returned in the same manner; and
never met with any mishap. One can judge by this the amount of traffic
there was in the High-road at that time.
This is now called Springfield Estate. The large house occupied by Mr.
Rickman was taken down, and the Tottenham Hospital erected. The three
houses adjoining are still there.
In the year 1798 my grandfather, Mr. Thomas Sanders, purchased the next
estate. There was a detached house with good garden, and a great many
coach-houses and stables, built in the time the stage coaches were on the
road, a beautiful meadow, and a large orchard, stocked with choicest
fruit trees.
Dr. Robinson, in his History of Tottenham, speaks of “A singular duel”
that took place in this field. “That upon Thursday, the 8th November,
1610, there was a meeting of the neighbours to warme Mr. John Syms, his
house, the signe of the Swanne, at High Cross, among whom came John
Nelhamte and John Whiston, whoe, having some grudge or quarrel between
them, diner being done they two did use some private speches within
themselves. Taking leave of the company, went to their houses, either of
them taking his pick-stafe in their hands, mett in a field behind Mr.
Edward Barkham’s house, commonly caull’d or knowne by the name of
Baldwin’s. Theare they two fought till John Nelham receyed a wound by
John Whiston in his throate, fell down dead, and never spake word after.
So the Coroner, upon the Saturdaie next, sate upon him; was buried the
same daie, being the 10th of November, 1610.”
After the death of my grandmother we lived in this house, and I well
remember one evening in winter a mad bull rushing down the private
roadway, crowds of people following it. After what seemed a very long
time someone fetched a gun and shot it. It caused a very great commotion
for the time, and we felt very thankful when it was all over. Wonderful
to relate, no one was hurt.
At the death of my mother the house and land at the rear was sold to Mr.
William Hawley, who formed Colsterworth-road and built houses and flats
to accommodate about 200 families.
The next large house, with garden in front, was occupied by the father of
the Rev. G. H. Thompson, and afterwards by various tenants, the last of
whom was Mr. Marsden. After he vacated it was unlet for a long while,
and during that time my dear husband used a room for a work room, in
which he made a model of a design for Westminster Bridge. It was very
beautiful, all in small pieces of brass. When finished he had a glass
case made, and presented it to Mr. Hawksley, civil engineer, Great
George-street, Westminster, who was a great friend of his, and for whom
he went to the Island of Barbadoes, West Indies, as there was a great
scarcity of water, and stayed until he found a sufficient supply, to the
entire satisfaction of Mr. Hawksley and the inhabitants of Barbadoes. He
also made a model of the “Streets of London,” and a “Floating Battery,”
both of which he presented to the Royal United Service Institution,
Whitehall-yard, and they were afterwards removed to South Kensington
Museum. These models are well worth seeing.
The Congregational Chapel was erected on this site about the year 1867.
At the back of this Chapel there was, and still is, a very old house with
gabled roof, originally the “Old Ship Inn,” a very noted place when the
stage coaches were on the road. It was afterwards used as a Boys’
School, kept by Mr. James Holmes, and called Tottenham Green Academy. It
was the property of Mr. Benjamin Godfrey Windus, who left it to his
daughter, the wife of the Rev. Peter De Putron. Then came three houses,
which lay back, with a long piece of waste land in front, planted with a
row of trees, which gave them a very pretty appearance. One of these
houses had a very large cupboard, like a small room, in the back bedroom,
which was built into the next house, where Dr. Babbington’s sister lived,
and here there was a very beautiful ceiling. This house is still there,
but in ruins.