Daniel Wenden was born in 1777 in Earls Colne, Essex. His father Daniel was a butcher and this occupation can be traced in the family from the late 19thC back into the mid-17thC.
The surname Wenden is thought to derive from a group of Saxon tribes called Wends who came to Britain in the 5th Century and were involved in founding the counties of Wessex, Essex, Sussex & Middlesex. A village named Wenden was recorded in the Domesday Book in Essex and during the 16th – 19th Centuries the family name was restricted mainly to Essex and East London. Several villages existed in Essex, two were combined to become Wendens Ambo and Wenden Lofts.
Earls Colne is named for the Earls of Oxford, the de Vere family, who held the manor here from 1137 until 1583. The village is situated on the south side of the River Colne, nine miles north of Colchester.
Daniel married Margaret Cavill in Colchester St James 29th September 1801. Their first child, Daniel was baptised 26th January 1802 in Colchester St Leonards.
Shortly afterwards Daniel and Margaret moved to Yoxford. (It is not known why they came here but it is thought Daniel’s brother John, also a butcher, came with him but at some point he returned to Essex). According to Robert Parr 1, Vol 6 p12, Daniel took the copyhold from John Lee, owned by Sibton Manor. ‘He started the business in the centre of the street’. It is not clear which property this was.
Other children followed – James in 1804 Mary Ann in 1806, John in 1807, Lucretia in 1812, Eliza in 1813, Caroline in 1815, Jane in 1817, and twins William and Winifred in 1823. James, William & Winifred all died in infancy, Caroline at 20 and Jane at 12. Margaret died 1836 aged 51-2. All were buried in Yoxford St Peter.
In 1806 Daniel bought Wisbech, together with James F Clayton and William Short, one of whom divided it into two cottages. This is one of the oldest cottages in the village, dating from the 16thC.
In 1814 Daniel bought the property now known as Spaldings (the property included a cottage sold in 1845 to George Spalding, carpenter). It is presumed Daniel had his business here, at left in the picture. The property is thought to date from c1735 according to Parr.
In 1840 Daniel married Margaret Francis in St Peter’s. She had been born in Oswestry, Shropshire in 1795. Nothing has been discovered about her background.
Daniel is listed as a butcher in the Commercial Directories – 1830 butcher & publican, Griffin Inn, Pigots 1839, Whites 1844 and in Great Street on the 1841 census. (In 1830 there were two butchers, four in 1839 and three in 1844.)
The Griffin c1910, butcher’s shop at left.
Daniel decided to retire in 1844, Parr speculates because his son Daniel had died in the autumn of 1843, aged only 42.
Daniel Jr was buried in Yoxford St Peters 21st September 1843. He worked in the business & if he had done since a boy, Daniel Sr would be lost without him & probably wouldn’t want to continue.
Daniel Jr’s headstone
The business was put up for auction at the Three Tuns 5th January 1844 & advertised as ‘a first-rate business, established nearly 40 years, conducted by the present proprietor who is anxious to retire from business. Substantially built, and slated, the house contains a parlour, keeping-room, kitchen, cellar & 5 capital bedrooms. There is an excellent selling-shop, detached slaughterhouse, pound, & stabling for 4 horses’.
This is what is now known as London House. Parr (Vol 6 p242) says this building was ‘probably built 1820 on the site of a much older dwelling, for Daniel Wenden, who had been in business here earlier & had also acquired, 1814, a butcher’s shop further up the street’. (after Daniel a butcher’s business continued here many years – in 1879 Chester Foulsham, 1916 Fredk Wm Balls, 1948 Charles Kett, continued by his nephew Peter Chenery).
conversion Into accommodation
In 1830 and 1832 Daniel was able to invest in properties in Carlton and Kelsale, showing that he was earning a good living from his business. The 1832 purchase was surrendered in 1840. These properties are ‘unspecified’ in the online Catalogue of The Hold in Ipswich (formerly The Record Office). It is possible that these properties were part of the Carlton Hall Estate, on the North side of Saxmundham. The estate existed by the late 17thC, probably based on Carlton Manor, in ancient parkland. The parish church of St Peter in the centre of the parkland is Grade II listed and of medieval origin. The late 18thC Hall, requisitioned for Army use during WWII, burnt down in 1941.
Daniel had also purchased The Crown PH in Kenton and an unknown farmhouse in Darsham, its 60 acres farmed by George Borrett and one labourer in 1851.
In October 1844 Daniel bought at auction, being the highest bidder, a beerhouse, (later named the New Inn, presumably by Daniel), the two cottages adjoining and the cottage next to them. There had been a messuage (dwelling-house, outbuildings, land) here since at least 1471. It would have included Hardings tenement and Wayside. James Pallant was the previous owner and he had died early in 1844. Daniel made the single cottage the retirement home for himself and Margaret. This was a small two-up, two-down property, thought to have been built c1800. Daniel extended it by doubling it in size and modernised the frontage with Georgian windows.
He built a separate gig-house, stable and privy at the rear, with a courtyard access. There was a large walled garden beyond this, leading to the river Yox. There is a wide gap between this property and the adjoining Coach House Cottage as this was a driftway in the Middle Ages, for villagers to lead their animals to the water meadow. This gap has never been built on. The house has been called Rosslyn House since at least 1900, it is not certain why.
Rosslyn in 2015
Daniel died in 1850 and was buried in St Peter’s 23rd October in the plot where his first wife Margaret and their children were buried. He left a lengthy will, his executors being his son John and sons-in-law Thomas Barker and Samuel Hart. He left all his plate to be divided between John, Eliza and Lucretia. To his dear wife he left all his linen and a choice of the household furniture not exceeding £20, the remainder to be given to his three children. John inherited premises including a butcher’s shop in Yoxford occupied by George Spalding. (George, son of shoemaker William, had been born in Yoxford and worked as a butcher his whole life, living in various properties in the village. This property is still known as Spalding’s even though George was only here a short time as a young man). Daniel’s wife was left premises in Yoxford, ie the New Inn, the house now known as Rosslyn and the two cottages in between. Lucretia was left the Crown Inn and lands in Kenton. Other property and land as well as monies were to be distributed amongst the children and grandchildren. The total estate was under £800.
In 1851 Margaret appears from the census to have been living next to Rosslyn, at one of the cottages between it and New Inn. In 1861 she was boarding with John Cotton, coach builder. In 1871 she was back next to the New Inn, living alone with no servant. These cottages were later demolished after the New Inn was extended when it had been bought by Adnams Brewery in 1911. (It was renamed The Blois Arms in 1955 when it was given a full license. It closed in 2007 and is now a private house).
In 1862 and 1869 there were adverts in the local press when Margaret was advertising (Rosslyn) to be let, with descriptions. Here is one advertising the contents
Margaret died 21st September 1880.
Eliza inherited the New Inn and (‘Rosslyn’). This was put up for auction 3rd July 1893 at the Three Tuns Hotel, in two lots. These were advertised as
‘Freehold Beer-House known as the ‘New Inn’ with garden and small copyhold meadow, and two freehold cottages, In the several occupations of Messrs Geo. Borrett, Dalby and Redgrave. Annual rental £25.15s. Also a charming small residence with garden, stable, coach house etc. Now occupied by Miss Donaldson. Annual rental £18 18s 0d.
Further particulars state that Lot 1 the beer-house had ‘a stable, coach-house, out buildings, garden and orchard’. The two freehold cottages were ‘recessed from the road, having small Flower Gardens enclosed with iron palisades’. Lot 2 The ‘Charming Small Freehold White Brick and Slated Residence, adjoining, containing 2 Sitting and 4 Bedrooms, Hall, Kitchen, Cellar, Wash-house: with front and back gardens, Summer House, Coach Drive to Stables and Gig house. The tenant has a right to remove refuse through the yard of Lot 1’.
Daniel had evidently built up a very successful business over the years, gaining status and respect. Anyone who could afford it would be buying meat and poultry often, perhaps every day. (Those who could not afford it would use pork butchers as this meat was much cheaper). He would have formed relationships with farmers all over the area. All his surviving children made very good marriages – Mary Ann married Samuel Hart, son of farmer Daniel of Cransford Hall. This was sold in 1946 as Agricultural estate of 1,465 acres comprising: Cransford Hall, Saxmundham, with pleasure gardens, garages, stabling and chauffeur’s flat, kitchen garden and lodge, 35 acres. John married Mary Ann Wainwright of Hazelwood Hall near Aldeburgh. Lucretia married grocer and draper Benjamin Artiss. He died young at the age of 37 in 1843 and Lucretia then took over the running of The Crown at Kenton, purchased by her father and left to her in his will. She was listed as licensed victualler in 1844 and on the 1851 census but later in 1851 she was re-married, to a local farmer, and left the pub. Eliza married Thomas Barker, son of farmer Robert of Wolsey House Farm, which has medieval origins.
1 Parr, Robert, Yoxford Yesterday (8-volume unpublished MSS, believed to be his MA thesis, in The Hold, Ipswich)