Introduction:

Until the 1900s cottages weren’t given specific names; they were referenced by their location and by their occupants. In this way, the property now known as Old Mill Cottage is described in detail in old documents because of the need to differentiate it from its neighbours when transactions took place – a source of invaluable information now that we are looking back.

• The notes attached to each of these transcripts include these descriptions as well as biographical details (where we have them) for the individuals involved.
• At some point between 1805 and 1838 the cottage was rebuilt; the original cottage was east facing and lay along the village street. When it was rebuilt the cottage was placed at the north boundary of the plot, facing south and end-on to the village street.
• Early descriptions place it opposite the Wharf and in reference to neighbours ‘to the north and west’ and ‘to the south’.
• The earliest known name for the property is in use by the early 1900s; Virginia Cottage.
• By the 1930s the property is routinely known as Ivy Cottage.
• This name was used until at least the late 1970s although it is unclear when the name changed to Old Mill Cottage. However, it is thought the change was made in the 1990s; possibly to avoid confusion with the nearby and similarly named Ivy House.

Note: there is an odd anomaly which appears in a number of the records for individuals associated with this property – early records frequently give Headon-cum-Upton as a place of residence for individuals recorded in Hickling; whilst this is possible for a small number of incidences it seems unlikely on the scale found. There is a possibility that this is an error in transcriptions (either when computerising records in recent times or at some earlier time) – in other words one transcriber consistently mistaking Hickling for Headon-cum-Upton?

Links to Property Transaction Pages (chronological):

(Scroll down this page for a summary of each document)

Summary of Property Transaction Documents (chronological):

(the list below represents a short summary of each document; full details and transcripts can be found on each of the respective pages (including background to the individuals named in each transaction.)

1805 Indenture:

• 12^th October 1805.
• Robert Dickman (occupation – taylor) sells the property to his eldest son John Dickman for the sum of £5.
• Other involved parties: William Crofts (witness); John Swift (witness).
• The extent of the property is approx. 400sq yds.
• William Parr is referenced; he holds rights of passageway over the property which are upheld in the sale.
• In addition, John Dickman agrees to pay his father, Robert Dickman, an annuity of 30 shillings a year to be paid quarterly on the usual feast days: Christmas Day, Lady Day, Midsummer Day and Michaelmas Day.

following the death of Susannah Dickman in January 1838 a number of transactions take place in settlement of the Estate:

1838: abstract from Parish Registers:

• 23^rd Nov 1789: John Dickman (bachelor of Hickling) marries Susannah Holt (spinster of Long Clawson); witnessed by Joseph Hardy and Hugh Sutton.
• They have 3 daughters:
  • Elizabeth baptised 25^th/28^th September 1790
  • Mary baptised June 1^st 1794
  • Ann baptised January 29^th 1800
• John is buried in Hickling, 14^th March 1820 (age 58) – he was a tailor
• Susannah is buried in Hickling 14^th January 1838 (age 74)
• Susannah’s death is likely to have prompted the ensuing 1838 transactions.

1838: attornment – William Wiles to Joseph Barnett:

Notes attached to this document include further details about the family:

• John and Susannah Dickman’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth, marries William Wiles on 25^th November 1813. They have 7 children; John (died as a baby), George, William, Elizabeth Anne, Mary Anne, Thomas and John. 
• John Dickman dies in 1820 and Susannah in 1838.
• Following Susannah’s death William Wiles mortgages the property to Joseph Barnett for the sum of seventy pounds; in return he pays rent of £5pa.
  • Census 1841 Joseph and Thomas Barnett seem to be farming as bachelor brothers on Hickling Pastures.
• William and Elizabeth (nee Dickman) Wiles live in the cottage from (at least) 1838.

1838: declaration:

• John Dickman died without having signed his Will although he made his wishes clear before his death; this declaration is allowed to stand in lieu of a case in the Court of Chancery because John Dickman’s three daughters are in agreement with his intentions; his estate to be shared equally between them.
• Henry Henson makes the declaration; he seems to have been a lace dealer (born Ruddington) but living in Hickling at this time (see notes attached to the original document)
• The document also includes information about the house and the plot that it stands on; at some point between 1805 and 1838, the house was re-built:
  • Originally, the house faced east and fronted on to the main street; it is said to have filled the frontage of the curtilage necessitating a right of way being allowed to William Parr who owned the cottage next to and behind this one.
  • When it was rebuilt the property appears to have been moved to the north boundary of the curtilage and is orientated to face south; the declaration states that, in consequence, the right of passage is no longer needed*.
    • *possibly facilitated by the fact that the occupants of William Parr’s cottage in 1838 are John Dickman’s daughter, Mary and her husband John [Marson].
  • In future transactions there are frequent references to the neighbouring properties:
    • To the south; this is likely to be the property now known as Carneal Cottage (formerly East View/The Butty/Hawthorn Cottage).
      • A modern house now stands immediately south of Old Mill Cottage built on land formerly belonging to Carneal Cottage.
      • It isn’t known whether there was an additional property (now demolished) which is being referenced but it seems unlikely.
    • To the north and west; this property is now known as Canal View. The two properties are detached but with just inches separating them.
  • There are no details of the style or size of the house which was replaced.
• (see separate transcript document for details of the marriages of the 3 sisters).

1838 mortgage document (28^th July 1838).

• The document includes a precise description of the property and those around it; including their respective owners (see notes)
• The document states that John and Mary Marson and Ann Wright (widow) have agreed to sell their respective shares in the property to William Wiles for £35 each share. Joseph Barnett has further agreed to lend William Wiles £70 to assist with these purchases.
• The term of the mortgage appears to be one calendar year; if William Wiles is in default at the end of this time then Joseph Barnett has the option to sell the property.
• However; in 1861 Joseph Barnett transfers the mortgage to Mary Ann Wiles which makes it clear that the mortgage arrangement remained in place for 23 years.
• The remaining equity in the property belongs to William Wiles; the share belonging to Elizabeth Wiles is conveyed in Trust to William Wiles.
• Joseph Barnett; Census 1841 Joseph and Thomas Barnett seem to be farming as bachelor brothers on Hickling Pastures.

1838: insurance agreement document (28^th July 1838).

• William Wiles, having mortgaged the property to Joseph Barnett, agrees to insure the property against loss or damage by fire for £50.
• This seems to be a hastily drawn up document which has been amended twice; (1) to specify insurance against fire and (2) to amend the proposed insured amount from seventy to fifty pounds.
• This document is an agreement to insure, not an insurance document per se.

Census 1841:

• (Hickling) household of William Wiles (all born Hickling):
  • William Wiles; age 45, 1796, Ag Lab
  • Elizabeth Wiles; age 45, 1796
  • Mary Wiles; age 15, 1826
  • Thomas Wiles; age 14, 1827, Ag Lab
• (Hickling) household of Ann Wright – this is unlikely to be the house neighbouring what is now ‘Old Mill Cottage’ (the record is well away from the Wiles household in the order of the records):
  • Ann Wright; age 40, 1801, widow (although this is scored out)
  • Elizabeth Wright; age 20, 1821
  • Esther Wright; age 15, 1826
  • George Wright; age 12, 1829
  • Thomas Wright; age 10, 1831
• (Colston Bassett) household of John Marson
  • John Marson; age 50, 1791
  • Mary Marson; age 45, 1796
  • William Marson; age 20, 1821
  • Ann Marson; age 25, 1816
  • Jane Marson; age 11, 1830
  • Robert Marson; age 9, 1832
  • Benjamin Marson; age 7, 1834
  • Henry Marson; age 3, 1838
  • Albert Marson; infant, 1841

Census 1851:

• (Hickling)household of William Wiles (all born Hickling):
  • William Wiles; age 59, 1792, Labourer (born Stableford, Leics)
  • Elizabeth Wiles; age 59, 1792 (born Hickling)
  • William Wiles (son); unmarried, age 30, 1821, labourer (born Hickling)
  • Mary Ann Wiles (daughter); unmarried, age 26, 1825, dressmaker (born Hickling)
• Ann Wright: there is a possible burial record for Ann Wright in Hickling (age 48), 19^th March 1848.
• (Colston Bassett) household of John Marson
  • John Marson; age 61, 1791, Ag Lab (born Long Clawson)
  • Mary Marson; age 56, 1796 (born Hickling)
  • John Marson; age 34, 1817, unmarried, Ag Lab (born Long Clawson)

1861 Indenture and transfer of mortgage:

• The mortgage on the property is repaid/transferred to Mary Ann Wiles on the 10^th April 1861: payment of £77.12s. is made to Joseph Barnett by Mary Ann Wiles.
• This transaction appears to be the result of default in the payment of interest in January 1861.
• See notes on the document itself for information relating to family and neighbouring properties:
  • Joseph Barnett
  • Mary Ann Wiles
  • William Wiles (father), William Wiles (son)
  • Job Marson (father), William Marson (son)
  • William and Elizabeth (Whittle) Collishaw.

1885 Conveyance and Land Tax:

• In January 1885 Mary Ann Wiles sells the property ‘in fee simple’ to Mrs Betsy Collishaw, wife of William (Wharf) Collishaw (the younger) for the sum of £59.
• In June 1885 Betsy Collishaw pays Land Tax on the property of 4d.
• See notes for further detail; census and parish records (including five different William Collishaws).

1922 assignment document:

• Assignment dated 29^th July 1922
• Following the death of Mrs Betsy Collishaw the property is assigned to her widow, Mr William Collishaw.
  • Betsy Collishaw’s Will is dated 15^th April 1918 with a codicil added on the 20^th April 1918.
  • Probate record; “Collishaw Betsy of Hickling Wharf Hickling Nottinghamshire (wife of William Collishaw) died 20^th March 1921 Probate Nottingham 8^th June to the said William Collishaw retired coal merchant and James Wright Collishaw farmer. Effects £2316.11s.3d.”
• Also named is James Wright Collishaw (farmer of Hickling); co-executor of her Estate.
• It would seem that the property has been rented since its purchase in 1885; the current occupier is Albert Barnett, before him it was occupied by Miss Mary White.
  • At this time William Collishaw is a retired coal merchant living in Owthorpe Cottage, Cropwell Bishop.
  • Sadly, one of her earlier tenants committed suicide at the property (then known as Virginia Cottage) in 1909; “August 1909: Mr Nelson Outhwaite aged 58 years was found hanging in an outhouse of his home Virginia Cottage. House end to road opposite Wharf House.” (H Wadkin; Scrapbook of Hickling). By the Census of 1911 his widow is living with their son in London.

1930 Abstract of Title:

• The abstract begins with the purchase of the property by Betsy Collishaw from Mary Ann Wiles in 1885 (also referring back to the mortgage of 1838)
  • The abstract states that the mortgage had been in default which is the cause of the sale to Mary Ann Wiles in 1861.
• Details of Betsy Collishaw’s Will and Codicil in 1918 are given; at that time, the property is occupied by Miss Mary White.
  • Some specific bequests
  • Executors William Collishaw and James Wright Collishaw
  • Beneficiary William Collishaw
• Betsy Collishaw died in March 1921 and probate is proved in June 1921.
• 29^th July 1922: following probate the property is assigned to William Collishaw.
  • Tenant at this time is Albert Barnett.
• 25^th March 1924; Will of William Collishaw now living at Owthorpe Cottage, Cropwell Bishop
  • Executors are James Wright Collishaw and ‘his nephew Charles William Collishaw of 31 Lebanon Gardens, Wandsworth in the County of London Chemist’
  • The Wharf property was sold by a conveyance dated 28^th July 1921 to JW Harriman ‘in fee simple’ with access to the water pump retained as a right for tenants of Old Mill Cottage.
• William Collishaw died 21^st September 1929 and Probate was proved in November 1929.
• James Wright Collishaw died in Hickling 11^th January 1930 and control passes to William (Wharf) Collishaw’s nephew – Charles William Collishaw (chemist in London)

1930 Conveyance:

• Conveyance dated 25^th February 1930; the sale is made by Charles William Collishaw on behalf of the late William (Wharf) Collishaw.
• The representatives of William Collishaw (deceased) sell the house to Mr Herbert Swanwick
• The sum paid is £155 ‘in fee simple’ and without incumbrances; Mr Swanwick retains the right to access water from the pump at The Wharf (still owned by Mr JW Harriman).
• Mr Swanwick was a retired police officer, he had been living at The Laurels in Hickling prior to this purchase.
• The measurements of the site are slightly more precise than previously; ‘by estimation four hundred and sixty two square yards or thereabouts’.
  • The property is still occupied by Albert Barnett (‘for the time being’)
  • John Squires now occupies the property to the north and west
  • William Burnett now occupies the property to the south

1951 Assignment:

• On the death of Herbert Swanwick (5^th Nov 1850) the property is formally assigned to his widow, Mrs Ethel Mary Swanwick;
  • Assignment is dated 11^th May 1851
• The second executor is Ernest Edman Blanchard:
  • 1939 Register; he is listed with his wife (Ethel A Blanchard) at The Firs, Main St. Swingate, Basford RD. He is a Director Manufacturer Baker and Confectioner. A later note has been added to his record – ‘Notts County Constabulary Chief, Kimberley Section’
  • Ethel Amelia (Swanwick) Blanchard is the daughter of Herbert Swanwick’s brother, George Swanwick.

1963 Conveyance:

• Mrs Ethel Mary Swanwick sold the property to Mr CJ Tizzard and Miss GM Dixon:
  • Conveyance dated 4^th July 1963, sale price of £1,250.
  • House is known as “Ivy Cottage”
  • It was ‘recently occupied by the vendor’.
  • The new occupiers also have the right to extract water from the pump at the Wharf (owned by MR JW Harriman)
  • For the first time, consideration is given to the possibility of mining related subsidence (a developing issue at the time)
• Mrs Swanwick died in March 1966; probate records say that she is ‘of The Hassocks Queens Rd East Beeston Nottinghamshire’; this is also the address given for the conveyance when her occupation is given as ‘Matron – care of the aged’.
• The property was sold for £1,250; the following year a further loan of £410 was taken out to carry out improvements:
  • ‘East gable to be provided with an inner skin to comply with the Council’s Byelaws’
  • ‘Hot water system bathroom and an internal WC to be provided’
• 1972: Part of the ‘rear garden’ is conveyed to Margaret Zetta Barton.

1976 Conveyance:

• 5^th November 1976 Mr and Mrs CJ Tizzard sell the property known as Ivy Cottage to Mr James Andrew and Mrs Sally Jane Farmer (Flintham, Newark).
  • The property is sold for £12,750.
  • Mr & Mrs Tizzard are said to be ‘of The Butty, Main Street, Hickling’; this is the property to the south of Ivy Cottage/Old Mill Cottage – now known as Carneal Cottage.
  • The current owners of Carneal Cottage bought the property (then known as ‘The Butty’) from Mr & Mrs Tizzard in 1979. Before Mr & Mrs Tizzard lived there it had been a smallholding owned by the Kerry family.
  • (see further notes attached to the document)
• For the first time, this conveyance includes a Land Registry stamp; ER HM Land Registry – freehold title registered. Title number NT 71890.
• The Conveyance specifies that Main Street was formerly known as Town Street.

Ownership timeline:

• 1805: Robert Dickman transfers ownership to his eldest son, John Dickman (£5 plus an annuity for his remaining lifetime of 30s pa)
• 1838: John Dickman’s son-in-law, William Wiles, mortgages the property to Joseph Barnett (William Wiles is married to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of John and Susannah Dickman).
  • Residents are; William and Elizabeth (nee Dickman) Wiles.
    • William Wiles died in 1855
    • Elizabeth (Dickman) Wiles died in 1859
  • Ann (Dickman) Wright (widow) appears to be living next door in a property previously owned by Mr Parr – the two properties had previously shared access.
  • John and Mary (Elizabeth’s sister) Marson are resident in Colston Bassett
  • Census 1851: the household consists of William and Elizabeth Wiles and their two unmarried children – William Wiles and Mary Ann Wiles.
• 1861: Mary Ann Wiles takes over the mortgage from Joseph Barnett
  • Mary Ann Wiles (unmarried, dressmaker) lives in the property with her unmarried brother, William Wiles; census 1861
  • William Wiles died in 1865 and Mary Ann Wiles continued to live in the property as sole occupant.
• 1885: Mary Ann Wiles sells the property to Mrs Betsy Collishaw, wife of William (Wharf) Collishaw, the younger; the property is unoccupied at the time of the transaction. During Betsy Collishaw’s ownership the property is rented – known tenants include:
  • Mr Nelson Outhwaite (who sadly committed suicide at the property in 1909);
    • Mr Nelson and Mrs Emma Outhwaite were in residence by 1991 (Census) but Mrs Outhwaite was in London by 1911 (Census).
  • Miss Mary White
  • Albert Barnett
• At some point around this time the cottage becomes known as Virginia Cottage.
• 1921: When William (Wharf) Collishaw sells his Wharf property to JW Harriman, the sale includes a proviso that occupants of the cottage would retain the right to access water at the Wharf pump.
• 1922: Following the death of Mrs Betsy Collishaw ownership is assigned to her widower, Mr William Collishaw (living at Owthorpe Cottage, Cropwell Bishop)
  • the occupier at this time is Albert Barnett, before him it was occupied by Miss Mary White.
• 1929: On the death of Mr William (Wharf) Collishaw control passes toJames Wright Collishaw (cousin of William).
• 1930: On the death of James Wright Collishaw in 1930 control passes to Charles William Collishaw (chemist in London)
• February 1930: Charles William Collishaw sells the cottage to Mr Herbert Swanwick
  • Albert Barnett occupies the cottage at the time of the sale but following the sale Mr & Mrs Herbert Swanwick take up occupancy.
• By (at least) the late 1930s the cottage is known as Ivy Cottage.
• 1951: on the death of Mr Herbert Swanwick, the property is assigned to his widow, Mrs Ethel Swanwick.
• 1963: Mrs Ethel Swanwick sells the property to Mr CJ Tizzard and Miss GM Dixon.
• 1972: Part of the ‘rear garden’ is conveyed to Margaret Zetta Barton by Mr CJ and Mrs GM (Dixon) Tizzard.
• 1976: Mr & Mrs Tizzard (then resident next door and to the south in The Butty) sell the property to Mr James Andrew and Mrs Sally Jane Farmer of Flintham, Newark.
• (later records not published due to our time-bar policy)

From the Wadkin Archives:

Scrapbook of Hickling:

• “August 1909: Mr Nelson Outhwaite aged 58 years was found hanging in an outhouse of his home Virginia Cottage. House end to road opposite Wharf House.”
• “House opposite Wharf House with end to road. Sold in the late 1920s by Mr ‘Wharf’ Collishaw to Mr & Mrs Swanwick for £150. Mr Swanwick died and later his widow sold to Mr Tizzard for £1,100 in 1963.