Saturday 17 June 2023

On Shooters Hill with Mrs Craven and George Field in the June of 1841

I have decided to head north of Well Hall to Shooters Hill in search of a story. 

Back in the 1830s and 40s, it was a mixed bunch of those deriving an income from the land and the well off.

So of our forty two people in gainful employment in the June of 1841 the largest group were those who described themselves as agricultural labourers, farm servants or gardeners.

These were followed by those of “Independent means” along with one solicitor, a governess, a tea broker and a publican.

They lived fairly close together on the southern side of Shooters Hill on a stretch facing the Bull Inn.

And I guess quite a few of our band of workers would have spent time in the company of George Field who along with his wife Mary ran the Bull Inn.

Not that I would expect the Bull was ever frequented by Louisa Crewe who rented 21 acres  from the Crown and lived in Hazelwood House which was a big enough pile for it to be marked and named on the tithe map of 1844.

She had not long become a widow.

But of her, her employees and the others in Shooters Hill more next time.
Location, Shooters Hill , London

Picture; detail from the tithe map of Eltham, courtesy of Kent History and Library Centre, Maidstone, http://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure_and_culture/kent_history/kent_history__library_centre.aspx

7 comments:

  1. I am a descendant of Elizabeth Harley, daughter of George Harley who I believe owned Hazelwood House at Shooters Hill. From general Google search I have found that Elizabeth Harley was to inherit the Hazelwood property but never claimed it as at that time had moved to Australia and was too ill to travel.
    So I am assuming then that as the property was unclaimed it then became property of the Crown? Is this correct?
    Any further information you may have about the Harley's and what happened to the property would be greatly appreciated.

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    1. Im looking up similar from our family tree

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    2. Yes I am a direct descendant of the same Elizabeth Harley and James Blackman NSW AUSTRALIA. Her son William died before they could claim on the will. The 100 room house was demolished but the crown would be most likely managing the land. Contact me through this site for any updates.

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    3. Yes I am a direct descendant of the same Elizabeth Harley . Contact me through this site for any specific questions.

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    4. I'm a relative of Lord harley

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  2. Sadly Jasmine I have no more information.

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  3. It's like an everyday story of the Archers, keep going it's a good read.

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